Which Social Media Networks Should Nonprofits Use?

It's been close to three months and this blog has covered a range of topics concerning nonprofits and their social media marketing usage. I have left the hardest topic for last: what social media network should your nonprofit organization be active on? There are hundreds of charts on hundreds of websites that will lead you to hundreds of different names of social media networks. It's overwhelming, I know. As a college student and a young professional in the field, I struggle to keep updated and fluent on all the new social media networks that seem to be released as soon as I master a new one.

So bare with me because there are a multitude of things we are going to cover today in order to get you thinking about which social media network is going to engage you with your followers and hopefully! prospective customers/fans/sponsors etc.

Step 1. First and foremost, the most important question to consider is what is going to benefit your customer base/target audience. This isn't about which social media you would prefer to use or which is going to be easier to update each week. The point in choosing the right social media network is to find which one will give you the most access to your target audience. Complete market research and look at the number of people per social media network and ask:

     1. Do the demographics fit with my targeted audience?
     2. Will this be the best social network to engage and communicate with my targeted audience?
     3. Will this social media account achieve all my goals  I want to with my targeted audience?
     4. Do a large percentage of my target audience spend enough time on this social media network?

Below is an example of data based on Australian social media demographics. Before deciding on which social media your nonprofit will be most successful, organize a similar chart with research for your targeted audience demographics. If your targeted audience does not use Twitter, then it would be a waste of your nonprofit's time to try and reach your audience base on Twitter.

In addition to finding where your users are, it's important you don't solely pick a social media network because it has the highest number of active users in general. You also need to keep in mind what type of content you will be sharing and how you plan to share that content. Just because Facebook has almost 2 billion active users doesn't mean all of those users will see your posts and not all of those users will be your targeted audience or even interested in your brand at all. The social media with a high active user rate means more competition audience's attention from other brands. As a nonprofit or a company in general, you need to be 100% sure that investing your time and marketing into a specific social media will be worth your time and your reader's.

Next you have to line your research up with your target audience's demographics and their usage of social media sites with the type of content and social sharing strategy you plan to implement. As previously stated, this is based on your social media network and how your targeted audience uses social media sites. Let's say your audience is mainly males, ages 25-40, who like to share videos via social media. Your marketing strategy is not going to be created on sites such as LinkedIn, Google+, or Foursquare. You've already narrowed your social media search down by three.

It's important that when choosing which social media network to use, it fits with the type of content or advertising you plan to implement and it fits with your audience (meaning your audience spends a majority of their time on this social media site) in order to reach your targeted audience base and the content you plan to share fits with your brand.

Source: http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/2012-it-was-a-very-good-year-for-social-giving/

As shown in the infographic above, Facebook is a popular choice for a majority of nonprofit organizations. However, this needs to be based on your target audience.


More information on social media sites, their target audiences, budgets and estimated time constraints can be found at http://mediacause.org/social-media-networks-nonprofits/
For another great resource on social media sites and what type of content is shared and tips for how to compete for attention on a specific social media site, I found this great article:
http://www.smtusa.com/blog/posts/which-social-media-platform-should-i-use.html#.VGPb3_TF85A


If you have other great resources or tips, as always, please feel free to comment below!

Grants vs. Marketing: Which Bring in the Most Funds for Nonprofits?

The question arises concerning the proportion of time that should be spent on different funding methods on the nonprofit end. Do we have our fundraising team put more effort into our grant writing or our marketing? Which method brings in the most profits in order to do the largest amount of work under our mission? 

Nonprofit organizations use a variety of resources that make up their yearly income, however, research and surveys were reported to show the largest profit is traced back to individual charitable donation. "According to Giving USA, total charitable giving in the U.S. reached more than $298.4 billion in 2011. Of that amount 73% came from individuals." (Joanne Fritz @ http://nonprofit.about.com/od/fundraising/a/fundraising101.htm) 

Individual donations are a direct result of marketing efforts. Every time a nonprofit organization responds to a comment on Facebook, blogs about a class offered at the YMCA, or posts a tweet about an upcoming event- they are engaging audiences and building community support, which turns into individual donations. Below is a graph showing individual contributions for the year ending 2011 that again, reiterates that over 70% of charitable funding is completed through donations. 

