What Nonprofits need to know about Social Media

This morning, The Mission Center team had the opportunity to meet with David Maislin, CTO of yurbuds and Advisor to our organization, who among other accomplishments can truly be called a web pioneer (he is responsible for developing one of the first email platforms...that's right. He INVENTED this stuff). What he had to tell us about utilizing the web for business development was unexpected, however, in the face of his monumental expertise.
"I don't know everything."
Really?
If David Maislin doesn't know everything, then how can anyone call themselves an expert?
Which is, of course, the point.
There is no such thing as an end-all-beat-all expert in social media, or web development, or anything to do with these new "shiny red ball" avenues - and to claim to be one is to falsify one's credentials. Don't be fooled: social media has tricks, yes, and can be very useful, but it won't survive without attention to basic business practices. The best advice David gave us was to see social media and web presence for what it is: an experiment, which we should not allow to take control of our advertising or marketing or business development policies simply because it is novel, viral, and very cool. For that advice, and his seemingly endless (to those of us more recently introduced to web development) knowledge, we are very grateful for his help.
So what do we take from this experience?
First, it is important to note that while it is impossible not to "play the game" and become part of the social media system, we should all remember that it is constantly evolving, and the best thing to do is to be vigilant in keeping up your presence online. Consistency is key.
Second, original content is what builds your online "cred" - linking to other people's content is interesting but not unique, and won't help your web page/blog/twitter/facebook receive any more traffic. Use your knowledge and expertise to provide the wider community with useful, original information - just like you would in the "real" world, among real people.
Third, David drew our attention to the fact that just as hundreds of thousands of people are joining social media sites, hundreds of thousands are growing weary of the overflow of information and cutting themselves off. 10,000 followers on Twitter won't help you if they aren't relevant - and you won't help them if your content isn't relevant.
Fourth, when looking for a consultant or web design company - be skeptical. Ask tough questions about exactly how the organization plans to deliver on their promises of greater website traffic, e-newsletter readership, etc. Make sure they are up front with you about who will own the server on which your website is hosted - and make sure that you have administrator rights to your company's web presence or social media sites.

Above all, don't take our word for golden - try it out! Social media is an experiment - become part of the process! Don't be afraid to figure it out yourself.