Why Is Social Important?

We recently held a conference for our business partners, and as the social media specialist I, of course, was asking everyone for their twitter handle so we could connect online.  I was surprised to find that only about a third of them had a handle (separate from the company handle) and even fewer were actually active on Twitter.  Most people explained that they “don’t have time for that” or that they simply don’t know what to tweet about and that they only use Facebook for connecting with friends and family.  I was asked over and over again why social media is important to their business.  My response to our partners applies to nonprofits as well, so I’d like to share my reasoning with you here on the blog.

#1 Social media is “free” marketing.   I use quotation marks around the word free because, while Facebook and Twitter do not charge anything to sign up for an account, we all know that time is money.  Social media can be time consuming, but there are plenty of tips, tricks, and tools out there to help you to be more efficient at it. In the end, the donors, volunteers, and influencers that you connect with are more valuable than the time it takes to engage with them in social media.

#2 People are connected to and through technology.  With the rise of mobile apps and smart phone technology people use social media to stay in touch and up to date on what’s going on in the world now more than ever.  Whether we are checking up on our Facebook friends in line at the super market, tweeting from our favorite restaurant, or liking the pages of our favorite organizations, we are using social media to stay in touch with the people, businesses, and causes that matter most to us.

#3 You can catch more fish with a wider net.  Once you get the people in your organization to like or follow you in social media they can share your posts with all of their friends in social media, and so on.  Your effort to reach one person can, in fact, reach many many more.  The algorithms in Facebook, for example, push content to the top of the news feed the more times it has been liked or shared, so if you just get the ball rolling then your followers will keep it moving for you, expanding your audience.  The key here is posting content that people will be proud to share. 

All you need is an email address to sign up for most social media platforms.  They will walk you through the process and even give you an overview on how to use it.  If you already have an account, it’s time to get active.  You can start out with just one tweet or post a day and work your way up to more once you get a feel for it. What should you post?  As a nonprofit, you’ll want to engage by sharing information and photos about your mission, opportunities to get involved by making a donation or volunteering, and updates on your progress toward your goals.

Take the plunge and dive into social right now! You’ll be glad you did!  If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section below.

Leslie Ziegler

Social Media Specialist

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Enhance Your Social Media Strategy With Vine

The other day as I was preparing my blog post, Video Visuals for Nonprofits, I came across this great article about the Vine app on the Sikich blog.  I had intended to include information about this 6 second video phenomenon in my post, but since Tea Kurpalo, Sikich blogger and marketing extraordinaire, already explained it so well I decided instead to feature it as a guest post.  Read on to find out how your nonprofit organization can use this fun free tool to further your mission.

Trend alert! The latest social media craze, Vine, is spreading like wildfire. Has your organization adopted this new content marketing tactic?

What is Vine?
Twitter’s new (and free!) video-sharing mobile app, Vine, was created to serve the same purpose as its strictly-140-characters-or-less founder―to capture and share brief moments in time (six seconds to be exact) in a creative way that allows you to express yourself using a fusion of picture, motion and sound. Essentially, Vine is to Twitter what Instagram is to Facebook―a more personal, captivating and concise way to visually display what you are saying and humanize your brand.

Companies are finding Vine to be an affordable alternative to professional video marketing and are showcasing their organization’s personality and mission while finding fun ways to interact with their audiences and garner more online exposure―all at no cost.

How can my company use Vine?

Make your mark in this niche by finding a new mode for communicating different content, ideas and moments, and watch brand awareness and customer engagement grow. Here are a few ideas on how to use Vine for your business (but we’re sure as soon as you start using it, you’ll find even more reasons and ways!):

Increase Awareness

• Brand your videos with your logo, products and services
• Give sneak peeks into new products
• Share daily deals and specials
• Promote upcoming events
• Attract visitors to your booth when exhibiting at a conference
• Offer behind-the-scenes snippets
• Introduce your employees
• Share fun facts about your organization

Increase Engagement

• Begin a conversation by asking a question
• Start a contest and ask for video submissions from followers
• Demonstrate how to use a new product, service or feature
• Offer a quick Q&A after an event
• Create and resolve a conflict in seconds
• This is one of the many trailblazing marketing trends this year. Learn what the other marketing trends for 2013 are, as well as how to easily implement them into your integrated marketing plan, with secret tips and tricks in our free eBook, 13 Marketing Trends for 2013.