There is a popular quote that states, "it's better to have a 100 friends then 100 dollars." Friends, or community support in this matter, are the reason philanthropic organizations are able to live out their mission. This blog is not meant to deter any nonprofit from grant writing. The point is that marketing is the drive behind the support and funding for a nonprofit. 

While social media sometimes takes the back-burner of a nonprofit's weekly agenda due to the time and budget constraints, social media is one of the biggest tools that can be used to increase attention to your organization, your mission, your event, and build your community support/network. By using social media to market your nonprofit- you will drive traffic to your website and your events. Studies show that people who attend an event or are emotionally connected are more likely to sponsor it. Using social media or marketing in general brings in more revenue and support than grant writing for a nonprofit. 

Top 5 Social Media Sites for Nonprofits

To many social media users, the type and number of social media sites out there compare to the range of fast food restaurants available. It's impossible to maintain relationships, updates, and engagements on all of them, so what are the best social media sites for nonprofits? Based on my research, I have compiled the top FIVE sites based on how their usage can positively impact nonprofits. 

1. Google +

Once you've taken the time to create your circles, you can easily update your content and it will sync with Google search results; allowing you more search engine optimization. Google + lets you easily share content, pictures, event updates, and personal donor stories about your nonprofit making this an easy social media to engage with your audiences. 

2. Flickr/Instagram

Let's face it- today people are always on the go, which translates into a need for short stories with pictures to get the message across quickly. Social media's theme focuses on visual storytelling and what better way than a picture-sharing social media site. By using Instagram or Flikr, you are able to use hashtags and share your pictures across a range of other social media sites (linkwheel). In addition to pictures, these sites also allow you to create videos, which help to grab people's attention. Post pictures of events, videos of up-coming events to get the word across, pictures to thank special donors, or certain members to engage your audiences and let them know you appreciate them. A picture is worth a thousand words and what better way to connect with your community. 

3. Twitter

Although Twitter only allows 140 characters, this is a great social media platform to tweet your upcoming events, thank donors or event participants, ask for volunteers, spread news and information about your mission, and connect with other influential nonprofits in your communities to team up for a cause. Twitter provides a huge communication platform that allows for maximum participation on social media. Your followers are able to post pictures, videos, posts, or comments on your Twitter page that help keep the conversation alive about your cause/nonprofit. 

4. Blogger/Wordpress

Blogging is an essential form of communication that every nonprofit should be engaging in on a weekly basis. Blogger or Wordpress are a different form of social media that allow you to go into more depth and detail about your nonprofit than a platform such as Twitter would allow. By utilizing Blogger, you are able to blog about news in your industry, donor stories, information regarding your cause/mission, and other things that are relevant to the worldly news. Blogging is a great way to connect with different audiences that may not be following you on Twitter or haven't heard of your organization before. By blogging about a cause, current event, community news etc. you are able to attract interested readers and prospective donors/followers. 

5. YouTube 

The last social media that every nonprofit should be engaged on is a nonprofit YouTube channel. As I mentioned before, videos are a popular form of engagement. Use video-sharing sites to inspire your viewers, measure your reach, and spread your mission to people across the globe instead of limiting your impact to your local community. 

Top 10 Popular/Influential Nonprofit Twitter Accounts

I am a senior studying Public Relations at the University of Northern Iowa. For 3.5 years now, I have been told time and time again, the importance of getting your local community influence leaders on board for every PR campaign your organization develops. Influence leaders hold a special position in communities and thus, a special position in your campaign. Influence leaders have the power to effectively gain support from others on your behalf. These leaders come from all walks of life, with different backgrounds, experiences, and influences in various groups across a community. With the support of an influence leader, you are more likely to gain earned media from a key leader in a group/community which leads to many successful outcomes.

The same goes with Twitter. Identify your influence leaders on Twitter and build a relationship with them. Whether they are influence leaders in your community or nonprofit influence leaders in the industry- these connections are important. Below is a list of the top 10 nonprofit twitter accounts. However, some of these aren't necessarily organizations, but instead news and tools for nonprofits in the industry. But it still serves to make my point.

As a nonprofit, or any organization in general, it's important you identify key influence leaders in your community and on your social media accounts in order to connect and build a relationship with them. Influence leaders are one way to gain support for a campaign. Simply, search your geographic location under "popular accounts" under your industry type on Twitter and a list of key influencers/twitter accounts related to your industry will be identified. 

In addition, here are the top 5 nonprofits on Social Media. Connect with these top five nonprofits to learn more about their successful strategies on social media. 

(Source: http://topnonprofits.com/lists/top-nonprofits-on-social-media/)

Rank	Organization	Facebook Likes	Twitter Followers
1	Ted Talks	4609381	2580528
2	National Public Radio - NPR	3606813	2331434
3	United Nations Children«s Fund (UNICEF)	3168263	2645543
4	WikiLeaks	2425191	2217414
5	Public Broadcasting Service	1775342	1876259

How Do You Define: Social Media?

With today's social media-driven society, we find ourselves increasing our multi-tasking skills as we complete the work of the day while in-tune to any and all social media account updates that create a nice "ding" on our cell phones screens. With exception to the older generations, it's complicated to find anyone not engulfed on the cell phone/iPad/computer at all breaks of the day updating social media. It's a world of connections we've created outside of our office cubicle. But when it comes to defining just what exactly social media is- we find ourselves with looking like this.

Let's begin with the most ancient sources of artifacts. According to Wikipedia- social media is the social interaction among people in which they create, share, or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.  But with social media and it's uses continuously growing in our personal lives and in the business world, this definition is the tip of the iceberg. After researching multiple websites and taking perspectives and other's personal definitions into account................................

Social media is web-based, user-driven channels that can be accessed on mobile technologies. Social media is an engaging and interactive form of communication that utilizes a web 2.0 platform that allows for two-way communication between business and its targeted publics. Social media makes the entire world a conversation platform because we, as individuals, are connected globally and defined by our participation on social media channels. Social media cannot be purchased as previous traditional marketing strategies, but instead allow participants to drive the conversation and give their input into a business's product/services. Social media is changing the way we communicate, compete, participate, market and live in our technology-driven society that revolves around the use of social media.

Definitions of social media come in all shapes, sizes,  and perspectives based on one's personal uses or position in business. Do you have a different idea/definition of social media? Please comment below and give your personal definition of social media.

6 Common Pitfalls of a Nonprofit's Social Media Campaign

In this blog my aim will be to focus on multiple common pitfalls that nonprofits forget in everyday social media campaigns and shed light on them. This list is devised of personal experience from my nonprofit clients I have worked with throughout college as well as my research I've conducted from a multitude of articles and nonprofit testimonials. Although there are numerous mistakes that could be pointed, these 6 I felt needed to be brought to the table. 

1. Using only social media account to target your audience 

As nonprofit social media beginners, how do you decide which social media is the best for your audience? How do you decide how many and which ones you should create accounts on? These questions are going to be specific to your brand and the social media behavior of your target audience. However, I think it's important to note that your audience is spread out on more than one social media account and its essential that you connect with them on different platforms. You are going to be able to reach and connect with your audiences in different ways depending on the social media. Facebook and Twitter present a great way to share short updates about your brand. Flickr and Slideshare allow you to connect with pictures and blogs allow you to create meaningful content that adds value to your community. The list is endless. The point is that you  need to understand how your audience behaviors and interacts on social media and then join the conversation.


