Social Media Blog for NPOs

As we at Other Side Group are interested in non-profit organizations, we’re regular readers of Beth’s Blog. This blog features several guest posts to give great perspective from different people, and we immediately thought it was something that deserved attention.

It is a great resource to help NPOs use social media effectively to their benefit, whether they are just starting up with their Twitter and Facebook accounts, or already have a presence, but need some social media management guidance.  Beth’s blog features several guest posts, all of which address the investments (not just monetary) and potential returns (again, not just monetary) of using social media platforms.

While all of the posts on the blog have helpful information for non-profits entering the social media world, I have picked a few of the most recent guest entries that I think are exceptionally helpful:

1. Katya Andresen on “How to Convince Your Skeptical Boss Social Media Has Merit”

Despite those of us that are using social media feverishly, many still resist and are skeptical of its return for business purposes. It can be frustrating when you see the potential returns of social media, but none of the “decision makers” do. This blog highlights small actual steps you can take to create awareness and gradual acceptance of social media, that don’t require hypnotizing or hijacking your boss.

2. Frank Barry on “4 Facebook Tips for Nonprofit Success- See What Others are Doing”

Many businesses now have a presence on Facebook. It is more common to have a Facebook presence than a Twitter presence because it has been around longer and more people are familiar with Facebook and its use. This guest blog points out some great points for starting a presence on Facebook, such as making a page instead of a group or a cause. This is important because some organizations have been on Facebook awhile as a group and do not have a page, but because they have had a Facebook presence for awhile, do not think they need to update their efforts.

3. Nancy Schwartz on “Don’t Even THINK about Social Media until Your Web Site and E-news are Working Well”

Nancy makes a great point in this entry: before you even begin to think about drawing additional attention to your company, make sure they are going to like what they see. Implementing social media without thinking ahead of what happens once people start following you can be treacherous for your brand image.

4. Kivi Leroux Miller on “Tips for Giving Social Media Projects to Interns”

Especially in this time of economic instability, many companies, large and small, are taking on unpaid interns. Because social media is a huge time investment, interns are a great way to put man-power behind social media campaigns. Kivi gives a few tips about how to best introduce your interns to social media and how to use it with your organization in mind.

5. Alistair Croll on “Using Twitter for Fundraising- Lessons Learned from Beers for Canada”

This blog highlights a fundraising campaign from Beers for Canada. Alistair points out valuable tips, including steps before, during, and after the campaign and what worked best for fundraising purposes.

Check out Beth’s Blog for new posts about social media use specifically with non-profit organizations in mind