If there's one thing that non-profit organizations and charities out there should start thinking of using, it's social media.
Social media is an incredibly powerful tool to help non-profits get their message across, rally supporters, build awareness, and even raise funds for their organizations.
Of course, it's important that non-profits utilize social media well if they want to achieve these things.
But if they can successfully launch a social media campaign, they can really transform the way they work and the relationships they build with their constituents.
The first thing that non-profits should realize is that social media is for building relationships.
It's about engaging your audience in two-way conversations, not just broadcasting content and waiting for replies.
Social media users want to be involved in your organization.
It's about building a community around your charity - asking your followers for their ideas, suggestions and feedback.
When you successfully engage your followers and constituents, you effectively spread your message across and encourage your audience's participation in future campaigns.
Secondly, when it comes to social media, it's important to be active and updated.
Don't let your accounts become inactive, since this can only hurt your campaign.
This is why it's a good idea to only use one or two social networking sites where the people you're targeting are really active in and that you know you can monitor and update frequently.
If you cannot monitor the site yourself, make sure that you assign a person who will regularly post and take the time to respond to the people following you.
Remember - no one wants to follow a dead page.
Engaging your audience means taking the time to respond to their queries and ideas, and participating in discussions about your organization.
And if you could, encourage the people in your organization to participate in social media as well.
Nowadays, people like knowing the people behind a brand or charity, so the more people who are talking about your organization and engaging with users, the more people you can effectively reach and influence.
But how exactly do you know if your social media campaign is effective? When it comes to non-profits, relationships are essential, and they should be the basis of how you measure the strength of your mission.
There should be trust, satisfaction and commitment between your organization and its constituents, so you can really say that your campaign has been effective.
It's not just about getting enough likes in your Facebook page or getting enough followers in your Twitter account.
The better measurement is how much your audience is engaging with you and participating in discussions.
Comments are better than mere likes, and content that's being re-tweeted is definitely a sign that you're able to effectively engage your audience so they spread the word about you.
This is why it's important that you monitor and respond to what other people are saying about your organization.
Look for people who are really passionate about your organization and encourage them to become advocates and evangelists.
Social media is truly the newest and most innovative wave for online users nowadays, which is why non-profits should take advantage of it.
If you can effectively tap into these millions of users, then you can really take your organization or charity to new heights.