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

1.  Take plenty of business cards.  They are a quick and easy way to give your contact information for follow-up later.
2.  Download the NAYDO Conference App to your phone or tablet.  It will give you daily schedules, speaker info, workshop locations, exhibitors and participant lists, as well as, a great game “Click!” that will help you connect to people.  Also, the top ten point finishers in “Click!” will win a special prize.
3.  Review the Conference workshop topics in the NAYDO Conference Advance Packet and select your first and second choice in each session. 
4.  Review the list of participants and exhibitors to identify those that you wish to seek out, or just watch for, while you are there. 

At the Conference

5.  Visit the Exhibit areas and talk to exhibitors.  Exhibitors can be great sources of information and valuable resources in your professional network.  The Exhibit area is also where many attendees congregate on opening day to greet each other, and it’s the place for refreshments during breaks over the course of the Conference.
6.  Break up into smaller groups.  If your Association has a large delegation attending, you will not likely be able to sit together for general sessions and meals.  Take advantage of the situation, find a couple of empty seats and introduce yourself!  Remember, everyone there, staff or volunteer, has at least one thing in common – they are interested in YMCA philanthropy.
7.  Collect business cards.  When you meet someone with whom you would like to follow up, get their business card.  When it’s convenient to do so, make a note on their card to remind you why you want to follow up. 
8.  Help your volunteers stay connected.  If you are Y staff with board members or other volunteers attending, make sure your volunteers are comfortable, meeting others and engaged in Conference activities.  You are their host.
9.  Divide and conquer. Coordinate your workshop attendance with others from your Association.  Spreading out among the educational workshops helps you gather the most information to take back to your YMCA.
10.  Record your “takeaways.”   After each session, distill the presentation down into two or three specific points that you want to remember.  Your “takeaways” will help you prioritize information for your specific needs.
11.  Bail out!  If after 10-15 minutes in a conference workshop, you find it’s not what you expected, leave quietly.  Go to your second choice for that session.  If you are uncertain about a particular session, sit near an aisle, or in the back, so you can leave without disturbing others.
12.  Ask questions.  Most sessions will have opportunities for questions at the end, but don’t hesitate to hang around after sessions to seek additional information and to meet presenters. You could even arrange to follow up when you get back home.
13.  Attend Conference social events and after-parties.  Remember that networking is one of the greatest benefits of the NAYDO Conference.  After the workshop rooms have gone dark, attendees, exhibitors, and even speakers are likely to be mingling at these organized or impromptu events. 
14.  Give yourself time to recharge.  Three days of exhibits, speakers, receptions and after-parties can be exhausting.  Take the time you need, each day, to be your best.  Then, you’ll be ready to have fun and get the most from all the Conference activities. 

After The Conference

15.  Organize and prioritize your takeaways.  On the trip home or soon after the Conference closing, look back over your notes to see which presentations represent the best opportunities for you, your staff and your Y.  Focus on those few things that can have the greatest impact for your Y.
16.  Review your new/renewed contacts.  A stack of business cards can get “cold” pretty quick, especially after a week or so.  Don’t wait long to look back at collected cards.  Pull the ones you identified for follow up, and do so within a week or so, by phone or email. 
17.  Share the experience.  Whether you are part of a delegation, or the sole attendee from your YMCA, make sure to convey what you learned from the Conference to your home team.  You might have an overall NAYDO highlights session for key staff and volunteers, or select specific items for discussions with small groups.  Remember to focus on a few things with the greatest potential for impact.

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!”  

 

Andy Pierce, CFRE

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.