Using Social Networks to Promote Good Causes

Tuesday, June 23, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Danielle Brigida is the social-media-outreach coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation, in Washington, where she manages the organization's voice on online networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Care2, Change.org, Digg, and StumbleUpon.

Wendy Harman is the social-media manager at the American Red Cross, in Washington. Previously she worked for the Future of Music Coalition, and was a law clerk at Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts.

Nancy E. Schwartz is a blogger at http://GettingAttention.org and president of a New York City-based marketing and communications-consulting firm that bears her name.

A transcript of the chat follows.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Thank you for joining us for today's live discussion on social-media strategies for nonprofit groups. This has been a topic of intense interest by many in the nonprofit world. As a result, we've reconvened a panel of social-media experts to take your questions today.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Today, we have three excellent guests on hand to take your questions. They are: Danielle Brigida, the social-media-outreach coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation, in Washington, where she manages the organization's voice on online networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Care2, Change.org, Digg, and StumbleUpon.

Wendy Harman, the social-media manager at the American Red Cross, in Washington.

Nancy E. Schwartz, a blogger at http://GettingAttention.org and president of a New York City-based marketing and communications-consulting firm that bears her name.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    They'll be available to take your questions on an array of topics related to social media -- and how nonprofit groups can create effective strategies for using tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIN to further their causes.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    For those who are new to this format, please note that there is no audio. This is a text-based discussion that will unfold over the next 60-plus minutes on this page. The page will refresh every minute with the latest content. You are invited to ask questions and post comments at any time during the discussion. To do so, simply click on the "ask a question" link on this page and type in your question or comment.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    With that, let's get started ...

Question from Anna, student:
    When you are using social media bookmarking sites and you have a series (example: part 1, part 2, part 3), should you submit your story all at the same time? Or submit each part a different day?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    It depends -- of course! If the three parts will be diminished in meaning and/or impact by breaking them up, I'd submit once, as a whole. Otherwise, go ahead and break them up for bookmarking on sequential days.

Question from anonymous, Baltimore:
    Recently, after expressing my concern over the edit-at-will status of Wikipedia, a colleague of mine said that he would rather have his organization's name out there and put out potential fires than not have an entry on the site at all.

What do you think? Is bad press still sometimes good press, even if it is virtual? Is it wise for nonprofits to put their organization's history/mission/etc. on sites like Wikipedia or even Facebook, for others to openly comment?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    I do think that being proactive in this way is far more strategic than waiting for others to speak on your organization's behalf, putting you in the position of having to correct or respond.

That goes for all communications channels, not just Wikipedia and not just social media.

Bad press is definitely bad press. By being out there, social media and general communications wise, your organization gets the facts out there. It's critical to get positioning -- that doesn't necessary mean internal-oriented content -- out there.

People have always had contrary opinions -- social media just makes it easier to get them out there.

Question from Christy Maxfield:
    Does it matter who posts a topic and/or reply on a third party blog topic that is related to your mission? Should parents only reply to parents, and professionals to professionals? Or can staff post those items so long as they don't misrepresent who they are?

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Christy. I do most of the "official" responding to third party blog (or other social media platforms) content related to the Red Cross, but we don't restrict any employee or volunteer from jumping into conversations. We issued guidelines to help everyone understand general netiquette and the importance of disclosing his or her relationship with the Red Cross. I don't think it matters as much if you match up parents to parents as it matters to be responsive to the individual.

Question from John, Nonprofit Professional Association:
    Hi there. A nonprofit professional association group I'm in is redoing its Web site, and it's been tough to get the staff to recognize the value of communication and networking tools for its members (vs. the current emphasis of "push information down"). In part, this seems to rely heavily on a mix of undervaluing relationship building and the information embedded in online conversation, and in part out of a desire to tightly control information. Any suggestions or stories of nudges that can lead to "aha!" moments for folks getting the value of building the infrastructure for online community?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Hi John, Great question! I'd focus on the value of member-to-member learning and relationships as being increasingly recognized by the association's members. If the association doesn't facilitate them, it's not providing all potential value to its members. They'll be more likely to go elsewhere and another network is likely to move forward to facilitate that community online and off, potentially cannibalizing membership.

Question from Kristine, ArtSpark:
    What do you see as the long-run potential for philanthropy via social networking? Even though mechanisms like Facebook Causes hasn't made a lot of money for organizations (yet), what might work instead? Thanks!

Wendy Harman:
    Right now I'm more interested than ever in figuring out the long-run potential of using these tools to provide value to the people we serve and to those who serve us. I'm personally less interested in focusing on fund raising and more interested in carrying out our mission in the 21st Century. I believe if we do that well and continue to fulfill the unique needs we've set out to fulfill, people will support us whether it's via our web site, Causes, or writing an old fashioned check.

More on point, I think people were super skeptical about giving online 10 years ago. As these tools become more commonplace in our lives I think giving via social media will also become more commonplace.

The funny thing is that no one even questions whether or not you should have a Web site or a donate button on your Web site anymore. I think we'll get there with social media as well. It's hard to refute the evidence that people are spending their time in places like Facebook so it's important to meet them there, regardless of whether they're giving in huge amounts.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    A quick note to those on Twitter. We're tagging Twitter posts about this conversation with #nptech.

Question from :
    Are Facebook ads worth paying for?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Sorry but I don't have enough data on that to give you a yes or no answer. What I do know is that the "social ads" offered are very targeted and potentially useful for organizations with fan pages. Anyone else have an opinion based on experience?

Question from Carol Kennedy Promises2Kids:
    What are some popular metrics that companies are using to measure the effectiveness of their social media campaigns?

Danielle Brigida:
    Some popular metrics include: Comments, number of members or friends, page views, dollars raised and referrals. Sometimes it is wise to compare the number of members you have in a group (or fan page) and find the ratio of how many of them are actually contributing. You can also measure how often people post or comment either over time or on a daily basis.

There is so much information out there that it's important for Non-profits to really focus on only the information they need. I usually monitor any jumps in membership on the various sites. I'll track the response we get from certain blog posts. Sometimes a post will get a lot of comments but not a lot of page views, so I can guess that the conversation was about a topic for those who are passionate but it may not interest a broader audience.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    A quick note on metrics. Social-media expert Beth Kanter recently agreed to take questions on how to measure the return on investment for social-media tools for nonprofit groups in a live discussion on Tuesday, July 21. We'll get the word out about the details of that event soon. It should be an interesting discussion.

Question from Megan, washington theatre nonprofit:
    We are just breaking in to the Twitter, YouTube, Facebook social marketing and one of my biggest concerns is that messages will get crossed - trying to incorporate marketing messages that ticket sales are up, etc. while trying to get message out that we are in the middle of a capital campaign and we need to broaden our donor pool. What is a good way to either separate the messages or combine the two so that a visitor does not get confused, or get so much information that they get frustrated and leave the page?

Wendy Harman:
    Good question! Something we also struggle with. I would try to be as honest as possible in explaining why, even though you're selling tickets, you still need capital support. What will you do with the money from this new donor pool? Concentrate on the impact your fans are making and show results. Bite-sized (or snack-sized) info is best, but you're forced to give small portions on Twitter and Facebook status updates.

Question from Shari Veleba, VOICEcorps reading service:
    What is the best approach in creating a presence on LinkedIn? In other words, is the profile completely that of my organization, or does an individual from the organization have to create a profile with his or her name, and then the nonprofit is a listing on that profile? I am a little confused on this point. Thank you very much.

Danielle Brigida:
    Linkedin is a professional network and it really focuses on making business connections. The best approach in my opinion is to do the following:

1. Create your own personal page -know that LinkedIn isn't hard to maintain but you should definitely have fill out your profile

2. Edit your company page -every company has a page and by making sure that information is up to date, people who search on it will have the most accurate information

3. Create a group - only do this if you are willing to monitor discussions and you want to get people connecting to each other under your organizations umbrella

4. Make use of LinkedIn's streamlining - connect your slideshare.net page, the books you are reading and your blog, so people know you are active.

Hope this helps!

Question from Raechel, Montclair Art Museum:
    If you don't have the most staff time and effort to devote to internet media and networking sites, which should you focus on?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Start with listening, described fully (strategy and how to's) here http://www.wearemedia.org/Tactical+Track+Module+1

Nothing is more important than being aware of what is being said about your organization and its work. And responding, appropriately, thoughtfully and strategically.

Your next step depends on your goals. First of all, ensure your Web site and e-news are strong. Those are your home bases online.

Next, for a museum, in general, I'd say a Facebook fan page (lots of great examples -- see storm king art center for one) and or a Twitter feed (Brooklyn museum is a winner there) are good places to start. Pick one, tiptoe in and keep evaluating whether it's the right move. If not, change paths!

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    We had a question about whether questions submitted before the discussion began will be included in the live portion of this conversation. The short answer is yes. We received a number of questions prior to the start of the discussion and we'll post the answers as our guests get through them. Thanks.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    I passed on the question about Facebook ads to our followers on Twitter and will post some of the responses as we get them. Here's what @amyshropshire had to say: "I haven't had much luck with FB ads. Most people I know have AdBlock installed and don't see them."

Question from Dayna, Small Start-Up:
    Is there a recommended approach to starting a social media campaign for a new national start-up? We are trying to father fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter and wondering what are the best methods to engage users?

