Personal Versus Professional

When it comes to social media, a bit of personality goes a long way. When you reveal some details about your life, it allows your audience to be drawn in. However how much is too much?

Balance is the key. Only sharing news/advertising etc doesn't show off your personality or your organization's personality. People give to people not to organizations. So share some news about your personal life or what's going on in the office.

HOWEVER.....

Too much personal information can definitely be a bad thing. I've seen people do things on social media that instantly change my opinion about who they are, from drunken pictures on Facebook to snarky remarks on Twitter.

Remember, that if something is on the 'net, it will remain there for a long time. Perhaps even forever. Let's say you post something but then decide to take it down. What if someone captured a screenshot of that post? Then it's around permanently.

Also, remember that with most social media, everyone can see what you are doing. Yes, there may be privacy measures in place, but don't use them as a crutch. If you don't think it should be posted, don't post it.

Here's an example of a good thing your organization can post:

Had another b-day celebration in the office. Happy 40th to @fakename! She definitely liked all the gag gifts we got her.

And an example of a bad thing:

Just had a bad quarter and lost money. Might have to cut programs now.

Okay, so that is an obvious example of something you don't want to post but there are more subtle versions of this which find its way into social media all the time.

Just like the adage 'Think Before You Speak" you should "Think Before You Type."

Social Media Policies

I presented a webinar last week on Social Media and Donor Engagement and found myself talking alot about social media policies.

I think it's very important to have a social media policy in place, whether it's one page or twenty. A social media policy really helps you define how you are going to engage people on the web. Many nonprofits are afraid of getting on social media because it means that you are no longer in control of the message.

Maybe you aren't, but at least a good set of guidelines will ensure that you can direct the message to where you want it to be.

For example, rather than having to react in surprise to negative comments or views of your organization, guidelines help you handle any negative situation that arises. Since a situation on social media can change by the minute, it's important to have a plan so you can react in an appropriate way.

Some things to add to your policy:

• Who's speaking on behalf of you? Are they able to respond to crises in a professional and speedy manner?
• What is your position on certain issues?
• How do you deal with comment moderation?
• How much control do you have over someone's personal pages?

A good social media policy in place will ensure that any problems you have in the future can be addressed swiftly and correctly.

Facebook: A Prospect Research Tool?

I haven't seen that many discussions on Facebook being used as a prospect research tool. Facebook is a great way to seek out new prospects from not only your Friends but theirs as well.

1. There is no 'No".
When you ask someone if they know anyone who is able to donate to your cause, the knee jerk reaction is to say no. Even when racking their brain, it can become difficult to think of someone who might want to donate. With Facebook, this is easier. The average Facebook user has 150 to 200 friends. It's quite likely that someone in there would be interested in donating to your cause.

2. You can learn valuable information.
Facebook is a great way to learn about donors and prospects. Seeing photos, quiz results and status updates lend an idea of the type of person they are. Even if it seems superficial, this information can be useful in striking up a conversation with a prospect.

3. You can stay connected easily.
One of the things that is great about Facebook is the ability to stay connected with someone even if you don't talk to them as often as you'd like. This provides an in the next time you are interested in striking up a prospect relationship with them.

So try using Facebook not only for donating money but as a prospect research tool as well and see how many new donors you can achieve.

Five Things To Do With Your Nonprofit Blog

With the advent of Twitter, Facebook and all these other fun and shiny new social media tools, sometimes it's easy to forget about the blog. After all, the blog takes up much more time. However, a blog can be a useful tool for a nonprofit. It lets you share information in a more involved way then Twitter and Facebook.

If you decide to start a nonprofit blog, what can you really do with it?

1. Share News
Yes, you can share news on Twitter and Facebook. But on your blog you can be much more indepth. Perhaps you decide to share the news on your website and write a companion piece on your blog. That way the news is getting double exposure.

2. Showcase Staff
The staff are what makes a nonprofit organization work. Use your blog to highlight their sucesses within your organization. After all, people give to people, not to organizations. If they can feel a connection with the staff, then they might be encouraged to be more involved.

3. Tell Client Stories
Your blog can be intimate in a way that your website may not be. Share client stories that are personal and touching. The comments section allows donors to make a connection with that client.

