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

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