The Internet opens up a whole new world of opportunities, so using it effectively may mean rethinking and reinventing your organization. After launching a web site or an email newsletter, many organizations draw such large and varied audiences that they begin to reexamine the way their whole organization works. It's never too late to rethink how your Internet strategy can integrate into your organization. In fact, it's worth doing annually to get a fresh perspective on your efforts.
Input from organizational stakeholders. When thinking about your online strategy, it's important to get all the stakeholders in your organization together as a group, including staff, Board members, volunteers, and clients or other beneficiaries. Web sites and email newsletters are often developed by one department, such as Communications or Development. But everyone in your organization should have a stake in them. Make the conversation broad, and connect your Internet presence to the broader strategic planning issues in your organization. Your program's progress will depend on a firm commitment at all levels of your organization.
Integrating online and offline strategies. A key factor in your online success is integrating the Internet into offline programs. Don't think in terms of developing a stand alone internet strategy, ask yourself: How can my organization effectively integrate the Internet into its strategy for fulfilling its mission? In your planning and analysis of all of your activities and campaigns, consider ways to bridge the real world and the virtual world of your web site and email newsletters. Consider ways to modify your print materials (brochures, business cards, flyers, newsletters, fact sheets, booklets, books) to promote your Internet offerings. Make sure the Internet team in your organization thinks strategy, not just technical, and meets regularly with program staff to integrate the Internet into their work.
Committing resources. The Internet is not going away, and using it effectively means committing the appropriate resources. Website development and hosting, design, programming, and promotion cost money and staff time; so does email messaging. Managers need to allocate time and money for staffing, budgets, relationships with vendors, and deliverables. Your online efforts will probably grow, and technologies will change, so you should be planning now to increase your Internet budget every year. Keep in mind that technology expenditures may increase your efficiency and save you resources elsewhere.
Effect on staff. Far too often, web site maintenance and online communications are tacked on to an already over-worked, under-paid staff person's responsibilities. But having an effective online strategy is staff-intensive - they have to deal with vendors, create content, do outreach, evaluate effectiveness, handle a larger volume of email, and deal with in-house issues. Staff who will be involved in your Internet efforts should be clearly identified and empowered to get the work done. They'll need time, focus, support from managers, training, and software or tools.
Groundspring ITS Topic 1