Social Media Basics
Tools
Twitter – Free, Simple-to-Use Social Media Tool Based on Microblogging – Short, 140-character-or-fewer status updates. Useful in many ways: engaging with like-minded individuals and organizations; participating in and creating conversations around your interests; making new contacts; discovering relevant information; and promoting your activity. Twitter can be accessed in a variety of ways—through its main site, Twitter.com (recommended for beginning users), as well as through a number of desktop clients and mobile applications.
Facebook - The social networking giant, Facebook, reported in July 2010 that 500 million people were actively using the free service. Users can create fan pages; share news in a variety of media (text, photos, audio, video); promote causes and events; and raise money.
Ning - Online platform that allows users to create their own social networks. Organizations on Ning include the ASPCA, TuDiabetes, the National Marriage Boycott, and My Social Actions. Features include blogging, photo and video sharing, event organization, discussion forums and chat.
LinkedIn - Networking site geared toward finding and maintaining professional contacts. Users can form “connections” with each other; look for jobs and post jobs; research information about organizations and individuals; and ask and answer questions. Free and paid versions are available.
Tutorials
Twitter Guide Book (Mashable) - Well-organized, comprehensive collection of articles that clearly and simply explain what Twitter is and how to use it effectively. Terminology, best practices for media makers, and tips on finding people to follow and building your community can all be found here.
Facebook Guide Book (Mashable) - How can your organization get the most out of Facebook? Here you can find out how nonprofits are using the service; pick up specific tips for journalists; and learn how to organize an event.
LinkedIn Learning Center for Non-profits - Three simple resources aimed at soothing your nonprofit’s “pain points,” such as lack of access to specialized knowledge; working with finite resources; and the difficulty of raising awareness.
LinkedIn Webinars - Free online classes that help you get started using your account and walk you through the basics of LinkedIn’s features and functionality. Schedules are subject to change, so check back often to find out what’s new.
Articles & Resources
How To Use Twitter To Engage Your Audience (NTEN) - Be consistent, plan ahead, make it personal, listen: these, plus more simple tips from the team at AIDS.gov on how Twitter can help you foster engagement with your community.
Twitter Strategy for Agencies and Causes (Adriel Hampton) - Written by a former journalist and current investigator for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. Offers helpful suggestions for increasing your number of followers on Twitter, such as: identifying and following influencers’ strategic messaging; scheduling and managing your tweets; and automating. Includes links to additional tools and resources.
Effective Fundraising with Facebook Causes (NTEN) - Brief introduction to how to start fundraising on Facebook by creating a dashboard for tracking donations and maintaining donor contact information, plus numerous examples of how nonprofits have done it successfully.
Nonprofits Can Be LinkedIn (NTEN) - Learn how to take advantage of LinkedIn’s pool of millions of potential donors, supporters and volunteers. Tips on forming partnerships; take donations; create groups for supporters; asking and answering questions; and connecting with younger age groups.
Online Database of Social Media Policies (Social Media Governance) - Does your organization have a policy on how employees should use social media to support its mission? Get ideas for a new policy or see how your existing one compares with 154 different social media policies across several different industries. Examples include NPR, the American Red Cross and Ogilvy PR.
