CHAPTER SESSION: Helping Your Hashtags: Publicity Via Social Media

Your chapter will create awareness of your name and activities through publicity, which is the deliberate attempt to manage the public’s perception of your chapter. Publicity is different from your member communications because it is meant to generate awareness about the chapter and STTI among nonmembers while increasing current members’ pride.

According to the Chapter Sustainability Pyramid, chapter pride is the emotional connection members have with their chapter and the organization. Chapter pride grows as a result of positive publicity because members feel that their membership is recognized and valued in the community. Pride is a powerful motivator in any organization, and can have a large impact on recruitment and retention.

Nonprofit chapters can help build pride by using publicity to create a positive public image. This image will be particularly important in members' workplaces, where they wish for their employers to understand the importance of belonging to professional organizations. Social media is one of the free tools that chapters can use for publicity purposes.

According to wearesocial.net, social media isn't a passing trend:

• There are just over 3 billion active Internet users 

• Nearly 2.1 billion people have social media accounts

• 3.65 billion mobile users have access to the internet via smartphones and tablets

• Close to 1.7 billion people have active social media accounts

This means that social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, still provide opportunities to connect people with each other and allow nonprofit chapters an avenue to share their successes, events, and more. 

Once chapters determine which site(s) they are goign to use to publicize their activities, they should ensure they have a plan in place about how each platform will be used. According to commsaxis.com, "But it isn’t enough to muddle along posting random content at random times. In order to make social media work for you, you need to approach social media seriously and strategically." The importance of developing a strategic communication plan continues to grow as the chapter grows.

Bulles, Jeff. "33 Social Media Facts and Statistics You Should Know in 2015." Retrieved on 1 May 2016 at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2015/04/08/33-social-media-facts-and-statistics-you-should-know-in-2015/ "5 Reasons Your Business Needs A Social Media Marketing Strategy," Retrieved on 1 May 2016 at http://www.commsaxis.com/5-reasons-business-needs-social-media-marketing-strategy/#ixzz48Cu2kxg Johnston, Alicia. "Strategic Guide to Social Media for Nonprofits." Retrieved on 1 May 2016 from http://sproutsocial.com/insights/nonprofit-social-media-guide/.