Social Media Storytelling + the Donate Button

Let’s talk about Con Mi MADRE.  Full discloser:  I am an active member of the Junior League of Austin and I have been serving Con Mi MADRE as a volunteer through our community project partnerships since September 2012.

Con Mi MADRE’s mission is to increase the representation of Hispanic women in post-secondary education. Con Mi MADRE has designed their program for girls and their mothers to work together and stay on track to graduate from high school and then help them plan and apply to two or four year universities. Con Mi MADRE’s online presence can be found on:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConMiMADRE
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConMiMADRE
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/conmimadre/

Social Media 4 Nonprofits’ founder and blogger, Rosita Cortez, recently discussed the importance of Visual Storytelling for Nonprofits.  Her blog post describes how nonprofits can use visuals to connect with their audience and ultimately advance their mission.  Cortez explains that studies of the top 10 brands on Facebook have shown that users “like” photos twice as often as text updates, and users share videos 12 times more than photo and text posts combine. This information is useful for nonprofits so that they can tailor their marketing and development messages on social media to tell the organization’s mission in a way that people find compelling, concise and original. By using photos and videos, social media users can quickly assess whether a cause or organization is worth supporting.

Con Mi MADRE has found a unique way of telling their story through social media with The Power of 20 Giving Campaign, which began February 11^th and ends March 2^nd.  The purpose of this campaign is to inspire their audience with 20 success stories from the past 20 years in hope of continued success in the future.  These stories are posted on Facebook and Twitter and include photos and videos that bring their people life and build that important emotional connection.  Here is an example of one of the Power of 20 stories:

Shortly after posting a success story, Con Mi MADRE follows up with link to make a donation to their cause.  Take a look:

A donation button can also be on the home page of their website.  Nonprofit Tech 2.0: A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits, created by Heather Mansfield, recently posted Fundraising Best Practices: Sharing the Results of Donating Online to 31 Nonprofits.  Mansfield discusses how important it is for nonprofits to successfully integrate social media and mobile communications into their “Donate Now” process.  She points out that effective integration can be determined by featuring the “Donate Now” button on the nonprofit’s home page requiring only 2-3 seconds to locate.  Not only does Con Mi MADRE feature their donate button on their home page, a direct link to donate has been included alongside their postings for The Power of 20 Giving Campaign.

Overall, Con Mi MADRE uses social media to effectively engage their audience and provide ease for their friends and followers to make a donation. Kudos to the staff that make Con Mi MADRE a true success story!  Stay tuned.