Whether you are the executive director, development associate, program specialist, or social media strategist, you are your nonprofit’s brand. With the rising use of social media, the lines between our professional and personal presence are blurring and blending.
So how can you make sure your social media presence is benefiting both your organization and yourself? Here are ten steps to get you started…
1. Decide your goals for communicating in social media. Consider your personal goals and those of the organization you work for. Where do these goals meet and how do they differ? For example, say one of your organization’s goals is to connect to donors using social media and one of your own goals is to be seen as a seasoned fundraising professional. As a staff person, you might update your Facebook status or tweet about how passionate you are about the issue and offer ways people can donate. Perhaps you could even donate your birthday to raise funds for your cause.
These efforts could help your contacts connect both to you and the organization, while also demonstrating your understanding about how to use these tools professionally. Of course, your personal goals could be just that. Maybe you want to cook more, so you follow and read blogs and updates about new recipes to try.
2. Draft a personal positioning statement for yourself. What is the big idea you want people to associate with you? What should come to mind when they hear or see your name? To answer this, start by thinking about not only how you would describe yourself but also how others describe you too. Google yourself and see what the interwebs have to say about who you are. Now stop and think about how you want the world to see you. What are you passionate about and what makes you unique? Who are the people you are trying to reach?
Get out some paper and a pen and write a personal positioning statement. Try this structure:
I am a ___________ in _________ for __________.
Do you separate or blend your personal and professional brand in social media? Read the rest of our tips (there are eight more!) and share your own on our blog.
