This document provides an overview of how non-profits can use social media to communicate more effectively. It discusses what social media is, why non-profits should engage with it, and how to get started. Key points include that social media allows for conversations rather than one-way messaging, non-profits should listen to online conversations and select tools based on goals and audience, and that success can be measured in various ways beyond traditional metrics like donations. The document provides resources for non-profits to learn more about using social media.
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Social Media: transforming the way nonprofits communicate
1. Social Media: transforming the way
nonprofits communicate
Leave a Legacy: Non-Profit Education Day
March 12, 2010
Farra Trompeter
farra@bigducknyc.com
7. Maybe you shouldn’t…
Social media is not…
• Free
• A silver bullet for fundraising
• An opportunity to control your message
• An opportunity to tell everyone what you think
• Inherently appealing and cool to millenials
• An alternative to clear messaging/mission
8. That said…
Social media is…
• Pretty low cost
• Growing by leaps and bounds
• An opportunity for conversation
• A great way to reach certain audiences
• A complement to the messages you’re sharing
through other channels
10. Average social network user = 37
Feb 2010
http://royal.pingdom.com/2010/02/16/study-ages-of-social-network-users/
11. Who’s where?
Dec 2009
116 million unique U.S. visitors
Slightly more female
Mostly younger, aged 13-34
24 million unique U.S. visitors
Slightly more male
College education
(33% have a graduate degree vs. Internet avg of 21%)
Generally older, more educated, and more affluent
23 million unique U.S. visitors
Peak at the 18-34 age group
(16% of its total vs. 8% of the total Internet audience)
Less wealthy than those on Facebook and LinkedIn
http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/improve-your-social-
media-strategy-by-paying-attention-to-demographics-laura-aronsson-and-bianca
14. Why do people participate?
• Keeping up with friendships
• Making new friends
• Succumbing to social pressure from
existing friendships
• Paying it forward
• The altruistic impulse
• The prurient impulse
• The creative impulse
• The validation impulse
• The affinity impulse
Source: Groundswell (book)
19. Listening Online
• Set up Google alerts, Technorati search, Twitter search, etc.
http://socialmedia-listening.wikispaces.com/Tools
• Your name and people connected to your organization
• Your organization’s name
• Program or event names
• Peer/competitor names and program/event names
• Your tagline or other key phrases
• URL for any web properties (main website, blog)
• Related issues/topics
• Common misspellings
Source: Beth’s Blog, Beth Kanter
41. Expand your definition of success
• Increased awareness of your cause
• Shift in your org’s reputation
• New and repeat program participants, activists, donors
• Increased requests for your programs
• Pageviews/clicks/comments/fans/etc.
• New email addresses/contact info
• Signatures/actions taken
• Dollars raised
• Mentions online
72. Resources
• NTEN: We Are Media
http://www.wearemedia.org
• Social Technographics
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/
• Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media
http://beth.typepad.com
• Frog Loop: Build Your Own Listening Dashboard
http://bit.ly/3JIwZ
• Using Social Media To Meet Nonprofit Goals
http://www.idealware.org/sm_survey/download.php
• Nonprofit Social Media Benchmarks Study
http://www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/socialmedia/