This document outlines plans for social media engagement and outreach. It discusses establishing a presence on platforms like Facebook, blogging, and photo/video sharing. Key points include collaboratively deciding social media strategies and policies; setting goals like growing fan bases or getting fans to donate/volunteer; regularly posting content and engaging with fans/readers; and monitoring results to improve performance. The overall goal is to widen audiences and strengthen relationships using free, conversation-based communication.

1. SOCIAL MEDIAENGAGEMENT

2. Not about “them” coming to “us” to hear our message Conversation, dialogue People wanting to be heard, wanting to connect with others, wanting to be a part of something greater than themselves

3. Why we should engage with social media This type of communication is close to pervasive It’s powerful: relationship- and conversation-based It makes word of mouth exponentially more effective The price is right: it’s free, although time investment is considerable There are many amazing, passionate, mobilized people to connect with

4. Of charities surveyed in a 2009 study conducted by Common Knowledge and ThePort Network: 74% have a presence on Facebook Average community size is 5,391 80% are committing at least ¼ employee to social networking

5. Nonprofit professionals aren’t the best messengers! According to a 2008 TNS Media Intelligence Survey: 76% of donors are motivated by family and friends 65% of Internet users trust friends and user forums more than any other media source

6. An effective online outreach and promotion plan enables us to: To widen our audience To strengthen our relationships with existing supporters OUR GOAL To capture the attention of as many people as possible

8. Identify which platforms we’re active on and how

9. Who responds to conversations? How do they respond?

10. Protect brand by providing trainings

11. Assign a qualified person to consistently commit time

14. Read relevant blogs

17. Keep search engine optimization in mind

18. Engage!

19. Be casual

20. It’s a conversation

21. It’s personal

22. Link or trackback to other blogs whenever possible

23. Read other blogs, and write about what you read

24. Use syndication technologies

25. Click your own links

27. Develop a list of relevant blogs

28. Read and comment on them

29. Contact their writers and ask them to cover our events and stories

30. Consider advertising on blogs

32. Each week, an average of 2.5% of each organization’s fans took action (e.g., contributed wall posts, “likes,” or comments)

34. Clickthrough is best on Wednesdays (5%), followed by Thursdays (just over 3%), and Fridays (just under 3%)

36. Who will do the day-to-day maintenance?

37. Will supporters and others be able to comment on our page?

38. What will be our limits on content? Who will monitor the page for inappropriate content?

40. Include a template they can use to invite their network of friends to our page

41. Write about our page on our website or other social media platforms

43. Use their responses to inform our post content and scheduling

44. Start conversations: ask questions, link to polls

45. Respond to questions and messages

47. Who are our “wired” fans/fundraisers?

50. Use incentives like buttons or bumper stickers

52. Fans become volunteers.

53. Fans take advocacy actions.

54. Fans share our content.

55. Fans read our news.

56. Fans visit our main website (that’s where they can donate).

58. What will we do to try to impact our performance?

59. Post frequency, timing, content

60. Voice

61. Asks

62. How often will we measure?

64. Viral recruitment

65. Advocacy campaigns

66. Deepen relationships

68. Decide if we’d like to create accounts on photo- and video-sharing sites

69. Regularly include photos and video in our social networking posts