Social Media In Plain English

Understanding social media is critical for the success of your business or nonprofit. Learn from our expertise in a fun, friendly environment.
March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mobile Giving To Haiti Relief

A recent study of mobile giving during the Haiti crisis shows how effective “text to donate” campaigns can be. Convio, Edge Research, and Sea Change Strategies collaborated on the project and it is available to download in pdf format.

Some of the key findings include:

•77% knew that they could donate via texting to support Haiti relief work
•17% of Gen Y & 14% of Gen X donated to Haiti via texting
•3% of both Boomer and Mature donated via texting
•36% of all respondents would consider texting a donation after a crisis
•31% would text a donation if a friend was raising money for a charity

One of the drawbacks of mobile giving is the lag time from donation to recieving the funds. Nonprofits can expect up to a 90 day delay to recieve the donation. For disaster relief, that can be a big problem. Expect to see creative solutions over the next 6-12 months to reduce the wait time.

Source: Blue Trolley Press

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March 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

How Do I Upload Files In WordPress?

Q: I want to be able to upload images (for ads, banners, etc.) without having to FTP in. I’ve been doing it by adding them to a dummy post and then copying the link and adding where I need it-is there a better solution? A: There’s a built in solution for WordPress to do just this. In the sidebar of the WordPress Admin Area, click on “Media > Add New” (located at http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/media-new.php).

Upload Files In WordPress via the Media Section

From there you’ll see the same file uploading interface that you do when you create a post or page. If you need assistance, please contact WordSprung.

Source: WordSprung » WordPress Q&A

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March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Eventbrite Makes Managing Your Event Easy

Need a simple solution to manage your event? Consider Eventbrite for Causes as your do-it-yourself event management solution.  This web based application allows you to create an event page with a customized URL, sell tickets, and conduct online registration. You can even sell from your own site with their customizable widgets.

Once your event is created, the real fun begins. You can leverage social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote your event and send emails to prospective attendees. All of these features are available via their easy to use dashboard (screen shot).

You can use PayPal or Google Checkout to process payments, create waiting lists, and even generate name badges and check-in lists.  They even have a feature to reserve a spot for people who would rather pay at the door! It’s an event planner’s dream!

If your nonprofit has used Eventbrite, please tell us about your experience.

Source: Blue Trolley Press

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March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

How Do I Display Random YouTube Videos in WordPress Sidebar

Q: I am after a YouTube plugin for a widget. What I want to do is have a YouTube video that randomly rotates between three/four videos in the side bar. Is there one? A: While it was created for serving ads, Datafeedr Random Ads, should do the trick for you. We’ve used it for images in the past and it does exactly what we needed it to. Installation Instructions
  1. Upload the plugin files to your plugins directory
  2. Activate the plugin
  3. Go to Tools > Datafeedr Random Ads
  4. Create an Ad Group (a set of ads that you want to rotate)
  5. Place a widget in your sidebar or template code in your template files
If you need assistance, please contact WordSprung.

Source: WordSprung » WordPress Q&A

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March 9, 2010 By 1 Comment

How Do I Add A Contact Form On WordPress.com?

Q: How Do I Add A Contact Form On WordPress.com? A: On the standard version of WordPress.com your only built in option is to use the “[contact-form]” short code. To do this, place “[contact-form]” (without the quotes) in your page where you’d like it to appear and save it. Once saved you’ll see a form show up that looks similar to your standard comments form.  Note that this will look differently to anyone who is logged into WordPress.com.

WordPress.com Contact Form (logged in view)

WordPress.com Contact Form (logged out view)

If that doesn’t suit your needs and you’re after a more customizable solution you’ll need to look for hosted form solutions of which there are various options.  And of course, you can always opt to go the self-hosted WordPress.org route. If you need assistance, please contact WordSprung.

Source: WordSprung » WordPress Q&A

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