ART & SCIENCE OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
By Annie Campbell
Disability Network/Northern MI
Annie@disabilitynetwork.net
231.922.0903 ext. 12

5 Stages of Social Media
1. Denial
2. Fear
3. Confusion
4. Delight
5. Improved Results
Reflect…
What stage are you and your organization in right now?
What do you need to get to the next stage?

Why Bother with Social Media?
• Individuals want to see themselves reflected in the kinds
of causes nonprofits represent
• It creates connections
• It provides alternative ways for supporters to contribute
and get involved
• Cheap marketing
• It’s hip
Other reasons?

Social Media Won’t Help If…
• You don’t have clear goals
• Your message is weak
• You don’t have a strategy
• You’re not persistent

Define Goals
• Raise Awareness
• Gain Insight
• Reputation
• Relationships
• Action
• Donations
• Volunteers
• Behavior Change
Why is it important for us to set social media goals?

Measurement Basics
Strategy Plan/
Research
Refine & Adapt Do
Analyze Measure

Measurement
• Buzz created
• Traffic Volume
• Repeat Visits
• # of followers/fans
• Rate of message pass-along
• Likes/favorites
• Embeds/installs
• Media mentions
• Comments
What other metrics can we use?

Key Results
• Disability Movement & Awareness will increase with more
members/fans/followers
• Strengthen relationships with
customers, donors, volunteers, & community partners
• Attract attention from media
• Policies will get passed
Share one of your goals for social media.
How can you measure it?

REVIEW, ReVIeW, review…
• What does the data reveal?
• What works?
• What doesn’t work?
• What should be changed?
• Are we achieving our goals?
• How can we improve our activity?
• What goals need to be adjusted?
Have you collected social media data?
What have you learned from it?

Listen
• Subscribe to RSS feeds
• Find & follow individuals & organizations
• Search for keywords on Twitter
• Search for other nonprofits on Facebook
• Ask your supporters, volunteers, partners, & co-workers

Choose the Best Platform for You
• Pick social media…
• Where your supporters/customers are
• Where you are comfortable
• Features match your goals/needs
What platforms work well for your organization? Why?
How do you utilize specific social media?

Don’t Just Broadcast…
• Target your audience
• Encourage sharing
• Create conversation
• Ask for help/reposts
• Engage followers
• Use #hashtags w/ Twitter to categorize key words &
phrases
• Post on partner sites
• Create links to sites of interest and add a few of your own
comments
Other ideas?

Keeping Up…
• Be proactive, not reactive
• Develop a strategic plan
• Establish routine
• Review data regularly
• Add your social media sites to all marketing material
• Recruit allies
• Use social media tools (hootsuite, tweetlater, etc.)
• Start small
How does your organization keep up?

Resources
• Andy Wolber http://www.wolberworks.com/
• Beth Kanter http://www.bethkanter.org/welcome/
• Frog Loop http://www.frogloop.com/
• Google Analytics provides website data
• John Haydon http://www.johnhaydon.com/
• NetSquared http://www.netsquared.org/blog
• NTEN http://www.nten.org/blog
• American Red Cross Social Media Handbook
https://sites.google.com/site/wharman/social-media-strategy-
handbook
• Robert L. Weiner http://www.rlweiner.com/
• Social Media Guidelines http://socialmedia.policytool.net/
• Wild Apricot http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/

Thank You!
Questions?
Annie Campbell
Annie@disabilitynetwork.net
231.922.0903, ext. 12
www.disabilitynetwork.org