Non profit— Strategies for the Beginner Social Media Marketer
Social Media Start-Up — Strategies for the Beginner Social Media Marketer at SocialSlam: Responses for a Non-profit perspective.
SoSlam’s conference was attended by 500 individuals from 25 states and 5 countries in Knoxville, TN on April 5th 2013. These tips will help your organization gain traction and results!
Tips for Getting Started
What advice do you give new clients about getting started using social media? Have a plan & be consistent.
- Are there specific tools, sites, or techniques you recommend? Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and something like Google Alerts to find content on topics, keywords, trends about your nonprofit
- What’s the first thing a client should do once they realize they’ve messed up on social media? (Accidentally tweet from a professional account instead of a personal one, or fire off an incendiary Facebook post, etc.) It depends, I usually keep responses and thank the users for their comments, or try to find a positive in it, or say I’ll forward to management.
Time Management
Business owners are universally short on time. Are there any “life hacks” you could recommend to help them keep their social networks buzzing without compromising their day to day operations? Again, have a plan, designate time in the morning, lunch, or afternoon to check responses from users from posts, unanswered comments are like unanswered calls to a company. Make sure to check mentions on Twitter too.
-
- Do you recommend production schedules? Yes, to promote upcoming events or press releases, thanking (new) sponsors, ask for something that is needed for your nonprofit (volunteers, sponsorships, donations – try to not to ask too often).
- Specific tools? Are there apps or sites that can make managing social media easier? Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule all posts at once and to create lists on Twitter to keep an eye on sponsors/media/etc.
- Should businesses delegate social media to staffers from other departments, or use an intern? Is outsourcing ever a good option, in your opinion? It’s upon the discretion of the management, do you trust this newbie grad to handle objections, responses, and questions from your audience in a professional way? Remember they’ll be representing the brand instead of you. I’m hired by some companies to personally manage their accounts, I research the industry and ask several questions before taking this responsibility.
Social Media All Stars (Examples / Case Studies)
Discuss examples of companies and brands using FB, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. to great effect. Who’s doing it right? In the case of nonprofits, if you’re a local United Way branch, I would follow the main United Way Facebook page or Twitter account for content. i.e. Messages from the President, Pictures, or new programs that have been created. Always use the correct hashtags on Twitter!
- New technologies to consider (Vine? Instagram? What else?) I would agree on Vine, Instagram (to be able to post at Facebook/Twitter at once, and Pinterest). Figure out where you audience is located and be there!
Our Panel included:
Leader – Kerry Gorgone, Lawyer/Professor of Marketing – Full Sail University (FL) @kerrygorgone
Chris Craft, Founder Nao Marketing (Columbus, GA) @ChrisQueso
M. Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez, Founder – Beyond Engagement (Johnson City, TN) @EquineValentina
Laura Click, Founder – Blue Kite Marketing (Nashville, TN) @lauraclick
I would like to thank Mark Schaefer for inviting me to be a panelist this year, this opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without him!