A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the change in online communication habits from email to Social Media, suggesting that communicating via social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter could some day replace more traditional email communication as the method of choice for activists.
Many of the follow up comments I received after the post went something along this line: Excellent – I agree, but how can I convince the ‘higher-ups’ in my organization that we need to use these new tools?
At the most recent Innovative Advocacy conference, two attendees asked one of the panelists similar questions:
How can I convince my Executive Director that we should include Facebook in our advocacy strategy when he or she thinks it’s simply a fad for their high school kids? And, how can I get approval for a policy blog when the general counsel’s office is nervous about not having control over what the public can write in the comments section?
Over the next few weeks we’ll publish a series of posts on convincing an organization that social media strategy should be an integral part of an advocacy campaign.
Here’s the first point -
Tactic 1: Discuss social media in the context of the overall mission of the organization.
A big mistake people make when trying to get buy-in for social media is to focus on the “coolness” of these tools, rather than beginning with the organization’s mission and then describing how social media can help achieve its goals.
When given a chance to present to an executive, a knowledgeable staffer might be tempted to dive right into enthusiastically explaining the latest new social media tool. But the “tools” should never be the starting point.
Start by demonstrating to the higher ups that you understand the organization’s goals and desired end results. Build confidence that you have the organization and its mission first in your mind and then describe how the appropriate social media strategy can help achieve the organization’s goals.
More to come on future posts.
–of emphasizing the bells and whistles of social media, rather than how it integrates with and benefits an organization’s overall objectives. For instance, the appeal of a blog isn’t necessarily that your competitors have one–so you should too. It’s that a blog helps you–as the case may be–to actively engage in (and, ideally, influence) a debate; to disseminate your message without relying on a reporter; to reach new supporters; etc. I think we sometimes forget that social media is but one arrow in a larger quiver.
[...] Social Media Strategy – Getting Buy In From The Top. C.f. Your Nonprofit Should Not Adopt Social Media If….. [...]