When setting up your nonprofit’s social media presence, it’s really hard to know where to begin.  There are so many sites and so many tools.  Never one to slouch (and not wanting to leave all of our customers in the dark), Giv.to has put together a list of essential steps in establishing your online brand

Build a Website

Without a website, you have no online credibility. So you need a nice one. If you don’t have the $$$ to pay a developer, then there are loads of free wordpress themes out there.

Allow for Online Donations

You need a portal/giving gateway so that donors can, well, donate.  Network for Good offers a gateway, or you can use Paypal, or an array of other sites.

Register Your Nonprofit

Next, establish yourself by registering at a couple of sites that allow members to search for (and donate to) nonprofits. Two of the best are Cause World and Charity Finder.  

Claim Your Twitter and Facebook Handles

Make sure your handles match (or as much as possible, mirror) your organizational name. You may want to have employees tweet under your organizational name (and spread the work among multiple staffers). At Giv.to we use Cotweet .

Do a Little Research

Just like you wouldn’t jump into the ocean without knowing how to swim, you don’t want to throw your brand into the sea of social media without some idea of what you’re doing.  Here are five articles we consider to be “must reads”:

One, Two, Three, Four, Five.  Okay?

Establish Your Social Media Strategy

Before you tweet or post, you should have some kind of strategy in mind. Questions like “What tone do we want to have? What do we want to communicate about ourselves? How often will we ask for donations? How often do we want to tweet and what about?” should all be decided before you start tweeting.  And this strategy must be communicated to the employees who will participate.  Also, make clear to employees who tweet under their own name whether or not they can/want to affiliate themselves with you.  Finally, establish your course of action when someone is upset or denigrates your organization – it WILL happen, and it is better to be prepared.

Build the Facebook Page

Moving on… you are now ready to set up your facebook page.  You should add relevant company details, some interesting facts, and post some pictures. Link to your website and your twitter.  Incorporate your facebook onto your organization’s website.

Get graphic!  (take some pictures, a youtube video)

Your website is going to be really boring without something to look at.  Studies show that Youtube is one of the best ways to get the message out about your organization – and it doesn’t have to be a professionally shot movie.  Search your staff for an amateur but decent photographer and have them take photos at your events and outreach campaigns. Post them in Flickr, an online gallery… anywhere.

Now, start tweeting.

The moment has arrived. Last words: Keep your content genuine. Be yourself and your brand. Consider these words – passionate. creative. motivating. insightful.  Aim for those.  Share content you find interesting. Be a considerate conversationalist.

And you’re on your way.