Being heard above the noise

The world of social media is noisy. As users and practitioners, we are consistently hit from all platforms with what can only be described as "noise". How does one group of social media marketers, in particular, insure that their message is heard above all others?

Nonprofits are just such a group. They must struggle, on very limited resources, getting their message heard. 

Simply having a presence on social media does not automatically make their voices any louder. One of the biggest mistakes being made by nonprofits is that they make the attempt to start a conversation among their followers but rarely participate fully in that conversation. They will post or tweet an event notice or a link to a relevant article with the hope that it will take on a life of its own. As marketers, we know this is not the case.

However, for profit businesses have the edge on the nonprofits. They have the resources to hire marketing professionals to lead and drive the online conversations. Nonprofits, more often than not, must rely on limited resources; both in terms of manpower and financial capital.

So, how does a nonprofit make itself heard?  How does one differentiate itself from another? How do they promote their prime objectives without coming across as desperate and obtrusive?

1. Make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to its social media objective. If the nonprofit's board of directors, executive director, paid staff and, even, volunteers are not in agreement on the social media marketing plan; all attempts to be heard will fall on deaf ears.

2. Simply creating a Facebook page, a Google Plus page or a Twitter account for the sake of having one does not create the conversation necessary to promote the nonprofit's objectives. There must be someone, whether a paid staffer or a volunteer, whose primary function is to market on social media.  Many nonprofits, again due to staffing and/or financial restrictions, assign this task to those that are already overwhelmed with their primary job responsibilities. If one person is tasked with both payroll and marketing functions; it is a given that the payroll functions will trump all other tasks.

3. The nonprofit needs to actively partner with community pages in their area. Not only does it promote the nonprofit, it builds the reputation of the entire community. Facebook community pages which promote a town or city are continually on the lookout for events and causes to showcase that shed a positive light on their locale.  Unfortunately, without these partnerships, they usually find themselves scrambling for meaningful content. These partnerships are a win-win situation for all involved.

These three simple steps are a start in enabling nonprofits to raise their voices; to make some noise of their own. Noise worth paying attention to.

Is Facebook failing us or are we failing Facebook?

First, let me get it out in the open that I strongly believe in the power of Facebook when it comes to branding, marketing and overall connection with friends and family. However, as I look back on this election season, I have to admit that I am torn over whether Facebook failed or whether it was our preconceived notion of our role as users that failed our entire social, political and religious belief system.

A majority of Facebook users interact with friends and family who hold the same set of political, social and religious beliefs as they do. A vast number of users will share links that correspond with these sets of beliefs; and most often with their security settings adjusted to share to friends and family only. Many of us make a conscious choice of who we share posts with. Having been the victim of internet trolls more times than I can count; I purposely decide on my audience before each and every post on Facebook. Is this selective posting process, under the guise of internet security, preventing the dissemination of important social, political and religious issues to a wider, more diverse audience?

Granted, Facebook is not the ultimate deciding factor in political elections, charitable donations or religious enlightenment.  However, are we shortchanging the issues we believe in through this avoidance of online confrontation with those who believe differently than we do? To those that put themselves out there without fear of confrontation, I commend you all.  As for myself and others, we have allowed ourselves to become so self conscious of how we are perceived by fellow Facebook users that we are failing, not only Facebook, but ourselves and our own belief systems.