Facebook for Nonprofits

Social Networking for Non-Profits and Libraries Presentation by: Monica Kuryla, Adult Services Librarian Brenda Shea, Director of Community Relations Fayetteville Free Library, Fayetteville, NY May 5 th , 2009

Agenda:

Overview of Social Networking

Why use it for your non-profit?

Who’s on facebook?

Facebook: Groups vs. Pages

Social Networking must-haves

Marketing your online presence

What is Social Networking?

A website that encourages its users to interact with or network with other users.

These web based tools allow individuals to meet, interact, collaborate and share information and media.

These sites are quickly evolving from mere public profiles into platforms for communication, creativity, advertising, and even commerce.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc

Why use it for your non-profit?

Ready made marketing tool

It’s FREE!

Promote events & services

Reach a wider audience

You will have more visibility through search engine placement

You will be able to reach out to a new community –internet users!

Network with other non-profits

Communication / collaboration via user comments

24/7 access to your organization

EASY to update

Who’s on Facebook? – Over 90 Million active users – Approximately 1 million new users a week – 250,000+ new users a day – 5th most visited site – 57% of U.S. Facebook users are out of college In November 2008, Facebook drew 200 million unique worldwide visitors; more than 1 in 5 people who accessed the Internet that month visited the site.

Facebook: Groups vs. Pages

Which one is right for YOU?

Pages can only be created to represent a real public figure, artist, brand or organization, and may only be created by an official representative of that entity. Pages can be customized with rich media and interactive applications to engage Page visitors.

Groups can be created by any user and about any topic, as a space for users to share their opinions and interest in that subject, or support a common cause. Users of Facebook can ‘join’ your group and then post messages on the ‘wall’ or in the ‘discussion forum.’

GROUPS

Similar to a fan site; more informal (anyone can start a FB group about any topic)

Only visible to Facebook members

Includes a discussion forum

You can message ALL group members - up to 5000 members - and your message lands right in their inbox.

Used to promote events

There are three different types of Groups for different purposes: Open (anyone can join), Closed (the group owner/admins have to approve all members), Secret (only the members and invitees know the group even exists).

Members can support your cause

PAGES

Updates go directly to a user news feed, similar to your own personal profile

Are widely accessible – Pages can be seen and found on the wider Internet to people who aren’t members of Facebook. But even so, you have to be a member of Facebook to interact with the group.

You can add applications to a page

Tracking – Facebook has provided a tool for page administrators that lets them know how many visitors that they’re getting.

Actions are documented – If a fan of your page takes action on it, such as writing on your wall or posting a video, their actions will be documented on the news feeds of their personal pages. Their friends will see the news feeds and if curious, check out your page – giving you more exposure.