These 5 social media monsters are the worst communication offenders. I covered this topic in a presentation on how to “Avoid being a social media monster” at the AFP Spring 2010 workshop.

Zombies have a one-track mind and repeat their organization’s name incessantly. The harsh reality is that people care about causes, not nonprofits. Prioritize the cause first and you will get those tasty brains donations! If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, use “our” or “we” – your nonprofit’s name is always going to show up with the update, so no need to repeat it.

Zombies are made up of many dead (words) that move slowly and get little done. Don’t make your post a zombie army. Cut out the dead words and get straight to the point. Try to keep a 500 word limit on blog posts. Don’t explain details – instead use images, link to PDFs, etc. (this post is 483 words)

Robots are smarter than us lowly humans and use big words. This is why no one wants to listen to them. Talking about “Improving Capacity” may be great for grant-writing, but it makes your readers say “does not compute.” Check your Jargon on the Communication Network’s Jargon Finder before making a post.

Robots are 100% automatic, and that means no conversation, just data. It’s tempting to automate posts to your twitter and Facebook feed, but us humans catch on quickly and will ignore you. Take the time to  interact with users – it’s called SOCIAL media for a REASON!

Frankenstein is not big on personality. He doesn’t say much and tries to let his actions speak for him. Nonprofits are made up of passionate individuals with personalities. Make sure your nonprofit communications reflect that.

Frankenstein is made up from random parts and lumbers around. When your nonprofit ventures into social media, have a plan and set a goal for results. Create a Social Media Action Plan and a Social Media Policy.

Werewolves attack you with their message. Multiple postings in a short time will make your audience ignore your message, no matter how good it may be. Limit posts on Facebook and Twitter.  Try 1-3  Facebook posts  and 5-8 Twitter posts a day.

Werewolves come out only once a cycle. You can’t cultivate an audience without a regular presence. Consistency is key, set up a schedule. Work it into your daily tasks to post updates.

Ghosts don’t exist, do they? They do, but at the same time don’t. Nonprofits should secure their names on Facebook and Twitter,  but only if they plan to use them. A ghost account exists, but has no content. Don’t market your Twitter/Facebook page if there is no content. You’ll be doing more harm than good.

Ghosts are bad communicators. Spend time to reply to inquiries on social media. Customer service is the number one priority. Make sure you set a reminder to check your pages for items that need a response.