2. Link Wheel: not linking all your social media accounts to your brand platform

If you take nothing else from this blog, please remember the most important thing in every social media campaign is to link your social media accounts to your website; creating what's called a link wheel. If your audience is directed to one social site, they should be easily connected to every social media platform controlled by your brand. When visiting your blog, Facebook page, or website, a visitor should see links to all your accounts at the top of each account in order to ensure easy access. 


3. Use an appropriate avatar to represent your social identity

A social media avatar (profile picture) is in an important representation of your social identity. It should convey the tone and message of your brand. It's important that the same or similar avatar is used across all social media accounts to convey a consistent identity for your brand. Your audience will associate this profile picture with your brand, therefore, it's important that your avatar is unique and representative. For more tips on creating the perfect avatar for your nonprofit social media platform visit the following link. (9 Tips for Choosing a Social Media Avatar)



4. Posting more than one status update a day on Facebook

I was intrigued with this next tip. The key to social media is having a presence and engaging your audience. However- I have found this pitfall spread across numerous websites/articles. Businesses who post more than one status update on Facebook a day are found to annoy its audiences. Nonprofit Tech for Good recommends that in order to avoid being hidden on your follower's news feeds, post no more than 1-2 statuses on Facebook (www.nptechforgood.com) If your nonprofit brand has any insight into this tip, I would love to hear back from you on how many posts a day on Facebook works for your target audience.

5. Storytelling vs. Content Marketing

Marketing is storytelling. People have been told this time and time again. It's the implementation of this concept we struggle with. Social media marketing is not about marketing your brand. It's about the people. This isn't the case of "build it and they will come." You need to engage in storytelling to inspire, engage and interact with your audience. Meaning no boring, cliche content marketing. "Check out our pictures on Flickr" "Like us on Facebook" posts aren't going to cut it. That doesn't elicit engagement- which doesn't lead to earned media. Sharing meaningful stories that engage your audience with your brand is how people connect. 

6. Blogging

Blogging is a small thing that not very many nonprofits are adding to their social profiles. Yet its one of the essentials. Blogging is a way to build a connection for a brand's audience. Whether it's content concerning the blog or related topics, it's important that your brand establishes a blog to create content and engage their audience. Once you've created a blog, you can then link back to your website to further the relationship and sharing of information.  The blog is not only designed to create meaningful content that adds value to your communities, but it will also build your networking on connected social media accounts. Blogging is the icing on the top of the cake to every social media campaign. 

@Hidden Cash becoming the next Social Media Phenomenon for Nonprofits

How do YOU pay it forward? Have you ever thought of using social media? If not, Twitter has a new handle on giving back at @HiddenCash that allows anyone in any area to connect and give back to their community. 

Paying it forward is one phrase that we are all familiar with, but how often do we see it happen? Every once in a blue moon we hear of a shared story on Facebook or Twitter where an older couple paid for the meal of a young family explaining how they've been in their shoes. It's a wonderful gesture that gives us butterflies. Well according to recent news sources and social media articles, this may be an upcoming phenomenon giving all people the chance to participate and pay it forward on Twitter.

@HiddenCash is twitter page that was started by Jason Buzi in May of 2014 as a way of creating "social experience for good." So how does it work? It's simple and engaging. Using the account to tweet clues, followers are led on a scavenger hunt to various locations in a specific area. The clues lead to money placed in a jar or envelope. The only criteria of the game is that you tweet a picture to the @HiddenCash twitter account and then use the money to pay it forward to other people you come across in your own life. Sounds meaningful, right?

The point is to give back the community and bring people together. Funny. That sounds like the same goal of a nonprofit organization doesn't it? Why not bring the two together? @HiddenCash could be the next solution to an awareness campaign for any nonprofit organization. Either using the @HiddenCash page or creating a similar act on your own twitter account, nonprofits could utilize this tool and have people post their picture on the brand's twitter page to gain awareness as well as spread the community love. Money or giving out specific random acts of kindness to be completed are two ideas that could be used inside this campaign.

