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"Using social media for your non-profit is a popular way to share your organization's vision, garner support, fundraise and get volunteers. However, there's more to it than simply having a Facebook, Twitter, Google+ page, or using some of the many platforms out there. Here are a few tips that will help amplify your cause online.\nFocus\nLike-minded individuals and groups will feed off each others' energy and passion for something, and this kind of energy is what leads to promoters. Active promoters of your organization's goals are what you want, not passive. In good sales organizations, customers are sorted through surveys into promoters, detractors and passives. The goal is to turn everyone into promoters. \nPassives are treated the same as detractors, with the goal to better their experience with your company or product. In a non-profit organization, your goal should be similar. Focus on promoters to get the message out, and try to turn passives into promoters.\nEnlist Allies\nUpon finding promoters, ask for their help. Encourage them to share posts and links in their spheres of influence to get the word out. Cross promote with other, similar organizations or campaigns. A good example of gaining exposure through using allies was the 2008 Blog Action Day to raise poverty awareness. More than 80 organizations were recruited to participate in a day of discussion on poverty. Almost 13,000 blogs worldwide signed up, with 17 of the world's most popular blogs participating. The result was a reach of more than \"13 million people who either followed or participated in the event globally.\"\nAnother ways to enlist your allies is to keep them informed with your updates. Make use of the subscribe feature on Facebook, offer RSS or Atom feeds of your latest events and posts, and come up with surveys, sign-ups, etc. that can be shared by your public promoters.\nMake a Loop\nConnect not only to your target audience, but to yourself. Have every social site, blog and web page looped together so that it is more than easy for anyone to find you and your different outlets. To achieve this, use links, badges, buttons and cross-site promotion. It is helpful to have a comprehensive profile that is completely filled out and features pictures, bios, goals, past successes and other organizations you are linked to or support. This makes the likelihood of someone taking interest greater.\nLet Funds Flow Naturally\nAs with any business or fund raising activity, the most effective way to solicit funds is to do the right thing first and allow them to flow, not go door to door asking for them. In business, creating a product or service that is highly desired or fills a need will almost automatically draw profits, but to maximize those profits a good marketing campaign or salesperson will explain the benefits and advantages and let the consumer make the decision to purchase because they want or need the product, not because you told them that they do.\nIn a campaign, explaining the whys of the campaign in an effective, compelling and impactful way is more effective than stating the reason for fundraising and asking for a donation. Always have a donation button available and other information that lets people know how they can get involved through donations, but don't send out messages asking for the funds.\nGive gentle reminders with updates as to where the campaign stands or messages and posts about how, for instance, one group was able to help raise funds through an effort of getting everyone in their workplace to donate one dollar. Many small donations ultimately lead to the most funds over time. Engagement over the long haul will be more effective than acquiring one-time large donations here and there.\nThe keys are always engage and be genuine. Everything else will naturally follow if you stick to these four simple points.\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, TreePhoto"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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