Post on 18-May-2015
Making Social Media Workfor Your Nonprofit
An overview by Trish Perkins
Nonprofit Technology Consultant
Secretaries…
Paper…
Dictaton and transcription.
Snail mail.
It was a simpler world.
Now there’s just too much information. It’s too complex.
Isn’t it?Isn’t it?
Social Media is…
• Social media is people using tools (like blogs and video)
• and sites (like Facebook and Twitter) to share content and
• have conversations online.
Where are you now?
The first on your block?Early Adopter?
Slow and careful?Resistant?
It’s a tool of the devil!
About me
• Writer• 2001—began taking courses in Information
Systems. • Nepal and India—working in the NGO space.• VISTA• FaithAction International House• Digital literacy
Before you leap…
• Web site• Online donations• Email that complies with federal anti-spam
laws• A website analytics tool like Google Analytics
http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/site/is_your_nonprofit_facebook_page_worth_it_measurements_and_analytics_techniq/
1. Social media are powered by the Internet.
2. Social media are NOT mass media.
3. Social media are accessible to any organization or anyone with an Internet connection.
4. Social media enable people to connect to each other across space and time.
5. All communications strategies and tools must be driven by the needs and requirements of an
audience, NOT the needs of an organization.
http://www.marketingfornonprofits.org/2008/07/primer-on-social-media.html
(It’s a conversation.)
Best In-Depth Primer
www.wearemedia.org
Best Social Media Guru
Beth Kanterwww.bethkanter.org
Best 12-Step Guide
Red Cross Social Media Handbook
http://sites.google.com/site/wharman/social-media-strategy-handbook
1. Get social media savvy yourself first.
2. Get clear about your goals.
• Use social media to execute your mission. [Your mission statement here.]
• Goal: To create an empowered online community of [your org name here] supporters.
• Goal: To listen to supporters and do better.• Goal…last and iffiest…to raise money.
3. Start by just listening.
“Social media is not about you. It’s about people’s relationships with you.”
From Flickr: Colleen AF Venable
Listening Tools
• RSS• Google Alerts• SocialMention• Technorati• Twitter Search• Delicious
4. Engage, invite engagement
Offer your content, invite content
• Share This• Flickr Photos in Creative Commons so people
can download them.• Use videos, upload videos• Retweet your content• Share Facebook items with friends
5. Give up control
“If you want people to spread your message, you
have to trust them. Let go.”
What to do when someone comments:
• Thank them.
• Point them to a resource.
• Ask them a question.
Problem?
• Offer correct information.
• Try to solve the problem.
• Ask them to contact you directly.
• Here’s what the Air Force does:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/3226367547/
Basic Tools & Sites
Let’s see a few…
Blogs
YouTube/Vimeo
Video sharing
Photo Sharing
Best Practice
Test everything.
Measure Everything
• Google Analytics
• Click-throughs to your web site
• Donations - Segment by source
http://www.fundraising123.org/files/Nonprofit911_Nonprofit_Facebook_Page_Worth_It_052510_SLIDES.pdf
Start Small
• Pick out one channel and get your feet wet (find one that won’t take much time and relates to your org’s goals.)
• Write down your successes. • Write down your challenges. • Ask or listen to the people you connect with about
what worked and what didn't. • Watch other nonprofits and copy and remix for your
next project. • Rinse, repeat.
Have fun!
…and thanks for coming!
Credits• Blind Stenographer using dictaphone, Library of Congress collection,
Flickr.com
• Shattered glass, Julian Burgess aka aubergene, flickr.com
• http://www.fundraising123.org/article/your-nonprofit-facebook-page-worth-it-measurements-and-analytics-techniques
• What to do with negative comments?• http://blog.socialsourcecommons.org/2010/06/im-monitoring-social-
media-now-what/
• Airforce Blog response photo• http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/3226367547/