4. Inform About Mailings
If you've got a mailing coming up, blog about it! Your donors will know it's coming and be less likely to bypass it. You can also use this chance to share the many ways they can give and provide links to your online giving.

5. Ask Opinions
What's a great way to get your donors involved in your organization? Ask their opinion. You can use the blog to get a feel for how your donors feel about certain campaigns, how they are being asked to give and more.

Your nonprofit blog can go a long way to ensuring a greater connection with donors and perhaps increase your donations as well.

Social Media and Its Donations

I believe that social media has the potential to help nonprofits improve their brand, gather more donors and raise money.

But with the advent of the 'Facebook Causes' article, people are starting to wonder whether social media is as good as you think it is. Can social media be used long term to raise donations?

The answer is in the question. I believe it does but the key is long term. Fundraising is long term, and each fundraising venture builds on its predecessor. Social media is a great way to put those connections in place to be able to solicit gifts later.

I currently have a poll up that asks How Many Times Per Week Should a Nonprofit Ask for Donations via Twitter/Facebook?

60% say that nonprofits should ask only once, with 30% saying two to five times per week. 10% believe no donations should be asked at all.

The question remains, how long should you wait for results? I believe that depends entirely on your organization and your goals for social media.

What do you think? Does social media have the potential to raise money for organizations or is it just for raising awareness? How many times do you ask your donors on Twitter/Facebook for donations?

Related Articles
Facebook Causes: Good or Bad?

Twitter Case Study: War Child

There are many nonprofit organizations on Twitter and many are using Twitter in a variety of different ways. One of the best organizations I've seen use Twitter is War Child. War Child is a great organization that provides assistance to war stricken children all over the world.

Recently the Executive Director, Dr. Samantha Nutt traveled to Darfur and twittered the whole way there. Some tweets are amusing, others alarming and even more so are downright scary. She not only told stories of her surroundings but of the people that she met.

Some sample tweets:

Each of the above connects with you in a different way. I've never donated to War Child but now I find myself intrigued. And that indicates a job well done. A connection has been made and that is ultimately what social media strives to do.

I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Samantha Nutt about War Child's use of Twitter as well as her recent trip. Part One is listed below:

1. Why did you choose to Tweet about your experience?
We wanted to give people a more direct connection with our programs and the experiences of the people we work with. It was an experiment, really. There was no guarantee that the technology would work. When I touched down in Darfur and checked my blackberry I couldn't believe I could still access Twitter. In fact, the only place it didn't work on the whole trip was Beirut airport on the way home! Twitter was one way though ­ I could send but I couldn't see what response it was getting, which was frustrating. That's why we're doing a Live Chat
next week to give people a chance to have some of their questions answered.

2. Has War Child had success garnering donations from Twitter or do you use it primarily for awareness?

We have received around $8000 in donations through Twitter initiatives since January. But we don't use it as a place to ask directly for money. It is a place to build relationships and through that a network of friends who will act, to some extent, as ambassadors for our work. Engaging with people on social media platforms - and especially Twitter ­ humanizes the organization.

Stay Tuned for Part Two tomorrow in which Dr. Nutt discusses her time in Darfur as well as why Twitter works for their organization.

*UPDATE: You can follow Dr. Nutt at NuttsAtWarChild

Facebook Causes: Good or Bad?

An interesting article came out in the Washington Post that said that Facebook Causes wasn't really helping nonprofits at all and that online giving still represented a small amount of donations for nonprofits.

The debate about Facebook Causes is an interesting one. I never saw Facebook as a way to viably raise money but rather as a way to promote your brand and prospect for more donors. Facebook is about creating a connection rather than raising dollars.

The question then becomes, how do you translate this connection into dollars?

Is it by collecting everyone's email addresses and sending out an email blast? By inviting people to an event?

My question to the writers of this article is that of the many nonprofits on Facebook Causes, how many are using it to their advantage? And how many put together a strategy before hand that determined whether this is something that their donors would be interested in or not?

Like any communication tool, you need to assess whether it is right for you or not. Survey your donors, ask questions and determine if it's worth your time and energy to make it happen. If it is, then go for it. But don't do it just because everyone else is.

So my question to you is this: Do you have a Facebook Causes page? Is it working for you? And did you survey your donors ahead of time?

Twitter: Is the Message Being Lost?

