Email Updates RSS
Search
Using social media in the non-profit sector

Climbing the Social Media Meow-tain

By IGI Global on Apr 23, 2015
Cases on Strategic Social Media Utilization in the Nonprofit SectorContributed by Gayla Schaefer (Schaefer Freelance and Consulting, USA) and Leigh Nanney Hersey (University of Memphis, USA)

As we talk with other people, questions about how nonprofit organizations use social media often arise. Sometimes it is from people working on the field. Their board members tell them their nonprofit organization should be on Facebook. The professional does not always know how to maximize social media use, so she calls her daughter for tips. Sometimes the questions come from students who know all about social media, but not as a tool for professional use. It is with this background that we decided to research just how nonprofit organizations use social media, and what works.

To explore this question, we worked with Central Brevard Humane Society as they transitioned to making social media an important part of the communications plan. What we found was just how important it is for an organization to have a strategic social media plan, changing the dynamic of the instrument from something that is fun and easy to an actual tool that can help a nonprofit organization reach its mission. CBHS started using social media like many other nonprofit organizations, without a plan and squeezing it in when they had time. Soon, they realized that social media does take time to have impact. They created job descriptions that incorporated social media as a duty. They brought in new staff to handle duties. They started using metrics to measure how their Facebook posts were doing. With this new emphasis of using social media strategically, they saw an increase in fans, posts that were more interactive, and more people knowing about the mission of the organization.

As you work with your own nonprofit organization, whether as an employee or a volunteer, we encourage you to have a plan for how the organization will use social media. Incorporate it into a job description and realize it takes time to be an impactful tool. Determine the metrics you should use to measure the results you want. Invest in training and tools that allow you to maximize your social media. And post, tweet, and pin away.

Gayla Schaefer, MPA, has more than 15 years’ experience in the academic, nonprofit and publishing sectors. In addition to her work as a freelance writer and communications consultant for the past 11 years for clients including Gannett Newspapers, she has also worked in management, ICT and senior marketing roles for Brevard Zoo, the American Heart Association, SCB Media Group, the University of New Orleans and the University of Memphis. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Florida and received her MPA from the University of Memphis in 2012. She currently resides in Freeport, Florida, where her nonprofit volunteer work includes managing online communications strategy for the Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles.

Leigh Nanney Hersey, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Public and Nonprofit Administration at the University of Memphis. She earned her doctorate in Public Administration from Arizona State University with a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership & Management. She was a fundraiser for 13 years, raising money for a number of nonprofit organizations in Phoenix and surrounding communities. During this time, she initiated the Twitter account to promote the 10th anniversary of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. She has volunteered for a number of animal rescue organizations, including Phoenix Animal Care Coalition (PACC), Arizona Beagle Rescue, Weimaraner Rescue of the South and Senior Moments Weimaraner. She currently has a rescue dog and four rescue cats.


Gayla Schaefer and Leigh Nanney Hersey’s chapter "Cat Videos for a Cause: A Nonprofit Social Media Marketing Case Study of the Central Brevard Humane Society", featured in the casebook, Cases on Strategic Social Media Utilization in the Nonprofit Sector, explores the progression of a mid-sized nonprofit organization, the Central Brevard Humane Society (CBHS), as it embraces social media as part of its marketing and communications strategies.

Cases on Strategic Social Media Utilization in the Nonprofit Sector brings together cases and chapters in order to examine both the practical and theoretical components of creating an online social community for nonprofit organizations. The technologies discussed in this publication provide organizations with the necessary cost-effective tools for fundraising, marketing, and civic engagement. This publication is an essential reference source for practitioners, academicians, researchers, and advanced-level students interested in learning how to effectively use social media technologies in the nonprofit sector. For more information on this comprehensive reference source, visit the Cases on Strategic Social Media Utilization in the Nonprofit Sector web site.

Other Social Media Titles Include:


Browse for more posts in:
Media and CommunicationsNetworkingSocial Sciences and HumanitiesSocial ComputingVirtual CommunitiesBook SeriesBooks & E-BooksChaptersFacebookNorth AmericaAuthor NewsResources for InstructorsResources for LibrariansResources for ResearchersTwitter

No comments Comments

Log in or sign up to comment.
Be the first to comment!

More from IGI Global

0
Sep 13, 2024 Stephanie Kew Yen Nee, a Young Physicist, Discusses the Potential Future of Physics
Check out this video of chapter author, Stephanie Kew Yen Nee highlighting their recent research and discoveries regarding electromagnetic wave control.
IGI GlobalRead More
Materials ScienceBooks & E-BooksChaptersPresentations
Sep 12, 2024 Could Reading Books be the Ultimate Therapy?
Your mental health and wellbeing may improve with a break from technology.
IGI GlobalRead More
Social Sciences and HumanitiesBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
0
Sep 11, 2024 Navigating the New Normal: Insight from the Experts
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift towards remote work for employees globally.
IGI GlobalRead More
Business and ManagementBusiness & Organizational ResearchBooks & E-Books
Sep 6, 2024 Submit to the Upcoming International Journal of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine and Healthcare (IJAIMH)
IGI Global is pleased to announce a call for papers for the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine and Healthcare (IJAIMH), an esteemed publication dedicated to advancing research and scholarship in medicine and healthcare.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesJournalsArticlesOpen Access
Sep 5, 2024 Even Elon Musk Thinks We Need to Regulate AI
The use of generative AI to create harmful content, including illegal child abuse images has raised concerns among law enforcement and child protection agencies. Tech company Mogul Elon Musk agrees that regulation of the quickly advancing field is necessary.
IGI GlobalRead More
Computer Science and Information TechnologyGovernment and LawSocial Sciences and HumanitiesArtificial IntelligenceBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
Why Research-Based Content Is Valuable For Industry Practitioners And Professionals
Aug 30, 2024 Why Research-Based Content is Valuable for Industry Practitioners and Professionals
Learn how scholarly content fuels the engines of innovation in modern industry.
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesBusiness and ManagementComputer Science and Information TechnologyGovernment and LawBooks & E-Books
Aug 30, 2024 New IGI Book Topic Brochures Added
IGI Global is excited to introduce newly added brochures to provide detailed insights into various subjects. Our brochures offer a comprehensive overview of timely publications covering the latest research topics.
EducationMedical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesBusiness and ManagementComputer Science and Information TechnologySocial Sciences and HumanitiesArtificial IntelligenceBooks & E-Books
0
Aug 29, 2024 Q&A with Chapter Author Stephanie Kew Yen Nee
With the changing nature of electromagnetic wave control, researchers are tasked with the responsibility to stay up-to-date with these innovations. As these mechanisms integrate further into engineering applications, engineers and other professionals need proper resources to help further their knowledge of this evolving field.
IGI GlobalRead More
Science & EngineeringWeb Technologies & EngineeringElectrical EngineeringBooks & E-Books
Aug 29, 2024 Minimize Misdiagnosis: Diagnostic AI Belongs with Doctors
Why We Need Medical Professionals to Unlock AI’s Medical Potential - Patient Inputs Risk Poor AI Results and Misdiagnosis.
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesComputer Science and Information TechnologyArtificial IntelligenceBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
0
Aug 28, 2024 Online Learning: Exploring Best Practices and Resources
Hear from Prof. Tamara Phillips Fudge, co-editor of Curriculum Development and Online Instruction for the 21st Century, as she shares her insights on the evolution of traditional to online learning.
Tamara FudgeRead More
EducationVirtual Learning EnvironmentsWeb-Based Teaching & LearningBooks & E-Books
First Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  ... Next Last