The NonProfit Times - February 15, 2009 - (Page 11) pends on the provider chosen and their specific capabilities.Audience targeting online is largely dependent on technology,” said Matilda Chung of Toronto-based Casale Media, with an online network that can place advertisers on more than 4,000 Web sites with an average of 135 million unique U.S. online consumers every month and segment over different channels. Once an organization figures out the best audiences for its campaign goals, the next step would be developing the ads. From the text to the ad format, nonprofits should look at what ads will maximize the media buy’s exposure. “You have to look at the data and optimize it. If a certain creative is working a lot better and at a significant rate than others, change it out. If you see that a media buy on a certain site is doing well, but it’s really expensive, as a nonprofit you really have to basically maximize your budget,” said Esther Choi, interactive marketing assistant director at U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “You have to decide at that point is that click-through more valuable in dollars to you than the low-cost, high volume you would get on let’s say an AOL,” said Choi. “It may be reaching a very generic, mass audience so you are getting general awareness out there, but maybe on a narrow side, like The New York Times finance page. It can be more expensive to buy an ad on that page but you might be reaching more qualified potential donors. So you have to weigh your options and plan and adjust accordingly.” Choi explained that nonprofits should tweak the creative based on where the ad is placed. For example, if the ad is on a financial news page, ask the donor to “invest” in the organization instead of using the word “donate.” “Contextually relevant ads just scream success. If you are running a UNICEF ad on Gawker.com or TMZ.com, you never know if that girl walking around Hollywood shopping thinks about UNICEF. I think there are tie-ins when you are trying to think about the demographic and what you are trying to accomplish.Textually relevant online media is just standard smart planning,” said Choi. She recommended looking into rich media ads or video ads, which will stand out, though they are more expensive. Chung also suggested that nonprofits test several creative elements for different audience segments before rolling out a campaign. “Another form of targeting known as ‘creative optimization’ can be leveraged to determine the most responsive audience segments for each different ad creative.This form of targeting is especially useful for nonprofits that might not know their ideal audience segment online,” she said. “Keep in mind that the ad unit merely provides a high-impact nesting ground for the ad creative.The ad creative is what ultimately dictates the success or failure of a campaign,” said Chung.“Despite its advantages, nonprofits must be mindful of the user experience at all times when design- ing rich media executions.While they will certainly be noticed, disruptive tactics like auto expansion or host-initiated audio can annoy users, resulting in a negative impression of your brand.” She explained that the use of floating ads and interstitial ads (a page that pops up before the content) is starting to decline. Instead, nonprofits should explore expandable ads, which give users more information once the cursor is on the ad area.This will ensure that the user isn’t interrupted outright and doesn’t require the upload of a separate landing page right away. The campaign also requires thinking about what kind of conversion the organization wants. Online advertising campaigns can integrate multiple goals if the organization plans efficiently. “One of the facets is asking for money, but another facet is asking the public to participate with you as a brand.You are developing relationships in a different way,” said Feeding America’s MacGregor. Those who clicked on Feeding America’s ads were redirected to the organization’s Web page where they could learn more about the issue of hunger and ways to engage with Feeding America.“We do have an educational opportunity. We wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity to drive that and we will be measuring that as well. So it’s important for us to make sure we are sending that kind of messaging out to people who really care about the issue.” It’s been somewhat challenging figuring out what’s going to get people the most excited to click through from that banner to the site, said Pucci, who explained that some ads in UNICEF’s “I Believe in Zero” campaign use celebrities, like actress Lucy Liu and NBC anchor Al Roker, to get people to click. “We don’t know yet what the impact is for celebrity versus non-celebrity,” she said.