Unlike most business strategies, social media is built on a culture that is developed by the people who are involved in digital communities. The concepts of transparency, authenticity, honesty and passion for the topic/brand have evolved as 'society norms' for communicating and forming relationships in the world of the social web.

These changes are long-term, and they demand more of nonprofits than seeking new funding or cutting programs. Not surprisingly, the world of social media offers some important clues. Using social media, people can put things out there and start to communicate very quickly, seizing the moment.  flickr/askpang.

To a considerable extent, Republicans and Democrats say, this is a result of the way that the Obama campaign sought to understand and harness the Internet (and other forms of so-called new media) to organize supporters and to reach voters who no longer rely primarily on information from newspapers and television.