Weighing the Benefits of Social Media

Today this article about how successful social media has been for some accounting firms appeared in my inbox. A few hours later I read these lines in my son’s blog.

I woke up Friday morning to a text from a friend about Cliff Lee joining the Yankees. I then checked Twitter and read numerous updates from Buster Olney about Lee to New York. I continued to turn to all sources and grabbed the remote. I turned on the television….

The first source my son checked for information was Twitter!

As a result of these two items, a few things have been running through my mind:
1. I have got to figure out how to use Twitter on a regular basis
2. If social media is helping accountants gain more business surely it can help nonprofits
3. Our future clients (for our accounting firm) and future (and some current) donors for nonprofits are using Twitter as a resource
4. While I like blogging, Facebook, and LinkedIn, I don’t find Twitter as convenient but I feel like it is something I need to be involved in.
5. Are nonprofits (and accounting firms) really missing out if they aren’t involved in social media?

I was then reminded of a forwarded article from my associate Liz Vibber about social media from the very practical and informative frogloop blog. It is a very balanced, objective look at the current value of social media and where your best efforts are spent with this communication method. One of the best points the article makes is that you build community and then use that existing community to spread your word in the online world. This is a great starting point for nonprofits that aren’t quite sure what to do about social media.

I note “current value” of social media. If today’s 20 year olds check Twitter first for up to date information, perhaps 5 to 10 years from now nonprofits will see a more significant percentage of their donations come as a result of their social media communications. Both accountants and nonprofits need to figure out the best way to make social media part of their lives. But we both need to take the time to figure out where and how that is best done.

Tweeting for Your Nonprofit-Seven things to consider before starting

another great article from fellow strategic consultant Liz Vibber

Having just attended a Roundtable discussion on the basics of using Twitter for nonprofit development directors, I was struck by the potential this medium has. Of course, on the flipside, I was also struck by what a huge time drain Social Media can be—with no benefit—if you don’t invest the time in creating a following for your messages.

So where does this leave one who is interested in using this medium? Here are my Seven Things to Consider:
1. First things first-create a policy. If you’re Tweeting on your own, this probably isn’t necessary-but if you’re a large organization and you are encouraging your staff to Tweet on your behalf, consider a policy that set Tweeting guidelines on number of Tweets and content.
2. Make sure you have something useful to say. Tweeting for the sake of Tweeting gets old very fast. Most people aren’t interested in knowing that the Barista of your favorite coffee shop make your latte ‘fat’ not ‘skinny’
3. Know how much is enough. I follow one guy who must Tweet 8-10 times a day…I keep following him because every once in a while he has a nice piece that is interesting. But I’m still annoyed because he clogs up my Twitter and I may soon ‘unfollow’ him as a result.
4. Know what is not enough. If you’re going to the trouble of creating a Twitter, securing a following and finding thoughtful things to Tweet, don’t lag for weeks at a time. Try to Tweet at least once a week.
5. Manage Your Tweets. Use a tool such as TweetDeck or HootSuite to manage your Followees and Followers. These tools will also allow you to track Tweets with key words or know when someone mentions or re-Tweets you. I was especially pleased to get a Thank you from a nonprofit group who recognized that I re-Tweeted them.
6. Create a following. You have to let people know you’re out there. Thoughtfully include the ‘follow me’ button on your e-mails and organization’s website.
7. Twitter is but 1. There are many social media tools out there, and more new ones coming soon. Consider the other tools at your disposal-FaceBook, Linked-In, etc. Another advantage of TweetDeck and HootSuite is they will carry your Tweets to these other mediums so you don’t have to post the same thing in multiple places.

With these things in mind, go ahead and get started. But remember, there is so much to learn everyday so keep reading and looking for opportunities to expand your knowledge base.