Social media brand awareness is important, but it becomes even more of an impact when we involve the awareness of paying it forward and benefiting people in our communities. What a great way to accomplish positive goals. 

To view the @HiddenCash twitter page: 

@HiddenCash Twitter Page

To read more news articles about @HiddenCash:

http://www.wggb.com/2014/05/27/millionaire-giving-away-thousands-through-hidden-cash-game/

HOW TO: Add the "Donate Now" Button to a Nonprofit Facebook Page

What began as a temporary means to help increase funding for the typhoon Haiyan in 2013 turned into a social media resource that has benefited a multitude of nonprofit organizations, crises, and philanthropic causes. 

"Donate also gives nonprofits an easier way to reach out and ask for help, both to support their everyday mission and in the wake of major disasters. And, with a community of over one billion people on Facebook, every local cause can become a global one — and every global cause can become a personal movement."-says Facebook Newsroom (Source: Facebook Newsroom)

So how does a nonprofit go about adding a "donate now" button? Here are a list of steps. 

1. The first step is to create a Facebook "fan page." To do this, click on the "sign up" button on the front page of Facebook.com linked here (https://www.facebook.com/) Facebook will give you the option to create a page for a person, celebrity, business, cause, community, organization etc. Select the type that best identifies with your organization.

2. In order to install the donate now button your Facebook page, you must fill out an application. The donate button is sponsored by an organization called First Giving.  In the Facebook search bar at the top of the page, search "donation button application." 

Note: First Giving is an organization that collects the data and donations for the nonprofit organization and administers the donations to the charity at the end of the month. 

3. Once you've fill out the application, search for your organization under the creator application page and you will be given the option to "Install on Facebook Page" and the donate button will appear on the tab bar of your page along with your pictures  and about tabs. 

4. Once you've downloaded and installed the button, you will be given the opportunity to edit the button by clicking on it. Select "edit donate settings" and you will be given customization options included the opportunity to change the name of the button text. Instead of "Donate Now", a nonprofit organization could change the button to read "Support Us", "Donate to this Specific Cause", "Help our Mission", "Make a Difference" etc. 

When a person clicks on the donate now button, they will be given pre-set dollar amounts or given the option to type in their own amount they are willing to donate. Money can be donated using a credit card or a PayPal account. 

Now we come to the question, why should a nonprofit install the donate now button? Statistics show that 55 percent of people who have interacted via social media with a nonprofit are motivated to take future action with the nonprofit-this includes monetary donations. (Waggner Edstrom). As consumer behavior psychologists show us, past behavior predicts future behavior. Also,  $59 is the average donation given through social media channels. (MDG Advertising). 

"80% of Success is about Showing Up..."

"80% of success is about showing up"-Woody Allen

A wise man once stated this quote above, not knowing this would be the key to every successful organization's social media strategy. If showing up is 80 percent of the package, then I believe the other 20 percent is about creating content that is new, unique, relevant, contagious, inspiring and meaningful to your select targeted audience. But how do you know what content to create and share if you're not part of the conversation?

The world is run by those who show up and engage in the conversation. As a nonprofit, the key element  is responding to your followers. A measurement of followers only goes so far on the success scale. It's how you respond and interact with those followers that builds your name. By using tools such as the popular hash tags of the week to relate to your brand and get involved with people is the means to success. Engaging in conversations about popular topics, events and current news increases your interactions and number of followers. Then responding to people about your products and brand and questions or concerns they have---this is how you "show up" on social media. Today many people are using social media accounts as a means of "customer service." This is a great option to open up with your supporters and show people how your helping and solving concerns. 

I have to give a kudos out to Washington Dentistry's social media engagement. Within a day after I began following their twitter account, I received a direct message. (Featured below). 