Wendy Harman:
    I think you have to start by listening. Use Google search, technorati, or similar tools to search for people who are talking about your issues. These are the people who are most likely to care about your nonprofit. Start by engaging with them on their sites and of course strive to provide value to this community yourself. Always give more than you get. It's time consuming, but worth it.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Here's what @g_fox said about Facebook ads: "Great CTR (click-through-rate) if ad drives user within FB (Facebook), large drop-off if trying to convert to immediate sell or send user off-site."

Question from Adina, small business:
    Can you give us some suggestions on how not to OVERuse certain social media - like Facebook - so we don't turn people off?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    R-E-S-P-E-C-T! That's the way to go in life, and certainly in communications.

I always try to put myself in the target's shoes, and participate as audience on many nonprofit org Facebook pages, twitter feeds etc. so I don't forget what those shoes feel like. The point with social media I think is to say something when you have something meaningful or useful to say. Pretty much my rule in life but some folks seem to be using Facebook and twitter more as a minute-by-minute journal.

When you can add value -- for example, if you're listening to a keynote at a conference, don't tweet or post a straight excerpt -- but if you can add a useful and relevant spin, that's something to share.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    For those who want to follow the Chronicle's Twitter updates, our handle is @philanthropy.

Question from Suzanne Skinner, donor development :
    What are some realistic ways that nonprofits can measure the ROI (return on investment) of using social media? Or is better to just get in there and have a presence and not worry about returns?

How do you build a following for your Twitter page, Facebook page, etc. And how do you link those interactions and those relationships with the main donor management database?

Danielle Brigida:
    Beth Kanter http://beth.typepad.com is the nonprofit ROI queen and has some great tips on that very topic. What I can say is that with NWF we have found that by comparing traditional ROI like web metrics and donations to newer forms of engagement like comments and blog mentions we can really sense of what is engaging people. Building a following on these sites takes time, and social media gives your members and supporters a chance to interact without you but under your mission.

My opinion?

Get in there. Returns will be there, but I look at social media as a great way to brand your organization and extend the engagement ladder down so that it's easier for potential supporters to step on. I think whether or not you interact with them on Facebook today will affect their donation status with you tomorrow. But that's just me.

Question from Canine Companions for Independence:
    We have a lot of people in our organization that want to Twitter. Is it okay to have multiple Twitter pages, or should the goal be to have the most followers, meaning we wouldn't want to spread the followers out on multiple pages. What is the best strategy?

Wendy Harman:
    I'm not one to recommend you set your goals on the amount of followers you have, but on whether you are following the right community.

The answer to your question is, "it depends." At the Red Cross, we have one national account (@redcross) but we encourage all of our chapters and blood regions to create their own and to offer their own localized value to their community. This approach is working well for us.

One day we might have multiple Twitter accounts, but we haven't seen the need just yet within our strategy.

We also have lots of individual Red Crossers who tweet personally but also discuss their work.

Question from Megan, theatre non profit in DC:
    Also, is it okay to stray from the elevator speech found in campaign materials when using social networking sites? To me, Facebook and Twitter are a less formal version of your organization's Web site. I'm envisioning answering a Facebook user's questions in a "real" voice in hopes of obtaining a donor. Appropriate?

Danielle Brigida:
    Yes, I think you are right. I think even if you use some of the campaign materials -- with social media it is all about being authentic. A "real" voice is a great way to engage people and earn their trust. People who trust you also happen to donate to you.

Question from Katie, George Eastman House:
    How often do you suggest updating your institution's social media accounts (i.e. Twitter & Facebook)?

Danielle Brigida:
    If you can, daily. If you are worried about the time it will take, maybe gather a couple of tweets or messages you can post in a word document the week before. But I must say, 10 minutes every day on Twitter and Facebook seems to be more effective than 5 hours one day a month. So if you can find time to work it in-- I suggest you do. Just remember to jump in and jump out (that's the tricky part!)

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    We have another comment from a Twitter follower on Facebook ads. It's from @abhutchinson: "I used one for an event once. They're cheap. You get what you paid for."

Question from Arwen Berry, The DreamMakers Foundation:
    I am launching a nonprofit that helps individuals make their dreams come true by using technology to bring together complete strangers who want to help and have the right skills/contacts/resources to make the dreams happen.

There are so many wonderful tools out there (and there is so much to do in getting a business off the ground) what would be the first steps I should take around social media and my nonprofit? Are there resources that you could recommend to help me organize all these tools into a manageable plan?

If any of the speakers are available for more detailed discussion, I would love the opportunity to pick their brains. My email is dreammakerarwen@gmail.com. Thx so much for this great discussion topic!

