Newsletter: Conference Tips for Introverts 😬; Which Companies are Helping Federal Workers? 🥪; Wall Supporter Builds 3.5 Million Name Email List 😳
Since the beginning of the year, several of you have emailed me asking about conferences to attend in 2019. Thankfully, Rich Maiore and the team at Rocket Social Impact put together a nice list just for you. Thanks, Rich!
But can I be honest? I don't really like attending conferences. They're expensive. They're crowded. You have to travel to them. You have to talk to people.🙄The networking is hit or miss. And the information you glean from speakers isn't exactly new or unique. I like to say that conference are for people who don't read.
The good news is that you can still "attend" a conference and benefit from the networking and learning. Here's how.
1. Looking for great networking? Follow the conference Twitter hashtag. This week I'm following the #NRF19 conference in New York City and inserting myself into some interesting conversations. More than once someone has asked, "Are you at this conference?" Nope. But it feels that way, right?
2. See an interesting session or speaker? Search for it on YouTube. There's a good chance you'll find a similar presentation at another conference. If that doesn't work, look for a related article written by the speaker, or head over to Slideshare to find the PowerPoint. Is the speech based on a book the speaker just wrote? Buy the Kindle version - with no risk! You can return up to seven Kindle books per month on Amazon. (You can return even more - I've done it - but you'll have to call Amazon for the refund. They've never not refunded my money.)
3. Still want to watch the sessions live (or almost live)? Many conferences have virtual tickets that allow you to watch all the presentations at a fraction of what it would cost you to attend them in person. All the learning without any of the hassle. Combine a virtual pass with my Twitter networking tip and you'll be working the room like a pro! 🤓🍷🍤
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that there is ONE CONFERENCE I go to every year: the Engage for Good Conference in Chicago. That's because it's like a big family reunion for cause marketers! And you know what they say: family comes first. I hope to see you there May 29 & 30!
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. You want to partner with retailers, but which ones are a good long-term bet? "The stores that will do well are the ones that know how to get you to leave your house."
2. Even one store can make a difference! A Brooklyn bodega is selling ‘Jakelin’ Coke bottles to honor a child who died in U.S. custody. 90 percent of proceeds will go to Border Angels, an all volunteer, non profit organization that advocates for social justice with a special focus on issues related to the US-Mexican border.
3. How companies are supporting federal workers during the shutdown. Also, the Combined Federal Campaign was hurting before the shutdown, now it's at a standstill and may not recover.😠 [Can't access this article - or any other article in my newsletter? Just hit reply and I'll email it to you.]
4. How Organic Valley is fighting and winning the battle against "Goodwashing." We had a great convo with the brand on CauseTalk Radio in 2016 on how they spoofed the traditional charity PSA.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. I'm no fan of Trump's Wall, but the vet who started a GoFundMe page to raise money to fund it made a smart move. He now has 3.5 million conservative email addresses and an instant and passionate audience from which he's decided to (TADA!) start a nonprofit. Two takeaways: audience development is truly your #1 goal. And, #2, email is the way to go. YOU OWN THE LIST and one no can take it away! (Well...)
Not to be undone, there's a certain EGG that's spilling its yoke all over Internet. That would be Instagram's World_Record_Egg, which has built an impressive following of 6.4 million and earned 43 million views. As Wired points out, the account is "an incredibly valuable marketing vehicle" that could be leveraged in several ways. One way is through email. That's why the owner of the account has already started selling tees as a guise for collecting email addresses. (BTW, 10 percent of sales will go to charity.) Anything is possible when you have large, engaged audience and a direct line of communication to them.
2. Social selling is just as important for fundraisers as it is for sales people. Here's a 6-step plan to get your team going. The article mentions LinkedIn and Facebook, but don't forget the the case I made for using Twitter.
3. Great example of a company doing case studies on their nonprofit partnerships. [CASE STUDY SERVICE] Tito’s Handmade Vodka just launched their brand new video series Love, Tito’s. The series highlights three charity partners: Soldiers Angels, HAAM and One Good Turn.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause Marketing**
1. Senior Manager, Events and Partnerships, Code for America (San Francisco)
2. Business Development Manager, For Momentum (Atlanta)
3. Program Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, New Relic (Portland, OR)
4. Corporate Gift Officer, Make-A-Wish (Chicago)
5. Director, Corporate Alliances, Nat'l Association for the Education of Young Children (Washington, DC)
**Have your cause-related job featured here for FREE. Hit reply to this email and give me the details and a link.
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. Sustainability consulting: What Is It? Can I Do It? Heck, maybe I'll hang out my own shingle and do it.
2. Bad news. A third of Americans don't trust your nonprofit. Here's the key to earning their trust.
3. Listen up! This Boston nonprofit is having success tapping donor-advised funds, growing donations from $800K to $3 million over five years.
Have a question, comment or just want to say hi? Just lead a comment below or head over to Twitter. 🙏
