Beth Kanter is perhaps the best-known, most-respected voice in the world on the subject of using technology in a non-profit setting. A consultant to non-profits since 1993, her blog is consistently ranked as one of the best in marketing – and for good reason. It’s full of the kind of practical, tangible, viable advice that all organizations (not just non-profits) need in these crazy days of social media.
Named by Fast Company Magazine as one of the most influential women in technology, Beth participated in a live Twitter interview on July 14, 2009, covering a wide range of ideas and best practices for harnessing social media for social good.
1. @jaybaer: Does social media represent an evolution for non-profits, or a revolution? Does it change the game?
- @kanter: In some ways, a revolution because it requires a change of culture to adopt in some cases.
- Many non-profits are used to the “tower model” of working, not the cloud – that’s the game changer
2. @jaybaer: Is social media better used to humanize non-profits to create understanding of their services, or better used to mobilize?
- @kanter: I think both and that order, humanize first, mobilize second. You have to develop relationships first.
3. @jaybaer: Does social media work better as a campaign for non-profits, or as an ongoing program?
- @kanter: It needs to be an ongoing relationship building effort – versus campaign. To be effective you build your network.
- You need to avoid treating supporters/donors like ATM machines.
- Here’s a post on organizational relationship models my colleague @peterdeitz has great thinking on this
4. @jaybaer: Is the messenger as important as the message? Seems like the asker is a critical component in social media for social good.
- @kanter: Yes, but I would not use word “messenger” — perhaps network weaver, community builder, evangelist, fan is more accurate.
5. @jaybaer: To that end, many people struggle with blending of personal/professional. Isn’t that blend required for personal appeals?
- @kanter: Yes, a blend is important, that’s why it necessary to have a social media philosophy – see Red Cross http://bit.ly/XObe7
- @redcross strategy is brilliant – encouraging people to be ambassadors, provides personal guidelines.
6. @jaybaer: Social media levels playing field, but w/ so many NPOs jumping in, does it create dissonance for donors? How do they parse?
- @kanter: You’re describing “issue fatigue” a hot topic @socialedge a few months back. http://bit.ly/15PTlt
- And the cure is to get back to relationship building, and building the network before it is needed.
7. @jaybaer: Similar to what’s happening w/ Social CRM, do you encourage NPOs to add social media interactions to their database? How?
- @kanter: Social CRM for nonprofits – it’s in the early adopter stage – those that have their CRM in good shape have a leg up.
- There is a nonprofit version of salesforce, I suspect that will be a solution for some.
8. @jaybaer: Do you see local NPOs generating more out-of-market connections & donors due to social media outreach? Is that a benefit?
- @kanter: Yes, local NPOs generate new donors, connections via social media – a key benefit.
- Here’s an example from @staceymonk tweetsgiving last year – 90% new donors
9. @jaybaer: How do you feel about Facebook? Seems a natural for many NPOs. Concerns about too many eggs in that basket?
- @kanter: Facebook is a friend raising tool, not a fundraising tool
- Facebook colleague @brianreich wrote a guest blog post on Facebook for nonprofits
10. @jaybaer: I’m seeing some NPOs neglect their Web presence due to excitement about social media. Do you agree? Remedy?
- @kanter: remedy to neglected web site – rule of 1/3s – web, social outposts, and email see Nancy Schwartz guest post
11. @jaybaer: Most NPOs are resource constrained. Yet, social media requires a lot of blocking and tackling. How do you make it work?
- @kanter: Suggest starting slowly, incrementally with listening 5 hours per week. I suggest don’t do it if you don’t have time.
- About the time issue, here’s a post I wrote a while back re: time – it is still relevant.
12. @jaybaer: You write a lot about matching social media tools to the audience. How can NPOs best do that research? Donor surveys?
- @kanter: Matching strategy to audience – research should be surveys, focus groups, secondary, and monitoring
- One good thing for nonprofits, there’s lots of free research available.
13. @jaybaer: Social media is inextricably linked with inbound marketing. How important is search engine savvy for NPOs today?
- @kanter: SEO is very important for nonprofit marketing plans – part of the rule of thirds (Web site, social media, SEO).
- My colleague @jcolman who has worked with non-profits on SEO – has a wonderful deck on that topic. http://bit.ly/qAmvd
14. @jaybaer: NPOs have a lot of interactions w/donors & customers. It’s not perfect. Should NPOs have a social media crisis plan?
- @kanter: hmm .. social media crisis plan for nonprofits, good question — important for those with communications mission (@redcross, for example)
15. @jaybaer: You’ve done a lot of work and contributed to a lot of wikis. How can orgs use wikis and crowd-sourcing more effectively?
- @kanter: the Smithsonian has an excellent example of using a wiki for its strategic planning
- Better use of wikis with nonprofits – the big thing is that wikis need facilitation, a wiki gardener or 6 core people.
- Here’s my best advice re: being a wiki gardener.
16. @jaybaer: Much of your wiki is great stuff from your head. Some consultants fear giving away the “secret sauce” for free. Not you?