“What I can tell you is that the banners that don’t directly ask you to donate certainly seem to be performing better right now, in terms of driving activity.”That doesn’t mean donate banners aren’t working.The faltering economy and other factors might be why ads that ask for an action, like signing a petition, might be performing at a slightly better rate than donate banners. Clicking on WSPA’s U.S. ads will direct users to a landing page that gives more information about animal abuse, like bearbaiting, which directly correlates to the original banner ad image theme, and allows for a donation. Before giving donation information, Batten explained some people will go to the WSPA main site and make a donation there instead.WSPA also decided to test a petition page to pop-up before a user navigates away from the site. “It’s trying to capture a small percentage of those people who leave the landing page with another proposition. And if we can generate leads that we can then follow up on, it’s a bonus to the campaign,” said Batten. Those who sign up via the banner’s landing page are put into a general communication series and offered more information about WSPA campaigns. “One of the things we are going to be focusing on next year (2009) is landing page conversion and we will be testing different images and see if we can increase the conversion rate. If we increase the conversion rate, even by a small amount, it can have large impacts on return on investment,” he said. “There are no ‘standard’ rates for conversion figures, as every campaign is unique. The nature of the action, and the degree of user involvement required, plays a significant role in determining a realistic conversion ratio,” said Chung. “For example, a campaign designed to collect email addresses in exchange for a free monthly newsletter is likely to generate a much higher number of conversions than one soliciting a $30 monthly donation,” said Chung. She recommends working backward to determine an appropriate conversion benchmark for a campaign. For example, using historical data,determine what a con- version or lead generated from a campaign is worth to your organization.Then look at your media spend and determine your CPA (cost-per-action) goal. “If you don’t have any historical data to use, do some testing first to create a baseline from which to perform your analysis,” she said. And many nonprofits that don’t have the time and resources to sort through the rich data should take a step back and question if online advertising is the right move. Dollars are tighter than ever. While online advertising is a cost-effective marketing tool, those who are testing the medium now warn that backend analytics are important in keeping it that way. “You literally have to look at this every single week and spend the time optimizing it and reacting and make adjustments as needed. And that was a new way of executing our media buy. We never did that before.You usually plan it heavily, strategically place it, deliver the creative and walk away,” said Pucci. NPT www.nptjobs.com DEVELOPMENT OFFICER INDIANA BLACK EXPO, INC. JOB ANNOUNCEMENT for CONTROLLER POSITION Indiana Black Expo, Inc., a nonprofit organization, seeks individual with proven ability as a lead accounting professional who has substantial experience to manage and supervise its financial operations. The candidate must be proficient in financial management software, preferably American FundWare financial management software, and be experienced with nonprofit policies and procedures. A BA/BS in accounting and MBA preferred, a CPA is a plus; 5 years minimum experience as a senior financial manager. Please send resumes (no phone calls): Indiana Black Expo, Inc. Human Resources 3145 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46208 or Email: vkendrick@indianablackexpo.com Widely respected not-for-profit health and human services organization has an excellent growth opportunity, working with an experienced fundraising team, in their Development Department. Responsibilities include identifying and cultivating prospective donors, soliciting major gifts and assisting with implementing special events. Candidate must have BA/BS, 2-4 years of development experience, excellent writing & analytical skills, experience with direct solicitation and building relationships with new funders. Strong computer and Internet research skills necessary, Raiser’s Edge a plus. We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits package. Please send resume to: Recruiter, The Jewish Guild for the Blind, 15 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023, Email: employment@jgb.org. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F. NOTICE OF JOB AVAILABILITY The American Indian Community House, New York, NY has the following current employment opportunities available: Health Director—Position to be filled for: 1 June 2009; Behavioral Health Program Coordinator— Position to be filled: Immediately; Behavioral Health Case Manager— Starting dates: Flexible. Complete job descriptions available at www.aich.org.To apply please email: rrichmond@aich.org. For full descriptions or to send resume and cover letter Fax: 1 (212) 228-7840. Please: No phone calls or personal contacts. FEBRUARY 15, 2009 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com http://www.nptjobs.com http://www.nptjobs.com http://www.Gawker.com http://www.TMZ.com http://www.aich.org http://www.nptimes.com
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