Good Works Grapevine

I’ll be on vacation until Jan. 7, but will try to leave you some tidbits of good info here and there.

• 10 Social Media Tools for PR Professionals and Journalists (while some of these are PR specific, I think that they are all worth a look)
  
• Speakersite.com (this is a great social media community for speakers trying to get their name out and looking for work)
• Should Your Nonprofit Launch a Blog?
• 5 Tips to Starting a Nonprofit Blog

I hope that this is helpful although somewhat of a cop-out for a real post. I’ll add news here and there as I have time and look forward to returning to you full-time on Jan. 7.

Until then, have a safe and happy New Year!

Well, we’re mostly moved into the new house. Stuff everywhere but the internet is kind of up and running. We have satellite (which stinks) but are trying to talk the phone company into running DSL to the house (apparently the switch is not that far away).  Worst case, we’ll bite the bullet and get a T1 line (expensive). I expect that by Monday, we’ll be mostly back to normal.

Here’s something to chew on while you wait:

The Responsible Marketing Blog - How to use social media to create social good

Beth Kanter ran a great post about pitching to bloggers as a nonprofit. Great way to get exposure for your organization - good stuff!!

Quick nugget this AM - if you are a part of a nonprofit and use Twitter, please take a few minutes and complete this survey. Thanks!

So you want to dive into the use of social media for your organization? But where do you start? It’s easy to get sucked into the “sparkliness” of all of the tools, sites and widgets floating around on the web. But, the whole notion can become overwhelming very quickly. How do you know what’s right for your business goals?

When GoodDogz.org ventured down this path, my inclination was to use it all. Did the tools have to make sense for us? No. I had that “if you build it, they will come” mentality and assumed that more was better. Boy, was I wrong.

I can admit that it’s hard to live by your own rules. I have advised client after client to have a strategy - a plan. But when it came to my own organization - I wanted it all and I wanted it now. So, I had to take a step back, take a deep breath and think. What in the heck are we using these tools for? And that was they key that opened the door to a wonderful new website with effective social media properties.

You have to keep it simple, particularly when you are just starting out. Assess your organizational goals and research what tools will help you reach those goals. Realize that not every tool is effective and not all effective tools will work for you.

Once you have a list of tools that you feel will meet your needs, do a little research. There are many, many accessible social media professionals that can help you figure out which tools meet your strategic goals. Also, see what other organizations in your industry are doing. What’s been successful for them. I firmly believe that social media has leveled the playing field for non-profits and often review what the “big guys” are doing. Learning from the successes/mistakes of others will save you a lot of time and heartache.

Be sure that you have a marketing plan to compliment your new tools. Just because you build it, doesn’t mean that users will be knocking down your door. Have a strategy for how you plan to reach your user base. Get them excited about your new offerings. Remember - their engagement is your success.

And once you have your cool, new tools in place, engage your audience. Without your participation, the excitement and involvement will dwindle.

I ran across this interesting article from TechSoup.org (they distribute discounted software packages to non-profits). It’s a checklist for deciding whether your organization/business should consider using social media as a marketing tool. Although it is pretty high level, I think that its a good starting point for folks who are completely new to this type of promotion. Check it out!

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page7935.cfm

GuideStar.org - for lack of a better description - is the Better Business Bureau for non-profits. GuideStar collects, verifies and makes public financial information about non-profits. By becoming a GuideStar non-profit organization, you, in theory, boost your legitimacy by making your financials completely transparent. GuideStar’s profiles also allow non-profits to list their goals and accomplishment as well as board information, contact info, important documents, etc. In return, GuideStar offers non-profits helpful newsletters, online classes, information on grants, etc. And some fundraising services, like JustGive.org, require you to have a GuideStar profile before they will accept your organization.

GuideStar has recently launched the GuideStar Exchange, an enhanced version of their already robust service. In order to be part of the exchange, your organization must provide your IRS determination letter and an audited version of your financials.  The jury is still out on what this upgrade really gets you.

So, if your org hasn’t set-up a GuideStar profile, set aside 20 minutes and do it. You’ll be glad you did!