Are you thinking about entering the world of social media but not sure where to start? Do you wonder how it can make a difference to your organization?
When it comes to communication strategies, many nonprofits have tended to stay with the familiar one-way message through direct mail, print newsletters, a fundraising event, email and telephone.
However, the growth of social media offers a two-way communication medium with opportunities for nonprofit organizations to build community, collective action, productivity and fund raising. Here are some ideas on how you can leverage these tools.
Facebook
Currently, Facebook is by far the most popular social networking site. Heck, there’s even a movie about how it was founded. Nonprofits have been using it for quite some time, and it can be very effective. For example, the Red Cross used Facebook to raise millions for Haiti’s earthquake disaster relief. With just a few keystrokes, donations started rolling in. (Quick tip: make sure that you work through a Facebook fan page rather than creating a profile for your supporters to “friend.”)
Assuming you already have a fan page, here are a few strategies you can use to increase your fan base and keep them engaged:
1) Be active. There’s no sense in setting up a fan page if you aren’t going to post anything. Make sure to put some interesting posts out there each day and then follow up on people’s reactions. This will keep the conversations flowing.
2) Make your page unique. Don’t just copy and paste information from your webpage and put it on your Facebook page. Although you may want to keep the same branding message, you’ll also want to differentiate your Facebook page from your main site.
3) Add a donations box. Making it super-easy for folks to donate could add a few dollars to your organization’s coffers.
Twitter
Twitter is a great way to quickly get the word out about what’s going on in your organization. What started out as a way for sharing personal thoughts and feelings is now a must for most nonprofits. We’ve listed a few do’s and don’ts for tweeting.
1) Start out by following others. This will help you learn the ropes. Eventually, many folks who follow the same tweets as you will start following you as well.
2) Keep it professional. Tweeting can be cathartic, but keep in mind that this is a professional message you are putting out there. You want to show your personality, but don’t tweet about your personal life. And, stick with the positive side of things.
3) Retweet and retweet. Remember, it’s not all about you. Retweeting someone else’s post is a great way for you to help them out, and it keeps you from looking like you only tweet to promote your own interests. It’s fine to plug yourself every now and then, but balance that by sharing other’s tweets. It’s good tweeting karma.
4) Make your tweets valuable. Don’t tweet just to be tweeting. Wait until you have something useful or interesting to say.
Blogs
Blogs are a good way to expand your reach and communicate more directly with supporters and your community. A blog (Web log) is a Web page where content is created by a single author or select group of authors. Blogs enable nonprofits to easily:
1. Communicate. Blogs allow organizations to have direct communications with supporters, potential supporters, staff, volunteers, the press and decision makers.
2. Telling their stories. Blogging is an easy and cost-effective way to share latest news, tell your story, solicit feedback and foster discussion among supporters or potential supporters.
3. Stand out. Blogs give your nonprofit a distinct voice within a movement and can distinguish you from other nonprofits working on similar issues.
3. Brand their missions. Blogs help organizations build brand recognition around their missions.
4. Deliver fresh information. Having a blog feed on your organization’s homepage is an excellent way to freshen up your homepage content and make it dynamic.
Google+
Google+ is definitely the new kid on the block. Chances are you’ve gotten an invitation from a friend and wondered, “What the heck?” To explain, this is Google’s effort to get into the social networking arena. It’s similar to the others, but it offers some new aspects. Perhaps the most popular is its “Circles” feature. For instance, you may have one circle for family and another for work friends. You can choose to share only with a selected circle.
This tool is currently in the “people-only” stage, but a business version is being developed. Although the functionality is sure to grow, it is currently limited. However, here are a few things you can do right now:
1) Use the Circle and Huddle features to share ideas with co-workers on the fly. Next time a great idea comes to you during off hours, go ahead and strike while the creative juices are flowing.
2) Use the Hangout feature to video conference with up to nine people at once. Video conferencing is nothing new, but Google has made it easy and free.
3) Add a Google +1 button to your page. This still relies, however, on your user to add a comment and send it on to his or her Google+ circles.
In today’s society, nonprofit organizations are sized up by their social media presence. With a defined strategy and targeted resources, nonprofits can make social media work for them. Keep in mind that social networking has become ingrained in the lives of hundreds of millions. If your base of volunteers, contributors and supporters are “socially engaged,” you should be communicating this way.
So, as the old saying goes, no time “like” the present. Start updating that status and tweet when there’s something important to say. You’ll be glad you did.
If you have questions or need more information, submit your inquiries or comments below.