Harness the Power of Social Media

There's a whole lot of buzz in the blogosphere and elsewhere about Web 2.0 and the power of social media, but how in the world do nonprofits take advantage of these emerging technologies without breaking the bank?
photo: Fred Cavazza's photos on Flickr.com

The first step is to slow down and enjoy the waves for a while. Don't feel as if you have to know all there is to know about blogs, wikis, rss, podcasting, IM (instant messaging) and de.licio.us by tomorrow. Tread lightly into the water (one big toe at a time) and see what works best for your organization. And remember, be strategic. Craft a plan that's tailored to YOUR needs not somone elses -- or as the new generation says, "Just Do You!"

All the wonderful nonprofit folks who joined me recently for a lively discussion at the Foundation Center in Atlanta, Ga., learned that small baby steps into the world of social media are okay. In fact, we actually created this blog within about 10 minutes during our training session -- how awesome is that! I did my best to not make it a 'duh!' presentation, but give me a shout here on the blog if I made your head swim. I really enjoyed you guys!
Photo from Kelsey Ruger's photos on Flickr.com

Here are few suggestions to get even the smallest of nonprofits off to a great start:

1. Familiarize yourself with the social media landscape and do a search to see how your nonprofit peers are using social media to further their cause and do more good in the world.

If a simple Google search doesn't yield the results you want, try one of the many blog search engines or blog directories out there. Of course Technorati is probably one of the most popular. They track more than 112.8 million blogs!

2. Next, since we already know that FaceBook and MySpace are not just for kids or musicians, try your hand at setting up a simple profile and slowly add information about your organization (include events, success stories, ways to help, video clips, pictures and more). If you have a Web site, be sure to add a link on your main site to your FaceBook and/or MySpace page and vice versa.

3. Look and learn: The Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Human Society are just a few nonprofits who have ventured into this space because they are serious about connecting people who care about their purpose with one another.

Linkedin, a network site for professionals, is also a great way to stay engaged. Their tagline couldn't be more true in the nonprofit world: "Relationships Matter." So whatever you do, don't get left behind. Build your networks now -- establishing a few relationships today, can pay off a lot tomorrow.

4. Have you always wanted to have your say on the radio, but just didn't know how to do it? Well podcasts have come to the rescue. These simple yet snazzy audio programs that you can create in the privacy of your own home, can help you spread your message like wild fire and help establish you as an expert.

I stumbled upon some very informative podcasts for nonprofit organizations that I think you'll really like on squidoo.com. So go ahead and achieve two goals with one effort -- learn about podcasting and how to create and run a nonprofit that rocks at the same time.

While you're at it, check out the Engaging Brand podcast headed up by Anna Farmery, the social media guru. Her tips on podcasting are great and easy to follow too.

Well this post is becoming way longer than I wanted. I will share more later. I cracked up when a woman at the Foundation Center presentation told me to put everything I said during the presentation, and everything I was THINKING, on this blog. Whew! That's a tall order. Wonderfish do A LOT of thinking.

So until later, 'put a little wonder back in your business' by adding a splash of social media here and there.

Angela
Chief Wonder Officer, Wonderfish Creative Solutions, LLC.