Author: Tea Kurpalo
Connect with Tea on Google+

See the original article from Sikich here.

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Quick And Painless Visuals For Your Nonprofit- Part 1

“Visual Storytelling” seems to be the new buzzword floating around nonprofit blogs and conferences around the globe. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest are a fantastic way to share your organization’s story, and it has become clear that pictures and videos generate the most traffic.  Sharing visuals on social media communicates your mission to your followers and is more likely to be liked, shared, retweeted, and pinned, therefore, spreading your mission to an even wider audience.

So how do you go about doing that when you just got handed the task of doing the “social media stuff” for your organization? There’s good news; you don’t have to be a graphic designer or even have a lot of time to create awesome visual content.  You just need the right, easy-to-use tools!

In part one, we are going to focus on pictures and graphics.  We’ll get to video in part two.

Here are three FREE user-friendly tools that will make creating eye-catching visual content quick and painless.

Made using Quozio

Quozio is great for nonprofits that may not have much photo content to share, but who still want the benefit of sharing visuals on social media. Quozio takes your text, whether it’s statistics, quotes, or a call to action, and puts it on a photo or a basic color background.  Now, this is a very basic tool that is not very customizable, but it is extremely easy to use and gets the job done quickly.  You can share directly to social media or right click your image and save it to your computer. Quozio even has a bonus feature called a bookmarklet that allows you to highlight text on any website and quote it.  http://quozio.com/ Skill level: beginner

Created with Pic Monkey

Pic Monkey is a wonderful online tool for uploading and editing your own photos. You can perform simple edits like cropping, re-sizing  adjusting the color, and so on, as well as adding text, effects, overlays, shapes, and much more.  You can even create a collage of several pictures.  Pic monkey is free to use, and when you’re finished editing you can save your photos to your computer or share them on social media directly from the site.  There are additional features available to those that register and pay for membership, but this is not required for basic use. Be sure to check out the Pic Monkey blog for some great tips to take your creations to the next level. http://www.picmonkey.com/ Skill Level: beginner to intermediate

Easelly allows you to create your very own infographics easily (get it?).  Alright joking aside, we all know that infographics are all the rage right now.  They are a great way to share statistics and other information with your audience visually.  Easelly simplifies the process of creating infographics so that you don’t have to be a graphic designer to get great results. You will have to create a free account in order to save, but you will be able to keep all of your creations within your account.  Then just choose a “vheme” (visual theme), drag and drop it onto your canvas, add/change the graphics and text to meet your needs, and save.  Everything is customizable.  Watch the video clip below and see for yourself. http://www.easel.ly/ Skill Level: intermediate to advanced

Quick Tips:

*Save your creations to your computer and then upload photos to social media, rather than sharing them directly from the online tools. This will ensure that you are sharing full size images rather than a thumbnail with a link.

*Check out this website for free stock photos that don’t require attribution as long as you alter the photo in some way. Just be sure you click on Free Photos at the top of the page. http://www.morguefile.com/archive

So what are you waiting for?! Go try out at least one of these tools and start sharing your shiny new visual content right now!

Update: Click here to read Part 2 of this series

Leslie Ziegler

Social Media Specialist

 

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Twitter for Nonprofits 101

So you’ve finally taken the plunge and started a Twitter account for your nonprofit org… now what?  Like you, I was apprehensive about putting messages out in the Twitter-verse (as some call it) and looking like an idiot if I did something wrong.  I didn’t understand #hashtags, @symbols, followers, or any of it really.  All I knew is that everyone and their moms are on Twitter, and I needed to be a part of it.  Twitter is undeniably a great way to connect with your supporters and spread your mission, so rest assured you have made the right decision.  To help you get your feet wet I’ve put together a few basics to get you started on Twitter.

What’s a ‘Tweet’ anyway?

Quite simply, a tweet is just a message you want to share on Twitter just like your Facebook status update.  The main difference is that on Twitter, you can only use 140 characters (that includes spaces, names, hyperli

nks, and punctuation), so sometimes you have to get crafty with abbreviations and paraphrasing. More on shortening hyperlinks later.

It should also be noted that, unlike your Facebook posts, all your tweets can be seen/searched by everyone on Twitter… not just your followers.  That is, of course, unless you set your account to private, but since you are trying to spread your mission it’s best to keep it public.

So what are followers?

