Worthy goals for using social networking
If it’s Thursday, it’s time for Three Things. This week: Three worthy goals for using social networks to help your non-profits
On Monday, Shayna had a great post: “Tools are not strategies.” So true. As Shayna said, “Neither websites nor Twitter, not Convio nor social networks, not even email will yield results for your organization if you confuse the tool with a strategy or plan to implement that strategy.”
So if the goal isn’t “Get on Twitter” or “Build a blog” or “Build a Facebook page,” what is it? That brings us to this week’s edition of Three things.
Social networking and online technologies (blogs, email, even web sites) are tools that can help you achieve many goals, but I’ll hit on three that are probably at the top of the list.
1) Drive traffic to your web site. You want to capture the attention of people reading and have them click back to the link (because you do include one when engaging on Twitter, Facebook, or another blog, right) to your site, or a specific page on your site. Once they land on your site, you know that you’ve designed the page in such a way that they know what you want them to do (Find content, subscribe to your list, join, donate, etc.) And best of all – you track all of this – where they came from and what they did when they arrived.
2) Build your brand. Beyond having people join your organization and/or supporting it in some way, you probably want people to identify you as THE organization in your field. (the professional association for political staffers, or plaintiff’s attorneys, the non-profit that fights heart disease, etc.) You engage with folks through blogs, Facebook, Twitter and add to the discussions related to your mission. Use these new tools just like you would use the tools of display advertising, sponsorship of events, or printed ads. Where there is an audience that should know about you, you make sure you are present. Seek out the conversations on blogs and on twitter – and join them. Add value to the discussion and over time you’ll become more recognized as THE organization in your field.
3) Spread or deliver a message. Are you trying to educate or influence your membership, the public, or a specific group of people? The tools you’ve used in the past (and continue to use) include grassroots organizing and earning media coverage in the print, radio, and TV press. The newer tools include email, blogs, and social networks. All can help deliver a message.
Do you have other goals that your organization has achieved through newer online tools? Share them in the comments below!
And that’s the Three Things for this week! Do you have Three Things you’d like to get off your chest? Shoot us an email – we’d love to feature your ideas in this space!