I reacted to the news that Oprah was going to be on Twitter with a sigh. And then a stomp of my foot. Oh yes, celebrities use Twitter, but with Oprah brings a whole other magnitude. So far, she's posted about getting lunch and her dog getting shots. There are millions of inconsquential posts like this on Twitter. And millions more will follow now that everyone will sign up in a wave of excitement.

Twitter is about sparking dialogue and making connections. I fear that the more people who see it as a tool to post about nothing, the more people will forget what it's really about.

However, what's great about Twitter is that you can choose who to follow and who not to. You can still create dialogue with those who are interested.

So what do you think?

Does an influx of new people on Twitter please or annoy you?

Social Media Time Management: Twitter

*This is the first in a series of posts of time management and social media.



Twitter is a great social media tool. But let's be honest, it's also a big distraction. Like constantly checking your email, Twitter can be compulsive. You just have to know what's happening all the time. But actually, you don't. It's important to use Twitter as a tool to help your organization grow and not just distract you from your other work.

So how can you manage your time on Twitter?

A few suggestions:

1. Get Tweetdeck

Tweetdeck is a Twitter application which I totally love. The best feature is it's grouping capabilities. You get to put who you follow in categories to make it easier. Currently, my categories include nonprofits, marketing, news, fun and more. Downsides to this feature include the very annoying tweeting noise you get when someone updates.

2. Don't follow everyone who follows you

You may think it is good ettiquette to follow everyone who follows you, but I disagree. Only follow someone if their posts have value for you. Otherwise, you will just be wading through the bad stuff to get to the good. And that is definitely a waste of your time. Don't be afraid to unfollow someone either if they don't live up to your expectations.

3. Don't read every tweet

When I first started on Twitter, I thought I had to read everything that was written. But now that I'm following 174 people I know that is completely unrealistic. Don't worry about what information has been lost, instead just read when you've got time.

4. Don't agonize over what to say

Twitter is supposed to be fast, fun and easy. I do believe as an organization you should stay on message at all times but don't plan out your tweets and stress about what to say. It should flow naturally.

5. Turn it off

When I'm writing for a client, my Tweetdeck is completely off. Distractions like this, especially if you are doing something creative, can throw you off entirely. Remember, you can always come back to it.

Use Twitter to engage in conversations, share news about your organization and increase brand awareness. But be smart about it.

Why Backup Blog Content is Important

Confession Time: I broke one of my own cardinal rules when it comes to owning a blog. Have backup content!

If you've noticed by the lack of content this week, I have been unavailable to post. I had a medical situation which occupied most of my time this week.

If you have a blog, this is going to happen to you occasionally. There are even going to be times where you don't feel like writing and you need to pull something out of the hat. Having backup content is a great way to do this.

One of the ways I do this is by writing several blog posts at once. I usually write them in groups of five. Then I'm prepared for the coming week.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to post them right away. If they are not topical, then they can last as long as you need them. Backup blog posts are great for a rainy day.

Keep Blogging and Happy Friday to All!

Read more here: http://notesfornonprofits.blogspot.com/2009/02/creating-blogging-strategy_05.html

Twitter: Learning from other non-profits

Picture this: You have successfully pitched the idea of social media to the board, everyone responded well and you've signed up for a Twitter account. You sit down and then......what do you write?

Sometimes it can be hard to determine not only what you should write, but the tone of voice you should use on Twitter. Questions immediately become raised such as: How many times should you ask for donations on Twitter? What crosses the line into spamming? What other things should you post?

I offer up the great article 26 Charities and Non-profits That Tweet.

Rather than reinvent the wheel yourself, look at what popular charities are doing. What news are they sharing? How are they conversing with donors? Learning from others can be beneficial, especially with something like Twitter that you may not be too familar with. This way you can get your message out in the best way possible.

*Are you on Twitter? Share your link below for others to find you. You can find me here: @lindseypatten.

Charity and Social Media: Does Corporate Make it Crass?

I just read this great blog post, Social Media and Charity: Philanthropy or Crass Opportunism and wanted to comment on it and hear from others.

Well I appreciate the author's point, I think she's commenting more about corporations being involved in social media on behalf of charities rather than charities themselves. There are many other ways charities are involved with social media then just selling t-shirts on the Internet.

But it does raise the question? When does social media for your organization become less about connecting and more about marketing? Or is it intended as a marketing tool only?

