Social Networking Advice From Other Nonprofits

We attended a workshop at Discovery Communications a couple weeks ago on social networking.  Of course, Discovery is a huge corporation, and they have an entire department dedicated to spreading the word via Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc.  We wondered if other nonprofits had a budget to support social networking staff and if they had general tips for social networking on a dime.  Here's the advice we received:

@akmcquade: @SupportGenHope In my experience, it's ok to start small and part time until you can really work it into your everyday happenings.

@fdncenter Why, thnk u! :p Keep it casual, be conversational & gracious - and content might be king, but context is prime minister!

@peninsulasymph "The Networked Nonprofit" is on my to-read list. Perhaps you could host a discussion on your blog? 

We're not ready to hire a social networking guru, but like many organizations, we're spreading the responsibilities among existing staff.  Bottom line - if you're not tweeting or on Facebook, you probably should be.  It's a vital tool in spreading the word about the wonderful work you do.

If you have other tips, please let us know.  And, if you're not following our Twitter and Facebook pages, please do!

@SupportGenHope
FB:  Support Generation Hope

- GH