This  is a re-post of content from the RE:Philanthropy blog. 

An article recently published in Research & Development shared how  researchers are using social media to draw attention to their research.  Discussing their work with reporters and sharing on social media seemed to increase the likelihood that one’s research is cited, thereby increasing their work’s impact.  With that being said, how is your organization drumming up interest with social media?  Are you using it simply as an awareness tool or are you actively engaging?  Here are a few ideas to engage your social media audience:

1. Draw people in.

Instead of using social media as an alert to make others aware that content is available, why not use interesting snippets of the work to draw readers in?  An example of an organization accomplishing this is the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN).  NTEN publishes a quarterly journal called Change that is geared towards nonprofit leaders.  Intriguing quotes from the journal issue are tweeted out to encourage followers to access it.

2. Build the relationship.

Appreciating your Twitter followers by thanking them for following and retweeting can improve retention and encourage content sharing.  In addition, think about holding a Twitter chat to share ideas and engage followers.  One organization that has made great use of this is the Special Libraries Association.  They’ve shared a how-to #SLAtalk document to help others learn about participating in one.

3. Make it easy to share.

Provide site visitors with an easy way to share content on their own social media accounts.  A good example of an organization that is accomplishing this is Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP).  The bottom of the site’s pages makes it easy for visitors to quickly share content via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

4. Measure influence.

If you haven’t yet tried to measure your social media influence, check out Klout.  In short, Klout uses social media analytics to determine influence.  Users can choose between a brand or individual account and connect their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and FourSquare accounts.  Opinions differ on whether a Klout score is the best way to measure influence, but for many, it provides a good start.

In conclusion, what are some of the innovative ways your organization has used social media successfully?

Written by Sophia Guevara, Social Media Fellow with Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP)