(Not for) Profit bloggers you should know

They may not write exclusively for non profits, but there’s lots to learn about social media and marketing from these folks.

We’re lucky to have so many smart and good people who freely share what they know about nonprofits and social media and marketing. You probably already follow and read blogs by Beth Kanter, John Haydon, Kivi Leroux Miller, Nancy Schwartz and many more nonprofit specific bloggers. (If you don’t, get on it!)

But what about people who write and share about social media and marketing for the corporate world? Often for-profit marketing is too focused on ‘sell, sell, sell’, making it hard to translate to philanthropy and our unique ways and needs.

I’ve sorted through a lot of these people and companies and created this list of social media and marketing leaders who are sharing great content that’s applicable to you, nonprofiteer. Of course this list is not exhaustive, but instead these are the people and organizations that I rely on the most to deliver the best information and resources.

 

Awareness, Inc. – A ton of businesses publish white papers and reports, many of which are just geared towards getting your eyes (and email address) on their site. Awareness’, however, are full of great information. Check out the full list on their Pinterest page.  We particularly liked this one on killer strategies for Pinterst & LinkedIn and this one on building a social media team.

Jay Baer – Jay is the co-author with Amber Naslund of The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social, and has a keen eye for how business is adapting to become social. Sign up for his short email that he sends out every weekday about one current thing happening in social media. It’s a great way to stay up to date without being overwhelmed.

Amber Naslund – Jay’s co-author of The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social, Amber is one of the smartest, most compassionate and honest people writing about social media and its impact on our lives and businesses. Her blog is a must read for anyone who spends the majority of their day tweeting and facebooking for an organization and wants to do so as a human and not a robot. Start with her post on navigating personal and professional boundaries on the Web and you’ll be hooked.

Mashable’s Social Good section – Mashable is the go-to source for breaking news on social media. In addition to specific sections devoted to Facebook and Twitter they also have a section of their blog on philanthropy and social good. They’re especially good at uncovering and sharing viral videos, like this one about a family fulfilling their brother’s last wish to leave a huge tip  or the make-up tutorial that’s really a domestic violence awareness video.

Francisco Rosales – Francisco blogs at Social Mouths and is one of those people that produces so much great content that you’ve got to wonder if he ever sleeps. He’s one of the curators that I count ot to discover and share new trends and tools Although I should read his blog more regularly, I follow him on both Facebook & Twitter, because he shares tools and tips that are all killer and no filler.

Mari Smith – I imagine that Mark Zuckerberg has left Facebook in his will to Mari. She is incredibly passionate and excited about Facebook and without her most of us would have no clue how to use it well, either personally or professionally. She’s your go-to person every time Facebook makes an update, as she’ll explain it to you promptly and in a way you understand. She’s a genuinely nice and caring person too!

Co.Exist - This side venture from Fast Company magazine highlights ‘world changing stories and innovations’, most of which focus on technology in some form. They regularly profile nonprofits that are adapting to use technology better. Read this regularly to be inspired by how the world is changing and flex your thinking about how your organization is going about its mission.

Brian Solis & the team at Altimiter Group –  Research galore! I think Brian and the team at Altimiter Group have a crystal ball with an ethernet cable attached to it. They are always a few steps ahead in predicting what’s coming next in social media and mobile trends and aren’t swayed by fads or gimmicks. Be sure and read their free reports on topics like content marketing and how to handle multiple social media accounts at your organization.  Brian is a deep thinker and his latest book, The End of Business As Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution, is a great read for Executive Directors who want to understand how our culture and businesses are changing with social media.

 

Here’s hoping that you find a new favorite resource or blogger amongst this group. Mixtape Communications’ blog will be a bit quite during July and August so how about spending time getting to know one of these fine folks?

Who do you turn to for marketing and social media advice? Share in the comments who your favorites are so we can all follow along.

Image thanks to Brian, Amber & Franciso & Flickr:baggyjumper

Special thanks to Sierra Club Jobs for help with the title