A Primer
 on Social Media 
for 
Nonprofits

Examples
Lance Armstrong Foundation has a successful Facebook page that currently engages more than 287,000 fans. Another good example is facebook.com/one, notable for its well-executed tie-in back to ONE's main website.

What it takes
Getting started is easy: You can have a basic Facebook page in just a few minutes by filling out this Web form: facebook.com/pages/create.php. Once your page is set up, you can control a whole host of powerful Web features, including discussion groups, photo galleries and event promotions.

• Choose the setting that allows your fans to post to your fan page wall.
• Engage your fans by cross-posting blog content, as well as sharing pictures and videos on a regular basis; all of these have the potential to start conversations.
• Regularly participate in the various conversations happening on your fan page.

Measuring results

• Number of new supporters: Count your fans as members of your house list. You can send these people messages through status updates on your organization page.
• Engagement of new supporters: Treat your Facebook page fans as a separate segment, and compare its response rates to the response rates from other supporter groups in your list.
• Supporter demographics report: Use the "Insights" tool to get activity, as well as demographic data about your fans. You can then take that data and figure out which content is making the greatest impact.

Risk management
Facebook fan pages allow your organization to choose whether or not fans can update your site with comments, links, photos and videos. With these features off, there is almost no risk, but there is also almost no social or viral element. With these features on, you have approximately the same issue you have with a blog: What if someone makes an objectionable comment that is now appearing on your Web property? Facebook lets page owners delete anything they don't like.