The Impact of Saudi Non-Profit Organizations using Social Networking Sites to Enhance Communication with the Public

(A field study)

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the impact of Saudi non-profit organizations' use of social media to enhance communication with the public. The study was interested in understanding the mechanisms for activating the role of social media in non-profit organizations and also aimed to identify the most important strategies used by non-profit organizations in using social media, including the strategy of attraction, promotion, service dissemination, and communication and participation from other organizations. The study also focused on clarifying the most important ways to interact with the public and ways to increase interaction and community awareness with non-profit organizations. The study used the descriptive survey method and a special questionnaire was designed to achieve the study's objectives. The study sample consisted of 325 people distributed among a number of non-profit organizations in Saudi Arabia. The results showed that social media plays a fundamental role in any non-profit organization's strategy to attract, engage, and retain people. It is the best way to disseminate the organization's goals. By using social media sites, the organization can show people what it can achieve. To achieve success through social media, non-profit organizations should follow some basic strategies, such as consistently using visual identity, creating a calendar on social media sites, and focusing on personality and visual identity. The study's results also showed that continuous interaction with the public using various communication methods increases the number of interactors and donors and increases community awareness of the importance of sponsorship and giving.