Here are 5 nonprofits I think are doing great things on social media. Some are well established, others are just getting started. They all have one thing in common: they are doing it right.
What does “doing it right” mean on social media? They are engaging, personable, consistent, and exciting. Take a look.
San Diego Zoo
Click here for – Facebook
Click here for – Twitter
I’ve become an even bigger fan of the San Diego Zoo since joining their Facebook page. It hard to resist commenting on their posts. They are very creative. One day they will post a picture of a unique plant and ask us to guess where it is located. Another day they posted a picture of an animal – a gorilla, I think – with a very strange expression. Facebook fans got to suggest captions for the photo. There is always something new and interesting. Fans are clearly engaged.
Kid Healthy
Click here for – Twitter
Kid Healthy does a great job of taking their specific issue (fighting obesity in low-income communities) and making it relevant to the social media audience. Posts often include tips, ideas, and kudos to others who are making healthy lifestyle choices. What parent or health-conscious person wouldn’t want to subscribe to that Twitter feed?
Peta
Click here for – Twitter
Click here for – Facebook
Yes, 1.2 million Facebook fans is pretty amazing. But you really know a nonprofit is doing a good job on social media when you continuously see information about them pop up on your Facebook friends’ wall streams. Peta is one such organization. They contribute unique, compelling content – including photos – which gets people talking.
US-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership
Click here for – Facebook
This nonprofit is new to social media and I share them as an example of how to start on the right foot. Well before they sent out their first ‘please like us’ message, the Facebook page was already full of useful, interesting information. As soon as they hit 25 fans, they created a custom Facebook URL. They organization is posting on a regular basis and the information is relevant to the topic but not overly self-promoting. They are also doing a great job of using photos to capture people’s attention.
Red Cross
Click here for – Facebook
Click here for – Twitter
Check out the Facebook page for the Red Cross. They have applications which allow you to donate and find a chapter, all from Facebook. They make it easy on their followers. It works. It appears they have almost raised $700,000 on Facebook alone! The Twitter page is especially appropriate for the organization. Twitter is most often used in disasters. The Red Cross has the ability to share important messages instantly in a way that could potentially ‘go viral’ and reach many, many more than the 500,000 followers they currently have.
One of these organizations has 37 fans, another has 1.2 million fans. It doesn’t matter. They are building their constituency by adding value through their pages. I recommend following them in the days, months, years to come.
What organizations do you recommend following?
Jennifer A. Jones 