pa311's posterous

Top Ten for Social Zen

I recently came across a top ten list of social media habits in successful NPO’s.

The list is very interesting and alarming. And since most of us have not exhausted all the benefits and dangers of this new networking tool, the list is extremely helpful.

Some great things to consider:

·         Social media does not save time, it requires it. Daily and weekly updates are essential.

·         NPO’s are discovering that the more time invested, the greater the return.

·         Don’t let social media reduce marketing costs, but conjoin the new with the old for more effectiveness.

·         Dedicate your NPO to social media.

·         Outsource if necessary.

The rest of this article very thoroughly examines these situations.

One of the best pearls of wisdom here is to start slowly and incrementally.

Also, since your NPO needs visibility, social media can help.

However, there is still accountability for organizations crossing into online networking. Creating in-house rules on whom and how social media will be used is important.

 Social media is also extremely useful for integrating and strengthening the culture within an NPO.

There are few cons to social media, but a lot of caveats. Organizations can learn a lot from the mistakes of others…

Older Americans and the Internet

Non-Profit organizations have always had at least one counterpart in their lethargic attempts to integrate into social media; Americans aged 50 and over also seemed to resist the networking trend.

However, all that is quickly changing. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project web site, recent surveys indicate a rapid infusion of older Americans into social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Non-profits can capitalize on these tends by becoming more involved in social media itself.

The numbers present a strong case for NPO’s to get involved. Daily social networking increased 88% from 2009 for Americans aged 50-64. For those 65 and older, the increase was an even 100% from 13% to 26% social media interaction. The study cited reuniting with old friends and bridging generational gaps as reasons for the increases.

What does all this mean? It indicates the overwhelming migration of social activity to the internet. As we discussed last week in class, technology budgeting needs to become one of the top priorities of NPO’s. This is easier said than done. NPO’s become so focused on their mission, and remaining faithful to their altruistic nature, that they tend to remain passive. NPO’s need to recognize that they must become proactive and aggressive in establishing their mission. The opportunity is there for NPO’s to become entrenched in social media outlets. However, that involvement needs to be more constructive than just becoming available to social networks.