This is an excerpt from a blog originally posted by Buddy Media’s Joe Ciarallo on July 28, 2011.

Last week Facebook consumer marketing executive Charles Porch held an event for non-profits at the company’s New York office, titled “Facebook for Social Good.” In attendance were some of the world’s most well known non-profit organizations, all seeking to collaborate with their peers and learn about the latest ways they can use Facebook to drive awareness and engagement around their respective causes.

At Buddy Media, supporting non-profits is at the core of our mission as a company, as we support several causes including Charity: water, DonorsChoose.org, Cycle for Survival and the Robin Hood Foundation.

Julia Prieto, Associate Manager, Digital Media at the Robin Hood Foundation, was featured on a panel at the event and spoke about the work Buddy Media did with the organization and Lady Gaga to empower a crowdsourced $1M giveaway to benefit New York City teens in need on Gaga and Robin Hood’s Facebook pages. Over one million votes were cast in one week. Robin Hood saw more than 450,000 Facebook post views related to the contest and the organization’s Facebook page saw a 400% increase in Likes. You can read more about that initiative here.

Charles started off the evening with an excellent presentation, providing tips for non-profits, which we’ll recap here. It’s worth noting that many of these tips apply to brands of all shapes and sizes, not just non-profits.

1) Create a Voice

One of the most important things a non-profit should do is create a distinct voice. Porch emphasized that content shouldn’t feel like it’s coming from the marketing or legal department. It needs to have a human voice. Porch suggested using the word “we” in posts frequently as a way to establish a bond with fans and supporters.

2) Program Your Page

Think of your Facebook page as your own cable channel. Porch said the number one question he hears from non-profits is, “How often should I post?” He stressed that each organization needs to find their sweet spot in terms of posting, while looking to include regularly scheduled content so fans know what to expect and are prompted to come back to the page to check for the latest update in a content series.

3) Create Exclusive Content and Programs

This example is rather self explanatory. Launching new content on Facebook first helps boost engagement on your page, and gives fans a sense of preferential treatment. Your fans have “raised their hand” to say they support your cause, so you should reward them with exclusive content.

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