Case Study: Activity Assessment and eMetrics for a Conservation Organization. Programs, Membership, Donations, and eMetrics 2017. An overview of Western Cuyahoga Audubon chapter activities, audiences, and trends. By Betsey Merkel, WCAS Consultant, Jan 15, 2018.

1. Programs, Membership, Donations, and eMetrics 2017
An overview of Western Cuyahoga Audubon chapter activities, audiences, and trends.
Submitted by Betsey Merkel, Consultant, January 15, 2018
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2. Report Sections
1. Are people losing interest in WCAS birding
activities?
2. Are people interested in the Second Saturday
Bird Walks?
3. How interested are people in the monthly
Field Trips?
4. Are audiences growing or dropping off for the
monthly Speaker Series?
5. All together, are Chapter programs growing
or shrinking ?
6. Do people really want to get WCAS emails?
1. Does social media really work?
2. What kind of marketing impact are we
talking about?
3. Meanwhile, what’s the long view on WCAS
membership?
4. Where do we stand on membership and
donation revenue?
5. Ecommerce transactions for 2017
6. Recommendations
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© Betsey Merkel

3. Are people losing interest in WCAS
birding activities?
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4. Birder engagement in WCAS Bird Walks and Field Trips 2004 - 2017 is on a strong upward trend.
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5. Are people interested in the Second
Saturday Bird Walks?
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6. Yes, WCAS Second Saturday Bird Walk attendance grew 79% from 2016 to 2017 and is on an
upward trend.
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7. How interested are people in the monthly
Field Trips?
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8. The WCAS Field Trip attendance grew 11% from 2016 to 2017 and is on an upward trend.
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9. Are audiences growing or dropping off
for the monthly Speaker Series?
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10. WCAS Speaker Series audiences grew .26% from 2016 to 2017 and are on an upward trend.
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11. All together, are Chapter programs
growing or shrinking ?
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12. The combined WCAS Bird Walks, Field Trips, and Speaker Series programs grew 30% in
attendance from 2016 to 2017 and are on an upward trend.
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13. Do people really want to get WCAS
emails?
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14. Yes, WCAS subscribers grew 61% in 2017.
486 Subscribers
in 2015
433 Subscribers
in 2016
698 Subscribers
in 2017
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15. In 21 months, WCAS content marketing grew
subscribers and participants.
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● The WCAS Volunteer network grew to over 80
new subscribers and volunteers
● The Bird Friendly Coffee network grew to 68 new
subscribers and buyers
● The Christmas Bird Count network added nearly
150 new subscribers

16. Does social media really work?
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17. Twitter
Profile visits
UP 11%
Number of
Tweets
UP 18.9%
Number of Twitter audience
impressions UP 293%
Twitter
Mentions
UP 189%
New Twitter
Followers
UP 352%
In 21 months, WCAS content marketing on Twitter grew substantial online audiences.
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18. What kind of marketing impact are we
talking about? Big, small…or something
else?
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19. This is something else called ‘exponential’ growth. Not 2% or 5% growth, but 5 or 10x.
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20. Q: Why aren’t memberships pouring in?
A: Online relationships take time to
develop and convert to memberships.
A: Technology accelerates connectivity
and growth moving faster than the speed
people are accustomed to.
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21. Meanwhile, what’s the long view on
WCAS membership?
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22. Annual WCAS Membership is on an upward trend.
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23. Where do we stand on membership and
donation revenue?
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24. Annual WCAS Membership and Donation totals for 2007 - 2017 are on an upward trend.
(No data was available for 2013)
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25. Ecommerce transactions for 2017
● First year benchmark: $860.19, after PayPal fees
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26. Recommendations
1. Build on Second Sat Bird Walk attendance success.
2. Create strategic activities to position speaker series for growth.
3. Grow exhibit/outreach schedule and develop volunteer activities.
4. Continue to grow coffee sales.
5. Convince and convert online subscribers to volunteer, become members, and donate.
6. Launch serial marketing campaigns to more deeply engage online audiences.
7. Seek partners and collaborations to connect to new secondary networks and scale for
mutuality.
8. Identify quarterly policy topics to grow a ‘policy voice’.
9. Increase Board and member activity on social media.
10. Pursue BIG, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS GOALS or ‘BHAGS’
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© Betsey Merkel

27. Thank you!
Betsey Merkel
Digital Strategist
www.BetseyMerkel.com
betseymerkel@gmail.com
(216) 246-2447
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