Social Media

Twitter provides a way for content to spread organically between people, making an organization with a presence on the site more accessible to constituents, building trust and strengthening relationships with activists and donors.

So say Arielle Holland, consultant, and Marc Ruben, vice president, both with M+R Strategic Services, in the recently released whitepaper, Nonprofit Organizing in 140 Characters or Less. Holland and Ruben share some tips for nonprofits looking to harness the power of Twitter for their causes.

In the 2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, M+R Strategic Services (www.mrss.com) and the Nonprofit Technology Network (www.nten.org), analyze online messaging, fundraising and advocacy metrics for nonprofits.

September 29, 2009, MediaPost — If social networks are truly transforming how consumers communicate, shouldn't they be affecting the Web's original killer app: email?  Not at all, according to preliminary data from Nielsen. To the contrary: "It actually appears that social media use makes people consume email more, not less, as we had originally assumed -- particularly for the highest social media users," says Jon Gibs, VP of media analytics at Nielsen.

September 23, 2009, Fast Company — Can non-profits raise awareness, increase membership, and--most critically--“make the ask” successfully on Twitter? Can a 140-character message deliver the visceral wallop of, say, heart-wrenching footage of starving children covered in flies or the sad eyes of a neglected and abused animal? The answer is yes.

WASHINGTON, September 22, 2009 — Facebook, in a move aimed at boosting its appeal to advertisers, teamed up with measurement company Nielsen on Tuesday to allow marketers to better gauge ad performance on the social network.

Every brand has a story to tell, and organizations used to have captive audiences to tell their stories to. But that's no longer the case with the rise of the Internet, namely social-media sites. How do you tell your story in an environment where people don't have to listen to you, and can interrupt and even spread misinformation about you?

GRAND RAPIDS, September 20, 2009, Detroit Free Press — The first thing you see when you walk into this warehouse garage north of downtown is green plastic sheeting and yellow warning tape hiding a massive construction site with scaffolding peeking out the top. Stroll inside the sanctum and you can't quite believe your eyes: Is that a giant Loch Ness monster?

The whitepaper "Twitter Jump Start" by social-media marketing consultant John Haydon, is a great guide for small nonprofits looking to use Twitter to engage their audiences and increase online donations.

Cary, NC, September 15, 2009 — Brand-X-Press (BXP) Walk for the Cause games and animated Public Service Announcements (PSA) are distributed virally through social media networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Twitter and YouTube as well as the nonprofit organization's website. BXP customized Walk for the Cause games teach players about the nonprofit's mission by incorporating multiple choice questions before players can advance to the next level of play. Mission branding is sprinkled throughout the game and PSA.

The question many nonprofit leaders ask is, “How much time should I be spending on social media?” The answer depends on your goals.