Facebook is not for fundraising, according to a Facebook exec.

An interesting article taken from one of the seminars at the International Fundraising Congress in the Netherlands.

 

Elmer Sotto, head of growth for Facebook Canada, has said that facebook is not an effective tool for fundraising. 

 

He’s wrong of course.

 

And I’d say the same holds true for business.

 

Is facebook is an effective tool to get people to buy your product?

 

I should qualify this, and say that getting someone to ‘like’ you on facebook is not and will never be the same as getting them to buy your product or service, or donate to your charity.

 

What it IS, is an effective tool to build relationships, help nurture communities, and keep people ‘engaged’ and interested in what your business (or charity) does.

 

As Seth Godin might put it, it’s a way to build your tribe.

 

I have to agree with Elmer when he says that charities should make “building up a popular page as the number one task”.

 

Again, it’s a way to keep people talking to you, for you to be able to listen to them, which ultimately is what fundraising is.

 

Yes, the aim of fundraising is to get donations, but the way to do it is to converse with people who are interested in you.  To keep them interested in you, and to keep interested in them.  Show them how what their donation has done, how it’s changed lives, and that will mean that they want to donate again.

 

Fundraising isn’t just about getting a donation, it’s about engaging supporters, donors and looking after your tribe.

 

Facebook isn’t an effective way to get a first donation, it’s a tool to keep donors, supporters and members of your tribe engaged.

Posted via email from mikemuses's posterous