A Guest Contributor Reports on PRSA's Program on Facebook for Government, Business, Associations and Non-ProfitsThere was a great turnout yesterday morning for the PRSA-NCC program, reflecting strong interest in how to use Facebook for organizational communications, and the five person 
panel delivered. Here colleague Deborah Brody of Deborah Brody Marketing Communications shares a wrap-up of the program with Capital Buzz readers in case you missed this program.With its 400 million users, Facebook is more than a place to catch up with high school friends. It is a social network powerhouse that allows you to connect with people who are passionate about pet causes, products and services. Nonprofits, government and corporations have been tapping into Facebook’s potential by building up fan bases and paying for targeted advertising on the network.
From the large turnout this morning at the PRSA-NCC professional development program Facebook for Government, Business, Associations and Non-Profits, it is obvious that Washington’s public relations community is keen to learn more about how to best use Facebook.
The program, moderated by Aaron Cohen, Director Media and Digital Communication, MS&L PR, featured five outstanding panelists and provided excellent case studies and key takeaways.
The panelists were:
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LTC Gerald Ostlund, Social and New Media, US Army Reserve (@Oates86)
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Michael McManus,Director of Public Relations, Sodexo, Inc. , Sodexo Inc. (@sodexoUSA)
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Terry Poltrack, Director Public Relations and Communications, American Society of Landscape Architects (@asla)
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Gloria Huang, Social Media Specialist, American Red Cross (@riaglo)
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Carie Lewis, Director of Emerging Media, Humane Society of the US (@cariegrls)
Here are some highlights:
The
American Red Cross uses social media to further its executive mission to prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies, and finds Facebook a great way to help people find others with similar interests.
As a smaller association, the
American Society of Landscape Architects uses all types of social networks, aiming to be wherever its members are. Using metrics, the ASLA was able to determine that a post on Facebook increased traffic to its website, second only to third party reporting.
The Humane Society has established specific social media policies to guide its staff in the proper use of Facebook, and has set up a hierarchy of pages (national to local). The organization also uses Facebook for online advocacy and fundraising (especially through the use of Facebook Causes, where one of the most popular causes is the drive to end puppy mills).
Sodexo is using Facebook as a central hub for communications with both internal audiences (using locked group pages) and external audiences (using various national and local fan pages).
The
US Army Reserve has created a robust social media presence that aims to put a face on the Army Reserve. It recommends that Facebook pages be personal and real, while having a clearly marked rules of engagement that spell out what is allowed. The Army Reserve encourages soldiers to create their own videos using Flip Cams, and has found that these videos get more views than more polished, professional videos.
One of the most interesting lessons was that most of these organizations started their social media programs “under the radar.” Once the value was established, the leadership bought in.
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