social media 101: online communication as stakeholder engagement
DESCRIPTION
You've heard the hype, but do you know what exactly "Web 2.0" and "social media" refer to, and more importantly, how they can help your organization? This introductory workshop is designed to help you understand the implications of social media for your organization's communications strategy and gain confidence in navigating the language and tools of the modern online experience. Presentation delivered as part of the "Social Media 101" training in Atlanta at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN) as part of their series on social media trainings (see www.ifpeople.net/learn ).TRANSCRIPT
Photo: Oneras Source: Flickr
Is this ME?
You are NOT
Your Car
Photo: Mr. Beaver Source: Flickr
Social Mediais NOT
Social Mediais
A Conversation
A Conversation Powered Managed Organized and Connected by ....
What are your goals?
We need a blog!
Great!
What are you going to do with it?Who is going to write it?How are you going to moderate?What outcome are you trying to achieve?
Before you begin, some questions:
Are there more important organizational issues to address?
Are you falling victim to S.O.S. - shiny object syndrome?
Are you open to conversation off-line?
Is your website ready?
1. Listen
2. Participate
3. Share Content
Listen: On your website
CommentingVotingRatingUser Generated Content
Listen: To what people are saying
Google AlertsTechnoratiGoogle Blog Search
Listen: Google Alerts
Listen: Ask your stakeholders
Where do they go?
What do they do?
Would they like to meet you there?
Who do they read?
Do they want to hear from you?
Participate: Share your knowledge
Respond to posts and questions
Participate in related communities
Connect to others in your field
Document where interesting conversations occur
Blogging• Organizational/E.D.• Internal• Community
Media Sharing• Photo/Flickr• Video/You Tube• Podcast
Knowledge Sharing• Wikis• Social bookmarking• Submission & voting• Event Sharing• Mapping • Aggregation
Social Networking• General Interest• Niche• Mobile• Microblogging
Social Media Tools
Social Networking Sites
Virtual meeting places
• Let you connect with supporters around the globe otherwise beyond your reach
• Network with likeminded organizations
• Raise awareness of causes, request donations, seek volunteers
Social Networking SitesMySpace vs Facebook
MySpace:• Formerly the largest social networking site• Customizable interface, can be cluttered • Attracts teenagers, musicians, artists, etc.
Facebook:• Created for college students • Opened in 2006 to anyone with e-mail address• Now the largest social network with 170 million users• Clean, professional interface• Attracts upwardly mobile, college-educated people• Great site to begin social media integration
Social Networking Sites
• Create branded “fan pages”
• Keep supporters up-to-date with news feeds, blogs, discussion groups, RSS and other messaging
• Engage supporters with video, audio, pictures and applications that give your organization personality
• Use the Causes application to solicit donations
Facebook for Nonprofits:
Facebook: Two Case Studies
The Good The Bad and the Ugly
http://tinyurl.com/dbtbs9 http://tinyurl.com/d2h8bz
http://tinyurl.com/d6zcg4
Social Networking Sites
• Users add Causes they care about onto their profile page and share them with their friends
• Allows people to donate directly to your organization through the application
• Facebook takes 4%
Causes Application on Facebook
Social Networking SitesCauses Application on Facebook
• Facebook reports 60,000 daily users of Causes
• $2.5 million raised for 19,445 nonprofits in first year
• Nonprofits can work directly with Facebook to create a causes application. Just e-mail [email protected]
(techcrunch.com)
Social Networking SitesCauses Application on Facebook
• Donate to your own Cause - People less likely to donate if your Cause has $0 (sixdegrees.org)
• Make sure your Cause is obviously aligned with your nonprofit
• Make sure your application states what you do clearly
• Send thank you messages to donors
Social Networking Sites
• Niche social networking site specifically for activists
• Users can create or join groups devoted to causes
• Solicit donations, discuss issues on message boards, publicize your organization’s events
• Great for creating and signing petitions
• Over 5 million members
Care2
Care2: Petitionsite
• Simple way to create online petitions
• Supporters do not have to members to sign
• This means you can circulate a link to the petition in emails, your website, blogs, etc.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/
Social Networking Sites
• The social network for professionals
• 14 million members and growing
• Create individual and company accounts
• Network with professional groups that hold similar values
• Participate in discussion forums and gain valuable info about your field
