Posts Tagged "Powered by People"

Powered by People: Non-Profits and Social Media, Part 2

When it comes to developing a social media plan for your non-profit organization, it’s important to take inventory of your existing resources and do a little research. This will help you recognize your organization’s strengths and capacities, identify goals and ultimately develop a social media strategy that works for your non-profit.

Social Media Inventory

Taking stock of what you already have in your social media cabinet will help your organization identify goals that are achievable and make sense.  For example, if your Facebook page only has 25 likes, does it make more sense to launch an ambitious fundraising plan or to build a better foundation for outreach by adding friends?

Here are some questions that may help the inventory process along:

1. What social media accounts has your organization already opened?  Some of the most common are Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Blogger. Don’t worry if you don’t have all or any of them!
2. What is the status of any existing online social media profiles for your organization? How many friends, followers, subscribers or members for each profile? When was each last updated?
3. What is the status of your email contact list? How many email subscribers have also joined your organization’s social media network? Has there already been a direct appeal asking them to do so and if so, was it successful?
4. Who in your organization is currently responsible for updating and maintaining the accounts? Does that person have the support she needs in terms of resources, updates, stories? How does information internally flow between Operations, Development and Communications, and does it make sense?
5. What is your organization’s message and mission? What are your organization’s stories and accomplishments? What work is happening every day that demonstrates your mission in motion?

Chart out the answers to these questions and they will help shape your social media goals. Talk with your staff and let these questions lead to the next steps.

Social Media Research

Researching social media isn’t an exact science. Remember social media and non-profits are powered by people so your research should begin with you and your organization’s employees, trusted volunteers and loyal supporters who want to see your organization thrive.  Also, don’t be afraid to Google or talk to other organizations for more information.

Here are some questions to help guide the research:

1. What online social media networks do your employees and volunteers actively participate in? How do they use different networks? For example, do they primarily use Twitter for news updates? Do they use Twitter at all?
2. What social media campaigns by other non-profits have moved you or others to action? What was it about the message or campaign that motivated you? Likewise, when have you ignored a call to action or not opened a link? Why?
3. What social media networks make sense for your organization? Visit the sites and research the users.  Are they part of your target audience?
4. What does your organization want to achieve using social media networks? Fundraising? Visibility? Education? Awareness? Action? All of the above? Prioritize!
5. What are the “rules” of social media? Regardless of whether you’re posting for a non-profit, a for-profit or as an individual wanting to be heard, there are certain guidelines that apply to us all. For example, check out this previous GlobalWrites post that explains the best times to post a social media update for maximum visibility.

Inventory and research is the easy part. The final part of this series will cover identification of your social media goals and how to execute a plan.

Need more guidance? Our team of consultants at GlobalWrites will work with your organization to guide you through this process and  develop a dynamic, engaging social media plan that works within your budget and for your mission. Contact GlobalWrites today for a consultation.

>> Read part 1 of the Powered by People series

Powered by People: Non-Profits and Social Media, Part 1

Social media is fundamentally changing the way non-profit organizations build mission awareness, raise funds and broaden their reach. Social media is powered by people — so are non-profits that rely on passionate volunteers and generous donors to champion a compelling cause. This synergy promises great potential, but your organization still needs a plan and people to make it happen. Charting an effective social media strategy that resonates and generates is not always easy to do, especially when an organization can’t afford dedicated staff.

Mistakes are made

Here’s what I usually see happen when non-profits don’t have space in the budget for a full-time, in-house social media coordinator — either the youngest person within the organization is pegged to manage Facebook and Twitter or a brave soul with a general understanding of social media raises their hand to volunteer. It can’t be that difficult, right? Friends are made, some followers are added, and then it all flatlines. Then primary obligations within the organization take precedent and social media is pushed to the back burner. So now floating around on the internet is a static social media page representing your organization that hasn’t been updated in weeks, months or even years.

Why does it matter?

A static page is an opportunity missed.  As a non-profit, your online social network audience is likely to closely mirror your offline network and be built with your existing supporters, donors and volunteers. They are far more likely to feel a higher degree of investment, attachment and intimacy with your organization than they feel when liking a major retail store’s Facebook page because of a monthly promotion or following a celebrity on Twitter. A static page may make them wonder what has become of the donation they made, or cause them to move on to other organizations that actively keep them updated on volunteer opportunities. Urgent online appeals that successfully move people to take offline action are key to a non-profit’s success in terms of time-sensitive issue advocacy, fund-raising and volunteer recruitment — which is a different dynamic than creating product buzz for a company. It’s important to have someone work with your team who understands the challenges germane to non-profits.  Common social media strategies for businesses may not apply, or they need to be adapted.

What to do now?

One cost-effective solution is to consider hiring a social media consultant who will work within your budget and staff to develop a tailored social media plan that builds upon the strengths of your organization and can be implemented by your existing staff. At GlobalWrites, our social media consultants have worked in non-profits and understand these nuances, challenges and opportunities. Our social media plans are always customized to fit your organization’s unique identity, work within your organization’s capacity and build on the offline relationships that are already making your organization a success. A customized social media plan gives your organization an online edge that translates into increased support, funding and visibility.

No more missed opportunities

In the next part of this series, we’ll discuss in greater detail the different ways in which your organization can use social media for fundraising, issue campaigns, education and learn why a one-size-fits-all approach to social media will end up selling your organization short.

If you can’t wait for Part 2, contact GlobalWrites today for a consultation. It’s an opportunity worth taking.