5 ways to plan for social media

There are experts, and there are people who know what they’re talking about.

At an international conference, executives at Austin-based Convio shared their expertise while talking about social media.

It’s a (big) part of the future for nonprofits, but it is an area that is taking many nonprofit leaders (especially those of a certain age) by surprise. Young, Cho and Lewis have not yet reached “a certain age.”

Raising awareness, pulling in money, starting a conversation; these are only the beginning for social media. The possibilities are probably limitless.

Like any part of successful operation, whether nonprofit or for-profit, utilizing social media requires planning and preparation, and the speakers identified a strategy consisting of five steps. The steps are:

• Identify your objectives. Simply put, what do you want to achieve?
• Evaluate your objectives. Do you really want to do that? Social media objectives must align with organization objectives.
• Evaluate your organization. Are you ready to do it and be successful?
• Evaluate your audience. Are your constituents ready? What are their interests and awareness, what are their favorite online activities, and what tools do they use already?
• Identify your time line. When are you going to start and finish?