Guide Launched as Study Reveals UK NFPs Lack Social Media Strategy
10 October 2012 at 11:37 am
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More than half of the Not for Profits surveyed in the UK say their social media strategy is not integrated in their communications or fundraising strategy.
The results of a recent survey are published as part of a new UK guide for charities and social enterprises on how to use social media and shape new directions for fundraising and social impact.
The free guide, About That First Tweet, includes the results of a survey of how 180 small to medium charities and social enterprises use social media for communication and fundraising.
The survey found that while over 70% retained a presence on Facebook and Twitter, over half of respondents (54%) said their social media strategy was not very or not all at all integrated in the communications or fundraising strategy.
Unity Trust Bank’s head of marketing, Adrian Oldman, said the organisation commissioned the guide because it recognised the importance of social media in delivering social change.
“A new set of indispensable, free online tools have now been created by companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to specifically help charities and social enterprises to use them to broaden their audiences, spread their messages and fundraise,” Oldman said.
‘About that First Tweet’ shows Not for Profit organisations how best to engage with social media platforms, how to develop audiences and deliver online goals.
The guide includes advice for Not for Profits from some of the world’s leading social media experts including Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Head of Social Innovation at Twitter; Meg Garlinghouse, Head of Social Impact at LinkedIn and Libby Leffler, Strategic Partner Manager at Facebook.
‘About That First Tweet’ also includes case studies from Not for Profit organisations Save the Children, The Girl Effect, Child I Foundation and the New York Public Library.
Unity Trust Bank says these organisations show how they found their voice in social media and achieved their social impact aims.
‘About That First Tweet’ is published by Unity Trust Bank and Social Misfits Media, a UK company that helps charities use social media more effectively.
“We have pulled this together and created a guide that we believe will help small and medium-sized social impact organisations better harness the power of social media to achieve lasting and sustainable change,” Oldman said.
In Australia the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) launched its best-practice guidelines for social media fundraising in August. The FIA guidelines cover the management of donations, spamming, privacy issues and the use of images.
