A few weeks ago I stumbled across Heather Mansfield’s blog, Non-Profit Tech 2.0. After reading a few posts I wanted to find out more about the author. Heather’s been working with non-profits for a long time, just like myself. She’s recently published a book entitled Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits. I’ve been reading it the last few days and would gladly recommend that you read it if you have any connections with non-profits.

Heather does a great job explaining some of the history behind social media and non-profits. She also paints an accurate picture of the present and a hopeful view of the future. The book covers the differences in Web 1.0 (static), Web 2.0 (interactive) & Web 3.0 (mobile) in an engaging way.  There is interesting material in it for both the web newcomer and a seasoned internet veteran like myself.

Let’s face it, non-profits and the web have come a long way in the last 15 years. I remember working with non-profits online before the birth of social media. Back in 1997 we had static fundraising webpages that asked for donation checks to be mailed in. Today you can make donations via text messaging and Star Trek: The Next Generation like tablet computers. Its truly amazing when you think about it.

The book is complete with step-by-step recommendations on increasing content quality and interactivity. Its has best practices for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and more. Do yourself a favor and get a copy for your organization. If you are interested you should also attend one of her free upcoming webinars based off of the book.

Disclaimer: I wrote this review without any sort of compensation from the book’s author, promoter or publisher. I only reviewed the book because I found it very useful and hope others will find it useful too.