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Arwen. First of all, good luck! I'll repeat myself here by saying I'm a big believer in listening to your community first, then developing goals for what you want to achieve and then evaluating various social media tools to determine how they might help you achieve those goals.

Anyone else want to chime in on this one?

Question from Nancy Jean, Lifespan:
    Would Wendy be able to share the staff "netiquette" with us?

Wendy Harman:
    Yes. Happy to. It lives on our intranet right now but I'll figure out a way to make the guidelines public. Hmm. Maybe watch http://blog.redcross.org for an update on this? I can put them on a page there.

Question from Cody Switzer, Goodwill:
    Do you have any examples of organizations who have a particularly effective social media presence? What makes them so successful?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Great question, Cody.

First pass answer, those who are starting (let me emphasize that, starting) to show successes share these characteristics: Realism: that ROI is unknown beyond the value of experimentation and learning. Confidence: to try what's new and be willing to reshape as needed over time. Planning: don't just do it. Think hard about what you're trying to achieve social media wise, and how it integrates with your other communications channels. That's the only way to get the most out of it. Sense of adventure: it's a bold new world and one that's lots of fun. Has to be seen that way. Interest in progress: if your leadership is all about the status quo, it's unlikely you'll get buy in. Of course there's always the "under the radar" approach.

Question from T Collins, nonprofit young professionals group:
    We're just getting started and only have a Facebook page at this point. What do you think the best use of social media space is - keeping people informed or as a recruiting tool or as a way to wrangle people in under one umbrella? We don't have a Web site - do you think we should if we have a Facebook page?

Wendy Harman:
    Hi T Collins! Well, it's tough to answer without knowing your goals. What are you getting started doing? What did you hope would happen when you created the Facebook page? My recommendation to you would depend completely on this answer.

Question from Carol Miller, do-it-all development consultant:
    I have been watching Twitter to get a handle on it's culture and communication effectiveness. I am frustrated by the language that people use (not bad, just doesn't make sense). Is this the way of Twitter or am I just reading the wrong stuff? I don't find it very appealing. Any thoughts on this medium?

Danielle Brigida:
    Well first off, I commend you for watching first-- before you leap. Twitter is definitely one of the more difficult mediums to get accustomed to. Because of your character limit (140) language can seem choppy or disjointed.

Here's my take on Twitter.

1. It's where the conversation starts - brevity may be the soul of wit, but I usually move my conversations off Twitter if they get too involved. E-mail, phone and other chats are effective ways to continue communication.

2. It's not formal, so people feel comfortable following organizations and people they want to learn more about. Keep this in mind! By using Twitter you are letting people sample what you are about before committing. So being present on Twitter may teach people a lot about your work.

3. You get used to it. Twitter and it's character limit can be challenging in a fun way(much like writing rhyming poetry)

4. It is fantastic for listening. I use Twitter nearly as much as Google when it comes to listening about how NWF is talked about. The updates are in real time and so I can quickly respond.

Whatever you decide to do-- just know that Twitter can be learned and mostly it's about finding out how it can improve your life and work.

Comment from Lindsey Williams, small nonprofit:
    I have so many social networking accounts (facebook, twitter, myspace). Is there a program out there which allows me to update them all at once?

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    I'll answer this one. One suggestion is FriendFeed: http://friendfeed.com/ It allows you to cull all of your updates in one place and also broadcast updates over a variety of channels, like Facebook and Twitter. Keep in mind, though, that Twitter maxes out at 140 characters, so you need to keep your posts short.

Question from Denise, Greater Milwaukee Foundation:
    We have an older (55+) donor base. We know they're active on the internet, but don't have a clue about their use of social media. What's your experience been with older audiences? Is one form of social media a better way to reach them than others? Thank you.

Danielle Brigida:
    NWF has a similar donor base (65 and older) and I have honestly experimented very little with moving them to our social media sites. That being said, I think introducing them to your organization's blog is a good first step. Maybe ask them to comment? We have done that many times and the comments are very touching.

What I hope to do in the future is push them to either Facebook or Twitter and just go the extra mile in really explaining what I want them to do step by step. Women 55 and older is the largest growing demographic on Facebook right now, and so if you can encourage your donor base to get on Facebook and support you there-- you should have some luck.

Question from Ted Adams, Rare:
    Thank you all for doing this. How do I set initial benchmarks around the social media we are experimenting with? We are focusing on a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and Face book to begin. Are there good benchmarking rules to go by? We have very limited staffing available for this so I imagine this influences it as well as our current constituent participation levels. Thanks!

Wendy Harman:
    I think Danielle and Peter have already given shout outs to Beth Kanter around measuring the ROI of social media. the first step is to read her blog.

It's important to listen to your community, figure out what they respond to and what they expect and/or need from you, learn from your activities, and then adapt as you go along. Try small steps at first and examine how well they matched your expected outcomes.

