Congratulations to NTEN Member the Humane Society of the United States for reaching 1,000,000 Fans on Facebook! That is quite an accomplishment – and since it's Member Appreciation Month here at NTEN, I'd like to let them know how much we admire the examples they've set in social media outreach.

As an aficionado of cute animal pictures, I of course admire their mastery of the art. I mean, just look at this custom landing page:

[Editor's note: The following first appeared in the September 2011 issue of NTEN:Change. Read the complete issue of NTEN's new quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders by subscribing to the journal for free!]

By Beth Kanter, Beth's Blog

1. After Hours Posting
   Timing is important for a communications channel like Facebook. According to a recent study, posts outside of business hours and posts at the end of the week actually increase Facebook engagement. A possible reason for this is that your audience is more likely to be visiting Facebook during those “in between” times – not during regular work hours but in the evenings, mornings, and on the weekends.

Marfa Public Radio, KRTS, is the little nonprofit that could. This public, listener-supported radio station in West Texas, with only three staff members, carried their community through the largest wildfire in Texas history.  

The Rock House Fire began on April 9 and ran through May 13th. Shortly after the fire began, KRTS lost power to their terrestrial signal. In the middle of the process of purchasing a backup generator, thanks to a federal grant, the station turned to the next available medium to continue the broadcast: their website and social media outlets.  

The KRTS Facebook page soon became a hotbed of crowd-sourced reporting on the fires. Staff from the radio station pulled all-nighters to ensure that official information and reports were released to the public while the community pitched in, posting photos, updates, and other information as the fire moved further into the community.

We know our friends over at the Red Cross have been expertly using social media for disaster response for years now, but this weekend, with Hurricane Irene set to touch down all along the east coast, we saw many other organizations and government entities reaching out via social media, as well.