With the upcoming PR Boost on Aug. 15th , PRSA Colorado is doing a series of blog posts on nonprofit public relations. At PR Boost, each volunteer, who must have a minimum of three years experience, will consult with two nonprofit organizations during two separate 60-minute sessions. If you’re interested in contributing a blog post, please contact Liz Pope at evpope@gmail.com.
With the media landscape and the way people are seeking information quickly changing, everyone is struggling to keep up and nonprofits are no exception. While many nonprofits are starting to have a presence in the world of social media, some may be wondering what to do, how to get started, or how they will find time to add another thing onto their already full plates.
Getting Started With Social Media
Social media is the use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co-create value. In other words, it is a way for people to communicate, interact with each other, and interact with companies and their brands.
Whereas the traditional web (and traditional forms of print marketing materials) is about getting information to people, the social web is about people creating and sharing information with each other. Examples of social media tools are blogs, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and numerous other social networking sites.
Don’t Get Left Behind!
According to Forrester Research, “Social media is not a fad nor is it something that will pass you or your company by. Gradually, social media will impact almost every role at every kind of company in all parts of the world.”
At Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS), we began using a few of the main social media tools to interact with our community and further build the JFS brand. Going forward, social media is becoming a bigger part of how we at JFS plan to communicate with our audience and constituents. It is an excellent way to reach a larger audience in a faster, more meaningful and cost-efficient way. Plus, since it is two-way communication, we can quickly gain feedback about how we are doing, learn stories about how JFS has positively impacted people’s lives, raise funds for urgent needs, and more.
Bang for your Buck: How to Make Social Media Work for You
JFS started a blog, JFS Perspectives, in September 2008 when the agency’s new Web site launched. The marketing team updates the blog at least once per week with a variety of relevant topics ranging from JFS programs and events to topics in the news. We showcase different facets of the agency and who it serves. We always include photos and links to our Web site and/or sites that pertain to the subject matter.
JFS also has a Facebook profile used to reach out to supporters, volunteers, and other interested constituents. Companies, celebrities, and nonprofit organizations are now actively using Facebook to build their brands and create online communities. It is a great platform to quickly get a message across to your supporters, promote an event, share photos, videos and links, and even raise funds.
Our Facebook profile allows users to “become a fan” of JFS. Public Profiles look and behave much like a user’s personal private profile, but are integrated with Facebook’s advertising system, allowing Public Profile owners to easily advertise to Facebook’s users. Owners can also send updates to their fans, which show up on their home page.
JFS also has a Cause page, which provides tools that make it possible for any Facebook user to leverage their network of friends to effect positive change. You can set up fundraising goals and include a match from a corporation or individual to raise funds more quickly.
Twitter: More than a Socializing Tool
With its recent rise in popularity, especially among celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Ashton Kutcher and Lance Armstrong, Twitter is becoming widely used by the general public—and not just for socializing.
According to Tweeternet.com, Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that allows you answer the question, “What are you doing?” by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called “tweets,” to your friends, or “followers.”
Like other social media tools, Twitter can be used to drive marketing objectives. JFS has a Twitter account, JFS_Colo, which is updated several times per week (and often several times per day) to promote upcoming JFS programs and events. We also use Twitter as a way to have conversations by replying to “Followers” who ask questions or make comments relevant to JFS. We post and “retweet” interesting articles, facts and statistics. We have also incorporated Twitter into our blog, so visitors can see our stream of tweets.
The Results of Social Media
JFS was recently recognized by the JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) news agency as one of the top 25 most influential Jewish organizations among hundreds of Twitter accounts tweeting content of Jewish and/or Israel-related interest, and the only organization recognized from Colorado.
While it is too early to provide true measurable results from these social media tools, we are encouraged by our success in building an online community and strengthening the JFS brand.
–Alaina Green, Marketing and PR Associate for Jewish Family Service of Colorado