Miriam's Kitchen, DC Scores, and Sitar Arts Center presented on their social media messaging strategies and best practices at a DCAYA Brown Bag Lunch.

1. Facebook, Twitter and Tough
Decisions
Managing Social Media as part of a
Communications Strategy
Tom Murphy
Miriam’s Kitchen
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2. 2,700 Facebook likes, 3,500 Twitter
Followers - How did we get here?
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“I’d rather be lucky than good.”
- Vernon “Lefty” Gomez, Washington Senators
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“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder
I work the more of it I have.”
- Thomas Jefferson
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3. First, we got lucky…
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4. Then what???
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1,000 new followers
Media coverage (local and national)
Invited on panel discussions
Immediate momentum
A great story
No strategy
WE HAD TO GET GOOD!
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5. Creating a Strategy
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Social Media is a lot like interior decorating…
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It looks fun
It looks pretty
It can make people happy
It can improve your value
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6. Creating a Strategy
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…but it requires a lot of construction work
first.
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You need a foundation
You need structure
You need a lot of time
You need to plan ahead
You need a strategy
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7. Creating a Strategy: Determine Your
Audiences
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Don’t try and reach the world
Engagement is more important than size
Focus on your organization’s needs:
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Donors?
Volunteers?
Other non-profits?
Media?
Policymakers?
Advocates?
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8. Creating a Strategy: Determine Your
Assets
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What can you add to the social media
dialogue?
What is it about your mission that people
need to understand?
What resources do you have to share?
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Research, data, articles, blogs?
Unique perspective?
Photos and video?
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9. Creating a Strategy: Do you have
messages?
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Messaging is fundamental. It will tie together
various communications to various
audiences.
Messaging will force you to be disciplined in
your content.
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If you can’t make a message fit, consider ditching
the post or tweet.
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10. Creating a Strategy: Do You Know
Your Organization’s Voice?
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Social media should be consistent with your
organization’s voice. Are you:
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Authoritative?
Silly?
Serious?
Provocative?
Conservative?
Funny?
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11. Creating a Strategy: Managing Bad
News
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Social media absolutely should be a part of
any crisis communications plan
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Be fast
Be responsive
Be honest
Don’t do any more harm
Don’t feed the trolls
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12. Creating a Strategy: Do You Have the
Time?
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Social media needs to be “fed” each day
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Monitor feeds
Identify trends (or problems)
Create content
Respond to incoming messages
Can eat unexpected amounts of time,
resources
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13. Lessons Learned
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DON’T just hand social media to the
youngest staff member.
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DO write a social media strategy that
integrates with your broader
communications strategy.
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Caveat: if you ARE the 22 year old or the intern, demand
a copy of the communications strategy. You will look
smart and strategic.
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14. Lessons Learned
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DON’T treat social media as a landfill
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DO set up parameters for what specific kinds
of content you want – and you want your
coworkers to send to you.
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The Internet has enough cute cat videos.
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15. Lessons Learned
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DON’T EVER GO DARK.
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DO populate your feeds every day.
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Take advantage of services like HootSuite, to
help you schedule delivery of content ahead of
time.
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16. Lessons Learned
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DON’T be all about “me”
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DO make social media a two-way vehicle
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Ask questions of your followers
Comment on smart or relevant posts – do a search of
your organization’s topic area. Find unexpected allies.
Respond to likes, retweets and comments.
Link to organizations relevant to your post or tweet
Engage!
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17. Questions?
Tom Murphy
Director of Communication
Miriam’s Kitchen
tom@miriamskitchen.org
202-452-8926 ext 235
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18. Building Teams, Improving Lives
Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager
@jakelam2116

19. The DC SCORES Blog
www.DCSCORES.blogspot.com
Created in October 2009
30% written by other staff members
Averages per week:
• 2-3 posts
• 300 page views
• 175 unique visitors

20. Blog layout

21. Swiss Army Knife
“Shape of the Nation…”
“Poetry Slam! video of the month: Kelly Miller Middle School”
“12 stories that defined 2012”
“Volunteer spotlight: Aaron Plantenberg, Penya Barcelonista”

22. A marketing tool
Highlight corporate
partnerships
Build on foundation
relationships
Indelible part of
advocacy efforts

23. Spreading the word

24. 5 tips for blogging success
1) Create consistent posting schedule, stick to it
2) Keep posts short (300-600 words)
3) Embed videos, include photos in posts #INTEGRATE
4) Varied topics, multiple voices
5) Use analytics, determine what brings in readers

25. Thank you!
Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager
jlloyd@americascores.org
202.393.6999 x313
www.DCSCORES.org
@jakelam2116
@DCSCORES

26. Sitar Arts Center advances the critical
life skills of underserved children
and youth and prepares them for
achievement in the 21st century through
visual, performing, and digital arts
education in a nurturing community.

27. CREATING AN ADVOCACY E-BLAST
Presented by
Kendall Ladd, Donor Relations Manager
Angela Robinson, Marketing and Technology Manager

28. Stating the Need
Summer is a critical time for
us to take care of children and
youth in the District. Young
people of our community
faced serious issues over the
summer.

29. Finding Great Sources
Americans for the Arts
www.artsusa.org

30. Finding Great Sources
Employment Policies Institute
www.epionline.org

31. Designing Your E-Blast
• Informative
• Readability
• Highlighting Key Points
• Image Placement

32. Distributing Your Message
www.icontact.com
www.sproutsocial.com

33. Following Up On Your Advocacy Message
Our advocacy messages
Each of our board members
often start conversations provides specific expertise
to govern our community as a well rounded group.
with and among our
constituents. This gives us
a great starting dialogue for
future cultivation and
fundraising messages.
“This is a profound
advocacy piece!”
“Exceptional, absolutely exceptional!
Strong impact/relevance statement; clear
call to action. BRAVO!”

34. 1700 Kalorama Road, Suite 101, Washington, DC 20009
www.sitarartscenter.org | 202-797-2145
“Celebrating Kids, Arts and Community”