
A newsletter from North American YMCA Development Organization Volume 32 | Number 2 | April 2018
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State of the Algorithm Nation - 3 Ways to be Seen on Facebook
Facebook is littered with ads, spam, and fake news. (I, too, can’t believe I actually used “fake news” in a sentence.) So Zuck and the gang over at the social platform have decided to shake things up and change the algorithm on us – making it easier for you to connect with your friends and loved ones, but harder for your business page to connect with your audience.
“This update will not change the amount of news you see on Facebook. It will only shift the balance of news you see towards sources that are determined to be trusted by the community,” Zuckerberg said.
So how can you build trust with your audience and appease the Facebook gods? Don’t worry, you don’t need to head back to school or sign up for some 18-part webinar series. I’m going to give you the top 3 things you can do to make sure you’re seen on the Facebook scene and bust up the new algorithm with some trust building tips. And each of these secrets has one main ingredient: CONTENT!
QUALITY CONTENT
Content is and always will be king. Making sure you’re providing your audience with quality posts is the number one thing you can do to stay above sea level. Anything that isn’t audience driven or might seem a little fishy will be marked as spam on Facebook and will be flagged. Changing the times of your posts can also help you be less spammy, as posting at the same time every day might make you seem a little too robotic for the likes of Facebook.
VARIED CONTENT
Posting quality content at different times is a great start. But you’ll also need to diversify that content. Adding images, videos, and text to different posts will again help you build that trust with Facebook. Your audience will also be delighted and not feel that they’re getting the “same old same old” typed out stories from you.
ENGAGED CONTENT
It might have been nice to drop some content then sit back and watch the comments roll in. But you better not sit for too long. We’ve already seen that Facebook has been measuring our response rates. You’ll notice it advertised on your business page, and now you can see it popping up on your friends’ pages. Getting back to your audience in a timely manner is crucial in your algorithm game. Make sure to engage in discussion on your posts, responding to each comment, and building your brand along the way.
I’m quite thrilled with these new algorithm changes. We’re all sick of seeing things pop up in our feed that we just don’t care about. Building trust has ALWAYS been part of brand building. I’m happy to see Facebook put this best practice into actual practice. It will be interesting to see how this “experiment” goes, since Facebook is always changing the rules, but if you follow these three steps to show some care for your audience, I guarantee your audience will care about you!

Chris Farias has been working in advertising and marketing for almost two decades. In 2007 he co-founded KITESTRING Creative Branding Studio, and as VP, Creative Development & Partner he leads a vibrant team to create work that enriches their clients’ businesses.
An expert connector, Chris brings his big personality and interesting view of the world to the speaker’s podium. He has delighted audiences throughout North America at public industry events, national conferences, and private corporate functions. He’s been featured as a keynote speaker, discussion panelist, and master of ceremony for large scale industry events and conferences like Tweetstock, 140 Conference and NAYDO 2015/2016, where he was given the highest rating from audience surveys two years in a row. www.kitestring.ca
Message from the Chair

Making the Most of Your NAYDO Conference Experience
Our New Orleans host team and NAYDO Conference Planning Committee have worked for over a year to make sure this year’s Conference is great. According to past participants, the greatest benefits of the NAYDO conference are learning from other YMCAs, hearing from fundraising experts, and networking with a wide variety of Y professionals.
In my Chair’s Message last spring, I pulled some ideas from publications about maximizing the benefit of conference attendance. With that in mind, here’s a quick recap of those ideas as we prepare for NAYDO 2018. Maybe you can identify a few to help you and your NAYDO delegation to be sure you take full advantage of your Conference experience.
Before the Conference
At the Conference
After The Conference
Hopefully, some of these ideas will help you get the greatest return on the investment of your YMCA’s dollars, your time and energy.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
“Laissez les bon temps roulez!”
NAYDO Chair
VP, Marketing & Development
YMCA of Greater Louisville
STAY ENGAGED
Be sure to take advantage of other NAYDO Resources:
• NAYDO 365 Podcast is a series of conversations sponsored by Donor By Design with Y leaders about fundraising, working with volunteers and leadership. They share their insights from their own experiences and coach you on how to meet the challenges of promoting the YMCA cause in your community.
• NAYDO Webinar Series sponsored by Daxko shares learning every month from conference presenters, focused on every area of philanthropy. Webinars are free for NAYDO members and each webinar qualifies for 1.0 hour of CFRE credit as well as Y-USA Leadership Development credit.
• Access the Member side of the NAYDO website for new resources, job opportunities and articles from Y leaders, NAYDO partners, and outside experts.
2018 AFP Financial Development Webinars
Y-USA is happy to partner again with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) to offer the year-long AFP Webinar Series free to Y staff and volunteers. They are also happy to share this benefit with all NAYDO members.
Click here to view webinar offerings and find out how to take advantage of this great benefit!
Make 2018 Your Best Professional Year Yet!
Upcoming CFRE application deadlines
When you become a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), you demonstrate to colleagues, employers, donors, and the public that you are a committed, ethical fundraising professional. CFREs report that earning their CFRE often leads to greater earnings potential, recognition from peers, and sets them apart in the job application process.
The remaining 2018 CFRE application deadlines are 30 April, 15 July, and 1 October. Learn more at www.cfre.org.