3 Common Mistakes Made by Nonprofits Considering Social Media |
Posted: September 14, 2017 |
All too often, my conversations about technology solutions with NP leaders and supporters (particularly those involved with smaller organizations) ends up with a comment like "We don't really understand all this, and we certainly don't have time to do any of it!" While I understand their trepidation and concern, the truth is, you really don't have time NOT to do it! First, a quick definition of Social Media from Wikipedia - Social media are primarily Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information. Notice, by this definition Wikipedia itself, which uses user content to maintain and grow its on-line encyclopedia) is, essentially, a social media tool! (Other examples of social media would be email, blogs, social networks, web sites, etc.) Click here to see some of the most commonly used Social Media applications listed by the blog socialmedia.biz.) Why Social Media? Events and benefits are important and necessary activities employed by nonprofits, large and small. It is essential to periodically celebrate, "touch each other", break bread, personally interact, share common experiences with your organization and its supporters, but the truth is these activities are expensive, time-consuming, and too much of an energy and resource drain on most charities to do more than just a couple per year, at most. All nonprofits must have as many creative, efficient, and effective fund raising, information sharing and communication tools in their repertoire as possible, and the advent of web and mobile-based technologies and applications opens the doors to a vast array of options from which to choose. Thinking about applying more Social Media? Here are 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid! Mistake #1 - Approaching this "opportunity" with the wrong attitude. Your nonprofit's leadership, especially, needs to position the access of these tools to their organization as an exciting opportunity, not a "scary" problem! All too often, my conversations about technology solutions with NP leaders and supporters (particularly those involved with smaller organizations) ends up with a comment like "We don't really understand all this, and we certainly don't have time to do any of it!" But the truth is, to be a successful Nonprofit in the 21st Century, you don't have time NOT to do it! Tip : Look around to see how other nonprofit organizations, you respect, are successfully applying social media and take the time to research those ideas you find both intriguing and useful. Challenge yourself to identify and choose one advanced technique/application to further research consider implementing . Mistake #2 -Starting with the more sophisticated options first. Don't' be continually distracted by the "latest and greatest". Remember the old adage - "You must learn to walk before you run"? I guarantee you are already using Social Media -do you have a Web site, use email, take on-line donations, ever post a video on YouTube, does your organization blog? If so, you already have your "toes in the water"! It's time to revisit your existing uses of Social Media, to determine if you can enhance the effectiveness of your current applications. Often, combining two simple, existing approaches can leverage both techniques without adding any new tools. Let the early adapters take the bugs out of the newest ideas so that when you're ready to apply them, they work! Example : Combine video messages with your on-line donation pages. Video is widely accepted and available and known as a powerful communication medium. If you can post video messages, testimonials, or progress reports on your Donation pages to show EXACTLY where a donor's support is going and/or provide contributors with visual results of their giving, you will create a much more emotional and engaging request for help. And this is all done with tool and techniques already use!
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