April Fools Day is Coming: Is Your Nonprofit’s Social Media Ready?

Are you just fooling around?

If any of the following apply to you, your nonprofit is not ready for the 21^st century. The cure? Read Monday’s post to get serious and avoid being pranked — or spanked! — for failing to embrace the fact that we’re all social businesses now. Truly, it’s time to get serious (just not today; for now, have a little fun, a super good week-end and… get determined after April 1^st). Let’s get in the spirit!

Do you:

1. Think that Instagram is what happens to you when your daughter has a baby after a very brief labor?
2. Say you Reddit when you didn’t?
3. StumbleUpon your toes, jumping out of the way of the dog you think is in the office whenever someone says Yelp?
4. Tell your younger colleagues how much you Digg it when you don’t?
5. Answer, sure, fill it with java, when your assistant mentions Tumblr?
6. Think that G+ stands for very good behavior in school?
7. Agree that Foursquare is a pretty good playground ball game?
8. Say Yo, también when your friend utters Diigo?
9. Agree he’s one of your favorite painters when someone mentions Picasa?
10. Agree that your latest campaign was Delicious (though you privately wonder why staff are bookmarking fundraising together with restaurants)?
11. Think that Flikr is something used to swat flies?
12. Spend time wondering if it’s dangerous for two kids to engage in a Slideshare at the playground?
13. Keep meaning to learn more about the descendants of Harold Pinter known as the Pinterests?
14. Say, sure, I enjoy Mashable; especially potatoes?
15. Wonder if Tweetdeck is something you should be adding to your birdhouse?
16. Think that Hootsuite is a living room for owls?

If you answered yes (or “sort of”) to any of the above, it’s time to get serious.  Did you know the calendar year used to begin on April 1st?  At least that’s one theory as to why we call it April Fool’s Day (as in  ‘ha ha’ fooled you again; it’s not the first of the year anymore, dude!)  Anyway, April 1^st is as good a day as any to begin your new resolve to embrace social media. For starters you’re going to need:

• A desire to learn a new skillset (some of the best resources are Hubspot, Mashable and Social Media Examiner.
• A realistic assessment of your objectives
• An analysis of how social media can help achieve your objectives
• A strategic social media plan
• An inside/out content marketing plan
• A measurement strategy

We’ll be talking about all these things in the days and months ahead on Clairification.  Today, just tell us a great April Fool’s Day prank we can play on our friends and family (nothing mean please; just clever and fun).