President, Mox-emedia LLCPR & Marketing Coordinator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

@lewisginter@JonahHolland

Jonahh@lewisginter.orgJonahHolland@gmail.com

By JONAH HOLLAND

What platforms best suit your organization?

How can you optimize the time you spend? How long will this take?

What voice/vibe/energy suits the non-profit you are branding?

1. Add value2. Be responsive & authentic3. Build trust -- do what you say you’ll

do4. Build relationships & community

(online & in person)5. In general, avoid promoting your

non-profit on your personal page

Social Media isResponsive!

Social Media isResponsive!

http://mydigitalwhiteboard.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/article15513.jpg

• Reach a new audience• Engage with donors & those you serve• Improve visibility, image, reach more people in

less time• Do more with limited resources• Improve website traffic & engagement• Improve communication, trust/credibility• Encourage sharing (photos, video, links, stories)• Build (a supportive) community• Raise awareness about your non-profit

Take time to build relationshipsReward your followers (with good,

valuable content, and occasional perks or giveaways)

Invest time in social media every day

Are strategic & thoughtful

Decide what platforms you will use. How many accounts will you have?Decide how you’ll let potential fans

know about your platforms Identify a team

Shareable = Creative, quirky, fun, timely

•Reviews are an opportunity for engagement, or to improve a client/customer experience.•Reviews are a chance to gain new fans from friends-of-friends.•Future clients/visitors/donors look at reviews and how you engage your constituents on social media.

•You can encourage engagement from clients/visitors/volunteers by engaging them in this space. •Build the relationship by meeting in person. •Always like & comment where appropriate. •If it’s great content share it – with the share button, or even better ask permission to repost directly on your page for higher engagement.

•“Like” sister organizations, other non-profits that share a related mission (regionally, nationally & internationally), like other organizations in the Partnership for Families.

•Then, hit the “Home” button at the top of your Facebook page & give them some love – engage with them, like them & comment when relevant.

Old way: Never post on Facebook without a photo (this

means for a video or blog post, you’ll include a photo & a link, or a still from the video)

New way: Just use the link. Photo will autopopulate, Facebook has changed their “EdgeRank” formula to now favor links, rather than photos.

Space posts at least 4 hours apart, but post at least once per day

Tag organizations & use hash tags Use @ & “reply” button to reply individually on

comment thread Use a “Facebook Team” if you have multiple stories

or departments Check your “Insights” or analytics & adjust your

strategy Pre-schedule posts when needed, send link for

review

**Can people find you?! What’s your page name?

• Connect with like-minded organizations• Connect with individual reporters• Interact with other pages or accounts

For Twitter: Use Tags to follow threads of interest: #RVA #VA #FXBG #NOVA #HRVA or Topics ie #Playoutdoors #Garden #ECE #Kids #Autism #RVAart

Image: http://pinoytutorial.com/techtorial/facebook-search-engine-rumor-against-google-details/

http://www.shoutmeloud.com/5-reasons-why-readers-unsubscribe-from-blogs-rss-feed.html

Blogs are alive!

• Use Wordpress• Provide LIVE links in

your blog • Reach out to the

blogging community, encourage ambassadors for your brand

• Provide valuable info• Tell the story of your

nonprofit• Use tagging to help

SEO

You must check in on social media at least every 24 hours, more is better

Guidelines:*At least 1-3 Tweets a day *At least 1 Facebook post a day (if more space by

4 hours)*At least 2 blog posts a week*Regular attention to any platform you are on*Responsive & active engagement with those

who comment & interact on your page

Time Saver: synch Instagram with Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr. You can’t synch business or nonprofit Facebook pages with Instagram, only personal ones.

Frontline service providers (librarians, preschool teachers, social workers, etc.) & volunteers can make great social media content providers for Facebook or your blog.

You still maintain ultimate control over the content.

For blog you can accept submissions via email from parents, volunteers, clients, etc.

It’s not a good idea to use social media regularly as a direct ask tool for fundraising

However, if you have built the relationship over time, and have a particular need you can use some of your social media collateral to ask for help.

Video, and images can be used to illustrate the need.

Amazing Raise

Set Guidelines (about use, transparency, passwords, etc.)

Identify social media team in Go over policy with employees in person,

answer questions. Post social policy on website, add to work handbook, & post on social platforms.

Focus on what staff can do…… not what they can’t do.

Make clear the line between personal & professional use of social media.

* email me (JonahHolland@Gmail.com) if you’d like a copy of the Garden’s 1-page social media policy.

Presentation from Chris Fortier, Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference & PRSA Richmond:

http://bit.ly/ChrisFortier

Questions & Answers