August 21, 2011 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Twitter handle: @2ndharvest
What it raised: $15,000
The campaign: The food bank wanted to inspire its followers on social networks to post comments on its Facebook threads, respond to its Twitter posts, and submit photos to its Flickr page. To do that, it worked with Charles Goodwin, the local owner of a chain of Massage Envy franchise stores, to develop a fund-raising campaign that provided money for the charity each time a follower took an action on one of the organization’s social networks.
What it used: Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr
How it worked: Mr. Goodwin donated $5 every time a new person decided to “like” the food bank on Facebook and every time a person posted a photo supporting the food bank on Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr. His company also agreed to contribute $2 for every comment or “like” on food-bank Facebook posts as well as $5 for every Twitter follower and another $2 every time the charity was mentioned or its posts retweeted on Twitter. The campaign was promoted in Massage Envy’s stores and at the food bank. The food bank also created an e-mail message that its employees could send to friends to encourage them to take part in the campaign.
What it accomplished: The monthlong campaign met the $15,000 goal Mr. Goodwin set. Along the way, nearly 890 new people decided to “like” its Facebook page, and the number of comments and “likes” rose by 391 percent. The charity also gained 153 new Twitter followers.
Why it worked: The charity learned that the donation incentive alone wasn’t enough. Officials said the charity needed to make sure it was providing regular, useful content that invited supporters to react to a question or respond to a challenge. “You really need to fan the flames on this one,” says Michelle Berg, community relations and events coordinator at the food bank.
For the Massage Envy effort, the charity scheduled themed days throughout the promotion to focus its messages on certain programs or needs.
