Social Media Strategy: Do you have one?

I've recently taken on the responsibility of developing and maintaining the social media strategy for a local non-profit arts organization of which I happen to be a board member.  As I have started organizing and strategizing it has become apparent that not many local and regional arts programs have social media strategies.  Many have Facebook pages, but they are poorly utilized.  Many only post around peak times and events.  Here are a few key pointers to keep you on track and engaging your audience.

• Consistently post to your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. accounts.  Your audience wants to stay in touch or they wouldn't follow you in the first place.  Post behind the scenes snapshots of rehearsals, set building, load-ins or share interesting facts about your artists.  Anything to "touch" your audience on a regular basis.
• Connect with other arts organizations in your community by following their Twitter accounts and "liking" their Facebook pages.  By supporting each other you'll strengthen the impact the arts have on your community and beyond.  You'll also stay informed of what they are doing and maybe gain some ideas.  Re-tweet and share their posts to show you're support.  I'm sure they'll do the same for you.
• Send direct messages to your followers; let them know that they are appreciated.  Building relationships and good customer service goes a long way.
• Get creative.  By implementing fun contests you can grow your audience and reward your current one.
• Keep your websites current.  You'll want to refer traffic back to your site so you can share complete information.
• Learn as much as you can about SEO, Blogging, Podcasting, etc.  You should try to incorporate as many of these into your strategy as possible.
• Be willing to spend money when you need to and be willing to try new things.  The landscape of advertising and marketing have changed.  The things you did 2 years ago may not work today.
• Get help.  If you're unfamiliar with social networking sites and tools, ask around or invest in a class at a local college.  The investment will pay off.