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Savvy business owners and marketers understand the importance of tracking the ROI. Digital has made this calculation even easier with tools like automated conversion tracking and integrated marketing. But in addition to traditional ROI, there is another metric organizations should track: ROC, or Return on Community, a measure of how many members of a digital audience are converted into customers, brand advocates, donors, and supporters.

You can’t track what you don’t know

To measure a Return on Community, you first need to know the individuals that make up your digital community. Your followers are real people searching for recognition, value, and a genuine connection. Are they getting that from their interactions with your brand? To begin cultivating a relationship with them, take the time to get to know them and their motivations.

To that end, engagements with digital community members should be monitored and tracked. In sales, a quality CRM goes a long way to ensure you never miss a lead or follow up. Similarly, organizations that track their digital audience members in a digital CRM unlock a multitude of new opportunities to engage with and, eventually, convert followers into new customers and supporters.

Social media should move at a conversational pace

Before we can turn followers into customers and supporters, we have to get them to engage. First impressions matter, but so does every subsequent impression. On top of publishing relevant content that motivates followers to click the like button, leave a comment, or share the post, brands should work to impress a real sense of community people are eager to become part of.

71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend that brand to their friends and family members. While a significant finding, having a truly positive experience with a brand online is rare. Often, brand accounts are one-way operations: Content gets posted, followers interact, and then nothing else happens.

That’s not a positive experience. In fact, it’s not really an experience at all. Cultivating a digital community requires treating followers online like you would a valued customer in-person. Ask yourself, how do they feel after interacting with us?

If a comment isn’t responded to in real-time, you’re missing an opportunity to establish a new, genuine connection. If a website-generated lead goes unanswered, that potential sale is lost. And if a message, DM, or email gets left on read, there’s a user on the other side feeling inspired to take their business elsewhere.

If social media is supposed to be social, then why do so many brands fail to keep the conversation going? The only way to ensure a strong Return on Community is to be engaged in your digital community, responding to comments, striking up conversations, providing real value, cultivating meaningful relationships, and building a community that contributes directly to your organization’s goals. At the end of the day, your efforts to build a digital community should yield tangible results.

There’s a popular adage in marketing: “Content is king.”

For decades, that saying inspired millions of internet users to create the website, blog, news, forum, video, podcast, eBook, graphic, and social media content that now lives forever online. Today’s social media networks greatly accelerate this, with millions of posts being published every minute across all platforms.

“Content is king” advanced the idea that if you just create great, original content, you will build an online following and experience great success. But somewhere along the way, especially over the past few years, newsfeed algorithms changed. Suddenly, exceptional content creators saw a plateau in their social media performance because they were missing a new, critical ingredient.

Changing newsfeeds and algorithms

There’s a new king in town: engagement.

Social media companies have been gradually changing the way our newsfeeds are structured. Whereas all one used to see were posts made by friends and pages they were following, our newsfeeds now show a number of notifications designed to bring attention to conversations that are already happening in one’s network. You’ve probably noticed it: “So-and-so recently commented on this post,” and “So-and-so liked this tweet.” You may not know why you’re supposed to care, but they work.

Smart, genuine, and timely engagement is what sets today’s leading organizations apart. 40% of people expect brands to respond within an hour. 79% expect a response in the first 24 hours. And more than 40% of consumers view a brand more favorably if they respond to customers on social media.

But what is one to do when you don’t have the time to sit around, waiting for comments and messages to come in? For many organizations, a dedicated community manager turns out to yield an incredible return. These community managers act as the organization’s ambassador online to develop and maintain a real sense of community by responding to comments, following up with new leads, creating organic content, motivating audiences to take action, and more.

Make no mistake, producing and publishing original content is still necessary to build a following and cultivate engagement in the first place. But for organizations looking to expand their online presence and turn followers into brand advocates, a more personal touch is required. As such, a mindset shift has to occur. Marketers can’t hit publish and walk away; they have to stick around for a while, engage in conversation, and begin to build a real community.

This month, our Managing Partner, Stephen Perkins, participated in a panel hosted by the Leadership Institute and moderated by Stephen Rowe. The panel discussed the 2020 cycle and looked ahead to the future of political social media, diving into questions about which social networks work best, how followers can be converted into donors, volunteers, and voters, and common mistakes that can be easily avoided.

To view the panel in its entirety, follow the link below and enter “CONSERVATIVE” at checkout to watch at no charge.

View video here

Below are some of the questions from the panel, along with Stephen’s answers.

Which social media platforms have the experts found to be the most effective and which ones should we keep our eyes on?

“In terms of a specific platform that, in our experience, we found most effective has been Facebook… One thing I tell candidates is, we can go on these emerging platforms, but in terms of energy that we’re going to spend pushing out and promoting content, let’s focus on the ones where the majority of people that are following us are actually in the constituency that we’re trying to get votes from.”