Question from Karin, civil rights organization:
    We are very new to using social media and other online tools, although we are an established organization with a basic Web site (not interactive). Any basic suggestions for how to use online tools to solicit donations?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Before stepping into full social media I'd bring your site up to speed. Because part of what you're aiming for is to drive more folks to that site. Make sure it's worth their while. And some degree of interactivity is crucial for that.

Long term, the best way to develop a community of donors -- online or off -- is to use online communications (both "traditional" and social media) to engage those folks and other supporters in an active community around the issue(s) that is important to them.

Then (and short term) you need an online giving tool. You can develop social media for specific campaigns that enable participants of , let's say, a Facebook fan page to receive all updates on their profile pages (which means their friends see it, talk about viral)! And of course make it easy for folks to give online via Network for Good or another online giving tool.

Most importantly, you can't go out there -- via Twitter, Facebook or another channel -- and ask. First build the relationships. Then you can ask.

Question from anonymous:
    How important do you think it is for a nonprofit to have a user-friendly Web site if they are venturing into social media? I feel like without the former the latter may be mute.

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    A robust, comprehensive, timely user-friendly Web site is indeed a prerequisite for social media. Bingo!

Question from Nancy Jean, Lifespan:
    How many staff do you believe are required to successfully manage social media for an organization?

Danielle Brigida:
    Depends on how good communication is within your organization. You can actually spread out the social media duties amongst many people just so long as you have one person who can focus on coordinating the efforts and managing the overall social media strategy. I manage NWF's strategy, but I am by far not the only person knowledgeable in the subject. We all work together and communicate via yammer.com about the work on the different programs we are doing.

If you are just starting out it takes just one person, some of the time--but once you have grown a social media presence that exceeds a few sites-- it may be a good idea to get more than one person involved.

I encourage our program staff to take initiative and have their own twitter and facebook pages if they want to. I just help with tips and promotion.

But remember, communication is key.

Question from Kirsten, small nonprofit:
    Our organization is looking to increase our social networking presence online to bring awareness to specific events. Our I.T. department is concerned with the potential for spam and virus infection due to exposure to social networking sights, like Facebook. Can anyone share insight as to how their organizations address these potential headaches?

Wendy Harman:
    Well, I can tell you that our IT department has similar concerns. My communications colleagues and I worked with IT for nearly 2 years before we were able to find a solution so that we can have access to these sites without putting our infrastructure at too much risk. My first piece of advice is to just keep an open line of communication with IT. It's easy to make the business case for social media tools these days. Secondly, ask your IT department to talk to other organizations who are crossing this hurdle to find out how they've done it.

Question from Alison:
    We have just started using Twitter. Can you recommend some good examples of nonprofit organizations with a vibrant, active presence on Twitter? Thanks!

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Here are a few of the best of the many I follow: 1) @brooklynmuseum (overall pro w/social media use, learn from them) 2)@NWF

3) @humanesociety

4) @freshairfund

5) @nonprofitsrq

6) @mdnonprofits

Question from Karen, social services nonprofit:
    I manage our organization's Twitter account and am wondering if there's a general rule for following back people who follow you. It seems to me that the more people I follow, the more I get our organization's name out there. However, I'm concerned that people may view who we're following as an official endorsement from our organization. Do I need to be concerned about this?

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Karen - I think there are very few people who would view a Twitter follow as an official endorsement. Your attorney may have a different view or perceive a risk, but that's just not how the culture of Twitter works. I'd recommend you follow the people who provide the most value to you and to your organization and not worry too much about keeping your follower to following ratio at a certain point.

Question from Morris Cox, Red Rock Center for Independence, small nonprofit:
    I haven't seen any mention of Second Life. Is it considered a social network or just a virtual world?

Danielle Brigida:
    I'm a bit clueless when it comes to Second Life. I know that people have raised money on it, and that they technically network while on it too! That being said, when I joined I couldn't even figure out how to sit down. If you are asking me what I think of it? I think it's a virtual world with social networking opportunities.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    For our subscribers, I'd like to pass along this link to a recent story on how some nonprofit groups are using virtual worlds like Second Life: http://philanthropy.com/premium/articles/v19/i07/07t000401.htm

Question from Katie, George Eastman House:
    What are some of the biggest mistakes that organziations make when promoting themselves via social networks/media?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Hi Katie,

Well first of all social media is not about promoting your organizations. It's about becoming part of the conversation in the world in which your org works -- on the issues and geographies on which you focus and how your org contributes. That's a crucial distinction.

So promoting your org via social media is a huge mistake!

The second biggest possible mistake is to jump in before setting up a listening campaign. It's critical to know where your base (and detractors) are online and what they're saying about your field and work. That's the first step in, and guides you in prioritizing social media channels.

