"I like what you're saying, but I really don't think that we have the time to do all of that." I hear this a lot from nonprofits and organizations who bring me on to figure out how to augment their connective web presence. Finding support online, be it through recruiting volunteers or generating funds, requires building and maintaining social capital via your online personality. This takes a good deal of time, and I understand the hesitation of someone whose day is already full to take on a substantial new task. For these people, I suggest bringing on an intern or two, or putting already-existing interns to work on this task. Fortunately, internships are no longer just about getting coffee and answering phones; they can be about building your organization's character online.

I have both run into and employed a substantial amount of millennials who explain that they want 21st-century experience with web marketing, outreach, PR and development, but they're being challenged in a very 20th century way in the classroom and most interning opportunities. With some great exceptions, professors and teachers over the age of 30 do not know how, exactly, to diversify the experience of students by suggesting putting time in at a company or organization that fully utilizes an integrative web strategy. Interestingly, in some cases, interns are pitching to the organizations they're working with the idea of restructuring their daily tasks so they can get new experience. In some cases, the organization would have otherwise not considered going this route.

When someone tells me that they're afraid they're too short on time to diversify and strengthen their web presence, I suggest that we meet together, and with an Intern who might be able to take a project like this on. When meeting with the three, I find out the abilities and interests of the Intern, the goals of the over-stretched nonprofit, and then tailor a plan that all three of us can work on and touch base about, but that the Intern can really take on as their own project.

Again, interning isn't just about answering phones anymore, and you're not going to raise more money or support online without concentrating on building virtual social capital. Have your intern(s) take this task on by:

• Maintaining your Facebook web presence by writing unique wall-postings, personal messages, and keeping a group/fan page updated. Have them add and post links that highlight or pertain to your overall mission.
• Tweeting links that highlight or pertain to your overall mission.
• Posting personalized, diverse posts on Craig's List's volunteer section and responding to any questions/concerns sent in by users there.
• Organizing a Meetup event about an issue related to your organization.
• Writing a best-practices guide so that you can hire on future Interns with an actual job description.

Of course, it's important to monitor the intern's project without micromanaging:

• If you're talking with a web-strategist about how to maintain your presence, be sure to have the intern present for all meetings and make a pointed effort to discuss what's working and what is not working.
• Create an email address and have your intern BCC said address on every message for your reference.
• Make sure you're open to the intern's questions on the organization's voice. Be available to, from time to time, write a short, personal message from yourself or organization that he or she can integrate into their outreach plan.

These are, of course, just a few suggestions. I've labled this post "Part I" because I would love to highlight some of your intern success stories (or horror stories, of course, as we can all learn from those, too). Please, do tell below: What has and hasn't worked for you with regard to putting your interns to task on creating a successful web presence?