Social Media for Social Good: A How-to Guide for Nonprofits

by Heather Mansfield

Based on more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit communications and 15,000+ hours spent utilizing social and mobile media, Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits is a comprehensive 256-page hardcover book packed with more than 100 best practices covering Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 nonprofit communications and fundraising. From building your e-newsletter list to finding your "Twitter voice" to launching a mobile website and texting campaign on a small budget, this guide presents a step-by-step strategic plan for launching and maintaining successful social media and mobile marketing campaigns.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Social Media, Writing, Leadership

288 pages, Hardcover

First published August 17, 2011

Reviews

[MA · Rating 2 out of 5]

out of date

[Ami Neiberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This practical how-to guide by consultant Heather Mansfield, offers helpful advice for nonprofit organizations seeking to maximize their online presence for engagement and support. Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits is organized into three sections with chapters.

Part 1 - Web 1.0: The Static Web
Websites, e-newsletters, and "donate now" campaigns

Part 2 - Web 2.0: The Social Web
Getting started with social media
Facebook and Facebook apps
Twitter and Twitter apps
YouTube and FlickR
LinkedIn
Blogging

Part 3 - Web 3.0: The Mobile Web
Social media and the mobile web
Mobile websites
Group text messaging and text-to-give technology
Smartphone apps
What's next?
Your nonprofit tech checklist

Mansfield points out in the introduction, that inspite of all of the hype, web 1.0, which consists of nonprofit organization websites, e-newsletters, donation sites and advocacy campaigns - remain the highest return on investment for dollars raised. Even with all of the hype about social media today - the lesson is clear - pay attention to your nonprofit website and how you are raising money using online tools. Pay attention to the donors and supporters you already know now.

For nonprofits who are struggling, this book offers a lot of help and encouragement. Mansfield encourages nonprofits to "hang on" until they hit the 5,000 mark for an online community, noting that this appears to be when online communities begin to grow exponentially. Each chapter features a list of links to nonprofit examples and a list of key terms that you can google for more information.

While at times, the book verges into the very basic, it bills itself as a primer to the mechanics of using social media. Those are who are more skilled in social media will find themselves skimming over some sections, but then delving into others where perhaps they need more support. Mansfield encourages nonprofits to be goal-oriented and to focus on returns generated by investing time in social media.

One of the most useful things Mansfield does in the book, is estimate the number of hours organizations seeking to maximize their social media presence, spend working in the different social media spheres. She estimates that 15 hours weekly could be be spent on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. An additional 5 hours for FlickR, 5 hours for LinkedIn, 10 hours for blogging, 5-10 hours weekly for niche networks (Ning, Change,org, Care2, etc.) and 5-10 hours weekly for peer-to-peer fundraising networks (Razoo, Crowdrise, etc) are also estimated. While these hourly estimates may be sobering for nonprofit workers who are already time-strapped and under-resourced, they do spell out the reality.

It is not a case of "if you build it they will come." You have to actively build and engage with the people you want to reach online. And you can't do that in absentia. It takes time and thought. When your boss comes up with the brilliant idea of building a presence for your nonprofit in every social media platform, and tacks it onto a job description - show him or her these time estimates.Then budget your time accordingly.

At 250+ pages, Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits, is not a short read. But it's great to see a book on social media targeting the nonprofit community and positively encouraging organizations to use social media tools for good. The book is well-organized, and it's easy to pick it up and locate information. The areas where the book could use greater support, are in audience targeting and ROI measurement for social media. I look forward to reading what Mansfield puts out next.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost feel like I can’t critique a book like this – after all, its sole purpose is to empower non-profits and charitable organisations to raise more money and more support through social media. Besides, it’s really well-written, and you couldn’t ask for a better author than Mansfield to take you through the topic.

It feels like there’s a ‘but’ coming here; (but) there isn’t. Sure, there are problems if you read this as head of marketing at BP, but if you read this with the eyes of a marketer at a small-to-midsize non-profit, it’s perfect for you. Mansfield knows her audience well, and her book is designed to cater to them.

