I recently attended a seminar in regards to social networking and how non-profits can benefit from websites such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Since then, I have put some of the ids to work to test them and have found most of these suggestions to work exactly as described in the classs.
Here are my notes from that seminar.
Notes: Agencies do not understand and utilize the internet affectively due to ignorance and fear. All companies live in glass houses and should be aware of what is being said about their company and executives at all times. This can create huge losses in donations, stocks, buy outs, mergers, etc.
Google is the first place to begin with reputation management as it is the first place to look for consumer, client AND employee complaints. This is also the place that confidential leaks such as budgets and interoffice memos occur.
Emails are often passed around on the internet through myspace.com, personal blogs and complaint sites.
Eli Lilly experienced such a problem on a billion dollar suit which required them to settle quickly and quietly due to a loose email that was circulated on the internet.
All agencies should have a staff member that regularly monitors Google and Wikipedia for what is being said or that is NOT being said about an organization.
As for knowing what posts and comments need action and which ones can be ignored, a good measure of this is utilized by the Air Force of the United States. (You can google to find this diagram.)
This diagram gives an excellent road map on how to handle all types of information that may be encountered on the internet.
Twitter was a huge item discussed in all the sessions. While largely misunderstood by the public, Twitter is not being utilized to its full capacity by most people and agencies. The same is true of Facebook, MySpace, blogs and other social networks online.
The first advantage of these resources is having an immediate voice that is accessible to everyone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This naturally allows you the ability to deal with negative feedback and rumors immediately.
The second advantage is the ability to establish, one on one conversation with thousands of people. This includes your staff, members, volunteers and others that share you same goals and visions. It is accomplished in much the same way that mom and pop stores and grassroots organizations started and then as they grow, they would lose that ability. What I am addressing is having a dialogue that is reciprocal.
For example, if you post on Facebook about a project you are working on and someone responds to you, this is seen on your facebook page and also theirs. Everyone logged into the responder sees this dialogue and they may decide to join in. The next step would be for them to visit your Facebook, then your agency website and then possibility you have a donor or a new member.
As part of this experiment, I used my own Facebook and set up an agency page for ISGU. Within 6 hours, I had 8 members without SAYING OR POSTING A WORD. The people that joined follow me on Facebook, clicked on the new page and then joined without even being asked. So interest and interaction have been confirmed.
Using a blog is an art and can be learned. A blog is not about just posting news stories or even editorial comments. It is about expressing ideas and even personal points of view from the spokesperson of an agency. However, the blog will not be successful by just posting regularly. The trick to an effective blog is to research blogs and news stories that are in the same arena of interest and using your blog to comment on those stories and link back to the sites. Again, you are generating the ability for one on one dialogue.
Many agencies also control internal strife with employees and memberships by having internal web pages for the people to post complaints and suggestions. Once they have a valid and anonymous place they can post, they are able to air their ideas and complaints and do not have the need or drive to send such information to million others on the web.
The best way to handle any damage control also is to have a policy and procedure in place BEFORE an issue is well on its way to circling the globe. Hours vs days are key to damage control and more nonprofits will see this need as the economy puts a focus on how nonprofits manage or mismanage money.
Secondary control is to have ownership of all possible web domains so that others cannot purchase them and use these sites to blast a company or agency. This is not a primary problem for most nonprofits but should rumor control be on the rise for an agency, this is something they would want to consider doing.
Also, a website is NOT just an e-brochure. It should be updated weekly with information, live video feeds utilizing YouTube, PSA announcements and with links to Facebook and other sites being utilized. YouTube offers a nonprofit account that allows you to post these videos for free and they are promoted by YouTube. The beauty of this business strategy is to use your staff, volunteers and memberships to make “home movie” style recordings. These are attractive and well liked by the public. Also, when each person is featured, they drive their own network of friends and business associates to the site, bringing a new dynamic of exposures.
To drive traffic to your site and also to raise funds, a nonprofit should utilize sites such as cafepress. For no money, you can have materials with your logo that you make a commission off of. You also have a link directly to your site and others will see your merchandise as they surf the stores.
The easiest way to manage your presence, update your sites, have a blog and update your social network is to hire an intern who is needed college credit. Not only are college students savvy about the internet, they enjoy the interaction and are usually up to date on trends.
With this networking of social dialogue, widgets for the sites, and promoting two way dialogues, you are now promoting a healthy, well rounded persona that people can relate to. While mental illness might not be of interest to me initially, a catchy phrase or witty article can pull me in as much as a personal conversation at dinner. Once a person has been to your site and stayed for more than three minutes, the likely hood of them coming back goes up ten times.
Finally, make sure that you and your agency are very clear on what you stand for and that policy is repeated in everything you say and do.
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