Becoming A Kick Ass Punk Band:

AKA Social Media/Nonprofit Star

Presented by:

Allyson Kapin, Rad Campaign and Women Who Tech

501 Tech Club NYC and Organizing 2.0

November 17, 2010

www.radcampaign.com

What Instrument Do You Want to

Play? Find Your Niche

What’s Your Expertise?

Web design

Web development

Online marketing

Online fundraising

Social media

Start to own it! But don’t be the cocky

bastard in the space. There’s a fine line

between confidence and arrogance.

Play Solo or Find a Band:

Consultant or Firm?Consultant: You call the shots

Pick and choose clients and issues

You do all the work - both consulting and admin

You profit – no partners/staff to pay

Create your own schedule

Tip: Hire a Virtual Assistant

Firm: More collaborative and structured

Business and financial decisions are made

jointly.

Bring more resources and expertise to the table.

Work on diverse issues – but money – aka

paying staff can be more of a motivating factor in

taking on clients.

Red tape – office politics, egos!

Be An Opening Act: Do An Open

Mic: Start Small to Build Portfolio

Reach out to your personal network

Team up and partner with colleagues in

the space on consulting projects.

Subcontract for firms in the space

Don’t go for the big projects until you have

built up your rep and have the staff capacity

to deliver!

Consider doing probono work for your

favorite local charity if you need to build up

your portfolio

Develop Your Sound: The One

Page Business PlanWhy a Business Plan? Clarity: Helps clarify your vision and how you

plan to get there.

Sense of Mission: Helps you determine what’s

in it for you and your clients.

Outlines REALISTIC objectives.

Defines target market and competitors. What

will you offer them that is unique?

What does success look like?

Financial projections. Be conservative.

3 Tips to Remember:

Start small, be realistic. Your business plan does not need to be a novel. It should be a living document that you adapt.

Build Your Image: Promote Yourself

You’re an “Expert” - Now What?

Build a website showcasing your rawk starness.

Start a good blog. Share your knowledge a few times a

week.

Blog Tips:

Provide value to target audiences based on what they

want to know/learn.

Provide fresh and relevant content. Promote good posts

via multiple channels.

Foster discussions and commentary.

Be thought-provoking.

Don’t think of blogging as a chore and giving away your

advice for free. It’s part of marketing and brand building.

Build Your Image: Promote Yourself

Join Listservs. My Favorites Are:

Progressive Exchange

NTEN and 501 Tech Clubs

WIPT – Women In Politics and Technology

PCDC: Progressive Communicators of DC

Build Your Image: Promote Yourself

Attend Conferences, Submit Panel

Ideas, Network!

My Favorites Are:

Women Who Tech TeleSummit

NTC (Nonprofit Technology Conference)

PDF: (Personal Democracy Forum)

Camps: NOI Roots Camp, Nonprofit 2.0, Organizing 2.0

User Conferences: Democracy in Action, Convio,

Blackbaud

SXSWi – Good for innovations in tech space, small track

for nonprofits.

Build Your Image: Promote Yourself

Social Media Tips:

Search for your crew on the social networks where they

hang out – Facebook, Twitter, etc?

Engage in two-way conversations. Practice jumping in

and out of “social time” in 15 minute intervals.

Listen to what your crew has to say.

Tell stories around issues, ask questions.

Share links and resources by others. Don’t be a social

media hog. It’s not all about YOU!

It’s ok to be a bit controversial and speak your mind!

The Mosh Pit: Develop A Thick Skin

Dealing with the Critics:

Listen to constructive feedback.

Ignore gossipy trash talk.

Blow off trolls

Stand up for yourself and your beliefs,

but don’t be a jerk.

Recognize that YOU will never be

perfect and neither will your team or

clients.

You win some. You lose some! Learn

from the losses.

Your Next Record: Fail Fast

Learn from Failure:

8 out of 10 new startups fail.

Embrace failure. It’s how you

learn.

Take what you learned and

apply it to your next venture or

client.

Rawk Stars Come and Go

Everyone is Replaceable

Check Your Ego!

Women Who Tech Case Study

What’s Wrong

With This Picture?

Women Who Tech Case Study

Women Who Tech Case Study

Identified the Problem: Tech conference circuit and mainstream media coverage

focused on promoting men and ignored contributions by women in tech

and their perspectives.

Why is it a Problem? We create technology for the masses not for men. Technology

must be discussed from diverse perspectives and leaders.

The Solution: Create a virtual TeleSummit that showcases women breaking new

ground in technology who use their tech savvy skills to transform the world

and inspire change.

Why a TeleSummit?

Movement Building Event: Build a movement around women in tech & social media

who want to change the status quo.

It’s Virtual: Prominent tech leaders and participants can be a part of the TeleSummit

from anywhere in the world.

Cost Savings: Less expensive to produce then a conference.

News Hook: First TeleSummit that focused on women in technology featuring

accomplished women ranging from Arianna Huffington to Rashmi Sinha of

Co-Founder of SlideShare & more.

Women Who Tech Case Study

Women Who Tech Case StudyHow Did I Market it for $0?

Built a Website Aimed at Niche Audiences: Women in tech and social media who felt

alienated in the conference circuit.

Built an Email List: Marketed WWT mostly through online channels such as:

niche listservs

active presence on Twitter.

Facebook Group

LinkedIn Group

Delicious - repository of articles focusing on women in technology and the VC world.

Networked and built publicity partnerships with other like-minded organizations such as

BlogHer and She’s Geeky.

Women Who Tech Case StudyAdditional Tactics and Tools

Used

Earned Media:

Built list of reporters and bloggers writing

about tech, social media and innovation.

Networked and built relationships at

events, commented on articles, talked with

media on Twitter.

Used my own influence as a blogger for

Fast Company and other outlets to write

about the issues and events.

Leveraged speakers connections to the

media to help with outreach and pitching.

Women Who Tech Case Study

Provided Good Content that

Resonated with Target

Audiences:

Appeal to audiences emotions

and their discontent around this

issue. No one likes to be

alienated or discounted.

Not Afraid of Controversy:

Great caliber of speakers –

ranging from established women

to up and coming rawk stars in

the space!

Women Who Tech Case Study

The Results:

Mobilized base of thousands of women who in

tech and social media.

Sold out TeleSummit for the past three years!

Increase of news coverage around women in

tech, social media and startups in NYT,

ForbesWomen, TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb,

BlogHer, Wall Street Journal, and tons of blogs.

More conferences connecting to women in tech

groups to help them recruit women speakers.

Increased collaboration among women in tech

organizations.

Personal Note: Helped me professionally –

Named One of the Most Influential Women in

Tech by Fast Company and one of the top women

to follow on Twitter by Forbes!

Contact Info:

Allyson Kapin: Rad Campaign, Women Who Tech

Email: Allyson@radcampaign.com

Twitter: @womenwhotech and @radcampaign @care2frogloop

Blog: Care2’s Frogloop: www.frogloop.com

Rad Website: http://www.radcampaign.com

Women Who Tech Website: http://www.womenwhotech.com

www.radcampaign.com