Six months of social media goodness (for NFPs!) mashed in one post

Who’s got two thumbs and has completed her first six months writing a column about nonprofits and social media issues for CharityVillage.com?

This girl, that’s who!

What better to do to celebrate a milestone than to squish all the goodness together in one place for maximum enjoyment?

Making a round-up post of recent articles for your blog is a well-known alternative to downing five or six “celebration” martinis.

If you’re thinking about opening a bottle of vermouth right now, may I suggest pairing your evening with these awesome articles?

Five Things to Do Before You “Do Social Media”

 
Like many charities and nonprofit organizations, you’ve probably put “Do something with social media!” on your list of marketing objectives for 2011.

Most nonprofits are already maintaining a presence on one to three popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. If you’re not there yet, it’s easy to feel pressured to leap in.

Social media projects are notorious for sucking up staff time and energy. Do you have the existing infrastructure to support your organization’s efforts in social media?

Here are five things to consider putting in place before you get started.

Heads Up: Your Social Media Supporters Are Mobile!

 
By now, most of us have conceded the point: It’s important for nonprofits and charities to be represented on social media networks. Your organization might have been an enthusiastic early adopter or maybe you were dragged kicking and screaming onto Twitter and Facebook…however you joined, you’re here now and that’s what counts!

An impressive fifty percent of Canadians have a social media account and the majority of North American nonprofits are updating at least one official social networking profile. The charitable sector has realized we need to “fish where the fish are”, and most of us have jumped into the pool.

Unfortunately, there’s no time to rest on our laurels — there’s a new challenge ahead. Are you aware of the increasing number of donors and supporters accessing your posts, tweets or updates through mobile devices?

Eight Types of Social Media Fundraising Campaigns

 
Not all social media fundraising campaigns are created equal! If you’re thinking about how to leverage social media to raise money for your cause, the variety of fundraising options can seem overwhelming.

Fortunately, most social media fundraisers can be assigned to one of eight categories. If you are inspired by a success story you’ve seen profiled on the news or shared at a conference, you’ll be better prepared to replicate the project when you understand its components.

You may even recognize your favourite case study in one of these different types of fundraising campaigns.

Seven Questions for Nonprofit Leaders Who Are Serious About Digital

 
The idea that online strategy begins and ends with the IT team is outdated. We no longer expect senior decision-makers to be hands off with everything digital. After all, you certainly don’t need to be a tech guru to be invested in the success of your marketing and communications.

The most effective nonprofit leaders are well-armed with important information about their organizations before they consider their web strategy, either internally or externally through a consultant.

If you’re a manager or executive director who is truly serious about improving your nonprofit’s digital presence, be sure you are able to answer these questions before you dive into any deep discussions about your online campaigns.

Creating a Social Media Toolkit for your Nonprofit

 
Too often we imagine that if we just post something interesting on the social web it will be instantly spread around the globe, generating millions of impressions and attracting thousands of new supporters to our important cause.

Unfortunately, our expectations for viral fame may not reflect reality! It’s not always so simple for a charitable organization to spread great content pieces online. Sometimes the social media eco-system can use a little boost.

One effective way to encourage supporters to share your campaign messages is to create a dedicated social media toolkit for your cause-related project.

Insider’s Guide to Social Media Resources for New Nonprofit Professionals

 
Are you a newbie when it comes to social media for social good? Hang in there — technically you can be considered a veteran once you’ve been on Twitter longer than eight months!

Whether you’ve just transitioned to a nonprofit sector job from the corporate world, or you’ve recently been handed “social media things” as yet another item on your plate at work, you may find yourself exposed to a lot of broad advice that doesn’t target your needs.

Let’s skip the usual suspects like Mashable or TechCrunch, and get straight to the specialized stuff. Here’s an insider’s perspective on the resources that can help you do your new job better, faster — with more awesomeness!

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