What is the biggest social media mistake that you see people do when they’re just starting out, especially campaigns and organizations that can easily be corrected right now?

“A lot of people think ‘as long as I’m producing great content, and I’m getting community engagement, things are going to be okay’ when it really takes more of an investment than that. It takes a strategy. Lacking a strategy on how to get donors and volunteers early on – and even voters down the road – is where campaigns can step up their game. Also, social media generates ‘trolling.’ Don’t feed the trolls. In other words, there’s going to be a lot of people who have negative comments; Don’t engage and don’t delete comments, it only makes the problem worse.”

Which platform is most effective in reaching younger people?

“Campaign demographics shift depending on what kind of candidate and issue they’re running with. Facebook is still a big king, even with younger audiences, but remember that Instagram – where you have a lot of young people – is part of the Facebook ecosystem. You have to look at what platforms they are on, and how can we balance between all the platforms to make sure that we’re not putting too much energy into one that’s not going to yield the results we’re looking for.”

What is everyone’s opinion on what it’s like in a campaign when someone verified on Twitter or Instagram follows their account, and who you should and should not follow back?

“We sometimes lose track of the idea that there are real people on the other end of the screen. Real people liking and following. Engaging with [followers] in a meaningful way is what’s going to turn them into donors, volunteers, and ultimately, voters. There’s a balance where you don’t want to follow everybody back, but look for those people who are influential in your district, and those are going to be your targets. I would also note to be careful with who you follow because there are some people you could follow that may raise eyebrows. Rarely does this happen – rarely will you have someone on an opposing campaign go through everybody you follow – but let’s say you follow a conspiracy theorist or extremist, it can cause issues for a campaign. Be mindful and be careful who you follow back because that may come back to bite you.”

Are there any emerging social media platforms that they would recommend to look into or consider?

“As you look at any emerging platform, they do come and go. Even on Twitter, we’re seeing there are some challenges with certain conservative voices. So go in with an understanding that it may not be a forever thing, certainly for a campaign that has a short life cycle. That’s not always a bad thing, but it goes back to what you’re going to focus on, and know that you truly never own a platform.”

What is one social media strategy that you see Liberals using that you wish that Conservatives would take more advantage of, or vice versa?

“The big difference is looking at the liberal base of supporters: they’re generally more tech-savvy and they’re younger. So it makes sense that they’re able to connect with their voters on a different level. Design and the concept of pushing forward a candidate or an organization’s brand is really important, and something that Republicans need to focus more on.”

How do we address online censorship and some workarounds in case it may happen to us?

“You never truly own a platform, and they can all go away in an instant, whether it’s the company deciding to shut it down or a myriad of other things. On the practical end, what a great opportunity to do some acquisition. If you’re running a campaign, just think of the messaging of ‘big tech is silencing conservative voices, join my email list and make sure that I don’t lose contact with you.’ I think the free market will allow it to work out, but we can also take advantage of these opportunities and make them work in our favor.”

Recently AOC held a twitch stream to raise money for food pantries because of COVID, she was able to raise $200,000 just by playing the game Among Us. How do we cultivate the younger generation/communities to move us in this direction?

“Finding something that makes sense for your candidate. AOC also got a lot of viewers on a live stream and all she was doing was making margaritas. For some people, maybe that doesn’t quite fit the candidate’s personality. Same thing with Tik Tok – I was casually scrolling and I saw a bunch of John Ossoff videos during his campaign, and it made sense because he has this personality that connects with that platform. But again, think about what is realistic for your candidate to do. The last thing you want is for something to feel forced or not genuine. So be mindful of what you’re working with.”

What are some final words of advice that you’d give to these people that want to make an impact on social media and anything in general?

“The biggest thing is to be strategic when you’re starting out. You can go in with an all-of-the-above approach, but if you really want to get far, the one thing that you can’t get back between now and Election Day is another second of time. So every single second needs to be returning value. There are a lot of different metrics you can look at on social media such as impressions, reach, click-through, and costs per. But at the end of the day, how many donors are coming in from digital? How many people are signing up to be volunteers from your website or from social media? And how many people go out to vote? Stay focused on those metrics and you’ll do well. And then also put an investment behind it. You’ve got to invest in that just like any other organization has to invest in order to see a return.”

Another campaign year has come to a close, which means we are now in the coveted “off-season,” a moment for winning campaigns to look back on the past cycle and begin their preparations for the next.

During this time, a number of decisions are being made about a campaign’s operations moving forward, including an inevitable discussion about what to do on digital. Unfortunately, far too many campaigns decide to scale down their digital operations, and effectively abandon the audience they just spent an entire election cycle’s worth of time and money building.

Not only does this decision fail to capitalize on the post-win momentum, but it also sets the stage for a challenging (and costly) resumption when the next cycle begins.

