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What Nonprofits and Associations Should Look for in Enterprise Software Solutions
Posted by:
Walter Roark on
July 14, 2009 at
7:19PM AFT
Let’s Start with an Up-to-Date Definition of Enterprise Social Software
Enterprise social software comprises social software as used in
"enterprise" (business/commercial) contexts. It includes social and
networked modifications to corporate websites and linked online  communities
used by organizations to reach out to their constituents. The term
“enterprise” social software generally refers to an elevated class of
interactive tools. When developed and deployed by experienced SaaS
vendors, these enterprise solutions boost a community’s social
collaboration, delivering a deeper level of engagement, pragmatic
results and a greater return on investment.
SaaS (Software
as a Solution) providers such as ThePort Network Offer Solutions
Tailored to the Enterprise Needs of Organizations
Social Networking has evolved beyond the old definition of an
interactive web destination where like-minded people gather and
connect. New generation socially-enabled communities address precise
objectives nonprofits and associations wish to achieve. For nonprofits,
examples might include online components that drive non-dues revenue,
or Social Spaces created specifically to engage members in
cause-related campaigns. For associations, community modules deployed
to enhance offline Events and Session workshops would fit the
Enterprise-class label.
What Specific Attributes Might Be Included in the Deployment of an Enterprise-Level Social Networking Community?
-
First, it is essential that a sophisticated enterprise platform have
reliable, secure and scalable hosting so that your community can
accommodate surges in traffic
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Look for a flexible product that will help you achieve your goals while
fully meeting the needs of your customers and members
- The
community should highlight Social Spaces...groupings that attract
members with similar interests, places where people can connect,
collaborate and share content
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Be sure that multifaceted Blogging is a powerful component of
your deployment, including staff-controlled blogs, open blogging to
registered members, group-linked blogs, and spotlighted blogs from
community thought leaders
- In the beginning, plan
for custom-built Profiling that generates compelling individual profile
pages from which active community members can easily browse, share,
friend and communicate with each other
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Think about retaining space within the community for non-dues revenue
generation in the form of advertising, sponsorships, cause-related
fundraising, educational workshops or merchandise offerings. For
instance ThePort’s humanitarian aid client, CARE, cultivates corporate sponsorships in their online community, but also offers apparel for sale in the form of “CARE WEAR”
Which Real-World Benefits Might Be Achieved through Investment in an Enterprise-Level Social Networking Community?
- Put
simply, a private label, totally integrated, enterprise-empowered
online community can significantly enhance an organization’s capability
and effectiveness, letting you accomplish more while concentrating on
long-term objectives
- An enterprise-caliber
community can help nonprofits and associations solve multiple problems,
providing flexible solutions to pervasive issues such as membership
retention, fundraising, consistent member engagement, non-dues revenue
generation, efficient support for special events, and so on
- With
enterprise-quality solutions such as document sharing, video, blogging
and commenting, nonprofit online administrators will be able to
stimulate and harness thought leadership within the community
- By engaging and exchanging content, your association
 members
will be able to share notes, presentations, case studies and best
practices with each other. The result is a formidable library of
content that will make your community the first place constituents will
turn for critical, usable information
- For
nonprofits, enterprise-level social communities typically feature
seamless integration with donor management tools offered by ThePort’s
partners, Convio and Blackbaud. After launch, your staff will be able
to gather additional intelligence about donors, enabling to you create
more effective marketing
- Through high-performance
enterprise-enabled social interactivity, associations take events,
conferences and individual sessions to the next level...powering
engagement, participation and communication between speakers, attendees
and the entire association-focused community. A good example is Sierra
Club, whose Student Coalition community boosts chapter participation via online Events listings that promotes local leadership training.
We encourage you to comment on our blog topic about enterprise-quality
online communities and the latest socially-enabled innovations that
energize them.
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