They are the Twitter users that are interested in what you have to say and share.  Once you start tweeting people who like what you have to say and want to keep up to date on your tweets can click ‘follow’ to add you to their stream.  Unlike Facebook, this does not automatically add them to your stream.  You have the choice to follow them back, or not.

What are those little symbols for?

Okay, so this confused the heck out of me at first too, but it’s actually pretty straightforward.

# This is a hashtag that is used for “trending” topics.  So, for example, if you are tweeting about homelessness you can simply add the hashtag in front of the word homeless to add your tweet to the topic.

Front Steps is holding a fundraiser to help the #homeless in the city of Austin.

The #hashtag can be used anywhere within the text of your tweet.

@username is used to call out other twitter users in your post.

When used at the very beginning of your tweet, the post is considered a reply.  This means it will only show up on your profile and that of the user you call out, as well as anyone who is following both of you.

@bridgetbrandt Thanks for the great tips at the CASE conference yesterday!

When used within the text of your tweet, it is considered a mention and is comparable to tagging someone in Facebook. Everyone following you can see it.

I learned so much from @bridgetbrandt during her session at the CASE conference!

What does RT mean?

RT stands for Re-Tweet.  This is used when someone you are following posts something that you want to share with the rest of your followers, and of course you want to give them credit by calling them out.

Please note that if you want your posts to be re-tweetable then you should take that into consideration when composing your tweets.  Although the maximum number of characters is 140, it’s a good idea to keep it around 120 to allow for those extra characters that will be added when someone re-tweets your post.

RT @sagenonprofit Front Steps is holding a fundraiser to help the #homeless in the city of Austin.

How do I include hyperlinks when they are sooo long and I have limited characters?!

If you want to include a hyperlink to another site (and you probably should), you’ll have to shorten the link.  You can use Twitter’s built in link shortening feature or bit.ly to reduce the links to a mere 20 characters, which will leave you with about 100 characters to describe the link and get folks to follow it (just remember to leave about 20 character free for re-tweets). So your hyperlink goes from this…

http://inter.viewcentral.com/events/cust/search_results.aspx?cat1_id=40&postingForm=default.aspx&cid=best&pid=2&lid=1&cart_currency_code=&payment_type=&orderby_location=&orderby_date=&newRegistration=&bundle_location_group=&errmsg=&x=26&y=18

To this…

http://bit.ly/14yH0YK

Pretty cool, right?

Well that about sums it up for the Twitter basics.  Of course, there are always more tips and tricks to learn as you become a more avid Twitter user, but this should get you off to a good start and the rest you’ll just pick up along the way.    If you are still a bit apprehensive, don’t worry too much.  The truth is when you first start using Twitter you don’t really have a large following, so just give it a try and you’ll get the hang of it.  Everyone makes mistakes at first, so it’s not a big deal.  Feel free to snoop other twitter users and see how they do it until you feel more comfortable.  Just keep focused on your mission, engage with your audience, and you’ll build your following in no time.

Leslie Ziegler
Marketing Coordinator
Sage Nonprofit

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Know Your Channel

This is a follow up to my previous post, Know Your Donors By Name.  The key takeaway from the post is get to know your donors very well and understand how they think, that way you can build campaigns and events to appeal to them on their terms.

Once you know your donor base, it’s important to keep them engaged.  We’ve all heard that you can’t “sell” every time you reach out to your donors.   Asking for a gift every time you talk to them will make your message sound redundant and people will quit listening.  I realize I have confused and probably discouraged many readers at this point.  I am in the process of telling you about yet another time that you should not ask your donor base to make a donation.  At this point, you are likely saying, “Then when am I supposed to ask for money.”  The answer is “in due time.”

In this day and age of cluttered communication channels, you have to earn the right to engage your donors in two way conversation.

As you get to know who your donors are and how they think, translate the knowledge into effective engagement by determining how to communicate with your donor base.  I would venture a guess that your donor base is going to be somewhat segregated with regard to their preferences.  Some donors prefer the formality of direct mail.  A letter housed in an embossed envelope, signed in blue ink for authenticity (of course) from the Executive Director.  Others prefer an email periodically and are more concerned with tipping their cap to the environment and not wasting paper.  But, we are an increasingly mobile society with countless ways to communicate.  Pinterest, Facebook, native apps, Flickr, blogs… all captured in this graphic.

Inforgaphic found on Visual.ly/60-seconds. Credit to go-gulf.com.

