Guest Post by Steve MacLaughlin: Creating a Social Networking Strategy (Part 0)

Submitted by Steve MacLaughlin, publisher of Connections

For a while now I've been talking with a lot of nonprofits about using social media and social networking in their organizations. I thought it would be useful to blog about how to create a strategy for using these channels.

Before starting to create a strategy it makes sense to set a baseline. Where are we today? What's going on? Haven't we seen this before? Why does any of this matter? This is Part 0. Phase 0. Let's go...

Déjà Vu All Over Again
Web 2.0 in 2009 reminds me of Web 1.0 in 1999. Lots of talk. Lots of uncertainty. Lots of buzzword bingo. Lots of new vendors. Lots of tools. Few experts. Few owners. Few results. Many of the same questions are being asked. Will people give online? Will people give through Facebook? How can we use email? How can we use Twitter? Who owns the website? Who owns the blog? I've seen this movie before and you probably have too. Don't use the same thinking, structures, or processes as you did with Web 1.0. Don't repeat the same mistakes. This is evolutionary ― not revolutionary.

Silo Syndrome
And just like with Web 1.0, many organizations are initially focusing on using social media as a communication and awareness tool. I recently had a chance to discuss social media strategies with members of our Target Analytics Customer Advisory Board. Many of them expressed concerns that there is not an organization-wide strategy for using social media, and that in the absence of ownership there are more data and interaction silos being created. Don't fall into the silo syndrome trap. Learn from the mistakes of the past. Ask questions about the total relationship with the supporter now. Is that MySpace friend an activist? Is that LinkedIn connection a donor? Is that Twitter follower also on the direct mail list? And don't invest in solutions that only create more islands.

The Illusion of Control
Web 1.0 was about controlling the one-way message. Web 2.0 is about engaging in two-way messages. The only remaining control is the illusion of control. You can avoid having a conversation. You can even pretend the conversations aren't happening elsewhere. Good luck with that approach. I'm sure it will work out just fine. This is just as true as when I first blogged it. If you want to succeed using Web 2.0, then you need to give up some control. Control of the message. Control of the messengers. Control of the control. Lose control. Find success.

Friendraising Not Fundraising
If the reason why you want to use social networks is just to raise money, then stop now. It doesn't work that way. An article in the Washington Post notes that "fewer than 1% of those who have joined a cause have actually donated money through [the Facebook Causes] application." The premise of the article misses the point and ignores a fundamental principle of fundraising ― you need to build to build relationships with people before you try and raise money from them. Later in this series I'll go into some reasons why the thinking and practice around these kinds of applications are flawed. Focus on friendraising first. If you do a good job, then the fundraising will follow.

Hope from the Hype
So why does social networking matter? It's not merely just another communication channel. It's the most human channel. In the book People to People Fundraising, I talked about the "Changing Nature of Community" and how "never before have people been able to transcend the physical boundaries of location, language, or other limitations to connect with one another in such powerful ways." Communities matter. Social networking matters. The other important aspect is that social media represents a cost effective way to engage potential new supporters in large numbers compared to traditional channels. And it is the lingua franca for dealing with Generation Y and younger-minded supporters. There is still a lot of hyper-hype, but the opportunity and potential is very real.

The First Step
Get a champion in the organization. They don't need to understand the latest techno widget or the nuances of StumbleUpon vs. Digg. They don't have to be social media butterflies, but they need to have influence and support in the organization. Your champion is going to make some of the choices and challenges ahead of you a lot easier to overcome. Who's your champion? Find one now before Part 1 begins.

This article was originally posted on Connections at http://forums.blackbaud.com/blogs/connections/archive/2009/04/22/creating-a-social-networking-strategy-part-0.aspx by Steve MacLaughlin:

Steve MacLaughlin is the Director of Internet Solutions at Blackbaud and is a frequent blogger, presenter, and writer about technology trends in the nonprofit industry.

Comments

[Mark J. Carter]

Thank you Steve!

The best part of the post (and it would seem the most helpful part of the post for nonprofits to realize) is "Friendraising Not Fundraising".

I hadn't heard that before; the stats on Facebook causes support it.

If nonprofits realized that one simple truth (BEFORE starting a campaign, as you suggest) I can only imagine how far ahead they'd be before they started the race!

Looking forward to reading the rest of the posts and I'll definitely be sharing them with my nonprofits/Networking For A Cause groups.

[Allan Benamer]

Beth or Steve,

Can either of you actually post some numbers that point to an ROI for this suggested social networking strategy? And please don't say "insight", "relationships" or "thought leadership status" as an ROI.

In other words, have any of the ROI calculations behind http://www.frogloop.com/social-network-calculator been fundamentally altered in the 2 years it's been out there? What is ROI of social networking vs. standard community organizing activities? I'm still waiting for good data from social networking proponents in the nptech world.

[Barrett Michael]

Great post.

I found the section on "The Illusion of Control" especially insightful. In our workshops and trainings on social media, we've found it's difficult for many organizations to let go of control. It's not surprising, considering the foundation of traditional marketing is about controlling the message. I look forward to the rest of your posts.

- Barrett
www.ifpeople.net

[Laura Norvig]

While I agree that it's always good to have some idea of why you are dong something, and having learned about the concept of a social media strategy at the WeAreMedia workshop I always thought it was a good idea, I read something recently that challenged me. It was something to the effect of, "when you order a telephone for a new office, do you sit down first and think, what is my strategy for using this telephone? what will be my ROI, etc.?" Heck no! It's just another communication tool, and so it is with social media. Yes, you use the phone wisely, and so should you use social media wisely, but don't let the perceivied need for a strategy slow you down. Get in there, experiment, and learn!

[Laura Norvig]

Ah, here's the attribution for the above thoughts about the phone - it was Hildy's guest post right here!