Comment from Lon S. Cohen:
    For the person looking to broadcast a message to multiple Social Media sites, Ping.fm is a great way to do this too. Handles most of not all the basics SM sites and includes settings to mange just status updates, microblogging or blogging which you can switch between. (@obilon)

Question from Fraser, Phoenix House:
    Our e-newsletter, Facebook and Twitter posts currently are coming out of the communications department. There is some momentum to use a wider array of voices, but after the distribution of the new "Social Media Policy", I think people were not sure whether they were encouraged to post and network, or being told to watch what they say. More than once I heard people read the policy and comment: "So every time I post, I have to put a disclaimer that I am not speaking for the agency?"

What are some goods steps to create a positive environment for using social media?

Danielle Brigida:
    Good question. It sounds like the Social Media Policy is a bit of a hindrance to your staff's motivation. Staff know they are going to be held accountable for what they say, especially if they do so using social media-- so I'm not sure why you would need to reiterate that in the policy. Is there a way to loosen the ropes on the policy? If not, then I say encourage staff to be themselves but maybe list on their profile that their personal views don't reflect the agency's.

I think finding some way to prove you trust the employees is a good way to make the social media environment positive.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    A suggestion via Twitter from @valnelson, who is following along at the #nptech hashtag: "To manage multiple staff members posting social media updates, use a social networking intranet such as yammer.com or ning.com"

Comment from Lon S. Cohen, ALS Associaiton Greater New York Chapter:
    Also FYI - For great non-profits using Twitter: http://mashable.com/2009/03/19/twitter-nonprofits/ (@obilon)

Question from Lee Hall, small nonprofit:
    My executive director is apprehensive about having a Facebook page for our organization and having people post negative material. Is it possible to delete negative comments? I've had trouble with my own page making any changes on Facebook; it seems once it's there, it's there forever.

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    A common concern, Lee. Facebook does allow the Fan Page owner to delete entries (such as negative comments about a program, for example). But the more you try to control a conversation in this manner, the more harm you're actually doing.

I recommend that your organization try to evolve with your base's input (consider it free, ongoing audience research) and will find if you listen and address negative comments, loyalty to your organization will inevitably get stronger.

Question from Dayna, Small Start-Up:
    Thank you for your earlier response. Following up, if ticket sales are a driving force of the company, should we lead with sales incentives and exciting sales news or lead with cause-based information? Essentially, do you think fans are more likely to respond to a charity-based ad or a sales ad on an exciting concert?

Wendy Harman:
    Hi again Dayna. I'm no ad expert, but I think your community would probably welcome whatever valuable and action-oriented information you can provide to them. Building a social media community won't work if you're solely marketing focused, but it will work if you engage the people who care about your issues.

Question from Colleen Farrell, New York Cares:
    We're a volunteer organization, with 98% of members managing their activities with us vi a our website. Our Facebook and Twitter presences are growing rapidly. A challenge for us is figuring out how to appropriately engage volunteers who create their own special interest groups related to their work with us. Do you have tips for managing brand & reputation as members create their own subnetworks and conversations directly related to our work? What's the right level of participation?

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Colleen - this is a doozy and something I reevaluate every day. Whenever I find myself saying, "Wait a minute. They can't do that because we're not in control of it..." I make myself stop and examine why I feel like I need control over this kind of group. I think if you offer guidelines to all of your volunteers for presenting themselves online whether it's in their personal or professional capacity, they'll probably be ok. If you're still worried, ask to be involved in the groups. It's the greatest compliment in the world for a volunteer to care enough to create a whole group and try to get his/her network involved. That's probably what you want to have happen but it feels strange and out of control at first.

Question from Jenna Smith, Niagara County Community College:
    What's the difference between a Facebook Fan page and a group?

Danielle Brigida:
    With the new features, fan pages are used similarly to profile pages. When you update your fan page, it goes onto the feeds of your fans.It is also very customizable with different applications you can download and tabs you can add to your fan page.

Groups are a little more basic. While both fan pages and groups have administrators- in groups you can actually set the group to private so that you have to be invited or accepted to join. In a way, groups do offer more control and if you have less than 5,000 people in it you can actually send an update to their facebook inbox.

Question from Trish, Ipswich River:
    We have just dipped a toe into using Facebook. Can you recommend some good examples of nonprofit organizarions with a vibrant, active presence on Facebook? Thanks!

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Hi Trish. I'm going to guess that you've put up a Facebook fan page and there are lots of great examples there (although Facebook changed features for fan and group pages in a major way back in March, and I expect them to keep us on our toes with more changes down the line). These are some strong model fan pages: Storm King Art Center, Planned Parenthood, NTEN. Best of luck with it!