In fact, it’s interesting to note that the testimonials on the back page are all from non-profits – Heather could’ve got some of the industry big-hitters to say something, because she’s as well respected as a lot of them are, but instead she’s opted to quote the digital marketing manager of the National Wildlife Federation, the director of interactive services at Safe Kids Worldwide, and the director of communications at the National Peace Corps Association.

The fact is, social media for communication and marketing is vital in pretty much any industry you can think of now, but it has the power to transform charities and non-profits even more so. People like to do good, you just need to get your message in front of the right people. Social media will help you to do that.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for individuals in communications or outreach. Designed for those in the nonprofit sector, Social Media for Social Good: A How-to Guide for Nonprofits will help anyone better understand the impact of social media with regard to online communications. Additionally, it provides a detailed check list on how to get your organization's message in front of tens of thousands of people.

I have read this fantastic book cover-to-cover twice. It is bookmarked and tabbed throughout, never leaving my side. I refer to it daily and will continue to do so since it is such an impressive tool box for online messaging. My co-workers jokingly refer to it as my bible...I can't argue with that metaphor, as it is more than apt.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the specific guidelines and tips in here. Occasionally seemed like it might be a little over the head of a true beginner (and it purports to be a checklist for organizations just starting out), but overall there is a wealth of helpful information to be had! Definitely a good starting place for new social media managers!

[Debra Askanase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concision, extremely practical guide to getting started and using social media for nonprofits. The lists, additional links, and resources would be extremely valuable for any nonprofit.

[Bianca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately these kind of books don't age well, but it would be good for beginners wanting ideas in the NFP space. It would have been even better 7 years ago, so I recommend you read their online blog instead to keep up with the latest trends.

[Lisadayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. Good concept. I suggest reading it with Prasad Kothari's book on social media management and analytics for healthcare https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[AnnieHil]

Published in 2011. Dated now. But still some good gut checks. Author’s website remains a good resource.

[Michelle]

Skimmed all the headers in this because in 2022, this is too outdated to use. Four square and flicker and MySpace…. nope.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

read

[Lauren Sagendorph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very outdated

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 4 out of 5]

You work at a nonprofit organization. Perhaps you even lead the organization. Your group has a website, an email list, maybe even a Facebook page (because everybody tells you that you have to have one). In the back of your mind, though, you have the nagging feeling that other groups are doing more, or better, with social media. You wish you had a tech-savvy friend who really gets it about nonprofits who would sit down and explain to you what the heck is going on.

Heather Mansfield is your new best friend. In Social Media for Social Good, she lays out what you're likely doing now (and how you can do it better), what else you can do now, and what you may want to be doing soon. (Just to show you how friendly she can be, in May 2013 Heather published 33 Must-Read Updates to the book. I wish more how-to authors would do the same!)

What you're probably doing already is what the author calls Web 1.0. You took written materials and photos you had on the shelf, posted them on the web, and left them there for people to find (the "static web"). Maybe you even got around to updating them on a semi-regular basis and supplemented them with an e-newsletter (the "broadcast web" described in the 33 Updates). Web 1.0 is still crucial. If you do nothing else, follow Heather's suggestions on how to improve them. (You will find examples and checklists at the end of each chapter to make it easier to put her suggestions into practice.)

We are already well into the age of Web 2.0, the social web. Read the middle section of this book to figure out how to be social online: it is a new skill set for most nonprofits and it can be learned. Read this section also to learn what you could do for your mission with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and photo and video sites like Instagram and Youtube. Are you blogging? Blogs are the quiet powerhouses of social media. I strongly recommend you read that chapter.

Since this book came out in 2011, the world has moved quickly on to Web 3.0, the mobile web. Today, over 40% of the people who view your website or read your email do so on a mobile phone or a tablet like the iPad. You have to make your organization accessible and attractive to them, or else you're losing a lot of the benefits of being on the web in the first place. Read this section for tips on how to get those people checking their mobile phones on the subway to check in on you.

