The potential of social media couldn’t be any greater and more valuable than for the non-profit sector, where resources are often scarce and funding is hard to come by. So the question that plagues the minds of thought leaders in the field is “how can we tap into and harness the power of this so-called ’social media’ to help create a real, meaningful, and lasting difference”? It’s a formula that no one has quite yet perfected and one that will undoubtedly take much time to figure out.
Here at jhr (Journalists for Human Rights), we have made real inroads in developing a multifaceted and always evolving social media strategy. As the Social Media Coordinator here at jhr, I’ve learned a few lessons while treading the unsteady waters of this new phenomenon.
Find where your supporters are hanging out and hang out with them
The vast options of social media tools available these days have given us an incredible opportunity to reach a wider audience and connect deeper with our existing ones. But entering the online realm in full force without any kind of understanding of the landscape is not exactly the greatest idea. Make sure to dip your toes in first and get a feel of what’s going on before your non-profit organization dives into any social network. Find out where your supporters are hanging out and scope out their demographics. Who’s hanging out where and what are they talking about?
At jhr, for instance, the main tools being used are Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube; each of which target a specific audience. Our Facebook fan page is one that is mainly used to interact with youth. Our hope is to provide them with empowering stories, images, and opportunities that will encourage the further development of their social engagement and consciousness. Meanwhile, Twitter has opened up avenues to connect with media professionals and non-profit leaders. It is an information sharing domain where stories about critical issues happening around the world are always being disseminated and discussed. Finally, our YouTube channel is an outlet by which we can visually demonstrate the work that we do to the general public. Each of these social media tools are tailor-fitted to our various audiences and by doing so, we are able to connect and interact with them in a truly unique way.
Let your supporters lead the way!
Give your supporters the chance to be in the driver’s seat
People want to be able to help in more meaningful ways than just reaching into their wallets. At jhr we have individuals contacting us all the time and asking us, “how can I get involved?”, “what can I do?”, “how can I help?”. I have no doubt that it’s the same for many non-profits. So start a campaign that’ll give all of your supporters (regardless of age, profession, or location) a chance to actively engage in the process of whatever it is your organization is striving towards. Call the people to action. Your campaign doesn’t have to be the most elaborate or expensive project. In our case, we’re launching a #tweet4rights campaign in late February (stay tuned for that!) that will call all our followers to use social media, especially Twitter, to write, collect, produce, and/or distribute media that creates dialogue on human rights issues (a little thing we like to call Rights Media). It’s easy, it’s free but it’s impact has the potential to be incredible. And above all else, it is our supporters who will be taking the lead role in raising and spreading the awareness that is so integral in mobilizing change.
Stay true to your mission and breathe it in all your online endeavours
Don’t lose sight of what your organization is all about and what it is that you’re striving to achieve. These new online tools are cool and hip and you can do all sorts of flashy and fancy things with them…but don’t let that distract you. Don’t let the allure that social media has to offer water down your message. At jhr, we develop our social media strategy around our goal of rights awareness, not the other way around. Just browse through our gamut of online assets, which include YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, our Rights Media blog, our Foreign Correspondence blog, and of course, our website, and you’ll see right away that this goal of ours takes priority over everything else. Stay true to your organization’s mission. Live it and breathe it in all of your endeavours. Online and offline.
I could go on to talk about jhr’s social media strategy and the future of the non-profit sector’s involvement in this rapidly evolving online world, but the truth is that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. I can only share with you my experiences. It’s up to you and your non-profit to wade through these waters and find out what works best for you. There will be peaks and there will be troughs, but once you learn how to navigate through them, I have no doubt that your experience will be nothing but smooth sailing.
Justine Yu is interning as jhr’s Social Media Coordinator while specializing in Political Science and Sociology at the University of Toronto.
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Great Blog Justine! You’ve done a first-rate job on social media here at jhr.
Really smart and thoughtful, Justine. I learned from it. Happy and proud to be collaborating with you.
Yeah. It is so great. I will come back and follow it
Thank you all so much for the positive comments! I really hope it was useful and that you can apply some of the lessons to your own non-profit.
Be sure to check out the January Non-Profit Blog Carnival, which is all about Online Outreach on a Budget (read here). It includes some really great resources that all contribute to this complex conversation.