Twitter Makes Relationships Work — Right Now

I'm really not obsessed with Twitter...well, no more than you are at least. OK, maybe a little more. Either way, I just wrote this article for Fundraising Well and The NonProfit Times, and thought it should end up here on Webby Things. Enjoy!

Twitter Makes Relationships Work — Right Now

Social networking connects us like never before. We find each other, exchange information, and develop expanding networks as easily as we send email. This helps individuals, nonprofits, businesses, and governmental agencies form new kinds of relationships. That’s great, but now what? How do we put these relationships to work?

Sometimes participation in social networks can feel passive, because everyone is focused content. Friend requests, photo galleries, comments, application installations — it's exhausting! It’s like we’re spending all of our time creating and consuming each other’s content, instead of actually doing something.

What Is Twitter™?
Twitter™ is the social network that asks, "What are you doing?" and was designed “for staying in touch with and keeping up with friends no matter where you are or what you’re doing.” It’s sometimes called a micro-blogging service, because posts are limited to 140 characters or less. You can also look at it as social networking based on text messages, much like Digg™ is based on news or LinkedIn™ is based on resumes.

The relationship model is simple: You can follow people, and people can follow you. When you “tweet” something, your followers receive the message in their feed and on their phones. It sounds simple, but what separates Twitter™ from the social noise is its ease of use and mobile reach. The introduction of real-time, everywhere connectivity into a social network has produced meaningful results — results well past the original vision of keeping up with your friends while on the go.

Let’s assume someone on your staff has used Twitter™ to build a large following of interested people (how to do that is another article altogether!); what happens next? How can you make these Twitter™ relationships work?

Your Followers Are Actually Listening
Reaching out to constituents is a necessary part of fundraising, and many traditional methods require a serious investment. Direct mail, phone calls, email, blogging, and public relations can all take a long time to actually reach your audience. With an established following on Twitter™, you can reach out to them in just seconds. But you’ve got to have something to say…

You could use Twitter™ to broadcast outgoing marketing by posting links to event registrations, online donation forms, or volunteer opportunities. This is a more traditional way to make the relationship work, and many organizations are doing it. But you may want to try a more subtle approach by posting about those same things, but with a more personal vibe. Tweet that you are touring the venue for this year’s gala, stuffing bags for volunteer day, or heading to a board meeting. It may sound crazy, but your followers will care about this stuff. In fact, knowing these things will make them feel closer to you. This could come into play during your next campaign, as it’s always harder to say “no” to a friend.

Followers on Twitter™ can also help you spread your story, which can bring a welcome set of new eyeballs to your mission. Danielle Brigida is a social media expert who detailed her development of a successful social media strategy for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). By leveraging relationships in various social networks, including Twitter™, Danielle’s followers regularly help NWF content land on the front page of the social news website digg.com. When this happens, a post on the NWF Wildlife Promise blog might see traffic increase from around 150 pages views to around 29,000 page views. For organizations like NWF, where online visitors often turn into online donors, investing in a social media channel like Twitter™ can clearly pay off.  

You Should Listen Too
If Twitter's™ emergence as a broadcast tool is the predictable success story of the platform, then its power as a receiver is the big surprise. When you reciprocate relationships by following your own followers, you let your most avid supporters know they have a chance to reach out to you — and that you’ll listen.

A frequently used tactic on Twitter™ is to ping your followers for some information. You could reach out for ideas for your gala theme, find a volunteer in a nearby neighborhood, or get one last anecdote before a board meeting. Instant feedback by like is difficult to get with traditional tools, but Twitter™ can make it happen as you’re rolling on the tarmac or waiting in line at a store. A community that’s always connected is always there when you need it.

But what about just getting to know your constituents better? After a big alumni event, spending an hour following links to Flickr™ photos and YouTube™ videos might give you a clearer picture of how things really went from an attendee perspective. If you have a large scale media or viral campaign, you can use a tool like TweetScan to monitor the chatter. Because the Twitter™ platform is mobile and provides constant access, it’s becoming the place to go for instant reaction. If you can develop a large enough following, this can work for you.

In the end, Twitter™ is a place where relationships can get things done quickly. As with any foray into social networking, a well thought out strategy and clear goals are important first steps. But once you decide to integrate real-time social networking into your communication plan, your Twitter™ relationships will be ready for duty.

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