ABSTRACT

Many nonprofits utilize social media, but questions regarding the format’s practical value persist. Twitter chats hold the potential to produce substantive outcomes for organizations but have received little prior attention in the nonprofit literature. A comparative quantitative content analysis of multiple Twitter chats was completed within the theoretical context of dialogic communication. Practical considerations were incorporated from various models of social media advocacy. The findings indicated that Twitter chats can form the foundation of a community-building process and therefore hold strategic value for amplifying key messages, mobilizing supporters, and facilitating engagement that can lead to offline engagement. True Dialogue, however, is unlikely. Twitter chats place nonprofits in a strategic, proactive posture on social media rather than the reactive stance required when responding to varied user comments. Strategic consideration of Twitter chat topics and the questions asked can empower organizations to guide conversations based on their desired outcomes.

摘要

许多非营利组织利用社交媒体，但有关该格式的实用价值的问题仍然存在。Twitter 聊天有可能为组织带来实质性成果，但在非营利性文献中却很少受到关注。在对话交流的理论背景下完成了对多个 Twitter 聊天的比较定量内容分析。从各种社交媒体宣传模型中纳入了实际考虑因素。调查结果表明，Twitter 聊天可以构成社区建设过程的基础，因此对于放大关键信息、动员支持者和促进可导致线下参与的参与具有战略价值。然而，真正的对话是不可能的。Twitter 聊天将非营利组织置于战略性、在社交媒体上采取积极主动的姿态，而不是在回应各种用户评论时所需的被动姿态。对 Twitter 聊天主题和所问问题的战略考虑可以使组织能够根据他们期望的结果来引导对话。