Personal - Professional Mix in Social Media: For Nonprofits

The Personal -Professional Mix: Getting It Right in Social Media Created Especially for Staff at Nonprofit Organizations Flickr: kteague

What’s on the Menu • The Dilemma • Different Approaches • Nonprofit Examples • Some Suggestions for Being Personable Flickr: Georgio

Where does this dilemma about the personal/professional mix come from?

Real Conversations Aren’t Scripted Trying to live the “social” in social media can be a little scary when you know your conversations might be visible forever. Flickr: Kris Hoet

Balancing Responsibility with Freedom • Nonprofits fear someone will say something inappropriate. • Staff fears censorship of their personal lives. Flickr: Mr.Enjoy

Blurring of Personal and Private • “Personal” no longer equals “Private.” • Work and home lives collide all the time. • Real privacy becomes even more important, but the lines are different for each person. Flickr: rpongsaj

Meeting Expectations • You might fear boring friends with work, and boring colleagues with your personal life. Flickr: Tom Coates

Everyone is a Spokesperson • This is terrible if you can’t trust most people to say the right things. • This is fabulous if you can. Flickr: DrBacchus

Webinar Poll Results 27 Webinar Attendees from Nonprofits across the U.S. and Canada, July 15, 2009

How are organizations responding to this dilemma?

Intel v. Wall Street Journal Intel Wall Street Journal • Promoting upside • Preventing downside • Guidelines • Policy • What to do • What not to do • Encourages • No discussion of conversation, adding reporting process, only value, sharing after publication expertise and • No mixing biz and excitement pleasure Source: http://www.kellieparker.com/2009/05/17/intel-wsj/

Your Options • Go for it and see what happens • Discuss it informally • Create supportive guidance (Intel model) • Create restrictive policy (WSJ model) Flickr: lu lu

Customize by Site • Can take different approaches on different social media/networking sites, blogs, etc. • Easier to draw lines on some sites than others

What’s the Right Mix? The 5 Most Common Approaches Nonprofits Are Taking Flickr: Tracy Hunter

Keep Profiles Totally Separated • Personal and professional both exist and don’t blend, ever. • Even if it sounds ideal to you, it’s probably unrealistic (requires intense discipline) Flickr: shizzy0

Personal Profile, Some Work • It’s yours personally, and you mention work unofficially, and that’s fine with everyone. • Yours to keep if you leave the job. Flickr: Pixel Theif 

Personal Profile, Mostly Work • It’s mostly about work, but you mention personal info too • Would go silent or require username change if you left job • May or may not be “official” Flickr: evelynishere

Official Profile • Exclusively organizational updates and responses • May or may not know the person(s) behind the updates Flickr: deltaMike

Multiple Profiles, Working Together • Official profile for work (personality yes, personal no) • Perhaps separate program or chapter profiles too • Staff encouraged to talk about work on personal profiles Flickr: buba69

Let’s look at what three nonprofits are doing.

National Wildlife Federation’s Approach Source: johnhaydon.com

Official NWF Twitter Accounts http://www.slideshare.net/danielle.brigida/using-social-media-to-protect-wildlife

We Know Who’s Behind NWF

What the Official Account Does http://www.slideshare.net/danielle.brigida/using-social-media-to-protect-wildlife

Official and Unofficial NWF Tweeters http://www.slideshare.net/danielle.brigida/using-social-media-to-protect-wildlife

Advice for Unofficial Accounts http://www.slideshare.net/danielle.brigida/using-social-media-to-protect-wildlife

Client Privacy Concerns Stopping You? If the American Red Cross and Easter Seals can figure it out, your small org can too. Flickr: bejealousofme

American Red Cross’s Guidance How do you balance the personal/professional mix online? You need to determine your own comfort level in discussing work in your personal communications. Just be responsible and remember that the NHQ social media team will see all mentions of the Red Cross and may contact you to praise your discussion, invite you to contribute to our corporate online spaces, or to give you guidance about how to talk about your work responsibly. Always follow our Fundamental Principles. Source: American Red Cross Social Media Guidelines for Chapters and Blood Service Regions. http://sites.google.com/site/wharman/social-media-strategy-handbook Emphasis added.

Red Cross Official Account “We use @redcross strictly to disseminate real time disaster info and preparedness tips.”

Lots of Red Crossers Tweeting!

Wendy Harman, Red Cross Employee Personal profile, transparent about working for Red Cross, but a blend of personal and professional. Not branded as Red Cross.

How the Red Cross Handles Challenges “A challenging comment can become a robust discussion that increases understanding of the Red Cross. There’s no need to be afraid of talking to your supporters. If you have any trouble or don’t know how to handle a particular comment, contact the social media team at national.” Source: American Red Cross Social Media Guidelines for Chapters and Blood Service Regions. http://sites.google.com/site/wharman/social-media-strategy-handbook Emphasis Added

Easter Seals’ Guidelines for Bloggers 1. Be Responsible. 6. Write What You 2. Be Smart. Know. 3. Identify Yourself. 7. Include Links. 4. Include a Disclaimer. 8. Be Respectful. 5. Respect Privacy of 9. Work Matters. Others. 10. Don’t Tell Secrets. Source: http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2008/04/nonprofit-blogg.html Emphasis Added

Easter Seals

How to decide what’s right for you.

What’s It Like Offline? How integrated are the work lives and personal lives of staff otherwise? Flickr: ninahale

How Big Might This Get? How many people are likely to be communicating about the org? A handful or hundreds? Flickr: ktylerconk

Just How Big is the Risk? How likely is it (seriously) that things could go badly? And how would a policy mitigate that? Flickr: jeremybarwick

Tips for being more personable online (while still protecting your privacy).

3 G’s of Good Social Media Marketing Good nonprofit social media marketing is • Genuine • Generous • Grateful Flickr: Editor B

Good Ways to Be Personal • Retweeting, linking, liking (shows us what you like) • Commenting (shows us how you think) • Share What’s a Little Different (funny, cool, or interesting to you) Flickr: faeryboots

3 G’s of Bad Social Media Marketing Flickr: Annie Mole Bad nonprofit social media marketing is • Greedy • Grandstanding • Grabby

If It Gives You Pause . . . Pause. • Politics • Religion • Anything Illegal • Anything Sexual • Possible Ick Factor, e.g. Personal Hygiene • Hot Button Social Issues • One Person’s Snark is Another’s Insult Slide title comes from Intel’s Social Media Guidelines Flickr: cambodia4kidsorg

The Traditional Advice . . . • Don’t post if you’d be mortified if your mom, boss, future spouse, or future boss saw it. Flickr: wotthe7734

But Always Be True to You • If you are being genuine and thoughtful, and you lose someone because of something you said, is it really a loss? (IMHO, No.) Flickr: faeryboots

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Personal - Professional Mix in Social Media: For Nonprofits

by Kivi Leroux Miller

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