Still putting off ramping up your show’s social media efforts? Whether you have a few free seconds or a few hours, here are 50 simple tips to get you started.

1. Create a custom Twitter background that reflects your show/organization’s mission and brand.

2. List the Twitter handles of the staff contributing to your show/ organization’s feed wherever possible.

3. Create a Twitter list of your show/organization’s staff, sponsors and speakers.

4. Use Twitterholic.com to connect with the top 50 tweeters in your city.

5. Monitor your city or host city’s hashtag for relevant information (#nyc, #dc).

6. Build real relationships by replying, retweeting and joining discussions.

7. Make your tweets retweetable (username +6).

8. Recruit new staff and volunteers via Twitter.

9. Monitor your show/organization’s name on search.twitter.com.

10. Piggyback on Twitter’s trending topics if they’re related to your cause/mission.

11. Promote an event, campaign or movement with Twitter hashtags.

12. Start, join and organize conversations on Twitter with hashtags.

13. Create a fundraising campaign for a cause your show or organization supports via Twitter.

14. Empower your followers with actionable information in support of your mission.

15. Organize a petition with act.ly.

16. Get creative with Twitter avatars.

17. Read a person’s Twitter feed as prep for a meeting.

18. Organize a Tweetup.

19. Use Twitpic to share photos.

20. Track and benchmark key Twitter stats.

21. Use short URLs to track link performance (bit.ly, tinyurl.com).

22. Use Twitalyzer.com to mash-up Google Analytics with Twitter visitors.

23. Reflect your brand on your Facebook page.

24. Create a landing page for fans/nonfans.

25. Create a Cause and add it to your page.

26. Open up your Facebook page by allowing fans to post on wall updates, photos, videos and discussions.

27. Add your blog’s feed to your fan page wall via the Notes application.

28. Integrate other channels via Facebook fan page tabs.

29. Add your events to your Facebook fan page.

30. Ask your Facebook fans a question and participate in the conversation.

31. Ask Facebook fans to upload videos that support your mission.

32. Start a discussion that will engage your Facebook fans.

33. Leverage contests by hosting or joining one online.

34. Integrate your CRM with Facebook fan activity.

35. Use Facebook Insights to get activity and demographic data.

36. Use the YouTube Nonprofit Program for advocacy or to raise money for a cause your show supports.

37. Make a funny or compelling video.

38. Build stewardship with video.

39. Hold a contest.

40. Encourage supporters to upload video responses.

41. Upgrade to a Flickr Pro account.

42. Submit your photos to Flickr groups.

43. Hold a contest involving photos from exhibitors and attendees.

44. Create a Flickr group that supports your mission.

45. Integrate show photos with existing channels/vehicles.

46. Submit key blog posts and articles to social news sites.

47. Use a “share this” widget on blog posts,Web pages, etc.

48. Promote your social media channels via Web sites, emails, footers, etc.

49. Display RSS feeds from a blog or Twitter account on your Web site.

50. Create a social media listening dashboard with iGoogle.

Source: Chad Norman, Internet Marketing Manager at Blackbaud, a global provider of software and services designed for nonprofit organizations.Visit his blog at www.blackbaud.com/chadnorman.