Keeping Your Head Above Social Media Waters
By Susie Polnaszek, Program Officer, Center for Nonprofit Excellence of the Community Foundation for Monterey County
Have you considered your social media voice – just how your organization portrays itself through its messaging?
A workshop presented by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence of the Community Foundation for Monterey County explored this topic and helped participants from smaller nonprofits develop guidelines for social media posting then gauge their effectiveness
The workshop, led by Nina Erlich-Williams and Severn Williams of Public Good PR offered these tips:
Social Media Tips
- Know why you are using social media. Your organization may want to show “proof of life,” for example, or to fund-raise or grow your volunteer base.
- Define Your Audience and Voice. Is your nonprofit’s social media voice whimsical, technical, activist? What key words do you want to use or avoid using in social media posts?
- Consider your key messages and be clear about how you will interact in the stream.
- Identify important influencers to connect with and know what hashtags have a high-impact in your field.
- Take time to plan your campaigns. Identify your goals, timing, themes and influencers. Use a worksheet like the one shared here.
With clear, shareable guidelines in place, nonprofits can identify which staff or volunteers have the authority to post and moderate, who needs approval and what to do when things go wrong.
Resources to Get Started
- Social Media Planning Worksheet
- Social Media Tips & Tricks + Glossary – August 2018
- Social Media Presentation Slides
*Materials developed and presented by Nina Williams and Sev Williams of Public Good PR.
Keep the discussion going online. Join the Social Media Learning Group on Facebook.
Susie Polnaszek is a Program Officer for the Community Foundation for Monterey County. She enjoys helping people access information and resources that can make a difference in their work.