- @kanter: I’ve found that openness and giving away knowledge leads to more opportunities.
- I’m a Creative Commons advocate – some more thoughts on setting ideas free.
17. @jaybaer: You wrote for the upcoming book Psychology of Facebook. What’s the key takeaway? (We’ll still buy it)
- @kanter: Still waiting for the publication! Key takeaways = a critique of the interaction design and better strategy for NPOs.
- This post sparked the chapter I contributed.
18. @jaybaer: You speak at a lot of conferences. What makes a great event these days?
- @kanter: Great speakers, lots of interaction, creative use of tech (e.g. backchannels), and networking opportunities.
And about backchannels at conferences http://bit.ly/127FaR (read this, it’s an amazing post) – jb
19. @jaybaer: Congrats on being named 1 of the most influential women in tech by Fast Company. Richly deserved. How does that feel?
- @kanter: Re: Fast Company – felt great to get kudos, but also wanted to give kudos to others.
20. @jaybaer: You’re now the visiting scholar for the Packard Foundation. What does that entail? Will we see less of you? 
- @kanter: Been working as scholar since March – here’s a blog post about it. It’s been an amazing learning experience.
Wow. By FAR, the most links to other amazing resources of any Twitter 20 interview to-date. It’s like an interview and wiki mash-up. Great job by Beth Kanter. Thanks to all who tuned in.
What was your favorite answer by Beth? Mine was “Facebook is a friend raising tool, not a fundraising tool.” I’ll be using that one again. You?
(photo of Beth by JD Lasica)
Jason,
Thanks for doing this and thanks for Beth for her insight. She is right on with the network building message. It’s about relationships that groups can call on later for volunteer efforts, etc. that really work for NPs.
.-= Jon Newman´s last blog ..A new home =-.
Thanks Jon. I always appreciate your support. Beth is 100% right. You have to build relationships before you need them. Can’t be a one-night stand. It’s true for business, non-profits, and people.
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RT @JDEbberly: Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change, by Convince & Convert – [link to post]
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Beth Kanter:The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change | Convince & Convert [link to post] via @JDEbberly
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Fantastic #twt20 on social media and NPOs. @GreenCityMarket @kcsweaterparty and @CFCA might find this one interesting: [link to post]
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@spiral16 Great story…thanks for sharing [link to post]
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Jay – Thank you so much for this TWT20! My friends and I organize a fundraiser for a Kansas City charity (Operation Breakthrough) The budget comes out of our pockets, so social media is our best way to communicate with ticket buyers.
Because of that, I love what Beth had to say on building community and relationships first. My group of friends and I believe in a strong relationship with our city and community, but in the party’s first year we didn’t expect a huge crowd. We were thrilled to meet many random people who heard about us through the KC Twitter, Facebook and blogging networks.
We try not to add noise to the NPO space, but hearing this stuff from a pro already gives me ideas on working with our community until this year’s party in December!
Thanks!
Whitney
@whitneymathews
@spiral16
.-= whitney´s last blog ..SMCKC July Breakfast =-.
Hi Whitney. Thanks so much for the great comment. I didn’t know you were involved in that organization. Great job. I’d love to see a post from you on how small groups can make use of social media listening software. Budget makes it tough to implement something like Spiral 16, but listening is not optional (as Beth said). Any ideas?
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RT @JDEbberly: Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media & Social Change by @jaybaer – [link to post]
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RT @ValerieSimon @JDEbberly: Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media & Social Change by @jaybaer – [link to post]
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~ Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview | Social Media Marketing … [link to post]
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Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview | Social Media Marketing … [link to post]
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Thanks for a great interview. I loved your questions .. I’m still simmering on the social CRM one.
Beth, the pleasure was 1000% mine. You were great. Incredibly interesting interview, and one that I’m sure will benefit a lot of people. Thank you for sharing what you know – and it’s a lot!
This is a super, duper interview. Beth’s practical advice and insight is always incredible!
.-= Maria Reyes-McDavis´s last blog ..Social Media and the Power of Real Relationships =-.
MRD – Thanks for the comment and the tweet. I always appreciate your contributions!
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Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview | Social Media Marketing …: A consultant to non-profits since 1993, her.. [link to post]
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Super groovy Twitter 20 interview with @kanter, by @jaybaer, covering social media for social change, EXCELLENT! [link to post] http://friendfeed.com/e/51dde7d8-ed07-431e-bc61-7c93e8065db4
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Super groovy Twitter 20 interview with @kanter, by @jaybaer, covering social media for social change, EXCELLENT! [link to post]
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Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change: Beth Kanter is perhaps the best-known,.. [link to post]
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Great interview with @kanter on twitter and social change [link to post]
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Great interview w/@kanter on nonprofits, social media, social change tipped to me by neighbor @jonnew. http://twurl.nl/07x0jb (via @jaybaer)
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RT @bethkanter: Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change: [link to post]
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Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview | Social Media Marketing …: @jaybaer: How do you feel about Facebook? S.. [link to post]
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Insights from a non-profit guru on using #socialmedia to increase donations and goodwill – [link to post]
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How to use social media for non-profits? @kanter has all the answers in this live Twitter interview. [link to post] (via @jaybaer)
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RT @jaybaer How to use social media for non-profits? @kanter has all the answers in this live Twitter interview. [link to post]
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RT @ntenhross: @kanter has a cool twitter interview out there: [link to post]
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attn arts groups! RT @jaybaer How to use social media for non-profits? @kanter has the answers in this Twitter interview. [link to post]
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Great read! RT @jaybaer: How to use soc med for non-profits? @kanter has all the answers in this live Twitter interview [link to post]
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Hey Jason, thanks for the SEO shout-out and for doing a great interview with Beth!
