Thought you might be interested in this upcoming live chat from Philanthropy.com. Good stuff!
Tuesday, November 25, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time
Twitter, Facebook, and other online social-networking tools offer ways for nonprofit organizations to build connections with supporters and donors.
For some groups, these tools have helped raise money for their causes and built increased visibility.
But many groups are still not effective at using online networks in any meaningful way. And many others are fearful about using them at all.
What are these tools? How do they work? And how can your organization use them effectively?
Join two experts, Chris Garrett and John Haydon to answer such questions and learn to make your organization more savvy about using online networks.
Facebook Event
Posted on Nov 19, 2008 under Beth's Obs, General Social Media |
I met up with a friend that I hadn’t seen in about a month last night. Instead of starting the conversation with “Hey how have you been?” or “What’cha been up to?”…I already knew. She posts her status pretty regularly to Facebook so I already knew what she had been doing. So we jumped right into the conversation - “Why did you paint your bathroom three times?” “Wow - your personal trainer has really been kicking your butt!” I knew that she had just thrown an engagement party for her brother that I wasn’t invited to (just kidding).
So, my question is - how much are platforms like Facebook and Twitter changing how we communicate with each other? Are we sharing too much? Is there such a thing?
My cousin is on Facebook and I know WAY more about him that I would ever care to know. Up until now, I really didn’t know him well at all. Now I know everything about him…in a matter of days.
I personally think that its fascinating. It’s wonderful that I know what my friend in North Carolina is doing after five years of not talking to her at all. It’s creepy that I know exactly what my brother is doing every minute of every day. It’s fun that I can touch base with anyone at anytime at the drop of a hat.
But how far will this go? Will it become intrusive? Has it already? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Many thanks to all who attended and spoke at the Social Media Primer last night in Herndon, VA. Many thanks to Jill Foster, Shashi Bellamkonda, Ken Fisher and Mayra Ruiz-McPherson for bringing such dynamic information to the attendees.
It was quickly obvious that there is a lot of interest in social media in this region and a growing need for more info. We had a packed house with a wonderful panel and loads of questions from the audience. Here is a down and dirty summary of my presentation on “Creating an Effective Social Media Profile”. Please feel free to ping me with any questions or comments. Can’t wait to connect with you all in the social space!
Also, please enjoy these outstanding photos of the event ala Shashi!
Twitter
Examples of good and bad Twitter profiles…
GOOD Business Profile - @quickenloans (Profile is complete. Interesting background image.)
GOOD Personal Profile - @chrisbrogan (Great profile and follows all the guidelines!)
MY Personal Profile - @gooddogzbeth (Good profile. I hate that iPhone uses coordinates - need to fix that. Planning to fix my background image to something other than my happy hamster.)
BAD Business Profile - @BBC (Irrelevant and ugly background image. No bio. No location.)
- Use a real photo - we want to know YOU.
- Include your real name.
- Include your location.
- Include a good bio - you’ve got 140 characters - use them.
- Include your website or blog address.
- Use a simple but creative background tile.
- Twitter Grader: http://twitter.grader.com/ (for those of you hung up on numbers, Twitter Grader ranks your profile based on the folks you follow, who’s following you, your updates, the completeness of your profile, etc. I’m not sure what this REALLY tells you but everyone wants to know where they rank!)
Facebook – Note: I use Facebook for both personal and business purposes.
Examples - it was tough to get examples of Facebook profiles due to privacy settings. Here is a link to my Facebook profile which follows most if not of the guidelines below. You be the judge!
DOs
- Include a personable photo of yourself. Try to make it social and not a biz head shot.
- Interact with your friends. Write on their walls. Comment on their photos. Engagement is key.
- Keep your profile complete and up-to-date.
- Develop a connection strategy. Mine? Befriend people that matter to you.
- Check photos in which you’ve been tagged to ensure that there is nothing out there you don’t want others to see.
- Be yourself - transparent and authentic.
- Post photos that say something about you and are tasteful. You never know who might be looking at your profile - a potential client? a recruiter?
- Privacy settings are your friend.
DON’Ts
- Don’t post questionable photos. What may seem acceptable to you may not be acceptable to potential employers or clients.
- Don’t deluge business contacts with application requests.
- Don’t post personal information that you don’t want other folks to have.
- Don’t be too shy. Social media is about being “social”.
- Don’t post sensitive information in public areas.
LinkedIn
This is a great example of how to improve your LinkedIn profile as provided by Guy Kawasaki.
BEFORE - LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover
AFTER - Guy Kawasaki’s LinkedIn Profile
My LinkedIn Profile (feel free to critique)
- Your summary is your elevator speech. Make it pop.
- Work within your network to beef up your recommendations. With permission, recommendations can also be used as testimonials on your website.
- Find your own strategy for connecting. LinkedIn suggests connecting only with folks you know. Some folks connect to everyone to expand their network. See what works best for you.
- Include a “human” photo.
- Keep your profile complete and up-to-date.
- Get a vanity URL using your name.
- Be sure to add your specialties because people search on it.
- Include past jobs and any board or advisory positions.
- Complete the Additional Information fields – web links, awards, interests and activities.
- Be sure to include how you want to be contacted and WHO you want to contact you.