Give your donors the ability to tell you which communication channel is best for them.  Whenever you ask a donor for their contact information, ask them what contact method is preferred.  Today “primary contact” is more than the main person to talk to in a household or business, it is also the primary or preferred communication channel.  You want to know the most effective way to communicate with your donor.  Is it 140 characters that summarizes the issue and provides a link to learn more?  Is it a full page letter that outlines a new program in great detail?  Create communication campaigns and tailor the delivery method to your audience.  One channel may not be the answer, but broadcasting the same message on every channel is not the right approach either.   I don’t know what mix is best for your donor base.  And if you don’t either, read Know Your Donors by Name (or whatever it was called).

Logan Kimble
Product Manager
Sage Nonprofit Solutions

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What Are Your Social Media Objectives For 2013?

I recently wrote up my thoughts on the top objectives for social media in 2013.  The article was geared towards a nonprofit audience, but the 7 tips I propose work for any organization, in short, they are…

1. Use social media to listen.  Just like scanning the newspaper and chatting with friends use social media to listen and keep up with your organization’s stakeholders, your industry, and the world at large.
2. Communicate with your donors, constituents or customers.  Are you following your organization’s key stakeholders?  Do they follow you back?  Do you share or mention them in social? Keep up with the people that are connected to your cause.
3. Publish quality content – enough said.
4. Create visual content – increase the reach of your organization’s mission by communicating with pictures, videos, infographics and other visual content.  And yes, cute puppy photos help too.
5. Count what matters.  Counting followers and friends is an easy way to understand and track your social media efforts, but this year make a resolution to track engagement.
6. Consolidate your social media efforts. There are a number of tools to help you participate, manage and monitor all of your social media profiles from one place on the Web such as HootSuite and Sprout Social.  Once you get a tool, consolidate but don’t duplicate your content.  Make sure you speak the language of the platform in which you are posting.
7. Integrate your social media efforts.  Integration is essential for a successful social media program. Everything – from your blog to Facebook posts to Pinterest pins – must work together to support your organizational or campaign goals.

I share more detail and examples in the full article here.    Let me know your top objectives for social media this year in the comments.

Patricia Tynan
Social Media and Community Manager
Sage Nonprofit

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Social Media Stories Top Our List In 2012

Our audience viewed, clicked through and shared “how to” type articles on social media more than any other type of content this year.   I guess I am not surprised the most popular stories on our blog are all about social.  We write our stories, post them on the blog and then share them across our key social networks: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  (Whoops forgot G+.) Naturally the folks we are connected to in our social networks are more interested in social media than the average reader.

Our top story of the year “Twitter: A Hashtag How To” was my recap of a colossal, but totally funny #fail moment in 2012.   Thanks to Holly Ross and NTEN for sharing the story on their network and commenting on our blog.  I am sure that’s why it tops our list.   It’s also a good lesson for anyone trying to step up their social media game in 2013.  Follow your industry’s thought leaders and engage them in social– your clout and content will go a lot further.

You loved our “2 Reasons Why You Should Try Pinterest” I couldn’t have timed the article better: right before the tipping point of pin-mania!  Since, I wrote the story Pinterest’s popularity has skyrocketed.  Edging out Yahoo as a top referrer of online traffic.  Did you know Pinterest referrals spend 70 percent more money than visitors referred from non-social channels.  Since this first post, we put together our own collection of nonprofit boards check them out here and wrote another article, “3 Questions To Ask Before You Post On Pinterest” to help you get started pinning.

While not exactly a social media article, “What’s Your Bottom Line” grabbed attention and comments.  What’s interesting is the entire post was inspired by a tweet from Kevin Monroe of X Factor Consulting.  His simple inquiry

resulted in an off Twitter email exchange about whether or not nonprofits are tracking or reporting on double or triple bottom lines.  I think this points to growing interest in social enterprise and social good. While it’s not a top post yet, Nonprofits And Social Enterprise Infographic is quickly picking up views.

You also like “infographics”.  I’ve noticed that our  tweets with “infographic” or posts with “infographic” are way, way more popular than other content shares.  So, in 2013 we will be bringing you more.  But, before then, here’s a quick list of the top 5 articles in 2012 for your reading pleasure.

