The 2012 Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report offers valuable insights into how meeting professionals can manage social media, maximizing the impact of live events.
T
his year, nonprofit professionals from all over North America answered an online survey about
how their organizations use social media. They represented a wide range of groups, from small volunteer-led arts organizations to large multinational trade associations. The results were compiled by NTEN, Common Knowl- edge, and Blackbaud — organizations dedicated to helping nonprofit growth through technology — and recently presented in the 4th Annual Nonprofit Social Networking Benchmark Report, showcasing insights about social net- working for nonprofits and businesses serving the nonprofit sector. The report shows the vast and high-
impact ways in which companies and associations can navigate — and turn a profit in — the new social-networking frontier. It confirms that social net- working continues to grow in impor- tance, and that the leading social sites are extending their dominance. But what does that mean specifically
for meeting professionals? We spoke with the people who compiled and analyzed the results, allowing them to extrapolate on how the evolution of social networking factors into face-to- face meetings and events:
› Holly Ross Events director at NTEN, a membership organization of nonprofit professionals, helping them use technology to aid their cause and extend their message. › Jeff Patrick President and founder of Common Knowledge, a consultant agency helping nonprofits establish and enhance their online marketing and fundraising strategies.
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Tweet Up Twitter usage among nonprofits is up 80 percent over last year, says NTEN’s Holly Ross.
What were some surprising results of the study?
Holly Ross We were surprised, but happy, to see that smaller-sized organizations, specifically those with budget sizes less than $5 million, were not only using social media at similar adoption rates as larger organizations, but also investing staff resources towards deploying and monitoring these tools. While everyone has long touted the level-playing-field theory about social media for smaller organizations, we were pleased to see the data show that it’s happening.
Jeff Patrick I was a bit surprised to see the average cost of a Facebook Like ($3.50) and Twitter follower ($2.05). Anecdotally from our own clients, we know that getting new Likes and followers can be quite cost-effective. I was surprised and happy to see that nonprofits were confirming this idea. About 10 percent of the total 3,200 survey respondents answered this question. So, obviously not all organizations are in this range, but among those who are doing it (and
measuring it), we have the basis for some initial discussion.
What evolution did you see in social- networking site usage relating to live events?
HR We saw a huge increase in Twitter community size among survey respondents — about an 80-percent increase in average followers compared to our 2011 findings. Facebook is still growing, too, about a 30-percent increase in fans and Likes compared to 2011, but we were struck by the large increase in the size of Twitter communities. We think this has special implica- tions for organizations using Twitter as part of their event-engagement toolset. Twitter is a great tool for events, allowing attendees to keep up with key announcements from the organiza- tion about what’s happening, to keep up with each other when using event hashtags, and to share information with audiences outside of the event. This is great for general community engage- ment and driving buzz around your events. The growth here suggests that organizations can, and perhaps should,