WARNING----this is low hanging fruit that I'm shocked every organization isn't doing already.
Here is a simple recipe for building a BASIC ambassador program for your brand (if you want one with bells and whistles contact me).
(1) Set-up an organization page on LinkedIn. Why LinkedIn? More of your major donors are on LinkedIn than any other social network, and its an appropriate place to communicate with them (more than FaceBook IMHO). Get a tone sensitive millennial in your company to do this for you, it will take them less than one day. LinkedIn has a guide here for you.
(2) Assign one person in the company to be an administrator. Find the person who has a pulse on "what's up" and has an eye for interesting content, probably in marketing or sales, someone who already LOVES LinkedIn. Good posts are business relevant (skip the fluff and inspirational quotes) such as:
- Press releases about new launches and partnerships
- Job postings (just link to your website ad if you can't afford to post on LinkedIn)
- Pictures and video that show your culture
- Event, info session, thought leadership invitations
- Content generated by people outside your staff....more on that.....
(3) Next, recruit ten LinkedIn ambassadors by comparing your volunteer/donor/customer database with a social ranking service like Klout (or manually search LinkedIn to see who has an influential following and/or already references you in their profile).
(4) Develop an easy guide for being an ambassador, one-page, no frills, to include stuff like:
- volunteer once per quarter
- come to an info event/gala/etc.
- bring a friend or two
- and most importantly, send relevant content to your moderator to post
- host an “ambassadors dinner” where these folks get insider treatment to your plans, access to research, meet your president, and a branded hoodie (millennials love nice hoodies).
- have them list your company on their page in their volunteer section, like this....
It's that easy folks! Why am I using so many caps and exclamation points?!?
THE BENEFIT IS HUGE
By doing this, you get 3rd party endorsements by influential folks and extend your reach to their networks--building you credibility among tech savvy millennial professionals (and just about everyone else too)!
This is what smart brands (charity or for-profit) are doing. I suggest you get on the bandwagon to reach millennials.