Since I'm not every charity I can't answer that question on behalf of them but I do believe that social media can be used as more than just improving a brand. I think it allows the opportunity to connect with donors and raise funds as well.

I have to say, I'm not sure how I feel about this Feed America/Tide partnership. On on hand, a lot of money has been raised for the organization, but on the other, Feed America isn't getting the opportunity to promote themselves. The t-shirt is all about Tide and almost gives off a sense of bragging rights as if they need to shout to the world they are do-gooders.

So what do you think, good idea or misstep?

And what do you use social media for?

Budgeting for Social Media Part Two

In a discussion with @alexbono about my last blog post, Budgeting for Social Media, I realized that I missed out on mentioning several important things to budget for, so I'd thought I'd add them here in this post.

When budgeting it's also important to recognize the skill level needed to set up and operate social media tools. While many social media tools seem fairly easy to create, if you want to add a personal touch, it will take certain skills. There are two main areas to examine:

Design
Most social media sites come with a typical design (or if it's a blog, a series of templates). If you want to modify them to include your logo and design, then you will need someone with graphic design/CSS abilities. A perfect example is this blog. While, currently I'm using a template, eventually I will be moving to a design of my choosing. As I don't have the skill for that, I'm relying on my business partner. If you have someone in your office who has the skills to make the changes, then that is great. If not, you will have to outsource. And of course, there are costs associated with that.


Content
Another important issue is content. As mentioned in Ten Things a Nonprofit Should Do Before Setting up Social Media, it's important to determine who's writing the content you put up before you start any social media tool. If this is something you can do internally, remember to weigh out the costs of that person taking the time to write it. Content also doesn't just mean the written word. If you have videos or photos, you need to assess who has the ability to create/post these and what the costs associated with them are.

Putting together a budget for social media will definitely save you some time in the long run and give you a better idea of whether social media tools are viable for your organization.

Budgeting for Social Media

How to do you budget for social media? In fact, do you have to budget for social media? Isn' the majority of it free?

A budget is more than just money and it's important to develop an accurate one to keep on track.

What goes in a Social Media Budget?

Time

This is the most important thing to include in your social media budget. One of the perks of social media tools are that the majority of them are free. But are they really? Once you factor in the time it takes for someone to complete the social media tasks, the cost goes up.

Example: Let's say you have someone posting a blog post every day who gets paid $25 an hour. If it takes them an hour to write a blog post, then:

5 hours a week x $25 an hour = $125 a week

It's important to determine what the true value of your time spent on each social media tool is to better understand whether the tool is a viable option for your organization.

Professional Development

New social media tools pop up everyday. There are also new applications for your existing ones. Setting aside a professional development fund is crucial. Whether the social media user attends a conference, buys a book or just takes time to learn new things, it's money that needs to be allocated.

Future Costs

Although it seems a little unnecessary to plan for costs that aren't actually in your budget, I recommend having some money set aside (if possible) for future costs. What if that great social media tool you've been using suddenly makes people pay for it? Some social media tools, like blogs have the ability to purchase 'premium features' that enhance it.

Technology
Another thing to consider is the technology costs. If you look at your current technology and realize that you need to upgrade, costs are going to be incurred. Knowing from the outset whether you need certain technologies for certain social media tools will help you avoid panic down the road.

Budgeting for social media is extremely important and will help sustain any social media program you implement in your organization.

Update: After getting some great ideas about things I missed, I will be posting a part two tomorrow!

Ten Things a Nonprofit Should Do Before Setting Up Social Media

Social Media is definitely an effective tool for nonprofits to use. However, before you jump into the pool, what are the things you need to do first?

1. Determine your message
What are you trying to say? Do you have more than one message? Develop a short paragraph that encapsulates what you want to say and continually reference it as you work on social media tools.

2. Determine who your audience is
Who is your audience? Are they tech savvy? Creating a plan to enter the social media arena is irrelevant if none of your audience will follow you there. Consider surveying your donors to determine how they want to hear from you.

3. Develop goals
What do you want to achieve from social media? Donations? Awareness? Determine your goals and remember to keep them handy as you progress.

4. Determine the exact ROI you are expecting
This goes hand in hand with #3. Get specific about the return on investment you are expecting. If you want donations, what's the amount? If you are looking for new supporters, how many?

