4 Ways Social Media Can Grow Your Organization

Brad's latest blog post was originally posted on ASCD EDge. 

Social media can have a profound impact on how your oganization tell's it's story and helps members grow professionally. In this day in age, people want access to information by tapping their screen or clicking their mouse. There are many "tools of the trade" that can help organizations move forward in a positive direction. Twitter, Voxer, YouTube, and Pinterest are four vehicles in which organizations can differentiate their message, collaborate on ideas, and share resources. Let's take a look at specific ways these social media tools can move an organization from good to great...
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Reading a book on a particular education topic to expand your knowledge and ultimately impact the success of students is not something new. However, reading a book with other educators from around the world and sharing insight virtually is something much different. Organizations can bring their members together virtually by conducting an online book talk utilizing a tap to talk app called Voxer. This free app enables users to create a group and leave messages with group members that can be listened to in real time or at a later date. Links, images, videos, and other resources can be shared in order to bolster the conversation. Once a book is selected, participants can post questions and share insight about particular chapters via voice or text. The great part about Voxer is that you can listen to and participate in the conversation while you are driving in the car or have quick second at work.

Telling your organiziation's story is really important, especially with social media. Twitter is a tool that can be utilized to promote events, hold monthly chats through a hashtag, share resources, hold virtual conversations, and inform members of happenings. Looking for exemplars in terms of how an organization can use Twitter to tell their story? Look no further than New Jersey's ASCD Twitter handle @NJASCD. How about a twitter chat that incorporates insights of ASCD members and emerging leaders? The #ASCDL2L chat is a wonderful opportunity to expand your personal learning network and gain insight on important educational issues with people from around the world. 
Some people learn best through images and videos. Ever consider creating a YouTube channel for your organization? This is a great way for people to watch teachers in the classroom teach lessons, watch inspirational video clips, or watch thought leaders give a keynote address. The videos can be posted on your organizations YouTube channel and push out through various social media feeds that will reach all members. 
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Pinterest is a very popular social media site that allows users to pin resources on a board. It also provides an opportunity to archive articles that highlight members or organizational intitiatives. So what do you say? Set up a Pinterest board for your organization and post resources for your members to learn from and ultimately share with others. Have one of your members won an award or been appointed to a new position? Pin the online article to your organization's board for all to see. It will bring about a new sense of pride to your organizaton's virtual community. 
There are so many ways that organizations can leverage the power of social media to tell their story and help members grow professionally. Start today by using one of the tools mentioned in this blog post and see over time how it transforms your organization's impact in the virtual world. Remember to differentiate the way you push out information and balance communications in the physical and virtual world. Stay consistent with your organization's virtual presence and provide opportunites for members to share their knowledge. 

Brad Currie is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and co-author of the newly released book titled 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. Contact Brad by visiting his website www.bradcurrie.net or following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie. 
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