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Facebook closing in on 1 billion users

Mashable announced last week that Facebook is projected to reach 1 billion users by August 2012 according to Gregory Lyons, a senior analyst at icrossing. That’s 1/7 of humanity.

According to the Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report released by NTen, Common Knowledge and Blackbaud, Facebook is the most popular platform for sparking conversations and inspiring support in the charity world. According to the report, 89% of nonprofits are using Facebook.

So, that’s great that 89% of nonprofits are using Facebook. But how many of them are using it effectively? While spending more time on Facebook than I care to admit, I’ve uncovered a number of unsettling trends that can seriously stunt a nonprofit’s social reach.

Among the top include:

• Posting information completely unrelated to your charity or the world that you work in. If you are an animal rights organization, don’t share the latest story on CNN World News. Use your page to tell stories and invite conversations about the work you do.
• Posting more than one or two status updates per day. If you show up too often in a user’s news feed, they simply have to click the “hide” button to ignore you. Don’t risk it by posting too often.
• Posting too infrequently. Aim for posting interesting, relevant content at least once per week.
• Starting a Facebook page as an individual that has to “approve” friend requests, rather than an organization that a user can easily “like.”

Make sure the admin you’ve assigned to manage your cause’s Facebook page has a general understanding of how the platform works. Usually the best way to do this is to research and take note of strategies that other groups are using that appear to work well. Once you have a good handle on what works, then it is time to develop a social media content calendar.

For inspiration, check out some of our world’s top charities and how they’re effectively using social media. Sure, they have big budgets but that doesn’t mean you can’t borrow an idea or two.

Also remember to strive for diversity in your postings to keep info fresh and interesting. Check out Visual Arts Minnesota’s page for an example of this. They use Facebook to thank volunteers, announce events, poll their supporters, encourage giving and showcase art among many other things.

Finally, if you’re interested in how to harness the power of social media for your organization (and frankly, why wouldn’t you be?), check out Beth Kanter’s Blog, a leading authority on social media and nonprofits.

What good ideas have you seen that you can you build upon to enhance your Facebook presence? We’d love to hear from you!

~Katrina

Getting your Blog On

A few weeks ago I presented a short session on blogging for nonprofits in Alexandria for our final Board Leadership Academy cohort. Unfortunately, it is next-to-impossible to jam pack even the basics of blogging into a one hour session.

Blogging regularily can bring about so many benefits for your organization including increased traffic to your website and higher attendance at your fundraising events. But before you dive in, I’ve compiled a list of the Top 8 Best Practices for new bloggers:

1. Establish a VOICE. The success of your blog depends on how you engage your readers. Blogging requires a great deal of passion and some authority too. Own your blog space.
2. Write regularly. Establish a regular schedule for posting to your blog. Shoot for once a week at minimum.
3. Mix-up the content. Use photos and videos to tell your story. Change up the author of your blog. Tell a story about one person who has been changed by your efforts. Don’t try to share everything about your organization in one blog post.
4. Link like crazy. People read blogs because they can search the blogosphere by clicking links to stories or sites that bloggers have already taken the time to uncover. Linking to other blogs and sources of information provides greater value for your readers.
5. Source your photos. If you use a photo from someone else’s blog, provide attribution in the form of a link back to their blog. Don’t use photos from commercial sites without permission.
6. Read other blogs for inspiration. Subscribe to other blogs in your industry and take note of what you like about them.
7. Invite engagement. Set up your blog to accept comments. At the end of every blog you should be asking a question, or inviting feedback on your post. This is how you facilitate discussion on your site.
8. Promote your blog on your website and social media spaces. This is easy. Every time you post new content to your blog, post a link (if possible) to all of your social media spaces. Your blog should also be featured right on your website’s homepage and should be linked to your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

For royalty free photos for your blog, check out Stock Xchange, Flickr and Dreamstime. For more info about intellectual property and Creative Commons (alternative to restrictive copyright laws for artists and bloggers), browse this article by Beth Dunn at the Hub Spot.

Finally, for some true blogspiration, take a look at how Charity Water is engaging its stakeholders with “boots on the ground” stories about their impactful work in action.

Where are you in the blogger’s journey? Are you teetering on the edge? Have you just jumped in with your fists clenched and eyes closed and are waiting for the splash? Or you already enjoying the benefits that regular blogging brings to your nonprofit? We want to know!