Introduction: The rapid growth of social media provides new opportunities for non-profit organizations to network and influence the public. Rural non-profit organizations can expand organizational capacity and reach, engage more stakeholders, and acquire new donors at a relatively low cost by using social media effectively. Despite the obvious benefits of social media, many rural non-profits underutilize this technology due to social drivers in the community and lack of organizational capacity. This is particularly salient in rural Appalachia where inequities persist in access to broadband and wireless mobile services. Eliciting insights from the experts - rural nonprofit leaders – is critical in identifying strategies to help nonprofit organizations level up social media use. There is a paucity of research on social media use among nonprofit organizations in rural Appalachia. The present study fills this important knowledge gap in the literature.
Methodology: This qualitative study used purposive sampling techniques to recruit representatives from nonprofit organizations located in an 8-county region of Appalachian Tennessee. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted in 2018 with nonprofit representatives (n=21). Nonprofit representatives were asked questions pertaining to social media use, effective communication strategies, and best practices. Probing questions were used to explore topics further. The audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim. Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis procedures were used to conduct an in-depth descriptive analysis of participants’ responses and develop themes.
Result: Four best practice strategies were identified: 1) “Know your people”—relationships matter: It is important to develop strong ties within the community; 2) “We had to come up with something fast”—resourcefulness matters: Nonprofit organizations should practice resourcefulness and adaptability in program development and outreach, 3) “Catch their attention”—the message matters: Messaging should be brief and positive in nature, and 4) “A lot of nonprofits come and go…”—the nonprofit matters: Nonprofit organizations should implement sound business practices. These themes highlight practical steps nonprofit organizations can take to enhance their social media communication strategies.
Conclusion: With the emergence of sophisticated, easily accessible social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, there is an urgent need to identify simple strategies rural nonprofits can employ to use social media more effectively. Our research addresses this need by summarizing the best practices in social media practices for nonprofit organizations in rural Appalachia. Nonprofit organizations in rural Appalachia can use these best practices to enhance communication strategies, expand their reach, and strengthen relationships within the communities they serve.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:asrf-2028 |
| Date | 25 April 2023 |
| Creators | Ijitade, Grace, Southerland, Jodi, Liegel, McKenzie |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Appalachian Student Research Forum |
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