With about seven in 10 Americans active on social media, your association should be, too, to engage with your industry’s larger online community and get in front of potential members. But many other organizations are trying to do the same thing, which makes it hard for your association to become a breakout star in the social sphere.

“Any advantage you may have reaped by being an early adopter is gone,” says Claire Axelrad in a post on the Bloomerang blog. “Everyone is in the social space, and your competition is not just other nonprofits but legions of businesses—small, medium, and large.”

To become a social media standout, survey where your audience spends most of its time. Then, build up your brand’s profile on those platforms, including strong avatars, consistent branding, and starting or contributing to conversations.

Axelrad also recommends integrating a blog into your nonprofit’s website. “Not only will this support email list building and search, it also provides a dynamite means of building ongoing supporter relationships,” she says. “You can offer lots of relevant content that helps more than it sells, thereby fulfilling your part of the nonprofit value-for-value exchange bargain. If you want gifts, you must give them.”

Set up your social strategy with measurable goals and the metrics and track them along the way. “Don’t simply fall back on brand awareness and other easy-to-track metrics that don’t necessarily yield an addressable audience, leads, or desired action responses,” Axelrad says.

Bring Humor to the Office

😂https://t.co/lcHW49J22E

— Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz) February 18, 2019

It turns out the thing your workplace culture might be missing is a little humor.

“Given all the research showing that lower stress benefits employees and reduces absenteeism, the freedom to laugh seems not just good, but necessary at work,” says Betty-Ann Heggie in an article on Harvard Business Review. “A group of researchers even found that after watching a comedy clip, employees were 10 percent more productive than their counterparts.”

So, laugh a little—just make sure to keep the fun at a reasonable volume so as not to distract your neighbors.

Other Links of Note

Show off the value of your organization by learning to measure and communicate impact, says Nonprofit Hub.

Happy volunteers raise your nonprofit’s profile in the community. The VolunteerMatch blog explains how to measure volunteer outreach.

Instagram is an important part of your social strategy—so don’t let its algorithm hold you back. The Sprout Social blog offers tips on how to outsmart it.

(masterzphotois/iStock/Getty Images Plus)