Before purchasing a new product or service, how many times have customer reviews persuaded you to buy or not buy?

“We trust people more than we trust companies. It’s that simple,” says Melissa Russom on Nonprofit Tech for Good. Research proves it, too: 82 percent of people claim they trust personal recommendations, more than the 70 percent that trusted company messaging on websites and the 50 percent that trust email, according to a 2015 Nielsen study [PDF].

“While your organization [social media] accounts work to build an authentic community, share your story, and advance your brand strategy, playing the game as it was intended (person to person) can drive even more meaningful engagement with your cause,” Russom says.

That’s where a social media ambassador program comes in. These brand influencers can get the word out about your organization on social media, with the idea that they are inspiring others to join your community, too.

“Your ideal social media ambassador is someone with a passion for your cause who naturally emanates your brand,” Russom says.

The most important part of the partnership: Be direct with your expectations and clear on what your organization is about—but Russom says not to expect 100 percent alignment.

“These are guides you’re providing—not mandates. This is not the time for brand policing,” she says. “You want individuals with personalities. You want your ambassadors to be themselves, not a scripted version that resembles themselves and strips away the authenticity that made their relationship as an ambassador so powerful to begin with.”

Optimize for SEO

https://twitter.com/GuloChris/status/1148190511544582144

Does your association invest in SEO? It should, if not for any reason other than your competitors are doing it, says Chris Bonney on the Gulo blog.

“If you have an organization that competes against you—or even an event that competes against yours—you should assume they are using SEO to gain an advantage in the marketplace,” he says.

Another reason to incorporate SEO strategies into your website and content: You’ll get more page views and an increase in quality visitors.

“It’s way more likely people will be arriving at your site and be happy with what they’ve found,” Bonney says. “This will lead them to stay on your site longer and click around to view other quality content.”

Other Links of Note

Celebrating a promotion? The 99U blog by Adobe offers tips on how to become the manager you always wanted to have.

Optimize old content for new conversions with these strategies from the Content Marketing Institute.

Developing a volunteer program isn’t free, even if they aren’t paid employees. The VolunteerMatch blog offers budgeting tips for an effective volunteer program.

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