by Emily Hunter

Created on: September 16, 2010   Last Updated: September 17, 2010

Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn make excellent tools for marketing nonprofit organizations. Companies realize the value of these services, but they do not capitalize upon them. For you to capitalize on the value of social networking, keep in mind that marketing online and offline are essentially the same thing.  Treat people like people.  Here are some tips on using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to market your organization.

1.  Create a fan page (Facebook)
This will provide you with more flexibility as far as choosing your friends.  Individuals don't necessarily have to connect with you, they can simply click 'like' and you have created a fan. This 'liking' is broadcast to fan's pages and there is a notation put on the home page for a moment, bringing attention to your group.

2.  Say something! (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
Every message does not have to be a desperate plea for funding for your organization. You want to show that you are human, that you get out in the world. Remember that social marketing is, well, social. Talk about articles that you've read.  Talk about everything that you can think of, because in some instances, it's not the content, but the frequency.

3.  Tweet liberally (Twitter)
If you read a great article related to your charity, talk about it on Twitter.  If you've got some amazing people working for your organization (and who doesn't?), highlight them.  Be consistent about drawing attention to yourself a few times a day with useful retweetable content.

4.  Join groups (LinkedIn)
This applies more to LinkedIn than the other two, but there are definitely opportunities to link at Facebook and Twitter. Join the professional groups which you believe best fit your donor demographic. While it is true that you consider everyone a potential donor, search for the ideal donor. Give those groups intelligent conversation and things to think about.

5.  Have a full profile (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
Your full profile will give others an idea of what your organization is all about.  when you are marketing using social marketing, select one individual to be the face of your company. Their supporting staff can answer the queries, but their information should be first and foremost. If you have a cute mascot, make it be the face.

Social marketing is here to stay, not some flash in the pan endeavor. Non profit organizations need to embrace tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook in order to fully capture the market share of donations.  If you remember the rule to treat people like people, then you will have folks come to you.

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