“Listen more than you talk, share more than you create, and point to others more than you promote yourself.”

Dragonfly Interview: Katya Andresen

This week, we interviewed Katya Andresen of Network for Good and the wonderful nonprofitmarketingblog.com. She writes, speaks, and blogs prolifically about nonprofit marketing, online outreach, social media, and fundraising. On her “About Me” page she says that “People who work for good causes have a moral obligation to be extremely efficient and effective at what we do, right this minute,” and we couldn’t agree more.

When and how did you become interested in social media?

Katya: I’m a social person, so I’ve been interested in social media from the start. I’m drawn to connecting with my friends and colleagues via social networking. I even met the love of my life online. So I’m a fan of social media on a very human level.  But I’m also interested in social media because of its enormous potential to transform the way causes and people interact. Even the smallest charity has an incredible opportunity to use technology to build stronger relationships with supporters and deepen the nature of engagement for social good. And even one person has the power to be a force for positive change. It’s exciting because of what people can do with the tools they have.

If you could only give an organization one piece of social media advice, what would it be?

Listen more than you talk, share more than you create, and point to others more than you promote yourself. It’s a wonderful paradox: the more selfless you are online, the faster you build a following.

What is the top social media mistake organizations make?

For nonprofits, it’s that they look at social media as a fundraising engine. That’s like going into a cocktail party with a megaphone and a collection plate. Social media is not a broadcast medium for self promotion–it’s a conversation. That means it’s about listening, enabling and engaging your community. The money is a side effect of the relationships you build.

One worry with social media is that some technologies are so new, we don’t know if they are going to stick around. What kinds of social technologies are a good investment?

Here’s the deal on that. If your social media strategy is about the newest and coolest technology tools, you’re dead. This isn’t a question of do you tweet vs. facebook vs. foursquare. Good social media strategy starts with the question, who do I want to engage with–and what tools are those people using online?  Go to where your audience congregates. If they start congregating in other places, change venues. But don’t be driven by the latest and greatest shiny technology. What’s always a good investment is connecting with people online in an authentic way, where they are, on their terms. That will never change.

What do you think the next trend in social media will be? How can organizations that want to be early adopters be on the cutting edge?

I’m hoping the next trend will be a continued shift from old-school marketing to real engagement online, powered by everyday people instead of paid persuaders. Organizations that want to be on the cutting edge need to drop all pretense of controlling the medium, shine the spotlight on their communities, and allow those communities to shape their organizations, their strategies and their offerings.

Do you think the revolution will be tweeted?

Yes. Or otherwise discussed and amplified online. I think people who say real world relationships are the most powerful are right, but that doesn’t mean virtual networks lack their own power. For social change, the ideal combination is the bonds of offline relationships coupled with the scale of online reach.