The NAPRP Blog

Oct 16

Written by: NAPRP Admin
10/16/2009 4:25 AM

This week, we had a teleseminar with Kimberly Sanberg from Ignitus, who did a great job explaining how you can integrate direct mail with social media. If you're a Golden Paw Insider member you can download the slides and the audio from the NAPRP Web site.

You also can check out the slides at the Ignitus web site:  http://ignitusinc.com/presentations/.

One thing that came up during the call is the importance of having all your "ducks in a row" before you embark on an integrated campaign. If you want to use social media, you should have a Web site and email system set up first, so you can communicate online.

A lot of social media is about simply starting a conversation that leads to people visiting your Web site where they can learn more about what you do. As Kimberly pointed out, when they get to your Web site, you don't want them to run away!

When you set up an integrated fundraising campaign, ideally you want to present a consistent message across all your media. That means your Web site should have the same "look" as your emails and direct mail.

Unfortunately, a lot of rescues have out-of-date Web sites that look like a long page of disorganized text. People hate scrolling, so if you have that much information to convey, it's probably time to scrap your Web site and start over. For most groups, a one-page site just isn't enough anymore.

The sample Web sites in Kimberly's slides show how engaging a simple design coupled with interesting stories and compelling photos can be. Resist the temptation to throw too many photos or fonts on your Web site. An old adage in graphic design says that when you emphasize everything, you emphasize nothing.

Redoing a Web site doesn't mean you have to add every "bell and whistle" out there. In fact, an easy-to-read site with simple navigation is ideal. The menus should make it easy for your visitors to reach every area of the Web site. Think about Web sites that are easy for you to use. Almost invariably, they have extremely clear designs and navigation. There's no reason you can't do the same thing.

As always thanks for all you do to help the animals!

~ Susan Daffron
    Founder & President, NAPRP

 

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