6 measurement ideas for your communications

You want to expand your online influence. Great. Now, what do you do? Clinton O’Brien from Care2 spoke during Blackbaud’s 2008 Conference for Nonprofits about what you should keep in mind when creating your online strategy — and it doesn’t end at creating a Web site.

• Create goals. Online is just like any other communications vehicle. Your organization needs to determine how to use online – recruiting volunteers, giving information or finding new donors.
• Get emails. Make sure you give an opt-in email space high priority on your Webpage.
• Try new things. An online presence gives you, and your constituents, room to be creative. Have fun with it.
• Measure everything. Online has many measurable components – put the time and effort into gauging what’s working and what makes people leave.
• Use the measures. Looking at the rate on investment (ROI) doesn’t help if you don’t change anything. Dump what is dragging you down and expand things that interest users.
• Measure some more. And you thought you were done with measures? Revisit the numbers constantly to make sure your organization is on track.