| Social media has become an integral part of the | | | | are college educated, well-connected and more |
| private sector's marketing strategy. Businesses use | | | | affluent than average internet users. Today, Facebook |
| social media to promote their brands, keep in touch | | | | ranks as the #1 social networking site. |
| with customers and advertise new products. They | | | | Twitter, on the other hand, has over 40 million users. |
| have learned, rather quickly, that social media is a | | | | Statistics show that more than half of Twitter users |
| powerful tool. This brings us to the question, why is the | | | | don't even go to a company (in this case nonprofit |
| nonprofit sector lagging behind? This is the time for | | | | organization) website, but instead use Twitter to get |
| nonprofits to jump on the social media wagon and use | | | | their daily updates. |
| it to bring about change, to make a positive and | | | | And, of course, nonprofits and charitable organizations |
| profound impact in the lives of people, to reach out to | | | | have the issue-focused networking site Change.org. |
| new supporters, to raise more funds and, yes, to | | | | This site promotes causes ranging from animal |
| increase brand visibility. | | | | welfare and disaster relief to poverty in America and |
| Social media is FREE and EASY. Everyone can use it. | | | | HIV/AIDS worldwide. Nonprofits can post updates, |
| In fact, almost everyone in the United States is making | | | | petitions, raise funds and even recruit volunteers. |
| use of it (3 out of 4 Americans use social media and | | | | Nonprofit organizations can use the same tools and |
| 87% of Facebook users are participating in social | | | | techniques that the for-profit sector uses to build |
| causes that are new to them since their involvement in | | | | awareness, recruit volunteers, connect with supporters, |
| online communities began). If you are a nonprofit | | | | promote events, collaborate with similar organizations |
| executive still wondering if this is something you should | | | | and even raise funds. We do not have to reinvent the |
| take on, I invite you to look at the numbers. | | | | wheel. |
| Let's take Facebook for example. This social | | | | Whether you are a big or small nonprofit, this is the |
| networking site has more than 350 million active users | | | | right time to start using social media. |
| with 90 million users in the U.S. alone. Most of its users | | | | |