Sure, Facebook is where your audience is now (but remember MySpace?). You need more than just a "fan" page to make the most of your audience. Ask students why they chose their top choice school over the runner-up and the second-most popular answer (aside from monetary) is an emotional one -- "It just felt right," "I felt at home," "I knew what it would be like to go here before I showed up." Your website and online community can give prospectives an in-depth look at what it’s like to be a student as well as remind alumni what they loved about their alma mater.
Thirteen Advantages of choosing YourMembership.com over a public social networking community:
1. We offer a private online community
No security concerns for you; no imposters or unofficial groups representing your school; no wall graffiti from people pretending to be associated with your institution. Have a public account that’s been hacked? Then you know firsthand why data security is important.
2. Information can be shared openly with those closest to you and your organization or publicly, as you choose.
You control the content and the permissions.
3. Create online groups for students, teachers, parents, staff, alumni or any other group you need to reach.
We don’t limit you. You can offer connections based on geographic regions, proposed majors, start year… whatever structure best meets your needs!
4. Data is yours.
What happens on your private online community can be reported on. No data is lost or unavailable. Plus, you are less likely to be affected by FB users and their “fake” information.
5. Your site will not accidentally infect your users with malware or other issues.
It was recently estimated that 20 percent of Facebook users are vulnerable to such issues.
6. Make the most of your system.
We also offer an optional plug-in for Blackbaud®'s The Raiser's Edge® fundraising software for on-demand synchronization of core member data.
7. Your community, your brand.
Public communities limit how your page looks. They can make changes in layouts at any time. The design is largely controlled by them, not you. Not the case with YourMembership.com.
8. Safe Data.
With YourMembership.com there are no blips or missing data. Imagine if you lost all of your wall history overnight or your “fan” numbers fluctuated by hundreds. How would that affect the business behind your social media offerings? In a private, online community your data is protected and backed up. You have peace of mind that you don’t get with a public site.
9. No ads – unless the revenue is yours.
With a private online community you control the revenue stream. There are no ads on your site unless you place them there and the revenue is yours. Feels good knowing any vendors on your site are there because you allowed them to be; not so on the public sites. And with YourMembership.com, you are free to obtain sponsorships. We’ll even help you place the ads within your design!
10. Client support abounds.
Our support is unlimited at YourMembership.com. Have a problem with a public site? Try calling their support number. With a site from YourMembership.com you get unlimited support and training, no matter how long you’ve been with us.
11. Design – ours and yours.
We’ll not only work with you to get your initial design in place, but also you can change it up as often as you like. Change your logo, no problem. Want an airier look? Done. Now try doing that on a public social networking site. Sure, the look there may change on a regular basis but you have no control over it.
12. Our technology is your technology.
For a fraction of the cost of what it takes to build (and maintain) your own community and membership management software in-house, you can have a website that engages and represents your institution in a way befitting of the education you are offering. To have a static website in today’s tech-savvy world is dating yourself, your offerings, and thus the appearance of the kind of education you are providing.
13. Insert your school into the equation.
A public online community can be administrated by you or any number of people outside of your organization. If your alumni do not see the alumni office facilitating connections, if they’re making them without you, it doesn’t take much to shut you out of the equation all together. They will connect with one another with or without your help. Wouldn’t you rather be in the middle of those connections, assisting them, providing value they can see?