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    From @TrailBlazerSoft on Twitter: "Facebook ads - very targeted, very effective fit any budget."

Question from Julie, ACCION USA:
    I've been growing our social media strategy for the last three months and I've got a good handle on the foundational concepts. How do I take the strategy to the next level (such as mobilizing my Twitter followers for a campaign)? Are there resources or places where I can collaborate and brainstorm with other people who are running a social media strategy that isn't nascent anymore, but isn't robust yet?

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Julie - Again, I'm in the Beth Kanter fan club. Read her blog, subscribe to it, follow her on Twitter. It's an absolute must if you're hoping to create a successful social media strategy for your nonprofit. You take your strategy to the next level by just doing it! Try out different ideas. Not all of them will work. Henry Ford once said, "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Make sure you learn from everything you do and adapt accordingly for next time. And keep listening to your community!

Question from Debra:
    Do you have any suggestions for managing accounts for multiple social networking sites? I see the importance of meeting people where they are, but it's challenging to keep up with so many different services, and managing information about your organization in so many different places can quickly become overwhelming.

Danielle Brigida:
    Streamline! There are a number of sites out there that let you post to one site and it will update to several. For example, ping.fm is one site that allows you to update your statuses in several places.

Just look for sites that streamline social media and you will uncover many. Firefox also has a number of add-ons and there are even opportunities using grease monkey scripts to find shortcuts.

Another thing that you can do is set up a schedule and stick to it. Monday Wednesday Friday is Twitter, Facebook day and the other two days are for the remaining sites.

I keep a list of social networks I'm on and that helps me know when I need to let a few of them go because it's impossible to really focus on the communities I'm working on. So if you can't find a way to shortcut, then find a way to prioritize.

Question from Samantha, small nonprofit:
    What do you think of using social mediums (Facebook in particular) as a way to recruit volunteers? Especially for events - do you think it's a good resource for organizing events?

Danielle Brigida:
    Yes! But tap into local communities. Find groups or pages centered around the area or the cause and recruit that way. I think you could be very successful if you look locally.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    We'll keep the conversation open for a bit longer to accommodate some of the questions we haven't yet answered. Thanks.

Question from Jill Finlayson, Social Edge:
    How can your online social media presence contribute to, or enhance, your offline fund raising efforts? Is there a concern that social media activities (voting, micro fund raising) might fatigue donors and how do you balance that with the value of building ongoing communication with your constituency?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Hi Jill. You've put your finger on a huge debate in the fund raising arena and, I'm afraid, there's no clear answer.

Clearly, online (social media, Web and e-news) communications have to be fully integrated (e.g. looked at as a whole) with offline communications. More specifically, expert Mal Warwick swears that online helps most in conjunction with an offline campaign -- a before e-mail, and after e-mail.

I'd say that older generations have an established way to give and some will want to stick with that. Many others will be influenced, if not motivated 100 percent, by social media presence (more on the community-building side, as an indirect path to building a more engaged group of loyal supporters, and donors).

But you'll have to survey or do an informal phone poll or online survey to see what your base's specific preferences are.

Question from Karin, civil rights organization:
    We are very new to using social media and other online tools, although we are an established organization with a basic website (not interactive). Any basic suggestions for how to use online tools to solicit donations?

Danielle Brigida:
    My question for you is are you using e-mail marketing? I think social media works best when in collaboration with your other marketing efforts. If you could find a way to connect your fans on Facebook and then encouraging them to get involved with you either in a donor or volunteer capacity you will have luck. But truly incorporating social media in your current marketing has proven to be really effective. Though it shouldn't be measure the exact same because remember, we are focusing on the "social" in social media.

Comment from Val Nelson, WebFlowology:
    Please provide the Twitter handles of all today's speakers. Thanks.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    Danielle Brigida is @starfocus. Nancy Schwartz is (appropriately) @NancySchwartz. Wendy Harman can be found at @wharman. And you can follow us here: @philanthropy. Thanks.

Question from Vicki, web-based npo:
    What advice would you have for a nonprofit that is just starting to break into blogging? We're getting ready to launch a new blog and envision having several different contributors. Is this a good idea or would it create congestion? What is the best way to "market" a new nonprofit organization blog?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Blogging is a great way to get your org's "voice" out there clearly and expressively. So that's what's needed -- voices/bloggers who are willing to be themselves, that is to blog in what's probably a more conversational, informal way than they're used to in professional communications. That's what adds richness to blogs!

A group blog is a great idea if bloggers are commenting on a single issue or theme. It can get confusing if that guiding principle is absent, or weak.

Practically speaking, a group blogs spreads out the blogging work!