1. Twitter: A Hashtag How To
2. 2 Reasons Why You Should Try Pinterest
3. What’s Your Bottom Line?
4. Sage Nonprofit Email Marketing Infographic
5. Making Infographics Part Of Your Content Toolkit

Patricia Tynan
Social Media and Community Manager
Sage Nonprofit

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3 Questions To Ask Before You Post On Pinterest

When we think of social media of course we automatically think of Facebook and Twitter.  These two platforms are great ways for nonprofits to connect with their constituents and spread their message, but there is a new social media soapbox on the rise.  If you haven’t overheard someone saying, “Oh yeah I saw that on Pinterest!” then you must be living under a rock that doesn’t get Wi-Fi.

I know what you’re thinking… Pinterest is great for DIY craft projects, fashion ideas, and humorous photos, but how does that translate to my nonprofit?  The Pinterest community is all about inspiration that spurs its members to take action and “re-pin” to share the good idea with their followers. Sound familiar?  That’s precisely what most nonprofits are trying to do!  Inform people about your mission and urge them to take action by donating their time and/or money to your cause.
The next step is deciding what to post… We all know a picture is worth a thousand words. Choose a picture that is going to grab people’s attention.  Here are some tips for choosing a picture that best represents your organization and its mission.

• What do you aspire to?  If your nonprofit builds houses for families in need then choose a photo of a family getting their new home… or if you’re trying to save the sea turtles show us a new batch of eggs hatching in the sand.  Now is a good time to note that if you can use pictures cute of babies (animal or human) then you are sure to get a lot of “re-pins.”
• What goes on behind the scenes? Post photos of your volunteers in action (building a house, collecting canned goods, doing a flash mob in their cancer survivor t-shirts, etc.).  Seeing people volunteering and having a good time doing it makes others want to join in help.
• Why should anyone care?  Make it emotional and tug at their heartstrings. There is a reason your cause deserves our immediate attention.  If you look at a photo and you hear a Sarah McLachlan song playing in your head then you have the right idea.

Whatever you decide to post it should make them WANT to take action without telling them directly.   Be sure to link your Pin back to your website so people can learn more about your cause and how they can help.  Check out our nonprofit Pinning Excellence board here for ideas and suggestions.

Happy Pinning!

Leslie Ziegler
Marketing Coordinator
Sage Nonprofit

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Helpful Takeaways From #SM4NP Austin

Sage sponsored the Social Media for Nonprofits event that recently came through Austin. Surprisingly, it’s the only traveling session on social media for social good. There was an impressive roster of speakers who shared both strategic and tactical ideas.

What does the cat have to do with this blog post?

Keep reading my highlights from some of the best sessions below.

Dr. Mark Drapeau presented Social Media for Fun and Nonprofit. He described how the first step on the path to raising money is driving awareness.  To rise above the noise, you need to identify a specific goal and your target audience.  He urged the audience to ask themselves,

What is the one phrase we want people to remember?”

Then consistently deliver that message.

Other key takeaways:

• Twitter is not just about the conversation. It is a dynamic home page for your organization. Your Twitter URL comes up in the top 5 search results for your organization’s name. What do people see when they get to your Twitter home page?
• The last 20 tweets tell people everything they need to know. Is your tone personal? Conversational? Informational? Have a voice for your social media presence.
• There’s a misconception that shorter is better. Long-form content works, even in a time of competition for attention. 1000-word articles can have more and longer views than 200-word ones.

Lee Fox gave a thought-provoking presentation, Partnering with Youth, featuring statistics and ideas about tapping into the goodwill of young people.

• Generation Z (under 18) is contributing more than 1.3 billion hours of service each year.
• 53% of Gen Y-ers said they would give more if asked.  So, ask for $25, then up the ask 2 more times.
• Less than 1 in 10 young people have faith that a particular nonprofit is going to solve issues because they’ve heard this before. They want to contribute, but feel dismissed.
• Young people give through you, not to you. They want to know you have a vehicle that’s more powerful than others to get things done.
• Even more than the generations that came before, young people want to know what’s in it for them. What will the donation pay for? How does it matter?
• Tap youth for their passion.  Make it easy, social, and real for them.