Immediately thanking your followers for their support builds brand recognition. But not stopping there, they asked a question to engage in dialogue with me, a potential future customer. This is called lead nurturing because I may choose to use their services in the future because they showed interest in me. More nonprofit organizations need to "show up" to their twitter and Facebook accounts and interact with their supporters. Using questions in direct messages or posts on social accounts elicits a direct response. Another way would be posting about a call to action or incentive. I can't recall what nonprofit organization utilized this tool, but I remember seeing a tweet about a free online gift card to the first number people who attended an event and tweeted five times throughout the experience. It becomes a challenge and incentive for your followers and it influences the impression of your brand. 

Many organizations create profiles on social media accounts and focus on only increasing followers. They don't follow through with the "show up" part. They don't engage in interactions with their followers, answer questions/concerns, direct message, etc. etc.  I guess in other words- they take no time to make their brand awareness known. People like to be reminded that the brands they support care about them and in order to do this- you need to be part of their lives. A brand needs to interact, engage and "show up" on social media. 

Email Marketing is NOT Dead

We are living in the digital age. That being said, not everything promoted electronically is a new technique developed in this age. As a college student, I am constantly working to learn (as well as keep up) with new social apps, new digital techniques and software, new social medias etc. I was secretly worried when I started my internship at the Y this summer that I wasn't going to be up-to-date on the new digital marketing technique or social media for instance, that came out last week that I am expected to be proficient in (since I grew up and live in this generation and seems as though new technology is released as soon as I master one). To my surprise, the Y used an old form of marketing called "e-newsletters." To my sister, this is ancient and she wouldn't even know how to write one, let alone recognize an electronic newsletter. But it was refreshing to me. Even more so because it was a huge marketing success for the communications department. I was intrigued. I have to admit I have never written an e-newsletter before so I was excited to use email marketing via a newsletter.

After completing this internship and delving into further research about e-newsletters, I find that it is a small form of marketing that every nonprofit should be conducting. This does not require any formal campaign, budget or marketing team. It's a simple way to connect with your audience. I have been encouraging other clients to utilize this "old-fashioned" form of communication that is still relevant in today's digital society. Many people subscribe to newsletters for a multitude of reasons. The most common being a form of communication that keeps the member of the nonprofit organization or brand in the loop with current news that is happening inside the organization. It's a simple email explaining what's up. Often times, newsletters include pictures of its members. This is a great way to connect with your audience members.

The Y I interned for sent a monthly newsletter. I would recommend this because it's enough to keep your members informed of your programs and events for the upcoming month, but it doesn't overwhelm their email box and annoy them. The last thing you, as a nonprofit, want is to increase your bounce rate or find yourself in the spam folder.

According to an article I found that is attached here (Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry), the nonprofit industry has an newsletter open rate of 25.12 percent. Meaning that a quarter of your audience is connected and communicates with your brand through the content of email marketing. This is significant in terms of free advertising. I think it's important for nonprofit organizations to conduct quarterly or monthly e-newsletters because many people see this as a form of a newspaper. People care about their community and who supports a community's wellbeing better than a local nonprofit? People come to the newsletter to see pictures and stories of their neighbors and community involved in organization that does outstanding deeds for the people they care about. Its a way to share events, feature community members, get people informed and involved and or simply a way to let them know the difference they made through last month's donation.

When I interned for the Y, we used a service called "Constant Contact" to create the layout of the newsletter.  I've inserted the link for any of you interested in using this paid service (Constant Contact). Constant Contact was a great resource because it kept your format and you could easily update dates and stories each month. Although it isn't free to use their layouts, it is an effective website for anyone in the beginning stages of putting together layouts and newsletters. There are other free websites or Microsoft offers free newsletter templates to use as a means to keep the newsletter completely free.

I will finish off this blog with a few reminders when creating and sending a newsletter. First, don't underestimate the power of the subject headline. It leads to your success or death (via spam folder). Make sure your email subject line is short, vague, to-the-point, and you don't sound like a marketing ad. The point of the e-newsletter is to market your name without making your audience feel as though they are being marketed to or scammed. Again, as I've stated in my previous blog, all marketing is, is story-telling. Your email subject line needs to tell your story and simply what is in your newsletter.