Your tech-savvy friend might also be so enthusiastic, she tells you more than you want to know. Heather does that sometimes. This book also has some of the "you must" intensity that true enthusiasts bring to their subject. If you're a cynical reader, you might wonder if, in this book (and even more in the 33 Updates, and in the highly informative webinars that Heather offers), she's not proselytizing for more jobs for people like her.

I read the book in a different light. Heather Mansfield strongly believes in your organization...AND in the power of social media to help you change the world. It truly pains her that you're not taking advantage of the tools that are out there. She also points out that early adopters of new media learn how to use them best, and they're best positioned to learn the next wrinkle when it comes along. That makes sense, but not every organization has the capacity of CARE, or Partners in Health, or NPR. You have to figure out what your organization can do. So, accept her help, and use your own judgment. But stretch yourself a little. If there's one takeaway message from this book, it's that social media will create new possibilities faster than we think, and we need to be ready to take advantage of them.

[Kimberly Hirsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Social Media for Social Good, former social media consultant Heather Mansfield, principal blogger at Nonprofit Tech 2.0, provides a guidebook for nonprofits entering the social media world for the first time. Mansfield divides the Web into three eras: the Static Web (1.0), the Social Web (2.0), and the Mobile Web (3.0). She explains the importance and value of online tools in each era, explaining that each builds on the era before it. She also identifies specific tools such as Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube, and gives best practices for using these tools. At the end of the book, she includes "Your Nonprofit Tech Checklist," a step-by-step map for planning your organization's social media strategy.

Mansfield provides a wealth of information and enhances her own advice by providing Nonprofit Examples of Excellence at the end of each chapter and a "Google This!" section with recommended search terms for more information and examples. Social Media for Social Good has both breadth and depth. I purchased it to support my work with the Durham Savoyards as we enter our 50th Anniversary year; the time seemed ripe for launching our organization into Web 2.0 and beyond. Mansfield focuses on suggestions that at first glance would work only for large non-profits with the budget to hire a social media manager, but with some tweaking, the work can be spread across a range of volunteers.

I highly recommend this book not only for anyone working with a 501(c)3, but also for anyone working in education. The principles are applicable to any organization that relies on external participation and support to succeed at its mission. I think they are especially relevant in the field of education, where providing readily-accessible evidence of the good work we do helps us demonstrate the need for continued funding and personnel support. For example, Mansfield suggests having the Board or staff of your nonprofit create a "Thank You" video for supporters. At a school library, you could have students create a video to thank donors or volunteers. In a classroom, you could create a Flickr pool for your Donors Choose project and post the URL in the project description so donors could follow your students' progress through the project. Social Media for Social Good provides many more suggestions and best practices that will enhance your organization's online marketing strategy. Check it out at your library or buy it today!

[Colin Scala · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating may be somewhat unfair, but that's the way it works.

Some of the practices Mansfield advocates are just wrong — particularly writing down all your passwords in an unencrypted spreadsheet, which is a really bad idea. Many other pieces of advice are outdated, which is to be expected from a book written three years ago.

Mansfield's book was to me an excellent reminder of the state of the hype back in 2012. Her speculation that location-based communities would be the next big thing never materialized, but I can't blame her for that: no one could have foreseen the downfall of Foursquare. Tablet sales have also increased, but we are starting to see a decline this year that no one saw coming.

Perhaps the main takeaway from the book is that the web evolves far too quickly. If you rely on a document printed 6+ months ago to implement your social media campaigns, you're doing it wrong. This is one of those things you can only learn by doing, and the only parts of the book I would recommend are the general communications/marketing/community building stuff. She is absolutely right when she says it can take months or even years for a social media manager to understand a brand and find its voice.

I have to admit I am not this book's target audience. I'm not a communications professional, but I've worked as a social media volunteer for a few years. Now, while I realise I'm not a beginner and understand that some things develop too quickly to write about because they would become obsolete almost immediately, telling people to google basic concepts at the end of a chapter just because you didn't feel like defining and explaining them is sheer laziness. Also, the writing (emphasis mine):

Empowered by geolocation technology, they can determine a user's physical location, thus enabling her to "check in" to a location while she is physically at that location. (page 186)

Location! Location everyone!