I think that a lot of nonprofits underestimate the value of both link-building and SEO, both of which can hook into the broad topic of social media. Many NPOs don’t have in-house SEO expertise and they’re left to the whims and wills of whatever their agency (if they can afford one) tells them.
SEO is challenging to master, but really easy to jump into, even if a nonprofit or company doesn’t have an expert on-board or a lot of time for production. There are well-defined SEO best practices that have helped people for years. The impact that natural search has on your site can also be quantified just as easily as paid search or advertising – you don’t just have to believe what your agency tells you about ranking. At this point with good web analytics systems, SEO shouldn’t be about “black hat” tricks or snake oil salesmen… it should be another tool in a nonprofit’s/company’s arsenal of web marketing strategies.
Jonathon -
Thanks so much. I agree that SEO (at least basics) isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be, and it’s 100% critical for all NPOs and companies.
One of the challenges I see for NPOs is poor search term selection. They’re not sure how they want to be found, and that’s job #1.
Thanks for your contributions. Hope to see you back here again soon.
The Facebook line, BTW, came from my colleague Steve MacLaughlin – it’s a quote in the post about the Washington Post story on Causes – somewhere in your links.
.-= Beth Kanter´s last blog ..Debra Askanase, Guest Post: Using Flickr Creatively =-.
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RT @OCReport Awesome twitter interview “Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change” [link to post]
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Beth, the pleasure was 1000% mine. Truly a thrill to have you involved in Twitter 20. Looking forward to future collaborations.
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@jaybaer interviews Beth @Kanter on social media for social change, SEO, and “network weavers”: [link to post] http://friendfeed.com/e/0af32d0a-b5f8-4bfb-ab4b-8e30f78eac0b
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@Kanter weighs in on what call goodwill fundraising in Twitterville. She’s the queen mother of it. [link to post] [via @jaybaer]
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RT jaybaer: How to use social media for non-profits? @kanter has all the answers in this live Twitter interview. [link to post]
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RT @jesseluna: Beth Kanter – Interview on Social Media and **Social Change** [link to post] h/t @shelisrael
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Beth Kanter – Interview on Social Media and **Social Change** [link to post] h/t @shelisrael
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RT @jaybaer: Should every non-profit be engaged in social media? You might be surprised at what the.. – @kanter – thinks. [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: Is social media for non-profits about humanization, mobilization? @kanter weighs in in this live interview. [link to post]
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thank you for this information. This has been a topic of discussion with our non-profit clients over the past several months. We know the value of social media in our “fund” and “friend” raising efforts — this gives us more tools to guide us.
Abbie – Really glad you found it valuable. Beth is just amazing. Nobody has her experience in this area.
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To my non-profit tweeps: RT @jaybaer SM use for non-profits? @kanter has all the answers in this live Twitter interview. [link to post]
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She always does! RT @jaybaer: How to use social media for non-profits? @kanter has all the answers in Twitter interview. [link to post]
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RT @DeirdreReid: ! RT @jaybaer: How to use social media for non-profits? @kanters in Twitter interview. [link to post]
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RT @OCReport: Awesome twitter interview “Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change” [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer Should every nonprofit be engaged in social media? You might be surprised at what the expert @kanter thinks. [link to post]
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@jaybaer Outstanding job on this Jay. Really timely for me and others.
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RT @iamkhayyam: RT @jesseluna: Beth Kanter â Interview on Social Media and **Social Change** [link to post] h/t @shelisrael
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RT @webaddict: RT @iamkhayyam: RT @jesseluna: Beth Kanter Interview on Social Media and Social Change [link to post] h/t @shelisrael
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Beth Kanter Interview on Social Media and Social Change [link to post] RT @csimard @webaddict @iamkhayyam @jesseluna:
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We all need to write a book. Everything I know about social media I learned from Beth Kanter. http://bit.ly/EsEBc @kanter
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Beth Kanter (@kanter) – The Twitter 20 Interview on Social Media and Social Change [link to post]
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Beth Kanter – The Twitter 20 Interview – Awesome 20 questions and answers – each answer with great additional links! [link to post]
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Beth Kanter & Social Change by @jaybaer [link to post] [Gr8 Info For Nonprofits]
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