Associations and other nonprofits are rushing headlong into the profile-creating, news-tweeting, blog-posting frenzy, only to find that their valiant efforts are not getting the results they had hoped. If you're looking for members, fans, followers, donors, and friends to build a social nation around your association, don't panic, there is simple advice that will help organizations avoid the pitfalls and make a strong online impact.
There are countless benefits to joining the social nation revolution, but just like any strategy for growth, social media isn't foolproof. When it comes to building a successful social network for your association, you need to understand that there's a lot of prep work to be done. You can't just set up a Facebook profile for your company, tweet once or twice a day, and expect public interest to shoot through the roof.
If you want to become a meaningful part of social conversations and interactions, you've got to know who your target fan base is, where they spend their time online, and what sorts of content and programming is valuable and relevant to them, and will foster their continued interest and participation. You also need to make sure you have the wherewithal to commit to growing and sustaining your social networking activities, and you've got to make sure that you have buy-in from within your association. And that's just for starters.
Half the battle is knowing which mistakes not to make. Here are some pitfalls to avoid.
Pitfall #1: Running a social nation like a traditional business.
If you want to run a social organization, you first need to understand that almost everything you do is a two-way street. That is to say, you're not going to prosper if your products and services are designed solely by folks on the inside. You need to embrace the perspectives and contributions of your employees, as well as those of members, suppliers, and partners.
Pitfall #2: Underinvesting in social initiatives and abandoning them too soon.
Understand that a social nation is organic; it won't materialize with a proverbial snap of the fingers. Early on, you'll need to invest a good deal of time, thought, and money in attracting fans and followers, and your efforts will need to be sustained. Only after you've built a firm foundation will your social network begin to sustain itself through participant contribution and recommendation.
In general, successful strategies include posting quality content that people want to consume, letting members or donors tell their stories and post their grievances, and then responding to their criticisms. Also, make sure that prospects are able to learn about your association through member and employee testimonials. Lastly, remember that using multiple approaches (for example, a blog, Facebook profile, and interactive website) will reach more people.
Pitfall #3: Neglecting to find ways to encourage and inspire your followers and fans.
When you stop to think about it, you'll realize that your fans and followers are essentially volunteering their time and energy to serve as developers, sounding boards, and advertisements for your association. So respect what they have to say and take their input to heart.
Pitfall #4: Relying on a "build-it-and-they-will-come" mentality.
You don't really think that launching a new website and firing off posts at various online networking hotspots will bring fans and followers flocking, do you? Of course not! You'll need to purposefully reach out to potential community members and make it worth their while to accept your invitation.
Rolling out a community and just expecting people to join as friends or followers is a flawed philosophy. Marketing 101 principles still apply. That means you need compelling incentives to have people join your community. You also need an aggressive programming strategy, one that includes defining your key audiences and targeting them through all available channels, to ensure that they know that you want to build a relationship with them.
Pitfall #5: Delaying the process of going social.
Contrary to what you may wish, your association doesn't have the luxury of waiting until it's convenient to go social. Why? Well, you have competitors, right? And if you don't start gathering loyal followers and fans now, there's a good chance that some other association or nonprofit will woo them first.
One of the best strategies for going social as quickly and effectively as possible is to designate employees and subject matter experts to act as community success managers focused on fostering community growth and member satisfaction. Separate from your membership development staff, these community leaders should have the ability to advise members of the community on how to best participate with the association and with each other. If you do things well, you'll find that they'll generally serve as internal and external advocates for others in your organization-be it employees, partners, or members.
Pitfall #6: Underestimating the power of a social nation.
If you believe that social networking is just a window dressing that your association needs (but not really), then think again. Social media and community collaboration bring many benefits, including brand-building, member or donor loyalty and retention, cost reductions, improved productivity, and growth.
Pitfall #7: Neglecting staff, strategic partners, or members (donors) when building your social nation.
Set up a focus group of staff to serve as community leaders who will shepherd your association into the social networking world, but don't put all of the power in their hands. Social nations are organic organizations, so the more people who are empowered to influence yours, the better.
You'll find that leaders will emerge from your community population-whether they are employees, strategic partners, members, donors, or prospects. Future leaders will come from places you never expected. Empower every member of your community with the resources they need, then listen and be responsive to their insights, needs, and ideas.
Pitfall #8: Relying on traditional approaches when designing your social nation.
A decade ago, you probably would have been horrified at the thought of releasing ideas and products into the hands of your members before they were as complete as you could get them. With social networking, that monolithic approach is now becoming obsolete.
Pitfall #9: Developing your own social software and analytics solutions.
You wouldn't dream of placing remodeling the office or handling legal issues in the do-it-yourself category, would you? Not too many would. Instead, you'd hire someone skilled in those areas. Do yourself a favor and use the same strategy when it comes to building your own social nation.
Consider outsourcing the software and community building to the experts. Various vendors provide ready-made, complete solutions to help you build your fans, followers, and friends. Remember, Facebook and Twitter encourage fans and friends to advance their businesses, not yours. Consequently, although you should leverage the communities they have built, you need to create your own community to ensure your long-term success.
Pitfall #10: Getting caught without partners to help you succeed.
Make sure that you truly treat your community members as partners, not just as fans or numbers. Integrating into the social web (Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks) is key to your association's future success, but being connected to the social web is only a part of what you need to do. Shifting your vision strategically, culturally, and operationally are key components to the equation.
Essentially, that means creating a community for the people who matter most in making your association or nonprofit thrive-a place that is all theirs and that is connected to your brand. Remember, your constituents want to connect with like-minded peers, and they want to feel as though they are contributing to a purpose that's bigger than they are. Given that they are joining your association (or donating to your nonprofit) and utilizing services you offer, investing in your association, and working for your organization, providing them with a community they can call their own is the least you can do for them.
We are on the cusp of a new. Building a new social nation isn't just about a paradigm shift in technology. It also requires a business and cultural shift in how your association is organized and run. Now is the time for leaders, their organizations, and you to find a way to connect to individuals on personal and social levels. Do all of this with an appropriate amount of forethought and planning, and you'll succeed in creating enduring social and emotional value for your organization.
Barry Libert is the author of Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business and chairman and CEO of Mzinga®. The author of five books on the value of social and information networks, he serves on the Board of Directors at Innocentive and The SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached through his website at www.mzinga.com