Mullikin Guest Speaker at CAFC on Utilizing Social Media To Raise Funds.
CHARLESTON, SC - Carolina's Annual Fund Conference, created to unite colleges and universities in the Carolinas to discuss the best practices in fundraising and annual giving from alumni, invited Jami Mullikin, principal at Hill Mullikin Marketing Company, to present ideas and case studies on leveraging social media to increase awareness, advocacy and fundraising efforts within their institutions.
Held on March 26, 2009 in Charleston, SC at the Citadel's newly renovated Johnson-Hagood Stadium, the event hosted over forty participants from various universities including Furman University, Wofford College, the University of North Carolina, College of Charleston, and Clemson University.
Social media has proliferated across the Internet expanding through multiple generations of participation. Sites including facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Linkedin boast millions of active members. Hill Mullikin recognizes that the low-cost method of relationship marketing reaches highly targeted audiences and has successfully leveraged these online communities to their clients' benefit.
"Social media leverages relationships," said Jami Mullikin, "it enables us to re-connect and establish friendships. And it provides unprecedented access to peers in our local and online communities. Although it is a new medium, younger and older alumni are re-connecting with their college buddies and that is one of the driving forces of facebook.com's rapid growth. Facebook was founded in a university setting so it is only natural that it is currently spreading through all of the different alumni audiences today. Although it is only one example, social media has proven the opportunity is here, but the challenge for most is knowing how and where to begin. That is where we help our clients."
Mullikin was invited to speak at the conference by a current client, John Kemp, Director of Annual Giving at Furman University. John stated, "We and our peer schools have been trying to figure out how to make social media effective for us, and these guys get it. Not only have they been able to shape and define strategy, the implementation phase has been much smoother than with most special projects. It just seemed like a good fit to invite Hill Mullikin to share their expertise with the group."
Hill Mullikin hopes that the presentation opened participant's eyes to the many low-cost, high-impact marketing opportunities that social media can provide. Brittany Meyers, Assistant Director of Annual Giving for the Citadel and host of the event stated that, "Deciding to wrap up our conference with Hill Mullikin's message couldn't have been more impactful. The future of fundraising is rapidly moving toward e-solicitations and networking with your alumni and donor base is becoming more accessible by the day. With that being said, unless you know how to harness the power and utilize social media, you run the risk of missing out on such a powerful tool. Hill Mullikin gave great examples of others who have partnered with Jami and his team to do just that. The results they gave were impressive and energizing. I think one of our attendees summed up their presentation best by stating 'Hill Mullikin's presentation was worth sticking around for. Great message!'"
ABOUT HILL MULLIKIN MARKETING CO: Hill Mullikin Marketing is an internationally recognized marketing firm that wants to transform you from a brand that markets to a brand that matters. Located in Greenville, SC, Hill Mullikin is staffed by seasoned strategists, writers and art directors - smart marketers who understand that in the age of search engine optimization and nanosecond attention spans, it's no longer just about you finding your market, it's also about your market finding you. To learn more about Hill Mullikin and Marketing Relevance, visit www.hillmullikin.com.
You can allow follow Hill Mullikin's blog, Marketing Relevance, at www.hillmullikin.com/blog
ABOUT JAMI MULLIKIN: Jami Mullikin is a principal at Hill Mullikin Marketing Company in Greenville, SC. Born and raised in Greenville, Jami has a BFA in graphic design from Winthrop University. Over the last decade he has become widely recognized for both his marketing and creative leadership, specifically related to relationship marketing programs targeted at the affluent. His resume includes brands such as Ryobi Powertools, The Home Depot, and BMW and Hill Mullikin's existing client base includes Ritz-Carlton Residences, Raffles Resorts, Furman University, and Echota Resort as well as others.