Making Constituent Connections
Make News, Events More Accessible
Dashboard Can Boost
Your Social Media Following
“Your social presence doesn’t — and shouldn’t —
end at your social media profile,” says Amanda
Andresen, social media coordinator at University
of Nebraska Kearney (UNK; Kearney, NE). “By
incorporating social into your website, you have
the opportunity to increase your social media
following. Use the two together to build your
overall online presence.” you’re comfortable,” she says. “For instance, you can go live
And that’s exactly what UNK is doing. In
2015, the university created a social media
dashboard (www.unk.edu/about/social-dashboard.
php) comprised of the school’s primary Facebook
and Twitter feeds, a featured video from its
YouTube channel and an online directory linking
users to the social media accounts of campus
departments and organizations.
Anyone interested in UNK news and events —
whether that be current or prospective students,
parents, alumni, faculty, staff and even community
members — know where to go for easy access to
university happenings.
“It provides a one-stop-shop for people to
access information about the social accounts on
campus,” Andresen says. “We have been able to
centralize our content, which allows users to easily
find what’s happening on social.”
Another perk of the dashboard is gaining new
social followers via website visitors. She says any
organization using social media to drive people to
its website should consider adding an online
dashboard to do the reverse — drive visitors to its
social media channels.
Highlighting these channels in one location
and directing users to them indirectly boosts
search engine optimization, as well.
“If someone is unfamiliar with our social
channels, and they search ‘UNK social media,’ it’s
the first thing they’re going to find,” she says. “Our
social media and website both work together to
promote our brand; why not use them to promote
each other?”
Andresen says a simple design was used for the
creation of the page. By using embed codes from
Twitter and Facebook, content is automatically
updated when the social accounts are. This makes
site maintenance virtually nonexistent. While this
is handy for day-to-day operations, she says it does
present a bit of a “set and forget mentality” for the
overall look of the site. However, a redesign is
currently in development.
Source: Amanda Andresen, Social Media Coordinator,
University of Nebraska Kearney, Kearney, NE. Phone
(308) 865-8131. E-mail: andresenak@unk.edu. Website:
www.unk.edu
6 Nonprofit Communications Report © 2018 View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com
Use Facebook Live to Support Your Message
If you’re looking for another way to connect and interact with your
audience, consider Facebook Live, a video streaming feature
designed exclusively for the Facebook platform. The tool is readily
available, doesn’t require costly equipment and is a great way to
showcase your organization and its experts.
Laura Kelly, social media manager at Carnegie Mellon
University (Pittsburgh, PA), shares her advice for getting started:
• Equipment. “You can work with (Facebook Live) at any level
straight from your smartphone on the Facebook or Facebook
Business app by choosing ‘Live’ in the publish section. With
more sophisticated software like Wirecast, you can stream
through an HD camera to your computer and output through
Facebook using multiple cameras, switching in prerecorded
video or graphics and adding name, titles, etc., to the video.”
If you are using your smartphone, Kelly does, however,
recommend a tripod and microphones that plug into your
phone, because you’ll lose viewers with an unsteady picture or
poor sound.
• Wi-Fi. “Always, always, always check your Wi-Fi,” Kelly says.
“This is the biggest hiccup I’ve found. If Facebook Live, or
livestreaming in general, is something you’d like to really get
into, consider investing in a hotspot, so you can ensure Wi-Fi.”
• Setting. Choose an indoor location with good lighting. Take
advantage of natural light by facing your subject toward a
window. Make sure nothing in your background contradicts
your organization and its mission. It’s also a good idea to
include your branding in the shot.
• Length. “What’s great about Facebook Live is you don’t have to
fit it into any network scheduling,” Kelly says. “You should give
your audience time to tune in, so if your livestream is less than
three to five minutes, think about a prerecorded video instead.
After that, though, it takes as long as it needs to take.”
• Expert and topic. Because these interviews are live, finding
someone who is comfortable on camera is crucial, but there are
other factors to consider, as well. Kelly recommends asking
yourself, “Would I watch this if it wasn’t for my job?” Make
sure the expert’s subject matter aligns with your organization’s
goals. And finally, determine the goal of your interview and
think about ways you can use the material when the livestream
is over.
• Interview. This is an opportunity to highlight your nonprofit’s
good work. Prior to an interview, ask interviewees if there are
particular issues they’d like to avoid or if there is something
specific they’d like to discuss.
• Repurposing material. There are several ways to repurpose a
livestream. Ideas include using the audio for a podcast, creating
soundbites for Instagram and Twitter, transcribing the interview
for a blog or using the interview to pitch the topic to the media.
• Practice. “Your first Facebook Live will be your worst Facebook
Live,” Kelly says. “It’s a learning experience, and you’ll always be
improving. Have fun with it and be creative.”
Source: Laura Kelly, Social Media Manager, Carnegie Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA. Phone (814) 327-4346. E-mail: laurak@andrew.cmu.edu.
Website: www.cmu.edu
DOI: 10.1002/NPCR