At the start of a new year, there are plenty of bad habits that many of us try to leave behind. Should Twitter be one of them?

In a recent blog post, nonprofit thought leader Beth Kanter argues that Twitter still has plenty to offer groups despite its controversial reputation. “While Twitter and other platforms can amplify the underbelly of the world, they can also connect people with nonprofit organizations and spread social good, joy, and even fun,” she writes.

Recently, Twitter has introduced a few features to make the platform easier to use and to entice new users. For instance, at the end of 2017, Twitter debuted a threading feature that makes successive, related tweets much simpler to follow.

Kanter also suggests that nonprofits make use of features that may be underutilized, including Twitter lists, polls, and moments. “I use moments to create stories based on tweets from conferences or workshops that I’ve presented,” she says.

New Tools

Succeeding at change is easy. Breaking through the fear to do so isn't. https://t.co/OZ3sCjyJ5w

— Poynter (@Poynter) January 9, 2018

We all know that changing things up from time to time can lead to success, but the fear of being burned by change often holds us back from experimenting.

In that vein, the Poynter Institute shares a few digital tools to try that don’t require a heavy amount of effort or risk—you just need to be willing to break out of your daily routine a bit.

While the tools are geared toward journalists, they do have broader uses. For example, consider Hunter.io for tracking down professional contact information for a person whose information is hard to find publicly.

Other Links of Note

Does your organization use Google AMP? According to Search Engine Land, Google is switching out the annoying AMP URLs for publisher URLs in search result displays.

Your association may be relying more on appeals to reason than emotion. Future Fundraising Now talks about a new study on why donors give. 

Do you wonder if augmented reality technology is right for your nonprofit? The Wild Apricot blog provides a guide for how groups use it best.

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