Applying for a Google Adwords Non-Profit Grant — even if you have billing info in your Adwords account

by Laura | Jul 14, 2015 | Uncategorized

If your non-profit has been approved for Google for Non-Profits, congratulations. Now, you can apply for a Google Adwords grants and a host of other benefits.

However, you may hit a stumbling block when you begin your Google Adwords application. If the email address that is registered under Google for Non-Profits already has an Adwords account with billing information, it may appear that you are out of luck. Google will not accept an application for a Google Adwords grant if that account associated email already has billing information. (You MUST skip the billing info when setting up your Adwords account for your non-profit if you want to apply for a Google Adwords grant.)

Fortunately, there is a work-around:

1. Make another email address that you have access to an admin on your Adwords account.

2. Log in to your Adwords account under the new admin email.

3. Have the new admin email throw your original email (the one associated with Google for Non-Profits) off the Adwords account.

4. Have the original email start up a new Google Adwords account. And this time, be sure to not enter any billing info.

5. You are now eligible to apply for the Google Adwords grant.

Good luck!

Building a Constant Contact e-mail list through Facebook

by Laura | Jul 12, 2015 | Uncategorized

Our non-profit’s Facebook fan base has grown by 300% over the past year. I’m thrilled. But I was recently reminded that this isn’t enough. (“Use social media to help build your own platform on your site or through your email instead as that audience you will always have full, unrestricted and free access to.” Marko Saric)

Don’t let these fans show up as numbers only on Facebook. Organizations have to draw them in. Facebook is a great first step.

One way to draw them in, of course, is continue to provide them with great, relevant content where you first met — Facebook. But you must them part of your organization (not just Facebook’s). One of the best ways to do that is to get them to sign up for your e-mail list.

Encouraging e-mail list sign-ups on Facebook

1. Use Facebook’s Call to Action button. Just below the Facebook cover image, there is a Call to Action button, which can be activated and edited. To use it to grow your e-mail list, choose “Sign-Up” as your Call to Action and link it to your web-based e-mail sign-up form. (Thus far, this has been the most effective way for us to get e-mail sign-ups from Facebook fans.)

2. Use Constant Contact’s Facebook Sign-Up App. In the left column of your Facebook page, you can install Facebook apps for your page. One of these is a Constant Contact Facebook Sign-Up app. It can be edited.

3. Ask fans to sign up through posts and include a link to a web-based e-mail sign-up form.

I created a separate list within Constant Contact for Facebook sign-ups so I can track how well we are doing in this area on Facebook.