Engaging Stakeholders through Twitter: How Nonprofit Organizations are Getting More Out of 140 Characters or Less (1106.1852v2)

Abstract: 140 characters seems like too small a space for any meaningful information to be exchanged, but Twitter users have found creative ways to get the most out of each Tweet by using different communication tools. This paper looks into how 73 nonprofit organizations use Twitter to engage stakeholders not only through their tweets, but also through other various communication methods. Specifically, it looks into the organizations' utilization of tweet frequency, following behavior, hyperlinks, hashtags, public messages, retweets, and multimedia files. After analyzing 4,655 tweets, the study found that the nation's largest nonprofits are not using Twitter to maximize stakeholder involvement. Instead, they continue to use social media as a one-way communication channel, as less than 20% of their total tweets demonstrate conversations and roughly 16% demonstrate indirect connections to specific users.

Analyzing Stakeholder Engagement on Twitter by Nonprofit Organizations

This paper, conducted by Kristen Lovejoy, Richard Waters, and Gregory D. Saxton, explores the utilization of Twitter by nonprofit organizations to engage stakeholders effectively. The analysis focuses on the tweet frequency, following behavior, and use of various communication tools such as hyperlinks, hashtags, public messages (PMs), retweets (RTs), and multimedia files.

Key Findings

The research examines 73 nonprofit organizations, analyzing 4,655 tweets. The findings reveal that these organizations predominantly use Twitter more as a traditional one-way communication platform rather than maximizing its interactive potential for stakeholder engagement. Specifically, less than 20% of tweets contain conversational elements, and only 16% show indirect connections to other users.

1. Communication Tools Usage:
   • Hyperlinks: A significant 68% of tweets contained hyperlinks, showing that nonprofits primarily use Twitter to refer followers to external information.
   • Hashtags: Used in approximately 29.9% of tweets, hashtags help categorize content for easier searchability.
   • Public Messages and Retweets: Both have limited use, at around 16.2%, indicating minimal direct interaction with followers.
2. Following Behavior: The variance in following behavior is notable, with organizations following between 3 and 46,723 users, reflecting differing approaches to fostering community connections.
3. Activeness on Twitter: On average, organizations tweeted over two times a day; however, activity varied significantly among them.

Discussion

The paper highlights the underutilization of Twitter's interactive features by nonprofit organizations, reflecting a broader trend seen in prior research on social media use across organizational contexts. Despite the presence of communication tools that can foster engagement—such as PMs and RTs—these tools are sparingly employed.

Reasons for this underutilization include:

• A focus on information dissemination rather than interaction.
• Perceptions equating social media functions with lower-level customer service activities, which may conflict with traditional public relations practices centered on management consulting.

The results underscore a gap between the touted benefits of social media and actual practice. The paper suggests that social media will continue being used predominantly for one-way communication unless substantial shifts happen in organizational practices or demonstrated benefits emerge.

Implications and Future Research

The paper's outcomes highlight a need for strategic reevaluation of social media use in nonprofit organizations to align with stakeholder engagement goals. Future research could explore:

• Comparing Twitter usage across different sectors (nonprofit, government, for-profit).
• Examining the integration of Twitter with other online platforms for organizational communication.
• Investigating underlying motivations and perceptions shaping organizational social media strategies.

Such research could provide deeper insights into optimizing social media to foster engagement and benefit organizations meaningfully in their communication endeavors.