A good social media plan will have many elements in common with a good marketing plan. For example, social media is never a campaign. And while your members are used to getting emails and brochures, they may not be ready for all the possibilities social media creates. There are so many ways to measure success in social media.

Last week, Bob Farrace , director of publications for the National Association of Secondary School Principals, asked this Twitter question on the ASAE Technology Listserv. Are any associations out there maintaining an official association Twitterstream? There are a bunch of associations with an official presence on Twitter.

Have you filled out the Social Tech Survey for associations yet? Even if you haven't taken on any social media initiatives yet, but plan to start something in the next 6 months or so, you should fill out the survey. In just a few weeks, we'll have solid information about social media initiatives that associations are tackling.

The blogs are all a twitter (Twitter's twittering, too) with the release of Digital Snippets, a new web service designed to take the work out of creating the ultimate Social Media Release (SMR). Social Media Group's Digital Snippets Template An earlier version from SHIFT Communications So with this shiney new toy comes much responsibility.

Rosetta Thurman wrote a terrific post this morning about the Fort Wayne chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network opting out of the national association. It seems that it was too much work, too burdensome, for the  local chapter to follow all of the rules that the national association set to be recognized as a [.].

If you're not familiar with my business partner Maddie, she blogs daily about social media as it relates to association management and innovation. We wanted a true social media homebase for our business SocialFish. Maddie Grant and I are combining our blogs. think you'll really like her content--I do. There are lots of reasons.

Once, when I was representing social media on an arts marketing panel, a fellow panelist said to me, one-on-one, something along the lines of “ okay, but how does this sell tickets ?” The longer answer is about social media metrics and the complexity of conversation, and it’s not really an answer. Same thing with social media.

Should my association have a social media policy? This post is the first in a four-part series meant to clear up the confusion around policies that your association may need in order to make the most out of the social web. Tags: social media policies get that question a lot. Short answer.yes. Period. That's it.

I had the pleasure of designing, and participating in, today's NTC session starring nonprofit communicators Danielle Brigida, National Wildlife Federation; Felicia Carr, National Parks Conservation Association; and Wendy Harman, American Red Cross. Tags: 09NTC Branding and Messages Nonprofit Communications Social Media The answer is.

This post is the third in a 4-part series on social media policies. This is a good idea for every association operating in a social space. Intel even puts their moderation guidelines right into their social media guidelines for employees. Tags: social media policies Remember, I'm not a lawyer. What are official outposts?