This document discusses how nonprofits can leverage various social media platforms for their causes. It provides an overview of common social media tools including blogs, photo sharing, video sharing, social networking, social bookmarking, microblogging and their benefits. Specific platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and LinkedIn are examined in more detail on how nonprofits can create profiles and engage with supporters. The presentation encourages nonprofits to listen to their communities and share compelling stories across these channels to build relationships.

1. Leveraging Social Media
for Your Cause
Allison Treppa
Director of Marketing & Member Services
Michigan Nonprofit Association
atreppa@MNAonline.org
www.MNAonline.org

2. About Me
Allison Treppa
Director of Marketing & Member Services
Michigan Nonprofit Association
atreppa@MNAonline.org
• Website: www.MNAonline.org
• Blog: http://MNAonline.wordpress.com
• Twitter: @MNAOnline

3. Where This Presentation is Located:
http://www.slideshare.net/MNAOnline

4. What is Social Media?
• Definition: “the use of electronic and
Internet tools for the purpose of
sharing and discussing
information and experiences
with other human beings.”
- Ben Parr
http://www.benparr.com/2008/08/its-time-we-defined-social-media-no-more-arguing-heres-the-definition
• In other words, social media describes the
tools people use and the ways people share
ideas online.
• Relationship building!

5. A Great Resource for Basic Videos:
SERVE
STRENGTHEN
TRANSFORM
COMMUNITIES
http://www.commoncraft.com

6. Social Media in Plain English
http://commoncraft.com/socialmedia
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX
1jPE

7. Examples of Social Media
• Social Bookmarking
• Photo Sharing
• Podcasting and Video
• Blogging
• Feed Reading & Sharing
• Social Networking

8. The Importance of Listening
• Good first step in listening: set up Google
alerts with your organization name, key
words, event names, figureheads, etc.
• Little time on the front end = big payoffs
in the long run
• Food Stamp Challenge example –
Michigan Nonprofit Association Blog

9. The Importance of Storytelling
• The best storytelling shows the story –
various types of media including photos,
videos, audio and text can each play a part
• Can appeal to staff, volunteers, donors,
and people who could potentially fill
these roles
• Sharing with the community
• Relationship building!

10. Photo Sharing
SERVE
STRENGTHEN
TRANSFORM
COMMUNITIES
http://www.flickr.com/MNAOnline

11. Photo Sharing
• Photos can be uploaded to sites like
Flickr, tagged, grouped, and shared
• Tagging allows photos to be organized
by subject matter
• Groups allow multiple users to upload
photos that share a common theme

12. YouTube Nonprofit Channel Program
http://www.youtube.com/nonprofits

13. What is a blog?
What is blogging?
• A blog is a contraction of the term “web log,”
meaning an online journal or log comprised of
multiple entries posted by the user. The entries
are generally displayed in reverse chronological
order
• A blog can contain thoughts, ideas, photos, video,
audio, links to other web sites, and forums in
which discussion can take place through
comments
• A blog can easily act as a hub of an organization’s
accounts/presences and facilitate relationship
building MNA Blog
• A blog can also contain a fundraising widget for
raising money

14. Blogs in Plain English
http://commoncraft.com/blogs
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1p
WXjXI

15. Nuts About Southwest Blog
Photos/Flickr
Blog
Video/
YouTube
News Feed
Poll
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/

16. What is microblogging?
• A form of blogging comprised of user-
created brief updates ~ 140 characters
• The truncated nature of the updates
allows for less sifting and faster, more
direct transmission of information
• Can be used as a sounding board, peer
forum, news feed, etc. Must be interactive!
• http://twitter.com/MNAonline
• Relationship building!

17. Twitter in Plain English
http://commoncraft.com/twitter
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idm
ax0o

18. How Can Twitter Be Used?
• MNA has a Twitter account – use this to tweet (“tweet” =
verb form of update) and to listen
• We post links, reminders, and important information that
we want our followers to see
• We also use our account to post questions and listen to
what other Twitter users are tweeting
• We follow other nonprofits, MI residents, social media
folks, etc…
• Some past MNA tweets:
• Reminder to MI nonprofits: Crain's Best Managed Nonprofit Contest
Apps due 09/17/08 by 5:00pm -check this post for info: http://is.gd/2gvh
• Welcome to @Brandon_at_MNA , who heads up MNA's membership
department. He is the source for MI nonprofit job postings and MNA
member info!
• MNA is participating in Blog Action Day 2008, http://is.gd/1v09 - join
us 10/15 to find out how our members are fighting poverty in MI!

22. What Is Social Bookmarking?
Traditional bookmarking
vs.
Social bookmarking
+ +

23. SERVE
STRENGTHEN
TRANSFORM
COMMUNITIES
http://delicious.com/MNAOnline

24. Social Bookmarking – How Can It Be Used?

25. Social Bookmarking in Plain English
http://commoncraft.com/bookmarking-
plain-english
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x66lV7G
OcNU

26. What is Social Networking?
• People using the internet to connect with
others online
• Individuals often connect with friends,
family, colleagues, and other internet
users with similar interests and hobbies
• Four major social networking sites are:
Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Ning
• Relationship building, donor cultivation,
volunteer cultivation, etc!

27. Facebook Search Results: All

28. Facebook Search Results: Fundraising Apps

29. Facebook Groups and Fan Pages
GROUP FAN PAGE
SERVE
STRENGTHEN
TRANSFORM
COMMUNITIES

30. Facebook Nonprofit Organizations Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

31. Facebook Best Practices
http://www.diosacommunications.com/facebookbestpractices.htm

32. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business oriented social
networking site aimed at professionals.
http://www.linkedin.com/

36. What People Do On The Internet (By Age)
http://images.businessweek.com/mz/07/24/0724_6insiid_a.gif

37. Where This Presentation is Located:
http://www.slideshare.net/MNAOnline

38. Thank you!
Worksheet Time!