This social media success story (read part 1 here) from the non-profit Domestic Violence Center (DVC) of Howard County Maryland is a part 2 of my interview with Kim Lennon, Outreach Coordinator.
Tonya: Why did you choose Facebook and Twitter as part of your marketing strategy?
Kim: The DVC chose Facebook and Twitter as a part of our marketing strategy because many of our staff and Board of Director members saw how effective it was for them personally, and it made sense to build relationships as a non-profit the same way as an individual would. With many of the staff belonging to Generations X and Y it was a natural transition to bring the adeptness of the staff’s Facebook and Twitter capabilities and intertwine this with the agency marketing plan.
Facebook and Twitter have allowed us to further develop our brand as an agency that is in the community to bring families from crisis to hope and be an ongoing service for those who need our help. These outlets have been monumental with the success of our marketing plan.
Tonya: What kind of results are you?
Kim: For the past month we have been monitoring the traffic on our Facebook fan page. In one month, we have increased
our Facebook fan base by 5% and on average we receive 354 views per week to our page which has steadily increased each week.
We have also been able to advertise effectively and inexpensively, which has allowed budgeted marketing funds to be used in other ways versus traditional advertising (i.e. newspapers, magazines, radio).
We are currently exploring ways to improve social networking and we hope to track how fans and followers of our social media sites become directly connected with our services.
Tonya: What is the one best tip you have learned from using social media?
Kim: The best tip I have received with using social media (i.e. Facebook and Twitter) is to give meaningful, comprehensive, and effective messages. We have found that if messages over time vary, contain links with other resources, or direct people to our website those are the messages that receive the most feedback and forwarding capability from other followers or fans.
Tonya: Why is it important for a non-profit business to understand how social media can increase their exposure?
Kim: It is important for non-profits to understand how social media can increase their exposure because this is the future of targeted marketing, advertising, and promotion amongst other things.
Social media is more than a trend; it is a new way to communicate and organize communities. Due to financial constraints, it is usually more difficult for
non-profits to get the exposure that they deserve and outlets like Facebook and Twitter make an even playing field for any non-profit to market successfully
to anyone.
What kind of results are you getting using social media to market your business? Let me know in the comments below.
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