Good Goes, but Falls Short.

Save the Children, recently launched their Good Goes Campaign.  They've built an outstanding website campaign that really involves the donor in how their funds are helping to make a difference.  In many ways this is a stellar campaign, but in their social media efforts, they've fallen short.

The Good is Goin'on with the GoodGoes.org Website

• I'm greeted by the big eyes and bright faces of health care workers and the children they care for.  BAM!  I see who I'm helping... fantastic!
• When I click on different health care workers or children, I see where they are located on the map.  Again... BAM! I know who and where.  Wonderful!
• The "Our Progress" section on the first page is fantastic.  I see real change being accomplished.  Success... BIG BAM.  I give to make a difference and this lets me see it.
• If I click on the "Our Progress" Link, I get more details and learn about how I can help in an area that appeals me.  I'm shopping... for something I like and care about to support. AND... I get options!
• • I can sign up for updates to learn more.  
  • I can sign a petition.
  • I can share on various social networks.
  • I can support a health care worker for a predetermined amount - or I can give an amount I choose.
  • I can organize an event, people... whatever.  A great menu of ways for people to get involved and be engaged. 

There are so many great things I could say about this website and the way they've communicated their work and success.  I really like the pictures of their facebook supporters and the "Great Wall of Good".  The only change I might make to the website, would be to add a "Give/Donate" link along the very top menu, but that's fairly minor.

This team has done a great creative job of appealing to donors and really inviting the donor in to share in the work they do.   Kudo's for that.

Falling Short

Sadly, I can't give them top marks for the entire campaign.  They really fell short on their social media offering.  The minute you leave the website and go to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, all you find is key message spam.  There's no conversation, only 1 thank you on the Facebook page... and I"m not sure if it's an employee or volunteer who posted it - or just one of the page's followers.

I'm baffled that  created such an inspiring and engaging website and then allowed their social media to be so bereft of "socialness".

Don't Fail at the Finish Line

People love to be engaged and get involved online - but they don't engage with key messages spewed AT them.  They engage with people who talk with them.  They want to hear thank you.  They want to be acknowledged when they follow you or "like" you.  They want to know the person behind the program.

I feel like they got to the finish line and collapsed, just before crossing.

Hopefully the Good Goes team gets a real live fundraising, social media professional to run their social media, so we can enjoy watching their "Good Go to Great".

All in all a great, creative and thoughtful effort... but a real opportunity to inspire and interact with donors and supporters is lost, if they continue using social media as an outbound billboard.

Comments

[Sylvie]

Great post Laurie - I think that to often communications folks are so focussed on getting the key messages out they forget about the engagement/conversation piece. I'm forwarding this to a couple of people who need some reminding that those NPO's who have conversations rather than pushing key messages are the successful ones.