Ritu Sharma and Darian Rodriguez Heyman talked about how Events are Inherently Social.  Based on the impressive turnout, they obviously know their stuff.  Their tips on driving attendance to an event:

• Start following people who are the anchors in the event area. Look at their followers. Who are the key nonprofits in your area? Look for like-missioned organizations. Build your base of potential attendees months ahead of time.
• Understand the age of your audience to decide when to post. Simplymeasured.com will show you where most of your followers are located so you can identify the top 15 and focus on engaging them.  Only 2% of your Twitter followers see your Tweets.
• Don’t panic! 90% of constituents will make the decision to attend your event in the last 2 weeks.
• If your constituents are in different parts of the country, send 2 emails, one to the West coast and one to the East.
• Facebook posts that end in a question have 5 times as many likes, shares and comments.  Including and tagging photos works too.  There’s no shame in featuring photos of cats, dogs and babies. They always drive engagement.
• The most powerful ask is a peer ask. Don’t let people walk away after they sign up for an event. Give them the opportunity to share in social.

Instead of giving her prepared presentation, Brooke McMillian of Livestrong bravely shared her experience dealing with the backlash against Lance Armstrong, even as the drama was unfolding.

She described her annoyance at the advice not to take the vitriol of commenters personally. And she successfully made the case that while openness and transparency is critical, organizations also have the responsibility to protect their community.

She ended the session with a story about her grandmother, a 6-time cancer survivor, who suffered alone for years. Through her granddaughter’s work with Livestrong, she was eventually inspired to get cancer patients in her community to reach out for help.

Brooke described how satisfying it is to be part of a mission that impacts so many lives in so many ways.  It was incredibly touching; there was hardly a dry eye in the house. Her advice at the end,

Don’t take it personally unless it’s personal.”

My advice, if Social Media for Nonprofits comes to your city definitely attend.

Lara Brown
Senior Marketing Manager
Sage Nonprofit Solutions

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How To Apply The Olympic Mind-Set To Your Social Media Marketing

With the Olympics underway it’s hard not to notice and get excited by the great efforts and achievements of the athletes taking part. You may be motivated to become more active or perhaps you are having Olympics themed days in your workplace.  I’m probably the furthest thing from an athlete, but we all know the mind-set required for a serious athlete to compete in the Olympics.  So, here are my thoughts on how you can apply the Olympic mind-set to your social media marketing.

1. Give It Your All

Olympic athletes don’t do things by half. They make a commitment and pour all of their efforts into getting that medal and many train 5-6 days a week. If you are serious about social media marketing for your organization then you need to do the same. I sometimes hear people say that Facebook did nothing for their business but then I ask them how often they post and they reply once a week or that they abandoned it after a few weeks. That is not really putting in the effort required to engage with your Facebook fans. Admittedly not everyone has the time and resources needed, so if that is the case pick one social media channel that allows you to connect with your target audience and put the time and effort you can give into that one channel and really put the effort in to engage with the people that like your page.

2. Recover From Injury And Keep Going

Athletes often get set-backs from injuries or other things out of their control. When you get a set-back it can be hard to get back on the bike. Perhaps you got a negative comment from someone on your Facebook page or haven’t had the success you hoped for. Don’t give up. Take the time to recover and keep going.

3. Play The Long Game

Many of the athletes taking part in the Olympics have been training for years, since the last Olympics. They understand that gold medal success takes time. The same is true for social media. Although there can be quick wins, it often takes time to get success from your social media activity as it is about relationship building which does not happen overnight. Play the long game and don’t give up after a few months.

4. Set Goals

Olympic athletes have a very obvious goal in mind and they might have sub-goals that help them reach their ultimate goal of winning at the Olympics. Goals are very important in social media marketing. There are two types of goals you need to consider; social media goals and outcome goals. A social media goal might be something like having a certain number of social media conversations with your target audience very month. An outcome goal might be something like getting x number of donations as a result of your social media activities every quarter. Think about what sub-goals you will need to achieve in order to achieve your bigger goals. Set realistic expectations and small, regular goals, then work towards them.

5. Avoid Burnout

When you get consumed with the online and social media world it is very easy to neglect other important things like exercise and rest. Successful athletes understand the importance of rest and relaxation and taking some time out to get mentally re-energised. If you feel the onset of burnout, give yourself a day or two away from social media. Go for a walk, enjoy time with friends and family and you will be ready to go for social media gold again.

Tell us how you are going for social media gold by commenting below.

Big thank you to guest blogger Beatrice Whelan of Sage Ireland for sharing her thoughts with us.  Here is a picture of Beatrice (on the right) holding the Olympic Torch on a recent trip to Sage UK.

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