Social media for nonprofits: 5 more ways to create engaging content
Feb 9th, 2009 by Amy Southerland
A previous post looked at 5 ways to generate great social media content. As you gather and shape content from various sources, keep in mind that all the information you provide through various social media channels should work together to increase the power and reach of your virtual voice.
To that end, an important guiding principle for all types of content to is to keep it simple. Some tools (Twitter, for instance) demand brevity, but this should also be your goal with blogs, videos, and any information your share through social networking sites. Break complex, multi-part topics into series. For longer posts, use bullet points, section headings, and graphics to break things up. Whenever possible, stick to one idea and find a short, direct way to make your point.
With the goal of simplicity in mind, here are 5 more ideas for generating social media content.
6. Get out those camera phones! Candid amateur shots are completely acceptable and actually add to the sense of authenticity in social media. If you happen to know some talented shutterbugs who can contribute photos, that’s great. But with the proliferation of camera phones and digital cameras, anyone can take decent photos and easily upload them to the web (or email them to a social media point person). Add a short caption, and you’re good to go.
7. Give props to your staff. Find opportunities to recognize team members for going above and beyond, as well as for the things they do every day. This will also give you more opportunities to highlight key aspects - and challenges - of the work you do. Here’s an example of how you could accomplish this in under 50 words: “Kudos to Marjorie, our HIV-prevention specialist. Today her old laptop froze up halfway through a presentation. Undaunted, she grabbed a nearby white board and finished the talk. Speaking to more 100 groups a year means she really knows her stuff. Way to go!” This tells people three things: 1) Marjorie is awesome, 2) her work impacts a lot of people in the community, and 3) her program could really use a new computer.
8. Ask your staff and volunteers interesting questions. Ask a simple question and share all the answers, or just select the most common or most unusual responses. You can do this with staff and volunteers via email or during a staff meeting. The questions can be serious (e.g., “What makes you passionate about your job?” or “If you could talk to President Obama for 2 minutes about what we do, what would you tell him?”) or on the lighter, more personal side (”After a long week, what do you do to unwind?”).
9. Invite the people in your social networks to share their thoughts. Once you have established a little traction in your social networks, you can start initiating conversations with your friends and followers to generate more content. This is, after all, the whole point of social media: being social! Asking questions is a simple, effective way to get people engaged. You can take a poll, ask an open-ended question, or give people the chance to submit a question to a staff expert.
10. Seize the day. You know those unexpected, special moments that make you proud to work at a nonprofit and give you the energy to keep fighting the good fight? Finding ways to share those “oh wow” moments through social media will add emotional impact to your virtual voice. For instance, if you work for a social service agency and someone shows up with an in-kind donation that saves the day (whether it’s winter clothes or computers) ask if you can take a photo (note: be sure to get written permission to share the photo online). Then post the pic on your blog and Facebook page, and Tweet about it on Twitter.
Number 10 is part of being prepared to leverage your message, a social media ground rule exemplified by Sasha Bruce Youthwork when then President-elect Obama made a visit to their shelter for teens on MLK Day. Yes, you need to have a social media game plan (including an editorial calendar for blogs and lists of “evergreen” facts that you can draw on for Tweeting). But it’s important that your social media strategy also be geared for serendipity and immediacy.
You don’t need a Presidential visit to seize the day and share a special moment. The world is full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The person painting your wall on MLK Day (or any other day) may be a teacher or a truck driver or a retiree, but that’s a pretty good story, too.
–Amy Southerland
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Thankyou for this post.
I have been struggling for some time with issues on keeping my social network alive and kicking and I have been going through those cycles of great doubt when researching other social networking sites, because they seem to be so well versed and fluent in the things they say/blog and comment upon.
But you know at the end of the day you have to keep going regardless and it is only when you realise that members may be feeling the same way too, not overly confident about posting or commenting for fear of …..well whatever the fear is, for many it is real isn’t it?
And so its on with the show……must do’s now are getting out and about with my camera, writing intimately and sincerely from the heart……. someone somewhere will understand and relate to whatever I write and engage in the conversation without intimidation.
Great blog you have here… Ps I’m already following you on twitter too!
Karen