Social Media Flower for Volunteer Leaders
Posted on November 14, 2009
In my role at Association Headquarters I often assist our client partners in developing strategies that implement social media into their communication plans. Shortly after ASAE 2009, where I witnessed David Nour map out a communication plan and had several conversations with Maddie Grant from Social Fish, I had a brainstorm and got to work on what I call the Social Media Flower.
With the help of two of my colleagues, Elizabeth Cies and Mark Denato, I came up with the following illustration.
The Six Primary Components of the Social Media Flower
The Seed - Content Leaders: These are the experts of an organization and typically consist of members of the board, but can also include general members who are willing to submit original content on behalf of the organization. They are the seed and are responsible for the cultivation of the social media flower.
The Soil - Your Association: The association or professional society serves as the soil and provides the environment for the content, and future content leaders, to flourish.
The Stem – The Content: When original content is created it serves as the support system (the stem) for the flower. It flows from the content leaders, through the association, and directly to the Web site or blog (the stigma).
The Stigma – The Website or Blog: The website serves as the center of the flower whereby all things emanate. It hosts the original content and serves as the hub or home base for the petals.
The Petals – Social Media Tools: The petals represent the various social media tools that can be used to drive interested parties (members & nonmembers) to the Web site. These tools serve as:
• Communicators – relaying messages to the public
• Directors – pointing your audience to original content
• Marketers – raising awareness for the organization. The main purpose of the petals is to attract raindrops (members) and bumble bees (messengers).
The Bumblebee – Additional Messengers: The ultimate goal is to reach new individuals and new audiences, and social media tools make it easy to have someone else carry and convey your message for you. By creating original content, posting it to the web site, and employing social media tools to attract and direct members to the site, more and more individuals will learn about the organization.
Role of Volunteer Leadership
As outlined above, volunteer leadership plays a vital role in the success of online social media initiatives. It is our recommendation that a key group of individuals are appointed to play a highly involved part in the implementation of the associations social media strategy. This could be comprised of:
• One or two Board or Committee members
• Key enthusiasts from the organization’s Facebook page
• Technologically-savvy members responding to a “call for volunteers”
By having several members initiate and participate, the organization can experience increased success in grassroots awareness of its’ online presence.
I hope that the Social Media Flower illustration can help explain social media and its place within non-profits.
Please feel free to distribute it to your groups.
How do you integrate volunteer leaders in your social media plan?
Does it make sense to engage volunteer leaders as content providers?
Have your volunteer leaders embraced their role as content providers?
Please contact Brian at for PDF of the flower.
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