Do you feel sometimes that you aren’t using your social media platforms effectively?  It happens to us all especially when we find we are busy in other areas.  Social media can become an important tool for not for profit organisations particularly when it comes to fundraising and awareness so now is the time to redirect your energy and attention to maximise your effectiveness.

Many not for profits believe that social media does not play a part in their organisation and it really is not the case at all.  Promoting activities or events and increasing the level of participation is a big plus for non-profits.    However you need to be clear from the outset as to who will be responsible for managing, monitoring and providing responses relating to your overall social media strategy so your readers are not inadvertently ignored.

For many not for profits, social media is often the main avenue for communication and engagement with the general public and their members, particularly when it comes to last minute changes and the dissemination of new information.  Always make sure that the information on your social media sites are current to help your cause more effectively.

The important issue with social media and all areas of your communication is that you actively engage with the members and the public as they genuinely have an interest in your organisation and what you are doing.  Three important points to remember is to have an interesting profile, have great content and be present (ie responsive) to what is being said.

Facebook has written a paper entitled “Building your presence with Facebook Pages: A guide for causes and non profits” and it emphasises such points as telling a story in your own voice and creating a dialogue through the information you share.  It is definitely worth a read!

You may already be familiar with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn but did you read our post about Instagram?  Instagram is the new kid on the block when it comes to social media.  It is a photo sharing app which allows you to share photographs captured via a mobile phone.  A picture can definitely speak a thousand word and organisations like Greenpeace and Save The Children already use Instagram to its full advantage.

Get your social media strategy back on track and make sure you have your social media sites working for you and your organisation.  Sometimes it really is about working smarter and not harder!