Remember that famous line in Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come?” Classic quote, but it doesn’t work with your content online. With a little bit of dedication, nonprofits can use social media as a cost-efficient way to improve their reach to online users, but you can’t expect them to come to your site – you have to go to them.
Where are they? Millions of people are active in online communities like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, MySpace and Flickr, just to name a few. Of course, not all social networks are the right fit for every nonprofit, but some of them may be terrific channels for emitting your message.
There are a few things to remember before launching a social media campaign. First, be willing to put in the time to understand the community. Social networking members are very, very savvy and they know when they are being spammed. If you are going to join a community, you are joining an ongoing conversation. Contribute to communities, like Twitter, with comments, content and other activity that members will find valuable. Once you’ve put in some groundwork, you will have their trust and you can be a bit more promotional.
Here are just a few examples of nonprofits currently using social network sites:
- Twitter - The Nature Conservancy
- Facebook - NPR
- LinkedIn - Make-A-Wish
- YouTube - Darfur Awareness page
- MySpace - The Humane Society
- Flickr - Children at Risk Foundation
Do these sites fit your organizations model? It could be the case that your target market doesn’t use social networking, but the potential is there if you can find the right demographics and psychographics. MySpace users are typically younger, LinkedIn is a collection of professionals, etc.
Most nonprofits are tight on resources and time. In this case, you might consider hiring an intern from a local university that is already plugged into many of these sites. Just make sure your message is being communicated properly and is consistent with other mediums.
Do you know of any other examples in which nonprofits are utilizing social networking sites?
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