This is the second of 5 posts that deal with the kind of ?hand waving? response you often get from people who have never actually run a non-profit. You can read the introduction and first answer here.
Answer No.2
Set up a Facebook page for your organization. Make good posts. Alternate between text/picture and video posts. Make sure that they are light and connected to the work you do. Also use your twitter profile to talk about this organization. You can edit your profile such that it talks about your role in the organization and your mission. This will help get the word out within your circles.
Cindy responds
Honestly, I think this is my favorite answer- handwaving in the extreme: the opening of a Facebook page is easy enough, done. Be sure you have all the info ready and in one place: contact info, history, message, goals.
What is a good post? How long, what do you say, what kind of questions do you ask? How often is something posted? What constitutes light and connected? If you delegate this work to someone else, you must also be clear on your rules and guidelines so that tone can be maintained, which means defining your parameters.
Who will write these ?good? posts, take and upload the images, where do these videos come from? Who will decide what is right for your page and your readers and what is off limits? Who will monitor and respond to comments that get posted? Who will answer questions that are posted?
Sure, you can connect Facebook and Twitter, the same issues occur? Who will monitor and respond, retweet?
Who constitutes your circles? If Facebook and Twitter are social media, who are your social connections, partners, friends, and more? Who do you want to be seeing your messages, and how can you get your message in front of them? How do you identify these partners, associates, interested parties?
I have heard a statistic that good, effective, penetrating social media can take from 10 to 20 hours per week. It is one thing to say make good posts, it is quite another to produce good posts regularly. Who can help with your content? What is your communication strategy, how does this social media effort support or replace your other communications with your membership, donor base and supporters? Who is running the shop in the meantime?
Tune in next week for part three that deals with merchandising? Need some answers to the above questions from someone who has been where you are? Get in touch here or call us on 310 828 6979.
Cindy Lauren is the Principal of Lauren Associates – non profit consulting
As well as advising Executives and Boards on all aspects of nonprofit management, the firm specializes in developing fundraising solutions for all sizes of organizations.
Image Credit:
Facebook by laikolosse on Flickr.