The two rules nonprofits should keep in mind when crafting a social message

The magic of social media for nonprofits is that it allows them to do more with less — but by design, not scarcity.

Want to spread the word about an upcoming event? Need to give the public a heads up that a fundraising campaign is coming to a close? Networks such as Twitter allow you to do so for free.

The challenge, of course: doing it well, and reaching the right people.

For the second installment of Tech in the Commons, Generocity’s free tech bootcamp for nonprofit leaders, you can expect an in-depth look at the newest digital engagement strategies based on case studies from local pros who’ve implemented them successfully.

We’re hosting the second session of the series, “Social Media for Action,” this Tuesday, May 8, as part of Philly Tech Week 2018 presented by Comcast. Our super speakers:

• Tracy Buchholz, Support Center for Child Advocates
• Marion Leary, Gina Lavery and Ashley Winslow, March for Science
• Kunal Gulati, Comcast NBCUniversal

As the manager of marketing and digital communications of Comcast NBCUniversal’s community impact division, Kunal Gulati’s job is to make sure all philanthropic partnerships are communicated to the public via stories that “create meaningful ways to understand what we’re doing,” Gulati said, whether it be through video, editorial or other social snippets.

(Full disclosure, Comcast NBCUniversal is sponsoring Tech in the Commons alongside the Knight Foundation.)

That means he’s behind campaigns such as those of NBCUniversal Foundation’s Project Innovation, which recently granted $225,000 to local nonprofits connecting communities with technology, and an initiative with the Boys & Girls Club of America to send a young aspiring filmmaker to Super Bowl LII.

He also runs several Twitter accounts for the corporation, including Comcast NBCUniversal Community Impact, Green is Universal, The More You Know and Project Innovation.

“If I was going to be telling stories, I wanted to tell stories of people who were doing good,” recalled the New York City-based Gulati about his professional origins, which includes cause marketing for organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council.

https://twitter.com/ComcastNBCUCI/status/989657886425997313

The most important points for nonprofits to keep in mind when crafting a social message are emotional resonance and human connection, he said.

In other words, the stories must be relatable and shareable to make it past your immediate network.

“There’s always a champion to drive a story forward,” Gulati said — such as, say, the young aspiring filmmaker who got to watch the NBC Sports team capture the Eagles beating the Patriots live while exploring a potential future career. That’s the emotional resonance at play.

At Tech in the Commons, Gulati will also discuss:

• The specific tools he uses, including a metrics tracker and editorial calendar
• How to speak in a brand voice
• How to talk to your digital detractors (something the corporation knows all about, thanks to the criticism its annual hashtag #ComcastCaresDay tends to attract)

P.S. We love this Philly Tech Week campaign from tech entrepreneur Bob Moul and Comcast NBCUniversal raising money for TECH Freire Charter High School’s student maker fair, Summer Uptown, which uses a pretty clever call to action.