The Phone Test

Here's an idea from our friend Laura at Idealware: what if you measured any communications method by whether it would have more or less impact than spending the same amount of time calling donors on the phone?

…You could spend that time simply calling donors and constituents at random, to thank them, or to ask them a quick set of questions (how did they like the services they used? what do you do well? not so well?). If you've never done this, it can be pretty magical. Often people are amazed that you've called, happy to talk, and have useful insights. It gives you a great sense as to who your constituents actually are and what they care about. And not coincidentally, my experience is that it fosters great new connections. People want to volunteer, wanted to ask you something, and, not coincidentally, donate at considerably higher rates after. Nothing starts a conversation like, well, an actual conversation.

I love the way Laura articulates this. When we adopt social media strategies, we often tell ourselves that it's not just about donations, it's about starting a conversation. There are plenty good reasons why it's important to keep conversations going with supporters, but are Twitter and Facebook always the best way? If your goal is to have a conversation, then why not pick up the phone and have one?

This is not to say that there's no place for social media; rather, I think that the phone test can actually help you articulate the purpose of any communications tactic, be it a fundraising letter, a donor event, a print ad, or a Facebook page. If you can clearly identify who the target audience is for a particular effort and what action you want that audience to take, you can put together the right campaign for achieving that goal. It might be a letter, an email blast, or a social media campaign, and it might be a phone call.

On a tangential note, maybe you don't want to try the phone test because your nonprofit's phones are in so much disarray that using them is a pain in the neck. If so, it might be time to rethink your nonprofit's communications system. Check out our article Unified Communications Options for Nonprofits.

Related

• Fundraising Facts
• Who Is the Hero in Your Nonprofit's Story?
• How Social Media Really Works
• Web Tech Guy vs. Angry Staff Person
• New Media, Old Media, and Your Nonprofit
• Should Your Nonprofit Have a Blog?
• Resistance to Social Media

Photo: Toni Blay, CC license

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When is a social media campaign the right choice? When can it have a more substantial impact than traditional communications, and how can you gauge that impact? Share your experience in this Emerging Technologies forum discussion.