Three stars, Mansfield. You attempted the impossible, and the result is not bad.

[Marla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Mansfield does a great job breaking down all the social media components for nonprofits to be successful. I have worked in the nonprofit field for many years and I am finding this book as a fantastic resource. I'm constantly referring back to different sections and will have multiple marketing staff read the book. I also attended one of Heather's webinars and it was informative I had to purchase her book. Anyone working in the nonprofit world would benefit from this book, even small businesses would benefit from the advice. This will be a well thumbed through book with lots of highlights.

[Cathy Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Academic Friends: Replace "non-profit" with "academic department." This book is a wonderful primer about how to make the good work of your department visible and how to create community with faculty, students, alumni, and friends of higher education. Do you know why nobody outside the academy understands what we do? Because we aren't good at communicating our value in a world "ruled" by social media. I regularly assign this book to my communications interns, who help me to tell the story of our department to a variety of audiences. And it works.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for someone looking to take their non-profit from Web 1.0 all the way to mobile strategies. Heather Mansfield does exactly as promised she provide the reader with a detailed plan on how to maximize a non-profits effectiveness on the web and all the steps it takes to get it there. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a road map for non-profit success on the web.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great! A good overview over Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 for nonprofit organizations.
You can read and use only the part of the medium of your choice or use everything. You get the Examples of Excellence for every medium and also a list of things to check out ("Google this!"). The "best practices" list for every medium also helps you through to get started with this medium and avoid the worst mistakes (hopefully).

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good overall book on using social media specifically for the non-profit world. It gave me a lot of ideas I could use right of the bat without having to first figure out how to apply them to non-profits. Most books I find in this communications field are specific to business, so it was nice to have one tailored to my messaging.

[Cassi Haggard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected. I'm always very skeptical but I actually liked this book. Practical advice, lists and an awareness that social media constantly changes. Of course some aspects are already dated such as no information about Facebook Timeline but still a good book especially if you're involved in a nonprofit.

[Matt Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and inspiring guide to the broad and varied landscape of nonprofit communication. Presents a thorough overall strategy, contextualizing and prioritizing each medium, in a way that can easily be tailored to the needs of any nonprofit. The 2011 edition is a little out of date, of course, but the updates are easy enough to find online.

[Elizabeth Addison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for work so I don't know that I loved/hated it per se. It was interesting to see the things that the author predicted about social media (this book having been written in 2012). Some of it is right on the nose, and some of it is so off I feel bad for her. Wherever you are, Heather Mansfield, I hope you're not too upset that Twitter ended up being a garbage fire.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does exactly what it sets out to do. It lays out the basics for how to use a wide range of social media, specifically in a nonprofit setting. There are many checklists and the format is very easy to read. I enjoyed this book and found it extremely helpful.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pertinent to small non-profits. I appreciate the up to date review of all the different avenues an organization can take with social media. We learned that we were making some big errors and saw an increase in social media activity immediately after we made corrections.

[Eric Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for many Non-Profits. Nice stats, baseline metrics, and how-to's from Heather. These are solidly based on experience in the trenches. I wish more NPO's were doing what is in these pages.

[Eleni Bourinaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for any nonprofit or advocate looking to use social media effectively. There are a lot of resources in the space that could overwhelm a novice. This offers a comprehensive explanation of each platform without using a one size fits all approach. Highly recommend.

[Anica Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concise and easy to grasp. Great list of "who's doing it right" and other references. Definitely a book I'll keep by my desk as the foundation I work for boldly dives deeper into the online world.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good overview of the social media landscape for non-profits and a great place to start if you're trying to get an org up on social media, but its also sadly out of date. Read for the complete overview, then dive deep on the topics that interest you by searching online.

[Kayte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide for any non-profit looking to capitalize on the Internet or social media. A must read as the Internet and mobile technologies continue to expand and develop.