You’re Invited To Communications Peer Circle On Social Media

Join me for the next Communications Peer Circle on Thursday, May 6, at the Nonprofit Services Consortium in St. Louis.

Our conversation will be around social media. I’ve had a few discussions on the Boy Scouts of America’s social media guidelines. We also will review some elements of the presentation on these guidelines that was posted earlier this month.

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Educating Staff On Social Media Guidelines

Nonprofit and charitable organizations can gain more from effectively using social media than for-profit companies.  The passion and commitment of donors, members and volunteers can be effectively harnessed through these new media channels.

During the last year or so, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America developed a presence on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. During the last few months, the BSA published social media guidelines.

A number of staff members of the Greater St. Louis Area Council asked for assistance as they began to work with volunteers in developing Facebook pages. But the biggest challenge for staff members was their online persona.  Many staff members struggled as they decided if they should accept volunteers as friends on Facebook.  Others had scores of friends who were hard-working and engaged volunteers and they used social media to cultivate and motivate these groups.  Many staff members reacted to a post by an employee who commented on their salary increase.

These are just a few social media issues that organizations are dealing with.  In an attempt to educate our staff, I reviewed the BSA’s new social media guidelines and made the following presentation to the Council’s professional staff members on March 31, 2010.  It was recorded so the remaining employees could watch and listen to the presentation and receive the same information as the professional staff members.

How are you helping your organization maximize its effective use of social media? Are marketing and communications professionals going to be the leaders in this new territory?  Or will executive directors and those with legal and human resources responsibilities be expected to provide guidance?

You’re welcome to leave a comment and start a conversation.