Again, limit the number of newsletters sent weekly/monthly etc. It's a free form of advertising and I have read stories where organizations take this to the max to inform their audience of every event coming up. Once a month is a happy number that won't push your readers to the "unsubscribe" button.

People care about what is happening in their communities and e-newsletters are a great form of free advertising that connects readers with nonprofit organizations.

Analysis of Ryan Moore's 22 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips

Below is a link to a YouTube video provided by Ryan Moore. He is the commentator to this powerpoint video and gives his 22 tips for any company or person trying to market using social media. Please watch this video before reading my analysis of his powerful tips. 

22 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips (Youtube)

I want to take a minute to analyze a few of the powerful tips that were shared within this video and just reiterate the importance placed on them. The first tip that was shared with us, in my mind, is a great place to start-especially for any company not currently using any type of social media marketing. Every company, every nonprofit, every social media marketer should be blogging. Weekly. Blogging opens up the door to social media in a different way than say, Facebook or Twitter. There are hundreds of social media accounts active right now, but often times customers want to connect with their brands through blogs, whether it be about a product, an event or personal. The tip shared gave specific instructions to only publish content that is relative to your target audience. I do agree that content needs to be meaningful and relevant, but I want to expand on this tip. A blog doesn't necessarily have only be about a company's product week after week. This gets old. Expand on news, current events within the company or community. The goal of content marketing is not about broadcasting your products, but rather, it's about sharing useful content to make people aware of your brand/name existence. There are a multitude of nonprofit organizations that exist in one small city, let alone a geographic region or state. Blogging is a way to get your name on the books and get people involved in your brand. Blogs are something easy to share on social media sites when you have nothing else to say.

Also, I want to further include one of the best types of blogs. Many of you may have noticed the increased presence of list blogs that have been popping up in everyone's feed. Top # lists create curiosity for who is at the top of the list, even if you have no experience or interest in the theme. Curiosity to find out #1 draws in different audience segments. These are simple types of blogs for nonprofits to begin blogging. For example: Top 10 ways to get involved in the Halloween 5k this October. Top 20 influential nonprofits on Twitter. List blogs are quick and easy read for a society that is constantly on the go. I don't know about you, but my schedule does not allow any time for a 10 page article discussion. Lists share information in a quick manor and intrigue all readers.

The third tip that is discussed is the point of social media. Moore explains "the whole point of social media is not to make money immediately. The whole point is to actually gain a lot of people's trust." Having the choice between 1 million followers who trust and advocate for your brand is better than having 1 million dollars in the bank.

Again, I have to agree. It's all about the followers. Having a multitude of people to back up the support for your brand is worth more than money can buy. Consumer perception is a big topic that is always covered in every advertising and promotion course. That's because it's powerful. If your brand is number one on the perception map- the possibilities are endless. It doesn't matter how much you price your product, your fans are going to buy and support the line. Having people following your brand and out there spreading the word about your name and products is going to do more than a marketing campaign could achieve. Any PR practitioner knows- there is nothing more powerful than word-of-mouth.

Tip #5 is an interesting one. At first you would think- it doesn't matter how often I blog. I just need to include relevant content. If it takes me three weeks to publish the best blog then it won't matter because my fans will love this blog. Well, there's more to it. I am only going to come to a blog spot a few times before I give up checking in. If you take three weeks to post a blog- I may have given up on your blog by then. It's important that a blogging schedule is established. If a reader comes back for another juicy blog and they don't find one- it's only going to happen a few more times before they stop coming back altogether. Make it relevant and TIMELY.

