This weekend I got the opportunity to attend Social Slam 2013 – a social media marketing conference in Knoxville, TN. Several hundred social media executives and gurus discussed issues, tools, and topics on social media marketing. As someone looking to make a career in this unrecognized but growing industry, I felt like I was in social media heaven. By the end of the conference, I had gathered contacts, books, and most important of all knowledge.
One topic discussed was Social Media Marketing for non-profits. Creating the perfect event includes promotion, which may include social media. Too often we see many of these organizations take wrong turns and then wonder what happened with their social media efforts. Here are a few “don’ts” when using social media for non-profits:
1. DON’T Overwork Director of Marketing
The Director of Marketing responsibilities includes promoting the organization, promoting upcoming events, gathering sponsorships, ect. The last thing you want to do is pile more work on them. Social media marketing takes time! Successfully connecting involves being engaged with the audience. Your Director of Marketing doesn’t have time to do this.
TIP: If it’s too much for your organization to hire someone to manage social media and blogging, look into automatic tools such as HootSuite, TweetDeck, and Sprout Social.
2. DON’T Hand Off Your All Your Accounts To Interns
Your organization’s purpose is to promote its mission and strengthen its brand. Hiring an intern to lead this might not be the wisest decision for your company. Not because they’re not qualified, but because they just don’t know your brand like you do. Also, there will be mistakes made using social media – misspelling, wrong dates, broken links – you should have more control over these problems.
TIP: Hire the intern, but create opportunities for them to gain practice and experience with the company. Teach them the brand, the mission and ways you have successfully promoted the company. Have them write blogs, attend events, send in sample posts and do research to help build your company. The goal is to make he/she understand the brand as if they are an employee before you hand over your Twitter and Facebook passwords.
3. DON’T Spam Potential Supporters
If I called every five or ten minutes with the same message everyday, would you be excited to support my message? I doubt it. Social Media is the same way. Sending a thousand messages will not only minimize your audience chance to supporting, but it will also contribute to the loss of followers on Twitter or fans on Facebook. The “golden rule” applies for Social Media as well. “Tweet others as you want to be tweeted.” You have to engage and connect with the people you are trying to reach.
TIP: Plan your tweets ahead and schedule them. There’s no set number of times you should tweet, however, switch it up at little. Give links, share photos, ask questions, and reply to the people responding to you.
Hopefully these tips help your organization head in the right direction when creating social media marketing strategies. Good luck!
