Not-for-profits use social media to engage with the public, do fundraising, even train volunteers

As social media ebbs and flows with hashtag activism and viral donation drives, brick-and-mortar not-for-profits angle for ways to turn well-intentioned tweets into real-world change.

"As far as social media presence goes, it's a way to react with the community in a way that's more personal," says Nigel Holderby, regional communications officer for the Red Cross in Southern Missouri. "It gives us a presence in the place where people are hanging out these days."

She says while social media is not the only -- or even the primary -- avenue by which the Red Cross reaches the public, it is a potent tool. It goes a long way toward making an established entity approachable.

"You have the chance to give the personality of a community member to a brand," she says. "It's so much easier for people to donate and get involved with [a company] when they see it as a part of their community."

She's quick to add that for any social media campaign to be successful, it has to be executed with tact. If the content doesn't engage the consumer, there's a risk they'll tune it out.

"I'm not only pushing information out there," she says. "Think about your own personal Facebook page. You share things, but you also look at what your friends are doing and what other people are sharing."

This two-way communication possible on social media platforms offers beneficial feedback and presence, but Melissa Stickell, director of community development at The United Way of Southeast Missouri, says it's not a magic bullet.

"Social media shouldn't replace your website," she says. "It should just drive people to your website."

For United Way, Stickell points out that most charitable donations come from workplace campaigns. Fundraising events come next, with web donations in third place.

"Social media is still important these days," she says. "A lot of our donations come from workplace campaigns, but for younger people who might not be part of that environment yet, it's a good tool to get people back to the heart of your company."

She says United Way maintains Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts.

"We have to tailor to that Generation X to make sure we stay relevant," she explains.

Holderby says choosing which platform to frequent is just as important as what content it gets filled with.

"We're really recognizing -- just like everybody is -- that the demographics are different on each [social media] platform," she explains. "Twitter is different from Facebook is different from Tumblr. It's not just a thing to be there. You have to be there and you have to be engaged. You have to know, 'Who are you talking to?'"

Stickell says United Way understands this as well. She says their Facebook profile is probably the one with the most reach.

"Facebook is pretty broad these days," she says. "You even have grandmas that have the grandkids set it up for them, where Twitter is younger, and so is Pinterest."

Holderby says one of the ways the Red Cross keeps people engaged online is by enabling them to volunteer in cyberspace. They offer digital volunteer training once a month so people know how to help during a crisis, even if all they have is a smartphone.

"Empowering volunteers to be brand advocates is the best way for a nonprofit to inhabit [the virtual] sphere," she says.