Social media has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and not only because of the masses of isolated users—spending on social media campaigns increased 74 percent during the first two months of the pandemic in the U.S. And it’s money well-spent, according to respondents to The CMO Survey: For the first time since 2016, companies are reporting a boost in social media’s contributions to company performance.

Now, the question for organizations is how to extract more value from social media partners. Writing for Harvard Business Review, Christine Moorman and Torren McCarthy recommend four guiding principles for working with partners, beginning with trust. “Trust paves the way for effective decisions, calculated risks, and creative work,” say Moorman and McCarthy. “But building trust takes intention.”

Establishing and sticking with clear communication channels—including a process for conversations that need to be fast-tracked—can help maintain that trust. Finding the right mix of internal and external perspectives helps too, as does establishing clear performance indicators and objectives.

Erase Cognitive Bias From Your Marketing

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Marketers regularly leverage cognitive bias to make their points effectively. But as Lesley Vos points out for the Content Marketing Institute, the people crafting messages aren’t exempt from these mental pitfalls.

So if marketers want to communicate well with their audience, they need to be aware of their own tendencies and cognitive biases first. Recognizing the shortcuts one’s own brain takes to work efficiently can result in stronger, more prescient strategy. The alternative is the risk of undermining their own work.

“The first rule of dealing with cognitive biases is: Remember that you are biased too,” Vos says. “The second rule of dealing with cognitive biases is: ALWAYS REMEMBER that you are biased too.”

Other Links of Note

Managing volunteers doesn’t have to be daunting if you follow this six-step plan, according to Wild Apricot.

Membership stagnant? Try a 30-day challenge, among other techniques shared by Steve Pavlina on the Behind the Membership podcast.

Overintellectualization may be hurting your organization if it gets in the way of action, says Vu Le at Nonprofit AF.

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