Even if you don't consider yourself a social media expert, you may still be (or want to be) sticking your toe into the Twitterverse like me. Non-Tweeters often ask me why some of my social media posts have a "pound sign" in them. One of the most powerful features of Twitter is the hashtag (#). Even people who dabble in Twitter may not understand how they can and should be used.

Now, I'm no expert (there are people who make a living doing this stuff now!), but I can share some of what I've learned so far (and I'm learning everyday!).

Briefly, they are great tools for: 

• categorizing your posts by keyword so other like-minded Tweeters can easily find them (#knitting, #quotes, #BBRE)
• searching for others posting on a topic, location, cause, or industry you are interested in (#quotes, #CHS, #AFPeeps)
• get help from or drawing attention to (post or negative) to a brand, product, or company (#dell, #comcast, #BBSupport)
• staying up to date at an event by following the hashtag associated with it (#BBCON, #AFPlCon)

For more in-depth information on hashtags, check out the Twitter Help Center post on the topic.

Oh, and you can find me on Twitter here!

Happy Tweeting!

Many non-profit leaders I talk to express fears, doubts, and concerns about their organization engaging in social media. While I'm very active on social media, I'm certainly not an expert and wouldn't be comfortable offering too much in the way of advice. Julia Claire Campbell, on the other hand, is an expert. In her post titled "5 Ways to Tackle Your Non-profit's Fear of Social Media" she does a great job of addressing the issues I often hear. Even if your organization is already active in social media, she offers advice worth hearing and suggests some things you may not have considered.

Is your organization engaging in social media? Do you have policies in place?

I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did.

Keeping you on the Leading Edge,

Do you ever wish you could just  talk to another  Raiser's Edge or Financial Edge user about a particular issue or problem you’re having? Do you ever wonder how other organizations are using the system, or if you’re using it as efficiently as you could be? Did you just figure out some little cool trick that you’re dying to tell somebody about? You're not alone!

Now, you can interact with others like you, thanks to forums and user groups popping-up all over the web and social media sites. In addition to the ones sponsored by Blackbaud, there are several other independent user groups out there to help.

Look for independent user groups on:

• LinkedIn- there is one, general group, as well as several region-based groups. Don't see one for your city? Start one-and invite me to join!
• Yahoo! Groups-again, there's a general user's group and several around the country
• Facebook- Dave Berger over at Archmere Academy does the selfless, and usually thankless, job of maintaining this page to help other Raiser's Edge users connect and stay up to date on news and issues about the software.

Most of these tend to be about Raiser's Edge. I guess fund raisers are more social than accountants

Finally, check out  www.blackbus.org., for users of all Blackbaud products. "The Bus", as it is affectionately known, is an independent forum and an all around friendly community of like minded folks all over the map.

And of course, don't forget about all the Help functions available elsewhere.

So, if you want to be a part of a community where you don't  feel silly throwing at words like Constituent and Config, find or start a group you like and start posting!

Do you know of any others you'd like to tell us about? Leave us a comment!

Keeping you on the Leading Edge,

The always spot on Heather Mansfield, author of Social Media for Social Good, offers up a great list of best practices when building and maintaining your online donations page. Some of them may surprise you! As a Raiser's Edge consultant, I was especially pleased to see her number 11 on the list. Take a peek at her suggestions, and then see how your Donate Now button measures up! How did you do?

Keeping you on the Leading Edge,

Happy Friday, y'all:)

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No secrets on Facebook, Batman!

Happy Friday, y'all:)

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Happy Friday, y'all:)

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Here's a great round-up from Heather Mansfield over at @NonprofitOrg and DIOSA Communications. Most of these resources are free, and y'all know how I feel about free stuff for my awesome clients! Take a look; I think you'll find some gems in there! Thanks, Heather, for putting this all in one place! Which ones of the 50 resources did you find most useful?

As usual, the folks over at Mashable have their ear to the ground on all things social media. Here's a peak at what's up next for Facebook. I think this gesture concept could have huge potential for non-profits. What do you think?

If you don’t think that Facebook has become an integral part of our social culture,

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