Marketing wise, best thing is to start commenting on blogs within the issue areas you focus on, and on related blogs. Also, make sure you add technorati tags (so your entries are indexed by relevant search terms) and keywords to every post. Create a blog roll of other blogs you think are crucial to your blog readers and let those bloggers know. Just a few first steps! In terms of

Question from Val Nelson, WebFlowology:
    People talk about creating status updates on multiple networks at once with tools like Ping. But it doesn't seem to work for Facebook Pages (only profiles) last I checked. Has someone found a way?

Thank you.

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Val - I'm old fashioned and update each tool individually so I'm not sure. I think there have been several other suggestions in today's chat.

Do others have an answer to this?

Question from Aaron, The Elevation Group:
    Social Networking isn't an "if you build it they will come." Any suggestions on building followers, friends, fans etc. fast?

Danielle Brigida:
    Join communities and be active. By serving up trusted information and becoming a resource to people, they will begin to follow you. Also, reciprocal is a good way to be. Help your friends and they will help you!

Question from Julie, ACCION USA:
    I've been growing our social media strategy for the last three months and I've got a good handle on the foundational concepts. How do I take the strategy to the next level (such as mobilizing my Twitter followers for a campaign)? Are there resources or places where I can collaborate and brainstorm with other people who are running a social media strategy that isn't nascent anymore, but isn't robust yet?

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Hi Julie. Here are a couple of venues where a community of nonprofit social media users is developing: NTEN (and its LinkedIn group and Facebook page), and WeAreMedia.org (wiki).

Question from Ashley Wiers, University of Michigan Development Intern:
    I'm working on a social media project as part of my internship at U. of Michigan Development, and have quickly learned through my research that social media requires a solid outreach and launch planning in order to be effective for an organization. Do you have any resources or suggestions on how best to plan for implementation and use of social media tools? In particular, we're focusing on a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    Again, I point you (and everyone) to the strong planning guidance provided in WeAreMedia.org. The planning section is here: http://www.wearemedia.org/Strategy+Track+Module+2

Comment from Adrienne Irmer, Marketing Intern, National Able Network:
    Just wanted to chime in on blogging... we are gearing up to do something similar and if your focus/mission is dependent upon positive word of mouth then blogging is a necessity. It says you value feedback and want it to be know to others who are interested.

My question, however, is to know what kind of success any of the participants/guests have had on Idealist and GoodTree... more philanthropic 'social' media sites...

Nancy E. Schwartz:
    It's been such a pleasure to chat with all of you but I have to jump off to prep for a board meeting call coming up shortly.

Thanks so much for the conversation!

All best, Nancy

Question from Denise, Greater Milwaukee Foundation:
    If other departments within an organization see social media strictly as a marketing/promotional venture, do you have any suggestions on helping them better understand social networking? Thank you.

Danielle Brigida:
    I feel like people in social media can sniff out greed quickly (not saying you are being greedy, just saying marketing tends to be noticeable and annoying). Authentic marketing on the other hand, is welcomed so long as it is appropriate and not pushy.

Maybe challenge the marketing team to remember the "social" part of social media and encourage a new type of marketing. One that isn't centered around ads but around solving an issue for people or serving as a resource. Chances are good they want to hear what you are trying to market to them. But communicating to them effectively is more important then meeting an end goal - especially on social media.

Question from Karen Maunu, Love Without Boundaries Foundation:
    We are using Facebook, Twitter, Linked In (just starting), and blogging. I was wondering about some of the other social media sites. I heard that we might want to try reddit.com or digg.com. Other than the basics, what do these other sites give us? Thank you!

Wendy Harman:
    Hi Karen. I would be careful not to fall ill from shiny object syndrome. If you've got tons of time and resources at your fingertips, you can explore infinite social media tools and platforms. But, you probably don't, so concentrate on where YOUR people are spending their time. Keep your eye on niche sites and up and comers, but really be sure you have the capacity to handle so many official platforms.

Digg and Reddit can bring you tons of traffic, but it takes a long time to build up enough relationships and trust there for it to work.

Wendy Harman:
    Thanks to everyone. This has been fun! I hope to continue the discussion.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    It looks like we've run out of time. Thanks to everyone who joined us today and offered questions and comments. As is the norm when we discuss social media, the conversation was fast and furious. A special thank you to our guests -- Danielle, Nancy, and Wendy -- for agreeing to take your questions today.

Danielle Brigida:
    Thank you for a great time! With more questions feel free to ask me via facebook or @starfocus!

Wendy Harman:
    Thanks to everyone. This has been fun! I hope to continue the discussion.

Peter Panepento (Moderator):
    A final note: If you enjoyed today's discussion, please feel free to check out our archive of transcripts of previous discussions at http://philanthropy.com/live. We also have information about upcoming discussions available at that address. Thanks again.