So, you think you've figured out the best way to use new media in your organization -- that blog you've always daydreamed about, or that Facebook fan page that's just got to be made. You're ready to take this new media blitz public and make your website the one that everyone on Progressive Exchange and Twitter is talking about.

You think you've got the perfect proposal... but you know the reality of the nonprofit technology world, and all those grubby little externalities that periodically throw a wrench in your idealism. To help ensure your new media ideas succeed, you might consider the following before committing to a technology strategy (and Tweeting the idea to your boss).

Senior management buy-in

As most nonprofit technologists have discovered, the best way to avoid bottlenecks from your web strategy is to get buy-in from organizational staff members, particularly senior management -– those who know technology and those who don't. Most times, you’ll find folks have heard about these technologies, but what you might not be aware of beforehand are the bias and preconceived ideas they might have about the technologies in question. Making a strong case upfront to stakeholders will help ensure proper funding, internal ownership, and the diffusion of the technology across the organization.

If you’re part of a communications team distinct from the IT department, make sure to keep IT aware of what you’re planning and make sure it’s feasible from their perspective. They’re there to help support you and manage resources.

Dedicated Time and Human Resources

Supporting media and developing web content doesn't happen in a vacuum. People in non-profits wear several hats and hold multiple responsibilities. The role of media owner/contributor shouldn’t be ancillary to someone's job: it must be made a priority by their managers and, whenever possible, written into their job description.

To help prepare for this, anticipate how project content will be developed and redeveloped over time. Relevance in search engines and repeat visitors usually come from frequently changing, compelling content. Make sure you can identify at least one person -- and an alternate, in case that person’s on vacation -- and confirm that they are interested and willing to participate. Even if you’re primarily banking on user-generated content, someone will need to edit, approve, and manage it.

If your staff isn't intrigued by the type of technology you're using (or familiar with how to use it), it's unlikely they'll be able to generate new content or that they'll truly own the project. Be creative and run with it!

Institutional Capacity

Ensure that project owners are successful and feel empowered by the technology and strategy you choose by considering their capacity to maintain the initiative. One of the challenges nonprofits face when rolling out cool web tools is a staff that isn’t comfortable using them.

Identify several technologies in your strategy that are realistic for your organization, considering the above factors. At the end of the day, people want to feel like they have control over their work and are empowered by the things that they do. Technology should help them do their job in a more effective and efficient way. You’ll know you’ve identified a strong technology candidate when implementers have the capacity to share their excitement for and champion its potential both within and outside the organization.

You can design the coolest online campaign in the world, but if you don't have the funds to keep it going, or the human resources to maintain it, or the content to keep it new and exciting, you might be better of with something more simple and easier to maintain. Success isn't directly proportional to the type of technology you employ, but rather the creativity and enthusiasm drummed up by your staff.

Sustainability

If your social media staff/representative leaves, do you have a contingency plan? Don’t bank all of your technology strategy on one person or an organizational mascot. Diversify project ownership and identify multiple authors for your content.

You can help encourage ownership and participation by continuing to build buy-in across the organization even after your technology initiative is in motion. Building up and sustaining momentum will help create an incentive for institutional redundancy. Others will have equal stakes in the success of your project, and they’ll be able to help you identify and motivate others to become your backstop team.

Technical Resources

Finally, spend some time creating a plan for the technical resources your strategy requires, including those necessary for initial project development and ongoing maintenance. Whether the project involves in-house developers or outsourced consultants, it’s important to know how the organization will be able to make changes to the technology and how tech support will be provided. Software needs to be updated periodically, a graphic may need to be altered, and someone will need to be available to troubleshoot any issues that arise.