Community Organizer 2.0

Fan and follower numbers mean nothing without engagement. In this case study, I analyze why a company with 4,000 Twitter followers and almost 500 Facebook fans is failing at social media.

Nonprofit organizations constantly need to raise funds, and many are turning to social media to raise funds online. Organizations ask, “when does social media lead to more money?” The real question to think about is, “when does engagement lead to more money.” Using social media to engage, listen and learn from stakeholders is the first requirement for a successful online fundraising strategy.

Engagement is critical to creating stronger organizational relationships, but it is relatively difficult to really engage followers on Twitter. Having a conversation with followers is one of the easiest way of engaging, but it is hard to have a conversation with every one of your followers. Here are five ways that nonprofit organizations are creating spaces for real engagement on twitter.

Three arts organizations (Houston Ballet, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and Luce Foundation Center for American Art) are innovating ways to use Flickr creatively, and in the process offering backstage passes to the organization, amplifying programming, and engaging stakeholders in real decision-making.

Why should CEOs and Executive Directors use social media themselves? Because they are an extension of their organization and organization’s brand. In this post, I argue that CEOs must use social media themselves to engage with customers and also post a short slide show on the basics of extending ones personal brand and network on some social media platforms.

Even the most local businesses and community organizations can use social media. In this post, I give concrete examples of how the local business or organization can benefit from incorporating social media into its business model. The world is no longer Local, it’s Social.

Direct conversations with stakeholders benefit the organization across all sectors. How can we create blog posts that engage readers in “blog conversations?” In this post I suggest a different types of blog posts that will engage readers and consider the positive potential outcomes from each.

The most important blog metrics answer the questions: who is engaged, and how deeply engaged are they? This post offers three different measurements of blog reader engagement, and why that matters to non-profit organizations.

What metric do you use to find where your stakeholders are most social online? Time spent online on social networks, cross-referenced with good demographics are the key.

A communication checklist can help you discover if you are communicating dynamically. An example of moving the conversation forward with stakeholders.