The most impressive part is about relationship and culture, which are essential in branding. Internal groundswell can express the culture of a corporation, which audience more likely trust and accept. Also, it's a great way to gain more customers' attention and loyalty. After I learnt this, I want to apply it to my real life.
When nonprofit organizations embrace social media...
More and more NPOs emphasize social networking to create the community of members and donors. Like what Bob Alves said, the internal social networking strategies will benefit organizations in increasing traffic, collecting data and feedback from members and donors, and exchanging information. I strongly agree with these points from my own experience of internship at African Community Education(ACE), a nonprofit organization aiming help young african refugee in Worcester area.
- Situation analysis
Since ACE is a small NPO so far with limited budget and staff, groundswell is one of the best way to connect with all the members and donors with low cost and large audience. However, the current social networking of ACE consist of mainly Facebook group, Facebook place and monthly e-newsletter and other direct e-mails to our contact list. Currently, ACE has 285 members in its group but much less active users to create new content. And for the Facebook places, there are few topics or activities updated as well.
On the other hand, in real world, ACE is a warm community with kindness, trust and happiness. All the staff, students, volunteers and even donors love each other. While getting along with those kids and staff, I deeply touched by their feeling that they are a part of ACE family. That's also ACE's culture.
In addition, ACE can be a powerful community which I found through Chase Community Giving program. From Sep.14 to Sep.19, they collected 453 votes which are just part of ACE's real community but much larger than their Facebook community.
- Recommendation
Apparently, ACE should enlarge their Facebook community to meet the following objectives:
1.Listening:
ACE's Facebook group and page can be developed as a channel where all the members, including staff, students, volunteers and donors, can express their comments and suggestions. As a result, ACE can gather information from the students and donors. Even a simple statement like " Yesterday was the best day ever" can lead to hot discussion about latest Fundraiser dinner and drive more traffic, if the manager of internal groundswell provided better listening environment by adding rich information and giving feedback.
2. Talking:
More posts will lead to more discussion and traffic on groundswell. Continuing posting new topics will definitely contribute to more conversations. ACE can post policy changes, problems and challenges, and new achievements to encouraging members to working on the issues or at least informing them where we are.
3. Energizing:
ACE has a lot enthusiastic employees and students, who love their organization. Let them spread the words on the platform where all their audience can see and pass their passion, positive thinking and advice, in order to engage more people in the community.
4. Supporting:
Turn ACE's Facebook group is a place where members always get help and answers. In other words, they should include Facebook and other groundswell as a channel to support each other.
5.Embracing:
Open to new ideas and suggestions about ACE.
"ACE is a family" should not be just what I experience but also the culture and key messages we should tell others. Groundswell can help with building the community and send the message out. ACE has already developed special culture and good relationship among the real-life community, and they should put that online and spread the principle -- "We are ACE, and we are a family."
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