Every marketer knows that a successful marketing campaign tells a story. Storytelling is a huge part of our culture and it's a way that we communicate with each other. Therefore, our products have to tell a story and communicate with its audiences. The next tip shared--"think of marketing as storytelling and your customers as your characters," is one of the main reasons that social media took off. Interaction between client and customer was advanced. You no longer had to wait 25 minutes on a customer service line only to be redirected three more times to speak with a representative about your problem. Social media is instant interaction with your brand and vise versa.

Tip #10-I agree that it's important your brand doesn't share any vague or negative tweets, but in light of this tip, I think its important to share personal tweets and connect with your audience. If your tweet history is a list of product updates, you will never make the interpersonal connection with your followers.

Tip #12-the medium isn't the message-- is correct. As explained, a brand needs to utilize the social medium that best connects with their audience and is the best use for their company. That being said, the medium does define the message though. A message shared on twitter is going to more vague than the message shared on your blog or the picture on your Pintrest or Flickr page. Your medium must not only suit your audience, but also the content of your message.

As a PR major, we learn that tip #14 generates the most impact. A key influencer is your word-of-mouth campaign. AND might I add- a free marketing campaign that generates results sometimes better than a paid media form. A person who advocates for your brand attracts other advocates and creates chain reactions. A community influencer is a powerful tool that should be used as a resource for any type of campaign. The goal of social media is to build more key influencers and attract more followers. As stated previously, the point is to turn your brand into not only a name on a TV advertisement, but a relationship that the consumer has with your brand.

How Social Media Relates to Nonprofits

Social Media became a popular form of marketing overnight. It went viral and never looked back. Now we find ourselves asking the question: why don't more nonprofit organizations engage on social media?

My name is Annie Forsyth and I'm a Public Relations major at the University of Northern Iowa. My real passion lies in the nonprofit world of fundraising and event planning. Thus, this blog was born. Over the next 12 weeks I am going to dive into the world of social media marketing for nonprofits.

I signed onto Facebook a few months ago to look up one local nonprofit organization I had taken an interest in. A few sample fliers were posted on campus and I was curious enough to try and track down more information on their Facebook page. Just my luck. They don't believe in advertising over social media, which translates into- no Facebook page.

I've heard through the grape vine that many nonprofit organizations don't sign up for a Facebook account because they aren't interested using the "donate now" button on a social media account. It's all about the "donate now" button.  But let's pause here. It's not about the "donate now" button. It's about engagement. It's about connecting and building relationships with your audience first. If you are social media beginner- people aren't going to just look up your Facebook page, like it, and then donate. That "liked page" must be earned. But it's still important to have a Facebook and Twitter page, even if you're not interested in using it for donations. It's a great way to reach a broad range of audiences.

I interned for a nonprofit organization this summer- specifically the YMCA. I wasn't a part of their social media advertising, but I did notice their posts are typically used as online fliers. Just updating the public with upcoming news. It's all about the nonprofit's news . But what if its not? Yes, it's good to advertise your fliers and upcoming events on social media. But in order to engage with your audience, an organization needs to commit to more than just updating the event calendar on their social media once a month.

My research, including talking with other nonprofits, has led me to believe that posting about current events-either locally or nationally- helps keep a nonprofit engaged with their audience. Posting questions or videos involving topics of current events creates a reaction from the public and allows people to connect with the organization itself to talk about the event and with each other. When I look through my Facebook or Twitter feed- I find myself interested in the organizations that draw up questions pertaining to current events, such a speaker who will be on campus this week. I personally feel twice as interested and likely to respond.  It's such a simple tool used to interact on social media- I'm surprised more nonprofits, at least on my feed, aren't doing it.

So welcome to my blog. Here is week number one tip. Post questions about current events (locally or nationally) to start a dialogue with your audience.

Over the next 12 weeks I will be discussing topics under the social media for nonprofits categories of most successful tips other nonprofits are using, common pitfalls, my favorite nonprofit marketers, local Cedar Falls fundraisers and how they incorporated social media, how to build your brand using social media etc.....

If you have comments or links to other articles that pertain to my blog- please comment or follow me on Twitter at NonprofPanther! :)