There were talks by representatives from several nonprofits about how they are using social media. Here are a few of the insights from those presentations:

• @oxfamamerica says because of the 140 character limit Twitter forces you to use everyday, non-academic language.  It’s fun and engaging and provides a way to get quick feedback.
• Livestrong Lance Armstrong Foundation @Livestrong talked about connecting with people who care about their cause (cancer) worldwide and showed this video.

Beth Kanter @kanter shared best practices with using social media from her own experiences:

• Share stories that tug at the heart.
• The 3 R’s:Relationships, Rewards (acknowledgment) and Reciprocity.
• Small actions online and offline add up to a big difference.

Thoughts from Geoff Livingston @geoffliving:

• Social media use in nonprofits should not be relegated to just one person or department.  It needs top down, full organization support as part of an overall strategy.
• Stakeholders (general public) don’t think about social media accounts as being something different – they associate it with the whole brand. They may not even know the term “social media.” They’re just talking to their friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  
• Share stories about what potential supporters care about, the cause itself and why they personally care.  i.e. Geoff wears about Livestrong because his brother had cancer. Don’t lead with your organization’s name.
• Social media is not just about *getting* things from stakeholders, it’s about *involving* them.

Scott Henderson @scottyhendo

• Focused on a case study from Share Our Strength and food bank drive in Austin for SXSW conference.
• Strategy and planning and matter—there’s a lot of planning to make thing look spontaneous
• After an event (fundraiser, petition drive, etc.) you must show the results. Charity Water @charitywater did a good job of that with the Twestival earlier this year by posting videos of wells being dug.

Tweets about Social Media for Social good: #socialgood

Watch this page for when the replays are posted.