Learning Social Media

Posted by: Reiko Beach, President of The Toolbox, Inc. and Web/Social Media Speaker for The Non-Profit Toolbox.

Missing the bus?

Effective Social Media

Should you just “jump on the bus” and start Tweeting? or are there things you should be aware of, understand before you begin? Are there basics, fundamentals, etiquette that you should know? What can social media do for you, your business or non-profit?

Knowledge can help you become successful, lead to fewer mis-steps or mistakes. How can you decide what tools to spend your time on if you don’t understand each tool, what their strengths are, and what people are using them for already?
Should your non-profit (business) have a social media policy? A plan? What are your objectives? How do volunteers figure in?

Christopher Barger, director of global social media at General Motors, outlined their objectives, (which are probably the objectives of most businesses and organizations)

Become more responsive to people/consumer audiences
Incorporate audience/consumer feedback into your organization more quickly and effectively than has happened traditionally
Make your brand a little more “human” to the outside world, and show people the smarts, personality and passion of the people behind your logo
Increase awareness of the strength of your current product lineup, and provide perspective/accurate information about your company

There are fundamentals and there are strategies that you should know and understand. Social media is a powerful marketing tool. Don’t let the bus pass you by. If you are on the South Shore of Mass in January, join us for one of our hands-on workshops….or learn more on line: