A year ago, when I first addressed social media marketing best practices for non-profits, it was a new frontier. Now social media marketing is ubiquitous, and it's just as essential to getting the word out in non-profit circles as it's become in corporate environments.

Social media is integral to online marketing: it extends the reach of email marketing campaigns, enhances brand reputation and awareness and generates revenue. But as many non-profit marketing consultants know, it's not easy to be immediately effective.

As a volunteer-run, nonprofit interest group, GABA Women in Business depends on email marketing and the Web to deliver our message. Looking back at the list of best practices for non-profits using the Web from my April 2009 blog post, it's now time to ask the question, are we being effective?

1. Reflect the mission in messaging. Yes, we do distinguish international women working in the Bay Area in our quarterly event email invitations, as well as in an "About the WIB" boilerplate on all Web materials.

2. Make personal connections. Yes, making personal connections - both online and in person where and whenever possible - is what this group is all about. Connections are promoted through encouraging attendees and members to join the online community Listserv. Connections are captured with photos of people participating in our various events - the Listserv photo gallery is kept up to date, and a photo gallery has also been added to the WIB Web page. Selected personal connections are further nurtured among the most active group members at quarterly thank-you luncheons.

3. Build partnerships. Yes, just like personal connections, building partnerships is what keeps this group alive and thriving. Each event that occurs will bring a woman with a story to tell who also has the potential for a partnership whether as a regular event attendee, as a speaker at a future event, or as a new member.

4. Use existing Web tools effectively. This one isn't as easy as it sounds. Measuring effectiveness involves many, many factors (benchmark, data analysis, etc.) but the simple fact that the more we use social networks to cross-post our message, the more views, clicks and comments we get. Thereby confirming the possibility that the reach of our message could be extending, and the effectiveness of our message could be boosting.

5. Learn from others. Absolutely, positively, yes: it's impossible to exist in a vacuum. The more social media is used in marketing, the more familiar we become with using it, and the more we understand how to use it effectively. Last year, the GABA WIB Listserv topped 100 members, and the GABA brand now reaches over 7,000 members regularly across networks on LinkedIn, Facebook and miaplaza.

6. Stick with what works. From 2008 to 2009, WIB membership more than doubled and seven roundtable events were produced. Therein lies the ultimate proof that all of these combined efforts must be working.

How do you use social networking to get the message out? Corporate or non-profit, challenge or success, question or comment … please share your story in the "Comments" section below.

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About the Author

Linda Cleary manages demand generation marketing programs at Lyris, and authors a series about Non-Profit Online Marketing here on LyrisHQ.Lyris.com.

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