Mostly "What Works" focuses on either  Why Organizations Thrive  or Why Organizations Go Off Course, both of which detail lessons I learned while growing the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV), buttressed by my observations of dozens of other groups both in Oregon and across the country.

This edition I'm introducing a new feature which I call Tip Sheets.  Tip Sheets will be a set of quick lessons around a tactic that most nonprofits use.  

These Tip Sheets are not intended to be the last word on any topic.  Rather,  they are designed to give newbies a starting point and to give those actively working a tactic a reality check by which to see if they're missing anything important.    

My first tip sheet is:  Tips for Social Media.  

Eleven Quick Social Media Tips

When working with clients, "social media" often becomes a topic. Here are some quick tips groups should keep in mind when plotting their social media strategy.

But first, what do I mean by social media?   I mean the many web tools that have been developed that allow for interactive online communications and relationships between people and organizations.  Usually people are referring to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  Beyond that there's a dizzying array of others that fit this category, such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+.

While most of my specific references below are to Twitter and Facebook, most of them advice applies across the board.

In no particular order.

1. Email is still king - don't neglect it.

Studies continues to show that effective emails to your constituency will secure far more action than communications to equivalent-sized social media lists.  If you're going to pursue a social media strategy, be sure you're not stealing time that would otherwise have gone into making your email effective.   If you are eating into email time, think twice about whether it's really worth that trade-off.

2. Don't silo your social media strategy

Some groups develop a social media strategy in the context of communications planning.  This can easily silo it so that it's disconnected from other organizational endeavors where it has the most potential benefit.

Social media needs to be a tactic within fundraising planning, within planning for any program that involves public education, advocacy, or outreach, and with thinking about volunteer recruitment - just to name a few examples.  While someone should be your social media expert and should have some overall responsibility in the area, everyone should be literate in social media so that they can play a timely role in providing content and interacting with your constituents.

3. Know your audience