By Erika McDaniel, Glenmede, an Exponent Philanthropy Platinum Sustaining Partner
Tracking social media networks and trends can be time-consuming even for experienced users, and likely more so for small-staffed organizations. Yet leveraging the right social media platforms in the right ways can lead to unprecedented levels of success. Initiatives by organizations such as the ALS Association (remember the “Ice Bucket Challenge”?), the Human Rights Campaign, and the Movember Foundation — each nimble enough to capitalize on expected and unexpected opportunities — have shown the degree to which social media campaigns can be powerful.
Begin With the End: Determine Goals for Social Media
A social media strategy should be a component of the overall communications strategy, aligning an organization’s goals with targeted social media campaigns and frequent interactions. Common objectives include advocacy, information sharing, and recognizing philanthropic impact and milestone events. Different platforms bring distinct advantages based on particular goals. Twitter and Facebook can be useful to raise funds and promote activism, and YouTube and Vine tend to be effective for sharing successes and impact.
Last November, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with (RED) and mobile application Snapchat to raise awareness and funds to combat AIDS. For every Snapchat user who used one of the three “World AIDS Day” Geofilters in their “snaps,” the foundation donated $3 to (RED). This partnership and direct support for (RED) is part of the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Initiative to “harness advances in science and technology to save lives.”
In March 2013, the Human Rights Campaign leveraged social media ahead of the Supreme Court’s consideration of two landmark marriage cases. In addition to elevating the national conversation through partnerships with like-minded organizations, HRC posted a red-tinted version of its logo on Facebook. Supporters were urged to change their profile picture to the modified logo. The initiative went viral, with over 18 million posts of HRC’s logo and messaging appearing on individual user newsfeeds. The campaign crossed over to Twitter and Instagram, garnering support from celebrities, politicians, and corporate organizations. This resulted in the HRC position receiving news coverage from major networks and publications.
The “In-Crowd”: Define Your Audience
“If you build it, they will come” may have worked in the movie Field of Dreams, but it does not lay the groundwork for a sound social media strategy. A proven best practice is to first determine the target audience in order to identify the best social media platform to further the organization’s cause, mission, or values. There are countless ways to segment audiences by age, generation, gender, or specialized groupings such as college students and alumni or animal lovers. For example, if an organization’s primary audience is women, Pinterest might be a good choice, since the overwhelming majority of Pinterest users are female. If young adults are the focus, private platforms like Snapchat might be a strategic alternative to Facebook, which appeals more to the over-30 crowd, or LinkedIn, which is geared toward professionals of all ages.
Content Is King
Social networks are a distribution channel to deliver targeted content to the right people at the right time. Although it is important to establish goals and identify a target audience in advance, the absence of captivating, relevant material will cause any social media efforts to fall flat, regardless of the platform.
An example of a great match of content and medium is found in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s use of Snapchat. The western United States’ largest art museum, LACMA employed the visual nature of Snapchat as a backdrop to showcase its artwork. Pop culture references are paired with photos of the museum’s art and sculpture to create “snaps” from the museum’s corporate account. The application also creates an interactive experience for users, encouraging visitors to the museum to tag LACMA through the Geofilter feature. This not only advertises the individual’s patronage of the museum, but exponentially multiplies mention of the museum through personal user accounts.
To Infinity and Beyond
Social media can also be used to realize larger organizational goals, such as engaging with supporters or future board and staff members through informal means. The possibilities seem endless, as does the stream of new social media platforms and applications emerging daily.
In today’s changing philanthropic landscape, social media’s role will only expand, redefining how charitable organizations do business and opening new markets for brand awareness. It will challenge staff and board members alike to embrace new skills, implement new communications strategies, and develop appropriate oversight and governance protocols.
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Erika McDaniel is a business development officer at Glenmede, an independent trust company that manages $30 billion in assets for nonprofit organizations, institutions, individuals, and families. Erika also serves on the board of trustees for the Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation, a private non-operating foundation based in Salem, NJ.
