Twitter's Top Tweet from 2010 and What it Could Mean for your Nonprofit

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Last week in this post, I asked nonprofit professionals whether social media is really having a positive impact on their organizations.

I posted this same question in several of the LinkedIn groups I belong to and got a number of comments in response on both sides of the fence: While some were adamant that social media is having a positive impact, many seem to be struggling.

As I suggested on Monday in this follow-up post, I think that the root if the issue for many of the nonprofits that aren't seeing results with social media is a lack of strategy where this medium is concerned.

As one individual pointed out to me yesterday, social media can do more than just help nonprofits to advocate, raise awareness and generate donations, but it can empower people to speak out and take action toward helping a nonprofit to achieve its mandate. 

On the Today Show on Tuesday, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone talked about the top tweets from 2010. Number one on this list is a tweet made by Today Show Anchor, Ann Curry begging the Air Force to allow Doctors Without Borders to land in Haiti to help the injured following the earthquake.

The tweet got retweeted to such an extent that the airforce took notice. Soon afterward the organization was able to land their plane and emergency supplies.

Granted, this example is not something that tends to happen every day, but it does leave us with some food for thought where your own social media strategy is concerned:

How has/could social media help your nonprofit to carry out its mission?