Deb Levine, Executive Director of ISIS, delivered this presentation at the Ford Foundation Grantee Strategy Retreat, "Advancing a New Vision for Youth Sexuality through New Media" on Nov. 8, 2011.

1. Social Media for Non-Profits
Non Profits
Deb Levine, Executive Director
and Founder
November 8, 2011
Twitter: @DebISIS
Facebook: facebook.com/isisinc

2. Agenda
• The Digital Landscape
• Social Media Form and
Function
• Ingredients for Success
g
• Overcoming Challenges
y
• Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly

6. What is social media?
The use of web‐based and mobile technologies to share information and
turn communication into an interactive dialogue.
Social media engages rather than broadcasts.

7. Forms of Social Media
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and...
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and...
• Internet forums • Mobile apps
• Instant Messaging (IM)
i ( ) • Online communities
li ii
• Text and multimedia • Microblogging
messages • Wikis
• Mobile web
Mobile web • Podcasts
• Email discussion lists • Photo & video sharing
• Location‐based services • Social bookmarking
• Blogs

8. Form and Function
Mobile Phones
•Text messages: Engage and take an
action, such as increase access to sexual
action such as increase access to sexual
and reproductive health services or sign a
petition.
petition
•Multimedia messaging: Enhanced text
messages with pics, video and audio
messages with pics video and audio

10. Form and Function
Form and Function
• Mobile web: Reaching those who access the
Mobile web: Reaching those who access the
Internet only via their mobile phones, most
often people with highest economic and
often people with highest economic and
health disparities
• Smartphone apps: Makes optimum use of
Smartphone apps: Makes optimum use of
phone features such as photo, video, GPS,
etc. Platform dependent.
etc Platform dependent

12. Form and Function
Twitter
T itt
•Good for listening to communities
and mobilizing in real‐time; 140
d bili i i l ti 140
characters
H ht (# i ) d t id tif
•Hashtags (# signs) used to identify
themes such as #social media or
#feminism or #sexedsaves
#f i i # d
•@ signs identify Twitter users

15. Form and Function
Social Networks
Social Networks
•Biggest one today is Facebook
•Starting to skew older (18+)
•Great for causes, conversation and listening
•Utilize people’s networks for maximum
impact
i t
•Create contests, games, fundraise, organize
for impact
for impact

16. Pa

17. Form and Function
Video Sharing
Vid Sh i
•YouTube #1 site for sharing
Vid tt d ll d
•Videos must tagged well and go
viral within 24 hours
IH S W l /C ff P t
•I Have Sex Wesleyan/Coffee Party
Campaign
http://youtu.be/gaxBR1AiFS4
htt // t b / BR1AiFS4

18. Ingredients for Success
92 % of non‐profit websites have a social
92 % of non profit websites have a social
media button on their home page
•92% = Facebook
•92% = Facebook
•90% = Twitter
•70% = Youtube
•70% = Youtube
•22% = Flickr, RSS feed
CraigConnects 2011

19. Social Media Use is Growing
Average Size of Nonprofit Social
Networking Communities
Communities,
• Facebook avg g
2009-2011
community size
7,000
6,000
6 000
= 6,376
5,000 • Twitter avg
4,000
3,000 follower base =
2,000
1,000
1,822
0
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
• LinkedIn avg
2009 2010 2011
group members
b
Source: Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report 2011, NTEN,
Blackbaud & Common Knowledge = 1,196

20. Nonprofits are Doing More With
Less
84% of nonprofits surveyed have budgets of
84% of nonprofits surveyed have budgets of
$10,000 or less for social media activities (almost
HALF have NO budget).
Source: Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report 2011, NTEN,
Blackbaud & Common Knowledge

21. Ingredients for Success
•PASSION: Social media evangelists –
PASSION: Social media evangelists
volunteers, board and staff
•RESPONSIVE: Comment and respond
•RESPONSIVE: Comment and respond
with patience and kindness, in a timely
manner
• CREATIVE & DETAIL ORIENTED: Dream
up new ideas while multi‐tasking
id hil l i ki

22. Ingredients for Success
Ingredients for Success
• EXPERIENCE: Untrained interns no more
• KNOWLEDGE: Read up about social media
KNOWLEDGE: Read up about social media
and mobile technology
• JOURNALISTIC PROWESS: Separate the
breaking news from the clutter

23. Ingredients for Success
Ingredients for Success
• STAY MOBILE: Post from anywhere anytime
STAY MOBILE: Post from anywhere, anytime,
when necessary
• MESH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL: Take
MESH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL: Take
responsibility for your own privacy, be the
best advocate you can be for your cause
best advocate you can be for your cause
• AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA BURNOUT: Log off, shut
down, experience IRL
d i IRL

24. Challenges
1. MANAGE UP: Convince senior management
g
and board of importance
2. LACK OF PLANNING: Plan before chasing the
next new thing
3. STAFF TIME AND DEVELOPMENT: Allot
enough time for creation and ongoing social
enough time for creation and ongoing social
media work; provide learning opportunities
3. CEDE CONTROL: Be fluid with messaging,
g g,
while maintaining org. professionalism

25. Crawl, Walk, Run, FLY
Crawl, Walk, Run, FLY
www.bethkanter.org

26. WALK
REACH OUT: Look for external guest writing
REACH OUT: Look for external guest writing
ops, invite guest bloggers for your site
MIX IT UP: Integrate social media with other
MIX IT UP: Integrate social media with other
parts of your marketing and advocacy work,
i.e. print ads, petitions
i e print ads petitions
COLLABORATE: Social media works best when
we work together towards goals
we work together towards goals

27. RUN
EVENT DRIVERS: Use digital
EVENT DRIVERS: Use digital
communications to drive traffic to in‐
person events, rallies, activities
person events rallies activities
FREE TOOLS: Look for special
opportunities for nonprofits, i.e. Google
opportunities for nonprofits i e Google
Grants, Stumbling For Good

28. FLY
COMPETITION: Create social
g
contests & high level
opportunities for interaction
y
around your cause.
SOCIAL MEDIA CELEBS: Find
g g
online celebs willing to get
behind your cause and
advocate.

29. Moving Forward
•Social Media Strategy
Social Media Strategy
i
•Measuring Success
•Deep Dive into Blogs
•Resource Table