As the discussion of social media and its value continues to peak, many organizations, for-profit and non-profit are implementing various social networks in to their current marketing and communication platform. They also are discovering new ways to innovate, update and modify their existing strategies to harness the fluidity and real-time responsiveness, those who use social media, enjoy.
In March, I had the pleasure of assisting the American Red Cross of Montana in getting started with X (formerly Twitter) and outlined some initial strategies to build up a follower base by ensuring to post useful content, communicate and follow those who follow them, and express interest. Christine Hyde, a Volunteer Coordinator working with the Montana Red Cross under a 12-month AmeriCorps VISTA position, was tasked to lead the efforts of using social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, to communicate information of interest about the Montana Red Cross and its happenings to the public. She has done a wonderful job of creating useful content and building up a community of those interested in what the Montana Red Cross is doing.
Mark Mathson: When you were approached about Twitter what were your expectations?
Christine Hyde: At the time we had just started making a concerted effort to utilize social media as an outreach tool. I was hopeful that Twitter would be a tool to help the Red Cross quickly spread important messages during disasters to a population that may not hear those messages otherwise. I had never used Twitter at the time, so I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of how we would develop our following.
Mark: Has leveraging Twitter and Facebook as communication platforms helped the Montana Red Cross get their message out to a wider audience?
Christine: Absolutely! We have gotten a much larger response than I originally anticipated when I began managing the Montana Red Cross Twitter account. We seem to have a fairly diverse group of followers. When I first began this project it was with the idea of using Twitter in larger disasters, but it very quickly grew into more than that. It has become a way for us to raise awareness of our mission and day-to-day services, and a way to bring disaster prevention, preparedness, and response to the attention of Montanans. One of the major things we tweet about is what disaster services we’ve provided in a given week. Many people are surprised to learn that disasters happen nearly every day in Montana; most of them are single family house fires. We believe that when more people hear about these events, they will be more likely to prepare themselves for similar disasters. Our daily tweets, in addition to spreading knowledge about the Red Cross and disasters, have actually brought us enough followers that we now have the ability to use Twitter for our original purpose: large disasters. I think Twitter has turned out to be an extremely valuable tool, and will only become more valuable as the social media trend grows and develops.
Mark: Emergency services and preparedness is an industry that has benefited from social media/Internet presence. What do you think will be some of the important future developments that will continue making a difference?
Christine: Tough question! I think that, as social media and Internet communication tools improve, we’ll be able to reach more and more people. The trend seems to be towards individualizing your Internet/social media experience, so I think we’ll have to address that more directly some point. At this point we’re still spreading a pretty generalized message; it seems like we could do some targeting to take advantage of that trend.
I also feel that improvements in portable communication technology will bring about a different level of connection between people in a number of ways. First, you can access the Internet (which seems to be many people’s preferred communications medium) from almost anywhere, so it will probably continue to increase in popularity as a means of communication. Second, I think it provides an opening for continued use of the Internet as a communication tool in disaster situations where people might not be able to access computers.
Another tool that will help emergency services groups provide better response is the improvement and increased availability of mapping tools. Being able to create and utilize visual databases of what resources you have and where they are makes responding quickly and effectively a lot easier! I use the term resources to include our volunteers and supporters as well as material goods.
The last development that comes to mind is the emergency messaging systems that are now in place at many universities. I think there is a tremendous opportunity for those systems to be utilized outside of a university setting. Now that almost everyone has a cell phone or email, opt-in messaging systems for emergencies could disseminate a message to a lot of people in a really short time.
Mark: Do you have any advice to other organizations considering using social media to get their message out?
Christine: Definitely develop a social media philosophy before you get started. Consider the type of social media you are using as you develop your philosophy, and make sure to identify your end goal. It’s tempting to try to use social media as a fundraising tool, but are people really going to follow your tweets if all you do is ask for money? Remember that people don’t believe in your organization because you asked them to give money; they give money because you’ve gotten them to believe in your organization.
I’d also suggest designating one person, or a small group of people who collaborate, to manage your social media. Your audience is paying attention; try to use one voice and speak a common message. Finally, make sure that you update frequently. If you’re quiet for too long you’ll lose your audience.
You can follow the Montana Red Cross on X (formerly Twitter) and become a fan on their Facebook page.