The document outlines 11 steps for a successful social media strategy: 1) Create a committee, 2) Start with people, 3) Define goals, 4) Identify strategies, 5) Choose channels, 6) Create policies, 7) Listen, 8) Create and curate content, 9) Get visual, 10) Work smarter using tools, and 11) Measure and improve. The key aspects are getting the right people involved, defining goals and strategies based on the target audience, choosing appropriate social media channels, creating policies, consistently creating and sharing visual content, and measuring results to improve over time.
11 Steps to a Successful Nonprofit Social Media Strategy
1. 11 Steps to a Successful Social
Media Strategy
September 17, 2013
Essex County Community Foundation
Julia Campbell, J Campbell Social Marketing
www.jcsocialmarketing.com
julia@jcsocialmarketing.com
2. What is “Social Media”?
“Social media refers to the means of interactions
among people in which they create, share, and
exchange information and ideas in virtual
communities and networks.”
~Wikipedia.org
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3. Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse
http://seminars.idealware.org/eLearning/techpyramid/technology-
pyramid.html
http://seminars.idealware.org/eLearning/techpyramid/technology-pyramid.html
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5. 1. Create a Committee.
You cannot do this in a
silo. Won’t work.
Who in your organization
(staff, volunteers, clients)
likes social media?
Who is creative?
Who has their pulse on
the latest news?
Who is well-connected?
Who is passionate?
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6. 1. Create a Committee.
The key is to get a group of
people thinking through
a social media lens.
We are all publishers.
We are all storytellers.
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7. 1. Create a Committee.
What will they do?
Brainstorm content.
Research blog posts.
Take photos.
Keep an eye out for good
stories and news.
Be champions online!
Sharing, liking, tweeting.
Train and motivate others.
Create Social Media policies.
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8. 2. Start With People.
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http://forrester.typepad.com/groundswell/2007/12/the-post-method.html
9. 2. Start With People.
What is the desired action?
Who is most likely to take this action?
What motivates them?
Where do you come in? What do they already know
about you?
What may drive them to take the action that you
want?
Where do they get their information?
What else is important to them?
Where do they spend their time online?
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10. 3. Define Goals.
How will you know success?
What can you measure?
Increased email sign ups
Increased ticket sales
New volunteer sign-ups
Increased website traffic
Increased online donations
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12. 4. Identify Strategies.
When you define what you want to do and who you want
to reach, you can then decide what you will do:
Start a video marketing program
Sign up for Twitter
Start a blog
Revamp the website
Start email marketing
Get an online donation page
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13. 5. Choose Channels.
Think back to your people and
your goals.
Sign up and secure URLs.
facebook.com/nonprofitorgs
twitter.com/nonprofitorgs
Save usernames and passwords
in a spreadsheet.
Get a square version of your logo
for avatars.
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15. 6. Create Policies.
Social Media Committee & HR can be in charge of policies.
External Policy – No spam, obscenity, etc.
What will get people blocked from the page or the group?
What is encouraged?
Internal Social Media Policy & Training
Be smart about training employees on what they should
and should not share online.
Empower and educate before punish.
Who are the administrators of the page?
Who will take charge when this person is on vacation/out?
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17. Red Cross response:
#gettngslizzerd was a Trending Topic (meaning it
was popular on Twitter)
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18. Dogfish Head Brewery response:
The Red Cross set up a designated page in connection
with Dogfish encouraging people to donate a pint and
use the hashtag to spread the word.
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19. 7. Listen.
Spend some time on each channel.
Each network has it’s own culture,
etiquette, and language.
Listen to what people are saying –
what moves them? What are they
sharing and retweeting?
Listen to what other organizations
are posting – Is it falling flat?
Getting engagement?
Listen and get ideas.
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20. 8. Create & Curate Content.
Start a simple Content Calendar for planning, scheduling
and managing publication of content across channels.
Blog posts
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Email Newsletters
Direct mail
Donor communications
Press releases
Events
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21. What will I post/tweet about?
Industry blogs,
newsletters,
websites
Google Alerts &
New York Times
alerts
Competitors
Success Stories
Inspirational
quotes
Reached a goal
Want input on
an issue
• Events,
anniversaries,
celebrations,
birthdays
• Email newsletter
• Tie current
events to your
cause/issue
• Read industry
news
• Figure out what’s
working for
other nonprofits
and adapt it!
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22. 9. Get Visual.
You need a constant stream of compelling visuals,
photos, videos, infographics.
Canva.com
PicMonkey.com
WordSwag app
Photopin.com
Morguefile.com
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23. 10. Work Smarter.
Check out Social Media Dashboards & Scheduling Tools
HootSuite, TweetDeck, Buffer, PostPlanner
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24. 10. Work Smarter.
15 minutes in the morning.
15 minutes at lunch.
15 minutes in the
evening/afternoon.
Remember, people are used to a
response within hours (if not
minutes).
Facebook now rewards Page
responsiveness!
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25. 11. Measure & Improve.
Avoid vanity metrics.
Facebook – Instant Post Insights
Twitter – ReTweets, mentions
Website analytics and traffic
Blog traffic and comments
Email newsletter signups
Go back to the Facebook Ladder.
See what works.
Do more of that.
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26. 11a. Celebrate Successes!
Acknowledge everyone who helped you get there.
Pat yourself on the back – social media is hard!
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