Social Networking Sites
• Lets you create a social network based around an idea, mission or topic
• Incorporates multimedia (like Facebook)
• Free service • Great for building off existing brands with strong followings
• Works best for global causes that attract and excite many people
Ning
Ning: Two Case Studies
http://athenshabitat.ning.com/http://tudiabetes.com/
Appropriate Use Should’ve Used Facebook
Media Sharing
• People watch 100 millionvideo clips per day
• Videos easily embedded and shared on websites
• Has nonprofit/ activism “channel”
• Offers special incentives for nonprofits like premium branding, increased upload capacity, inclusion of GoogleCheckout “Donate” Button
YouTube
YouTube: US Campaign for Burma
http://www.youtube.com/user/uscampaignforburma
For YouTube success: • Keep your videos short• Focus on messaging over aesthetics • Update content regularly• Promote videos expressing similar views • Link to your official website• Respond to comments and video posts
Media Sharing
• Like YouTube, but with images
• People share their interests via photography and leave comments
• Easy way to organize and share large volumes of images with supporters or members of your organization
• Free upgrades for nonprofits
Source: Flickr
Flickr
Flickr: Don’t Just Post Pics. Get Creative.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sneakers4fitkids/sets/72157604468133558/
• Encourage supporters and volunteers to share their pictures of events • Tell your organization’s story through images
• Launch a campaign • Run a photo contest
http://www.flickr.com/groups/thenatureconservancy/
Media Sharing
• Short audio or video installments your supporters can subscribe to on your website
• Can be created with low-cost audio/video recording devices
• Non profits can use them to interview experts, present voices of supporters, discuss topical issues
Source: VOSibilities
Podcasts
Podcasting: How to Be Successful
http://humaniststudies.org/podcast/
• Keep them short
• Outline each installment • Don’t just talk – interview, engage in conversation
• One podcast, one topic
• Edit to fine-tune message • Include iTunes link for easy subscription
BloggingKeeping a Blog for Your Nonprofit Can:
• Establish you as an expert in your field
• Make your operations visible and transparent to increase trust with supporters
• Give you valuable, unsolicited opinions
• Allow you to tell interesting and compelling stories that humanize your organization
Blogging
• Embed images and video to break up text
• Read comments and write back
• Make your blog an information source – not just about your organization but issues related to your organization
• Archive posts by content (not date) so readers can find what interests them
• Include an RSS feed so readers can subscribe
Keys to Successful Blogging
Blogging: Two Case Studies
http://www.streetsblog.org/ http://www.ceosforcities.org/blog
Spot On What Happened?
Microblogging
Let’s Tweet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o
Microblogging
• Mobilize supporters in times of urgency (to sign petitions, donate, attend meetings)
• Post links to new information like press releases, blogsor newspaper articles
• Start spontaneous conversations with supporters
• http://twitter.com/youthservivce• • Fundraising
Twitter: Nonprofit Application
Twitter: Believe It or Not, It Works
http://tweetsgiving.org
• Tweetsgiving used Twitter for fundraising
• Raised money for classroom in Tanzania
• Raised over $10,000 in 48 hours
• Raised profile of nonprofit Epic Change
Knowledge Sharing
You aggregate other people’s information and share it online.
Works Two Ways:
Others aggregate your information and share it online.
Knowledge Sharing
• Lets you store, share and discover web bookmarks
• Use tags to categorize your links
• Access your bookmarks from any computer
• Easy exchange of information with friends or likeminded companies
Social Bookmarking with del.icio.us
Knowledge Sharing
• Keep track of what supporters and likemindedorganizations find interesting
• Build an information exchange network that boosts credibility and expertise
• Placing bookmark button on your sites increases online exposure
How del.icio.us Benefits Nonprofits
Knowledge Sharing
• RSS brings your favorite sites to you
• Articles, blogs aggregated in an RSS reader
• Podcasts, videocasts aggregated in iTunes
• Keeps your organization informed without wasting time
Source: www.deskshare.com
RSS Feeds
Knowledge Sharing
• Choose an RSS aggregator (Google Reader, Bloglines)
• Create an account
• Go to your favorite sites and add them by clicking on the icon
• New posts and stories appear on your reader page
www.google.com/reader
RSS Feeds: How to Make It Come to You
Adding Bookmarks & RSS Buttons
• Go to www.addthis.com
• Select a button
• Choose your platform
• Copy html code and paste it on your site
The End
Questions?
