Do you Tweet?: Why Using Social Media is Essential for an Organization

Why Should my Organization Care about Social Media?

According to the Pew Research Center's report titled "Social Media Usage:2005-2015", "nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) use social networking sites." This is up from 7% in 2005 when the Pew Research Center first started tracking social media use. With so many adults now using social media, if an organization wants to continue to grow,  it can not ignore the benefits of social media right at their fingertips.

How can Social Media Benefit my Organization? 

Depending on the platform, social media can be used with regards to your organization to accomplish many goals you might have for marketing and continued growth in two main ways: advertising and giving your company credibility.

 Free or Low Cost Advertising

Your primary goal in your organization is to get your product or service out there. But, how do you let potential customers know your organization exists or what services you provide without eating away at your small budget? Social media, such as Facebook can be a great free way to advertise your business. No where is no-cost advertising more important than to a nonprofit organization such as Milwaukee Achiever Literacy Services. Milwaukee Achiever provides "education, life skills training, and workforce development instruction for adult learners." Their Facebook page, first and foremost, provides important information about Milwaukee Achiever, such as their locations, their phone numbers, a link to their website, and descriptions of the services they provide. 

The Mill: A Place for Writers is another organization that uses Facebook as a way to advertise for free. The Mill is an educational organization whose mission is to "support the artistic development of writers, foster a writing community, and build an audience for literature."  It's Facebook page points visitors through to their website to learn more about their services. However, even more could be done to provide information about what they offer to potential customers, such as adding a phone number to contact the organization or providing a list of its services on its "About" page.

Establish the Credibility of your Organization by Creating Community 

Social Media, such as Facebook or Twitter is great at connecting people. By allowing current customers already familiar with the organization to "like" or "follow" you, the organization can take advantage of the power of its community of customers in a few different ways.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

Facebook and Twitter both offer an easy way for customers to "get in touch" with your organization in an easy way. Customers can now message your page directly, direct tweets at your organization, or even provide reviews that other potential customers can see. This is the case for Milwaukee Achiever and for The Mill's  Facebook pages, which both offer a list of reviews on the "Review" part of their page. On Twitter and Facebook now, you can even search for posts that contain the name of your organization as another way to know what customers are saying about your company. As a way to gauge how well your organization is doing in customer service, social media networks are ideal. Your customers are also providing you with free "word-of-mouth" advertising which can increase your organization's credibility as well. 

Help your Customers See the Benefits of your Organization

When Milwaukee Achiever shared this Tweet from Amy Pollack about "What happens when a third grader discovers her mother can't read"," it wasn't just because the organization found it interesting. The post also highlighted how their literacy services fulfill a need in the community. It indirectly showcased how their services are beneficial. The Mill also used a similar tactic when it posted about Appleton's sidewalk poetry in one of their Facebook posts. It's post served to remind everyone how writing is used every day in the community and highlighted why their services offered are important. 

Keep Customers Up-to-Date on your Organization's News

Twitter in particular is useful for providing your customers with minute-by-minute information about what your organization is up to. Milwaukee Achiever recently hosted their Celtic Literacy Night. To get ready for the event they posted several tweets such as this one, reminding people to RSVP for the event or this one, showcasing their sponsors for it.  The Mill uses this strategy on Facebook to continually remind people of their upcoming workshops or classes, such as this post.

Humanize your Organization

If you hop over to either Milwaukee Achiever's Facebook page or Twitter page, you will find photos of their organization in action. This is because posting photos of their employees and customers gives a human face to their organization. By showing that their organization is about the community they serve and not just about the services, they are are more likely to engage not only the community who needs their services, but also to enlist donors for their organization as well.