the online video is just the beginning
05:23, 18 December 2008
.. Posted in Communication, Outreach and General Mngmt.. Link
When you announce something online, be prepared for a reaction -- perhaps not exactly the one you want.
The Salvation Army in Chicago is promoting volunteering and donating for its organization by using a video on YouTube that features Chicago landmarks and local news anchors. One of the places the agency announced this was on a group on LinkedIn, saying, "instead of going to a bell ringer in front of your favorite department or grocery store, donations can be taken online in the comfort of your home or office."
Katherine Watier was not impressed. In both a response on the LinkedIn group as well as via her own blog, she criticizes the Chicago Salvation Army’s effort, saying there’s a good chance that no one will see such. She notes that the organization forgot a lot of basics, like including the keywords "Salvation Army Chicago" in the title of their video or the description. She details many simple things that would make this a much more effective campaign reaching many, many more online Chicagoans.
This brings to mind two things: that your organization needs to be ready for online criticism. And that your organization needs to learn from that criticism -- Watier criticized, but she also offered details on how to quickly, realistically make the campaign much more effective. Has the Salvation Army implemented these changes? Not that I can tell...
