Social media isn't just for selfie-crazed teenagers. It's a powerful tool that helps you connect with your constituents, find out what matters to them, keep them up to date, and engage them with your organization.
Make the most of your efforts by sticking with these best practices.
Strategy
You don’t want to jump in unprepared! First, outline a strategy by asking yourself these questions:
Who are we trying to reach? Define your audience, and focus on the social media platforms they are active on. This also helps you determine the best time to post and how often.
What do they want to hear from us? Plan your social media posts to deliver what your constituents expect to hear.
What do we want our constituents to know? Consider ways that you can integrate social media with your existing communications efforts.
What is our brand voice? Pick a voice that is in line with your organization's image but also appeals to your audience.
Download this handy strategy template from Bloomerang to record your decisions.
Goals
To measure the success of your social media efforts, you should set specific goals.
Here are a few types of key performance indicators (KPIs) for social media, in order of importance:
Referral traffic: Do social media posts drive traffic to your website?
Conversions: From that referral traffic, do users make donations, sign up for events, or take other specific action?
Engagement:Are users interacting with your brand accounts?
Followers
Mentions
Shares
Comments
Likes / +1s / favorites
Sentiment: What do other social media users think of your organization and the issues it represents?
Overall, your social media goals should support other organization goals, such as increasing event attendance or building a community. Try to avoid "vanity metrics," such as a certain number of Likes on Facebook. Specific, measurable goals are necessary to track and improve your organization's performance on social media.
Bloomerang has put together a fantastic performance scorecard to help you track your efforts.
Content of Posts
Social media posts are the delivery method of your social media strategy, so make each one count!
Your posts should focus on your constituents, not your organization. Acknowledge their gifts and volunteerism. Make them feel good about what they've done, and they'll share your posts! Keep them coming back for more content from you.
Include pictures to make your posts stand out.
Use a hashtag consistently in your posts, and encourage your followers to use it, too. But don't stuff too many hashtags into one update!
Don't be afraid to speak directly to individuals. You don't have to use social media as a bullhorn.
Ask your employees and board members to post from their personal accounts. It's better than having everything come from a logo!
Social Media and Bloomerang
Bloomerang brings the power of social media to you. Include Facebook and Twitter buttons in your emails and online forms. See how often the social media buttons are being clicked in emails.