5. Research and determine which social media tools work for you
There are multiple social media tools out there. It's important to determine which ones work for you. Signing up for everything isn't going to be the best use of your time.

6. Create a strategy
Developing a strategy for your social media activity is extremely important. You need to determine what content you want to create and where you want to put it.

7. Create the analysis method
What's your method for analysis? It's important to track what you do on social media tools so you can examine whether you are achieving the ROI that you want.

8. Determine the main contributor as well as the sub contributors
Who's writing the content for your social media sites? Is it the same person who's posting them? Are there more than one person contributing? Hashing this out ahead of time will make the process flow much smoother.

9. Develop content ahead of time
Create some of the content you need ahead of time so you aren't scrambling to find something to post/write about everyday.

10. Develop response procedure
What's your procedure if you recieve a negative comment from someone? Or even a positive one? Determine how you handle questions and comments from your audience.

Twitter: One Thing New

I discovered over the weekend that I have 85 followers on Twitter. Although that seems fairly impressive (at least to me anyway, I know people have hundreds), I realized that I barely knew any of them. Yes, a few of them are my friends or various people I met, but the majority of them I don't know too much about. So I'm on a quest to learn something new about all of my followers.

I read a blog post last week (lost the link otherwise I would share) that was talking about connecting with your followers and learning something about them.

So I thought I would do the same! Starting Monday, I will be asking my followers to tell me One Thing New about them.

I will keep you updated on my progress on Twitter and on the blog.

I encourage you to find out One Thing New about your Twitter followers and share it on this blog or on Twitter.

I will be using the *hashtag #onethingnew so feel free to post using that as well! Let's see how many new things we can learn about our followers!

*What is a hashtag? That's a tag that you can add on your Twitter message that groups messages together. You can then click on it and see everyone else who has posted with the tag as well.

When Twitter Becomes a Distraction

How many people find themselves constantly distracted by Twitter every day? Is it stopping you from doing actual work?

The answer is Yes and No.

Twitter definitely has potential to make your organization shine. It's a great way to get your news out there, meet with donors and solicit donations. You can discover what people think about you and get a real sense of your community.

That being said, Twitter can sometimes become a distraction that takes you away from other important things.

How did this happen to me? Well, as a writer, I am constantly at the computer, working on projects for clients, blog posts, articles and more. My use on Twitter has exponentially grown. I have 85 followers and I am following 118.

That's alot of people to follow! As a result, I got an application called TweetDeck which allows me to sort my followers by category, making it easy to manage. This is a great tool and I highly recommend it. However... it makes a little 'ding' noise every time you get a tweet. Useful? Maybe. Annoying? Yes, especially since the people I follow tweet alot during the day.

I eventually had to shut it down during times when I was writing so I could concentrate.

It's important to balance the time you spend on Twitter, actually using the tool the way you need to use it. Really examine your time at the end of the day and assess whether that time you spent on Twitter was worth it.

News Roundup-Mar.1

I was away for the weekend and came home to a plethora of articles and tweets. I sorted through, and foudn a few good ones. They are all social media related (of course) but definitely interesting and useful! Hope they help!

Social Media Promotes Your Business

A Blog is Your Home, Twitter is Your Happy Hour

And Now, Twitter Philanthropy

Social Media for Nonprofits Forum

Hey Everyone!

I felt there was a need for a dialogue to be happening regarding social media and nonprofits, where people can share ideas, connect with each other and chat about the struggles and successes of fundraising.

That's why I've created a Social Media for Nonprofits area at Ning. http://socialmediafornonprofits.ning.com/

Ning is a great social media program that lets you participate in discussion forums, write your own blog posts and notes and chat about what's going on. If you are interested, sign up and we can get chatting about nonprofits!

The Conversation Prism

As I was looking through my notes from Podcamp, I came across a scribble to check out the conversation prism by Brian Solis. When I googled it, I found an incredible resource for social media. The Conversation Prism breaks down all the social media tools available and places them in seperate categories. It's definitely helpful in sorting out what social media tools you should explore.





Here's what it looks like: (Click on the image to see a larger version)
It can seem overwhelming at first, but what it essentially does is give you options beyond the usual social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

So consider checking out some of these tools and see if they work for you.