Non-Profits Using Social Media: Get Your Constituents Involved
I read a lot about how non-profits can incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. Most of it boils down to not being boring and writing in a way that your target audience can understand (i.e. no jargon!).
What makes social media exciting is that it allows people to communicate directly with your organization. What makes social media difficult is figuring out who you want to communicate with and the best way to reach them. So many options can lead to confusion and half-assed attempts to engage constituents.
But what if constituents were actively recruited to help build the organization’s social media presence from the very beginning? Not just surveyed to see what they like and don’t like, but involved in the planning and execution of social media?
Our school’s student council (which I coordinate) approached me with the idea of designing a web page and blog that provides updates and information about the school and what the students are doing. I jumped on the idea: by using student voices in our marketing we demonstrate the innovative and fun ways that the students develop as learners and leaders at our school.
As we work on the project additional benefits become more apparent:
- Engaging the community: People feel a greater sense of ownership and commitment to the organization if they are involved in something that can be viewed by the public and is significant.
- Teaching important skills: Social media certainly has a casual feel to it but managing and using it effectively is anything but! Writing well, designing with the general public in mind, and being deliberate in what, where, and how you use various social media are critical skills that are important to develop.
- Adding valuable resources to the org: Students working on the blog and webpage are providing our school with exposure and networks we didn’t have previously.
- Much more interesting and impressive: Who doesn’t love a blog by a 12 year old talking about their community service project?!
I realize that having students makes it easier to implement constituent-led media efforts. However what are some drawbacks or barriers to this approach? Have you seen any examples of this kind of endeavor?
This is a really interesting idea. I am trying to think how it would work — what kind of sustainable support and structure you’d have to have to engage a group of constituents around questions of social media – planning and execution as you say. How does your school empower and motivate your student group – what if an org’s constituents aren’t as involved as you can be when you live/eat/breathe campus life? I’d love to hear updates!
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ajlovesya Reply:
December 11th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
@Amy I had the opportunity to speak with Ami today when he came to my school to speak with the students. With both agreed that social media is fun and relatively easy however it requires genuine interest and passion in order to go far. I work with a small group of kids who are already blogging and the student council brought it up because they saw these students doing it. The idea is spreading, slowly, but surely and it only takes a handful of interested and dedicated people to leave an impact!
Also, like any social media initiative, it’s important to analyze where social media fits into your overall marketing goals. Having students doing blogging or podcasts makes great sense at a school or any youth serving program, but it may different in depending on your org. However, people can always create and social media allows us to share our creations.
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I think this is a brilliant way to implement trust among younger people (students). The school get’s lively content and the students writing the content get a feeling of accomplishment.
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