It’s really the fine details that matter most when it comes to website design: the balance of text and images on a page, the user experience after submitting a form, how linkable text appears throughout the site.

But think also about how your website appears when shared on other sites, like when someone shares it as a link on Facebook. It’s important. When Facebook users scan a busy news feed, a strong image or a bold headline can make all the difference and lead to a better click conversion.

In many cases, a link shared will look something like this:

The image is random, the headline is muddled, and the description is non-existent.

But the good news is you can control how all these things appear. You can make it pretty like this (for the Girl2Woman website we built for Pathfinder International):

A bunch of our clients have asked how to make sure a web page shares beautifully on Facebook, so I thought we’d share this quick tip with other nonprofits as well. All you have to do is include the following meta tags in the head of the website or webpage you want to customize, and make sure the text and image match what you want.

Simple!

A good nonprofit video gives a sneak peak into an organization. It celebrates accomplishments. It digs deep into a global issue. But that’s not enough. It has to move viewers and give them the tools to take action.

What do you want your viewer to do? Share? Donate? Read more? Sign a petition? Volunteer?

More importantly, are you giving your viewer the tools to take action easily? YouTube is thinking about these questions, and they have already created tools specifically for organizations in the YouTube for Nonprofit Program that allow you to create annotations in your video that link to an external website.

Facebook Video clearly doesn’t have the flexibility of YouTube, but in the past couple months they’ve added a small video feature that’s worth mentioning.

If you upload a video to your Facebook fan page, a “Become a Fan” overlay button will automatically appear upon mouse over.

It’s a simple call-to-action that lets your viewer stay more connected in the long-term. If you want to increase your Facebook fans, you should be driving potential supporters to one of your Facebook videos so they can engage with your media and easily become a fan of your organization.

Watch one of our videos and become our fan!

If you missed your opportunity to donate to a nonprofit on Facebook during “America’s Giving Challenge”, which raised more than $1 million from more than 50,000 donations in 3 weeks, you now have another chance to give on Facebook.

A new program is going live today called the Chase Community Giving Program, between Chase and Facebook.

What this means is:

· For the first time ever, Facebook users will be able to choose from more than 500,000 small and local charities to decide which community organizations they want to receive donations totaling millions of dollars from a corporate philanthropy fund.

· Facebook users, now totaling more than 300 million, will be able to vote for which small and local non profits will receive donations totaling $5 million

· The eligible charity receiving the most votes will be awarded $1 million, the top five runners-up will receive $100,000 each and the 100 finalists, including the top winners, will be awarded $25,000 each

· This $5 million Facebook effort is in addition to the bank’s traditional philanthropic giving, and if successful, the bank hopes to commit more of its annual philanthropy funds using this innovative method of giving.

We’ve already seen a lot of people casting their votes on Facebook, so now it’s your turn!

Last week we asked our friends on Twitter, “What do you have more of – Facebook friends, Twitter followers, or LinkedIn contacts?” Based on the responses we received, it looks like Facebook wins, followed closely by Twitter and LinkedIn.

It’s important to note that each social-networking platform has its own culture and use. Whereas you might connect with a business acquaintance on LinkedIn, you’re probably more likely to see photos of your friend’s new baby on Facebook or get in a heated discussion about a new website with another user on Twitter.

However, these cultures are not rigid. Facebook is rapidly transitioning from its college roots to a space for the professional world just as LinkedIn has added new applications like RSS feeds and SlideShare to make its user profiles more personal. And although many caution against joining too many social-networks at once, all three are worth looking into for both personal and business use.

Thanks to everyone who responded! Next week’s question: Do you have a secret for dealing with spam email? Just reply @See3 on Twitter.

Last week we asked our friends on Twitter, “ What’s your favorite social-networking site?” Check out some of the responses below:

Next week’s question: How many times do you check your email per day? Just reply @See3 on Twitter.

Even if your nonprofit is already involved in the world of social media, these 3 tips from David J. Neff of the American Cancer Society (which recently released the video platform sharinghope.tv) are helpful for expanding your online strategy:

1) Experiment – You should personally explore social networks before you make a profile for your nonprofit. That way you will understand the most effective way to publicize your organization and make meaningful connections on sites likes Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

2) Buy a Video Camera – You should be making lots of video and some can be done in-house, easily and cheaply. While these videos will never replace professionally produced material, they can supplement your online content and be an effective way to engage people on social networks. You can buy a point-and-shoot camera like the Flip video for under $200. For a higher quality consumer camera, we recommend the Canon HV30.

3) Research – Don’t just look at what fellow organizations are doing, pay attention to what big corporations and creative agencies are turning out. You may not have the same budget but social media helps to level the playing field. For example, Michael highlighted Office Max’s One Penny Campaign in a previous post. Take a look and you’ll notice how little money or production quality you need when the idea is compelling.

“Social Network Portability” is the new next thing. The idea is that you have a profile that you invest time in, say on Facebook. That profile can follow you to other interactions on other websites. So, for example, say I am writing a comment on Amazon. Why fill out a whole new profile, why not just carry my profile with me.

“Through Facebook Connect, members will be able to use their Facebook identities across the Web–profile photos, names, photos, friends, groups, events, and other information. Facebook profile content, for example, could appear on other social sites, and Facebook event listings could theoretically connect with external event and invitation services.”

CNET’s News.com has what details there are at this point.