Web 2.0 Training for Nonprofits

I just realized that I hadn't uploaded the Online Marketing 201 training PowerPoint, so here it is for you to use. It covers how to register in local search, what recommendation portals to pay attention to, and what Web 2.0 sites are appropriate to use to find interested volunteers.

Example of Volunteer Centers using Yelp.com and Facebook

I had to share two examples of Volunteer Centers using & appearing in Web 2.0 sites. The first is of an unclaimed Volunteer Center listing on Yelp.com: If you work at the Arlington County Volunteer Center, you might want to visit the link and click on "edit business info" to claim the page.

The second example is of a Volunteer Center with a Facebook profile page. Great job the United Way of the Greater Seacoast!

Keep up the good work folks!

Who is going to be the first to join or create a volunteer Meetup.com group near you? Here are some waiting for good volunteering suggestions:

• The Chicago Volunteer Meetup Group
• Random Acts of Kindness and Nonprofit Meetup Group in Dallas, TX
• DC Volunteers -460 members at last count!
• The New York Volunteer Meetup - last count 287 members!
• Saint Louis Volunteer Group -301 members

See if there is a Volunteer Meetup near you, join and provide opportunities for the group, or create one of your own and help the members plan volunteer activities!

What is all the Yelping About?

So what is Yelp? Founded in 2004, it is a social networking site where people can add reviews about businesses that have interacted with, and frankly it's growth in traffic should make local non-profits/Volunteer Centers think about how to get involved.

This June, more than 1.4 million people visited its site, an increase of 124 percent over June of last year, according to comScore. The site boasts more than million reviews.

So how do you get involved?
Visit yelp.com and type in your Volunteer Center/nonprofit's name in the "type of business" box, and then fill in your city. You should see your nonprofit listed, and the first step is to claim your listing, by clicking "edit business listing" and check that you are the business owner. You can also upload photos. There is also a help page that will introduce you to how Yelp works and how as the owner of the non-profit, you should interact with your reviewers.

How can Yelp help me get more volunteers?
1. Your nonprofit is probably already listed on Yelp, and you should be aware of any current reviews about your nonprofit posted online. So you should check Yelp out just to see what folks are saying about you.
2. It's an easy way to create another link to your website.
3. And if that wasn't enough for you to get excited, Yelp also has widgets that you can add to your existing website encouraging your website visitors to leave reviews. I'm envisioning an easy way to get great testimonials to use on your marketing brochures....Simply find your listing and click on "link to this page".

Other local search sites to pay attention to:
Ok. Yelp is one of many local search sites that you should visit and check to see if your local nonprofit is listed. The other big traffic sites you should check are:

• CitySearch’s (15.7 million visitors this June),
• Yahoo’s Local Guide (29.5 million unique monthly visitors)

It takes just a few seconds to update your non-profit's online listing in these directories, and it is yet another way to capture people's interest in volunteering.