Waters, et. al. (2009) state that for non-profits, “solely having a profile (on social networking sites) will not itself increase awareness or trigger an influx of participation. Instead careful planning and research will benefit nonprofits as they attempt to develop social networking relationships with their stakeholders” p.102). People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is one organization that has done its research and effectively used Facebook to engage audiences world-wide and build relationships with them. A whopping 503,674 fans – that’s PETA’s fan base on Facebook!
Waters, et. al. (2009) recommend three strategies that organizations can employ for online relationship cultivation. These are in bold.
PETA:
(1) Mostly practices organizational disclosure. On its Facebook page, the non-profit has listed its mission statement, programs, year of founding and a link to its website. It could have also included a logo and a list of administrators of its Facebook profile. But I would give it 9 out of 10 marks for organizational disclosure.
(2) Believes in information dissemination. The non-profit’s Facebook page contains links to 844 notes, 24 photo albums, 1,268 fan photos, 158 videos, and 77 fan videos. The non-profit could have also provided links to news items, press releases, campaign summaries and audio files. Overall, I would give it a good 8 out of 10 marks for information dissemination.
(3) Encourages audience involvement. On PETA’s Facebook page, you can easily become its fan, follow it on Twitter, or sign up for PETA E-News and special announcements. The non-profit also has a notes page and an events calendar. PETA could do better by providing a phone number and email address of a named organizational representative, list current volunteer opportunities and state how people can make charitable donations. 8 out of 10 marks for a reasonably good effort to encourage audience involvement.
Overall, PETA has done an excellent job in keeping its Facebook profile updated, relevant, interactive and transparent. The non-profit recognizes the value of social networking sites to enhance public image, garner support for its causes and cultivate relationships with its stakeholders.
Tomorrow, 15 March 2010 is the International Day of Action for Seals! PETA has scored high marks on relationship cultivation with its publics. Why not show them your support and join the online rally. There are already 21,905 confirmed guests. So, how do you think organizations like PETA can improve their efforts to reach out effectively to their stakeholders. What have they done right, what have they done wrong and what can they do better? : )
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