Another in a series of articles related to association management selected from our reading list by:
Robert O. Patterson, JD
CEO/ Principal
The Center for Association Resources, Inc.
Social Media is a very hot topic these days. In fact, it has become an indispensable means of marketing for corporations as well as non-profit organizations. Most non-profit organizations that utilize social media have formulated best practices and policies to get the most out of this valuable tool. It is best to first use social media sites in your personal life to get an idea of how the various sites operate, and get an understanding of the culture of social media networks. Once an understanding of social media networks is realized it is important to develop some goals and a strategy for using social media.
First off, you should determine what you want to accomplish by using social media. Specifically, looking at your organization’s mission statement and values will help you strategize to gain the most out of social media. Thinking in terms of content you will provide, and how you will interact with your audience will help you develop a strategy.
Things like what type of information you will provide as well as the image you want to promote will help you develop a plan. Other factors such as who will be in charge of monitoring comments, and releasing information should be planned out in advance. Next it is important to implement a short term as well as a long term plan to achieve your organization’s goals. Developing metrics to evaluate success of a social media policy is an important part of your strategy. Things like donations and overall hits on a particular website will tell you how well you are reaching your target audience. Sites with few followers or friends will need to be reassessed.
Creativity and an engaging style are very important when using social media to achieve your goals. The possibilities when using sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are nearly endless and always evolving. Coming up with creative ideas on how to appeal to your audience will determine, in part, your success. Keep in mind that keeping your page up to date as well as professional is very important.
Things like a “listen, learn, and adapt” policy will help you become better and better at social media, as social media is an iterative process. Finally maintaining and monitoring your social media page is important. It is vital that you allocate resources and time to making sure your page is up to date and keeping people engaged in your cause.
Social media looks like it is here to stay, and has proven invaluable to many organizations.
