How Non-Profits Should Be Using Social Media

Many companies of all sizes are getting on the social media bandwagon. And, of course, this should and does include non-profits – after all, they are companies that need to attract and retain attention, if only to continue their own funding. But, there are a few things that non-profits need to do differently regarding their online and social media presence. These differences are what we’re going to talk about today.

1. No Money Talk

Everyone knows that non-profit organizations rely on funding. But if you use your social media outlets to ask for money – or if you even hint about funding issues – directly through Twitter or Facebook, you’re going to lose followers (and probably those individual contributions, too).

A good example of this is America’s National Public Radio (NPR). From their notorious telethons to Ira Glass pleading for donations before launching into a new podcast of This American Life, NPR is no stranger to speaking bluntly about needing money to exist. But take a look at their many Twitter feeds, and there’s not one word mentioned about it. Instead, they’re linking to content, responding to followers and generally being a model of good Twitter etiquette that even for-profit companies should take note of.

In fact, the only one we did see after looking through months of Twitter activity was this one:

That is a clever tweet – acknowledging a follower while reminding others to do the same.

If you do need to mention money – or if, like Kiva, your non-profit is based on financial transactions – then the best tactic to take is to link to other media, whether internal or external, which talks about funding. Speaking of Kiva:

They’re linking to what others have written or said, and they’re using names that their followers will know. That is how you talk about money – without talking about money. It’s a combination of value and content without any direct plea.

2. Tell Stories

Since we’re talking about value and content, perhaps no other sector has more readily available content than non-profits. Every non-profit has a story to tell, and there should be a dedicated social media person or team in place to tell one every single day. Whether it’s on a blog or a video or a mention in another medium, there is no reason why your contributors and followers shouldn’t be hearing about the work you’re doing on a consistent basis.

The key to this, again, is not to tie it into funding issues. They should be well-written and/or well-produced pieces that put a personal spin on whatever it is your organization hopes to accomplish. Which brings us to:

3. Be Real

Have you ever seen the late-night infomercials that ask for just 40 cents a day to help little Kimba get food and medical treatment? Those ads do work for a certain segment of the population, but the majority of us know that there is not literally a small child somewhere who gets 40 cents every day to put in a piggy bank. There are overhead costs and other expenses that cover a large number of needy people.

Those ads are simply putting a human face on the work they do, because most of us can’t comprehend what life must be in these ravaged areas of the world. But face it – they’re kind of cheesy, and those ravaged areas are usually not geographically or emotionally close to the majority of the people who are able to help the most.

So just as social media can help your organization put a face to your efforts, so too can it help you put a real person or group of people to your organization.

The Red Cross is a great example of how using Twitter can help you connect with your followers about on-the-ground results of your daily work. This makes it real, and shows that there is someone who is “on it” – not just a bunch of paper pushers.

We’ve chosen some big names in non-profits, but there are hundreds of others who are doing it right, too – what examples have you seen lately of a non-profit using social media well?