Why Social Media

What is social media?

Social media is the use of web-based and mobile technologies for interactive communication. While your website may be used as a tool to broadcast information, social media allows you to share information and receive comments, as well as giving your community the opportunity to share information and content with you.

An activist in Egypt explained: “We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world." 

How can this benefit my non-profit organisation?

  • Learn and connect with related non-profit organisations globally; share resources and knowledge
  • Reach a wider audience with your news; learn from your community's responses to your posts
  • Further your cause by encouraging your supporters to use their networks to spread the word; social media is about sharing information
  • Raise funds or support by teaching people about your cause; share interesting facts and statistics to encourage interest.

 

Here are some examples from actress Alyssa Milano:

Social media gives us a platform to use our voice for positive change. Last year for my 37th birthday, I mobilized a campaign to raise money to support Charity: Water’s clean water project in Ethiopia. I asked all of my Twitter followers to make a donation and spread the word through Twitter and Facebook. We raised $92,568, bringing clean water to 4,628 people, 928 families in 19 communities. It was the best birthday present I could have ever asked for.

As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, I again went to Twitter after the Haiti earthquake to challenge major corporations and organizations to match my donation of $50,000. The Twitter challenge garnered enough visibility to receive dollar-for-dollar matches from three organizations and double matches from two others. This resulted in $400,000 dollars for UNICEF to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

 

Social media helps you learn, teach, and grow.

But I don't have the time!

If you clearly define your goals, and understand how the various mediums work, this does not require you to invest all your time online. The fact is you have to make the time. This is an important communication tool that simply cannot be ignored. Start with the basics.

LISTEN. Follow related organisations on Twitter, and 'like' them on Facebook. Listen to what they are saying, and how they are saying it. Use their examples to

LEARN what you need to do. See what works and what doesn't. See what is possible for you to achieve in the time you have available. And finally

DECIDE what you want to achieve. Sign in and get started!

Still wary?

Contact me and I will mentor you through the process. I have worked with the South African non-profit sector for over a decade, developing an understanding of both the content, resource and technical challenges the sector faces. I can help you develop an effective online presence for your NGO.