SOCIAL MEDIAAND BLOGGING

FOR NOT-FOR-PROFITS

1. MAKE IT MEANINGFUL2. HOW TO DO IT

3. DON’T LET IT TAKE OVER4. AND THERE WILL BE PLENTY

OF TIME FOR QUESTIONS

IT IS IMPORTANT, SIGNIFICANT AND HERE TO STAY. THAT'S BECAUSE THIS INCREDIBLE

DISTILLATION OF KNOWLEDGE IS NOW VERY MUCH PART OF OUR LIVES - CRAMMING AS MUCH INFORMATION INTO AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE.

BUT - WE NEED TO PAUSE AND MAKE IT MEANINGFUL.

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

THINKING IS IMPORTANT

The level of sensory bombardment we all experience has increased exponentially. Every one of us is permanently connected to the internet, to a mobile, or to a network or platform of some kind. This means we have to consciously choose to think about what we contribute - otherwise we stay switched on.

“IT’S HAPPENED VERY FAST, AND I SENSE THERE IS NO GOING BACK. THIS WASN’T SOMETHING WE CHOSE. WE DIDN’T HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AS A CULTURE AND REFLECT ON THE PROS

AND CONS. THE SHIFT HAS BEEN ITERATIVE, WE’VE UPGRADED &

EXPERIMENTED AND EARLY ADOPTED OUR WAY”

KATHERINE MURPHY, GUARDIAN, IN ‘MEANJIN’, MARCH 2013

WHY?

IT’S FAST, IT’S VIRAL, IT CAN SPARK ENGAGEMENT, AND IT’S

FREE.

SO WHY NOT?

AND WE RUN THE RISK OF BECOMING IRRELEVANT IF WE

DON’T DO IT PROPERLY.

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Because it makes clear financial sense If you can communicate faster, cheaper and greener why wouldn’t you do it.

The community expects us toIt’s how they are increasingly communicating with one another.

Both for your own workforce but in assisting your community help you be more efficient.

There are obvious productivity gains

KEY REASONS

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

RESOURCES.AUDIENCES.BLOGGING.

HOW DO YOU RESOURCE IT?

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

ResourceFramework Relate

Invest in the staff &budget to run a program in line with defined goals

Have flexibility to respond & inform - shape engagement around what you need

Define what you want to achieve and develop strategies & protocols to guide you

GETTING STARTED

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Extraordinary incremental gains can be made just by focusing obsessively on the small things. For instance, the size and colour of a donate button, the specific dollar amount asked for in an email.

Organizations need to make wise choices about where and in what amount to deploy resources, and set expectations about how much you’re willing to spend - not just in money but in staff time.

THINK, PLAN AND GET THE DETAILS RIGHT

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Be ambitious but it needs to be manageable. It takes resources and time to make a program work, on the internet as anywhere else.

Set expectations in line with resources but be bold - consider the opportunities of investing in social media.

Invest in people that can manage the program and give them the authority to develop and post content in a responsive way.

Don’t let day-to-day social media be slowed down by bureaucracy.

RESOURCING

ANY QUESTIONS?

HOW DO YOU SPEAK TO YOUR AUDIENCES?

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA

Anyone who says you can conduct your life primarily online, and be gadget-led, is wrong. The essence of work and life is relationships, and human contact.We're told having masses of links is great, but we only have a set number of hours in a week to speak to people and form relationships. It’s better to limit yourself to two types of social networking but do them well.

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Who do we want to engage?

CONSIDER What do we want to say?

What platforms should we use?

How o#en should we engage?

What role should we play in the conversation?

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

PLANNING

\ Social media needs to be targeted and relevant for it to work.\ You need to define what you hope to achieve by

using social media, and to develop deliberate tactics to achieve your goals.

\ The parameters of engagement should be put in place through developing social media protocols, including crisis management.

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

It needs to be clear.This means that execution is a huge factor - that the nitty-gritty of copy, design, timing etc. should ensure communication is clear, authentic, and compelling.

And they will talk back.Treat followers as real people by making sure to interact and respond to their comments.

It needs to be meaningful.The importance of building, and honouring relationships should inform your efforts. People need to understand the value of engaging with you.

HOW DO WE TALK?

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Communicate the small stuff, not just the big picture

CONTENT & TONE Encourage feedback and be responsive

Keep it personal

Use pictures or link to videos

Encourage staff & community to contribute

BLOGGING

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Consider creating a sector wide blog - you will have a stronger voice as a consequence.

It can be effective with very little resourcing - just time, proselytizing and hard work.

Media is increasingly becoming diffused and fragmented - presenting an ideal opportunity to develop your own voice.

WHY BLOG?

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

There are plenty of free templates and platforms that can be downloaded and customized such as Wordpress

Or a blog can be incorporated into your existing website which is easier

Keeping it new and fresh is key - you need to create original content

Decide how o#en you will upload content and who will take the lead in coordinating the effort

It’s important not to just set and forget - you need to keep it interesting to grow your audience

GETTING STARTED

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

Growingthe audienceTools Tell people

Growing your audience is a combination of hard work, clever promotion and good content - don’t give up!

Tell people that your charity has a blog via your newsletter, email and social media

Use video, pictures and infographics to keep the site interesting

BLOGGING TIPS

A WORD ON CAMPAIGN PLATFORMS.

DON’T LET IT TAKE OVER.OCCASIONALLY DISCONNECT

TO RECONNECT.

Fifty Acres – The Communications Agency

SOCIAL MEDIA CHECK-LIST!

It’s here to stay but be ethical and make sure it reflects the culture and values of your organisation.Relatively inexpensive way of communicating that will deliver savings.Take it on and empower staff with training and guidelines.Spend some time thinking about your tone and message.Don’t let fear about risks stop you having a vision.Estimate your investment and have clear objectives.Track your achievements and the benefits.

ANY QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU.