Finally, A Real Social Media Success Story

As the newly minted president of Projects Unlimited, Inc., Cherie Fields is already proving how she helps her nonprofit and association clients become more marketing and outreach oriented. Recently, Camp BRIDGES, a PUI client, saw a 300% increase in its Facebook Fan Page membership in ninety days thanks to a handful of great ideas and a strong working relationship between her team and key Camp BRIDGES board members. 

"Camp Bridges' families and volunteers live across several Southeastern states, and Facebook has enabled us to bring them together in an online community where parents and children already meet with their friends. With the help of Projects Unlimited's professional staff, we were very quickly able to launch a new Facebook page and other social networking sites to build enthusiasm in the weeks before the camps. Afterward, campers were able to post and see photos. Facebook's own rating for the "quality of interactions" on our new page is five stars" - Linda Gunter, Camp BRIDGES Board Member

How We Did It

We allowed youths, families and volunteers to vote for the camp theme that they wanted one month prior to camp via Facebook Poll.

At camp, we used two laptops with Verizon Wireless Internet Aircards that were monitored by a staff person.  Campers had a few moments each morning to login to Facebook, post a brief one or two sentence post, and then logout.  Over 30 campers and volunteers posted comments within fifteen minutes on the first full day of camp.  This created a natural viral affect as campers would also text or call their family and friends and encourage them to check the Camp BRIDGES Fan Page to see pictures and their comments.

One staff person or volunteer was responsible for making time to upload photos/videos to the Facebook Page each morning and/or afternoon.

Camp BRIDGES Rockumentary June 16, 2009 9:00 am – Noon This activity allowed each camper to document his or her experiences in a variety of mediums, including via Facebook Fan Page.  We organized several stations for each camper to participate in: Photo Challenge – Each camper was given a disposable camera with their name on it to take photos that embody the camp theme from their perspective. Photos will be burned on a DVD/CD and mailed to campers after camp. Thank You Cards – Each camper writes two thank you cards to financial contributors of Camp BRIDGES.  Stamps, labels are provided on site so that over 100 thank you cards are mailed from camp for immediate affect. Video Interview – Campers are interviewed in small clusters to share their camp experiences.  Video will be used for promotional purpose as well as provided as a keepsake on the DVDs that will be mailed near the end of the camp season. Rockstar Signatures – Each camper personalized their DVD/CD cover by signing covers for everyone….this will make for a sweet keepsake. Facebooking – Campers were allowed a few minutes to post comments to the Camp BRIDGES Fan Page in addition to their own pages to share their real time camp experiences.

In addition, PUI team member, Ed Fields, used his role as Camp BRIDGES Executive Director to support the Facebook Fan Page effort by promoting the Camp BRIDGES Facebook Fan Page in a postcard reminder to families, in e-mails and meeting updates with volunteers and in mobile text blasts and robo-calls (pre-recorded voice messages sent via relay system) distributed to campers and volunteers.

A more robust Facebook Fan Page as added value to Camp BRIDGES in three ways:

1. Support Perpetual Relationships
2. General Public Awareness
3. Build Excitement and Momentum

We should mention there that we also had a Camp BRIDGES Group Page and a Cause Page and after a good bit of research and experimentation we found no less than three very distinctive features that should motivate nearly any organization to focus on the Fan Page product over any other Facebook (and most other social media) products.  E-mail Cherie to ask her why.

In the end, we learned first-hand that social media is not naturally viral.  In the case of Camp BRIDGES, we had to stimulate the social network with several tactics in order to create the viral effect that we could be proud of.

Click here to visit the Camp BRIDGES Fan Page to see how responsive the families we serve have been to this meaningful effort for our client.  Contact Cherie at cherie@relaxitshandled.com to learn more about Cherie’s Facebook magic and for advice about how to improve your organization’s social media efforts.

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