If you’re in a position of deciding whether or not to scale down a campaign’s digital operations, consider the following:

You can’t count on an audience and their engagement to stick around. The idea that once a digital audience is acquired, they’re there to stay is an outdated one. Today’s reality is, campaigns have to remain active if they expect the same from their audiences. Organizations often resume their social media and email programs after a period of dormancy, only to find their audience’s size and willingness to take action has reduced significantly.

Digital investments matter now more than ever. During the heat of an election, advertising costs can skyrocket as competition for space in a voter’s feed increases. And while Facebook and Google are currently imposing political advertising restrictions until the election is completely certified, campaigns should be ready to resume spending as soon as the restriction ends. In an “off year,” competition is lower, which means acquiring new emails, followers, and engagement becomes extremely affordable. Delaying digital investments now only means fighting an uphill, expensive battle later, and as a result, a campaign could miss out on thousands of potential supporters in the long-run.

Valuable relationships aren’t created overnight. More important than the size of a digital audience is the quality. Are social media followers becoming donors? Are digital donors also acting as digital activists? Inspiring someone to take action requires a foundation of trust, which is challenging to establish in the condensed timeline of a campaign cycle. Digital leaders, however, have a long-term blueprint for both building a base of supporters, and activating them for action when the time comes.

The news cycle – and the campaign – never ends. There’s always going to be a story that requires the campaign’s response, or a trending issue that should be capitalized on. Reducing or even pausing digital entirely limits a campaign’s ability to quickly and effectively take advantage of the opportunities that emerge from week-to-week.

Of all post-election decisions, digital should remain a top priority to ensure the progress from the past cycle doesn’t deteriorate. Savvy campaigns understand the long-term value of a robust digital program and, as such, continue and even double down on their investments during off-peak periods.

Don’t risk your campaign getting left in the dust. Have a question, or want to learn how you can position your future campaign for digital success? Reach out to our team at [email protected]!

In the wake of COVID-19, campaigns across the U.S. have been forced to adjust their voter outreach strategy. With in-person events no longer possible, candidates and their teams have had to take operations online.

Below, please find best practices for keeping your campaign active on digital during this pandemic.

TAKE EVENTS ONLINE

Now more than ever, it’s vital for campaigns to continue voter outreach. While in-person events are vital to grassroots efforts, they can’t proceed as planned. Instead, use technologies like Zoom or Facebook Live to take events online. These can be private or public, and they allow for audience interaction to replicate an in-person event as much as possible.

💡Bonus Tip: Do you have a connection to a medical professional, community leader, or another individual who is involved with COVID-19 response? Hosting a joint event with them as a guest speaker will provide value to audiences, encouraging more people to tune in and engage.

STAY ENGAGED WITH VOTERS

Supporters want to hear from you, but there is concern about generating backlash from continuing fundraising. If your campaign has paused fundraising, audiences can still be engaged with emails containing helpful information, wellness checks, and other personalized, non-political messages.

💡Bonus Tip: Keep major donors engaged and rewarded by offering donor-only virtual campaign briefings and/or one-on-one video chat sessions.

FUNDRAISE TASTEFULLY

For many campaigns, fundraising can’t stop. And now, the majority of fundraising efforts have to be done on digital. Of course, donation asks should remain tasteful in the context of a global pandemic. We recommend to not mention the virus directly, instead using messaging on why a donation is needed now more than ever.

💡Bonus Tip: Work an appropriate fundraising ask into your online events. Direct viewers to a unique donate page URL to better track donors that were acquired through the event.

CAPITALIZE ON THE MOMENT

Audiences are not as receptive to ultra-partisan messages right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still engage them on what is top of mind for all of us. Through COVID-specific landing pages, Facebook Q&A Campaigns, or content thanking the frontline responders and workers, we can use relevant news of the day to stay active on people’s social media feeds.

💡Bonus Tip: Despite record online engagement, many brands have stopped running advertising on digital to make room in their budgets. As a result, competition for ad space is much lower than it was just weeks ago, allowing us to get more bang for our advertising buck. Now is a perfect time to continue, increase, or even start your digital advertising efforts.

We’ve had many clients ask if it’s appropriate to be running advertising at this time. We’ve shared screenshots of ads the president’s campaign is running as of April 8. We hope it’s helpful context as you weigh decisions about ad spending at this time.

Have a question, or want our help implementing one of the strategies mentioned above? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at [email protected]!

Our Managing Partner, Jon Minjoe, was invited to share his thoughts about getting the most out of a fundraising email. Read the full article here.

TIP 2: STOP WITH ALL THE LINKS

If the purpose of your email is to raise money, give recipients a single destination: your donation page. Certainly, include several links to the donation page in your email, but only to your donation page.

Avoid adding postscripts about clicking here to volunteer, signing up for a newsletter, RSVP’ing for a rally, or getting Mrs. Candidate’s great recipe for apple pie. Every opportunity you give someone not to donate is a contribution you’ve potentially lost.

-Jon Minjoe, Managing Partner at Beast Digital