What does this tell us;

That the question about whether or not social media is important has been answered

There is no denying the power and presence of social media

Some businesses and charities are either still hesitant to get on board or have a presence and don't have the time or resources to use it properly

Today - hopefully I will allay any fears, enthuse and provide you with stepping stones to get the best out of your online presence

Consider your audience because despite what people think this is not a 'one size fits all' approach. eg if you want to talk to businesses then Linkedin and Twitter are the best place to start - however if you are looking to reach out to mums or a younger audience then Facebook may be more suitable.

So look at your current demographics of your supporters - how do you currently communicate with them and how do they engage with you.

If you take this time to integrate it will all become much clearer and easy to plan - if not it becomes an added task that doesn't get results that you need.

Make sure everyone knows why you are doing it and what you are looking to achieve especially the people who are tasked with uploading content - this needs to be clear or it may turn into activity for activities sake

use a platform like Sprout social or Hootsuite to schedule your postings and tweets - much easier to track and plan

Don't do too much - do one platform right and then move on.

Now here is the good news - social media was absolutely made for charities - as a tool for communication, engagement, mobilising supporters, fundraising and information sharing you would think it had actually been invented for you - so embrace it.

There are endless possibilities - but always come back to your compass point - why are you doing it and what do you need to achieve.

Don't forget to consider how this fits with your website too - use it to drive traffic to your core source of information

Don't forget that the ultimate aim will be to gain more supporters and raise more money - divert them to pages where they can make donations direct and then be able to track directly the amount of money raised online

Remember that this not only gives you an online presence but more importantly a mobile one - crucial going forward as you could use this directly at events ets to get people to donate and use hashtag campaigns to centralise info and activity

Remember to make sure all of your supporters are following or liking you - they are already passionate so use them to influence others.

Getting down to basics - you need to be able to respond - use the Ellesmere Port FoodBank as an example and Rowing Challenge.

Be creative with use of media - and have some fun. Charities generally have some crazy photos from events that can be shared or some testimonials or moving footage relating to their charity - imagine this is your TV what would your adverts say to get you noticed?

Don't forget the basics - make sure people know how to find you and actually to campaigns that increase you profile online - emails that directly ask people to like and share.

Save the Children example - Global reach and awareness - you can take it anywhere and who knows what this could lead to - you have nothing to lose.

I will make this available and other supportive tips later on today - please take a note of my email and send me a request - I can then share it with you.