And here are a few misc. resources that you might find helpful. =)
Last week we talked a little bit about getting over the fear and trust issues associated with having an identity online. Facebook seems to always come up as a sticky point for folks who are uncomfortable talking about themselves on the web. Here is a great post from the blog Valley Wag called What Employers Look for on Facebook. I think that it sheds some light on what seem to be logical actions to avoid and the word “Employers” can easily be substituted with “Clients” or “Business Partners” or “Constituents”. According to the post, only 22% of employers even use Facebook when assessing potential applicants. So, with a little common sense and the proper use of the privacy settings, Facebook can be a fun, friendly environment for building friendships and business relationships.
I’m not a narcissist, but I tend to get on my soapbox about personal branding because I think its so darn important. I run into a lot of folks that are literally “scared” to be themselves online and I think its a shame. I recently spoke to a woman that was surprised that I always write under my own name online. And I was surprised that she was surprised.
I understand the notion of the internet being a scary place. There are a lot of unscrupulous people out there doing unspeakable things. But, in terms of having an online presence, I think its important to get ahead of the game.
Just like in Talladega Nights - when the team branded Ricky Bobby’s car “ME” because he had no sponsors? He didn’t need sponsors because he (or at least the people around him) realized that HE was his brand. You are your brand whether you are a freelancer or work for someone else.
A few things to remember (and I apologize in advance if I’ve said this before…):
- Be yourself. It’s OK.
- Keep private information private. I probably put more information out there than I should, but I keep a careful eye on what’s being said about me.
- Set-up a Google alert on your own name or your user name. I have Google alerts for my name, my user name that I tend to use and my company names. Each day I get a little email from Google advising me of what’s being said about me. If I need to address something, I know where to look.
- Talk about your strengths, loves, dislikes - be a real person. At the end of the day, businesses want to do business with people. Show the world that you are a real person and engage in the online activity that you love. Don’t be afraid to talk about what you’re doing offline - online.
- Engage, engage, engage. Get a Twitter account and tweet about your interests. Get a Facebook page and talk about the things that are important to you. Check out NING communities that are pertinent to your interests. And remember, most social tools and communities have privacy controls, so if you want to limit who can see your info, use them.
Here are a few good resources to help you better understand personal branding.
Twitter Tuesday tomorrow!!!
I had the great pleasure to speak to a dynamic group of writers today at the “Writers - Push the Electronic Envelope” conference sponsored by American Independent Writers. I’ve summarized my notes from the session and have listed the resources below.
Over the next week, I’ll be sure to further explain some of the points that were discussed during the session. So if you are a writer, please be sure to subscribe to my feed.
I hope that everyone that attended the conference took home some helpful nuggets and perhaps a little inspiration. PLEASE feel free to contact me or participate in this conversation if you have any questions at all. As you may have noticed, I love to talk and love helping folks even more! Enjoy!
Promoting Yourself Online (Freelancers and Staffers)
- Understand what you’re passionate about and pursue projects that are complimentary
- The more you write online – the more you build a reputation
- Over time, brand yourself as an expert within your space or company
- Manage your personal brand (don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, in the online space -use your real name but don’t forget to manage your presence; be yourself)
The Pitch (ChrisBrogan.com - Example of a Great PR Pitch)
- Consider pitching to niche e-zines or media firms
- KISS – simple and concise is key
- Use keywords – even in your pitch
- Bulleted lists
- Be personable
- Remember that online users are typically looking for information/references; not novels
- Know your target audience and steer your pitch toward that group
Finding Others Who Need You
- Twitter – reach out to other folks in your space (feel free to follow me - www.twitter.com/gooddogzbeth)
- Facebook – promote your work, find groups in your niche
- Blogging – integrate blog into Twitter and Facebook, guest blog
- Reach out to niche e-zines and media firms (I’ve found reaching out to niche cable channels like Lifetime, Bravo, Discovery, etc. effective)
Resources for Finding Gigs
- Freelance Switch – Website with great tips for all freelancers.
- Freelance Switch Job Board – There are always several good writing opportunities listed here.
- Blogger Jobs – I’ve found good blogging opportunities here. Try subscribing to RSS to receive the latest jobs in your feed.
- Freelance Writing Jobs – Website with regular writing opportunities as well as tips.
- Guru.com – OK, Guru, as a whole, is not one of my favorites. But from time-to-time I have found decent writing projects.
Twitter Tools
These tools will make your life on Twitter easier and more efficient.
- Twitter - Set-up your account and start tweeting!
- Twhirl - Great desktop client that makes using Twitter very easy.
- Tweetscan -Allows you to search postings or “tweets” for specific terms. Great for finding people to follow in your industry.
- TwitterLocal - Helps you locate other folks using Twitter in your area.
- Twitterholic - Find the top 100 most followed users on Twitter.
- Twitter Grader - See how your tweets rank among other folks - I’m a 61!
Blog Directories (I had a special request after the session for a list of blog directories - here you go!)
Also, here is a PDF of the handout from the session.
I have to rant for a few minutes about the whole Facebook - Friends You May Know feature. I can honestly say that out of the dozens of people that pop up in that little box, I’ve known 3 and only been inclined to add 1. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Why does Facebook think that I want to be friends with these strangers? I find it all very odd.
On a happier note - FlogBlog on my Facebook profile is finally updating after months of staleness, so I’m pretty excited about that. However, I just noticed that its not FlogBlog anymore. Now its Simplaris Blogcast. Who knows? At least its working.
Enough ranting. Have a great night!
I’m on several Listservs on a variety of topics. Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about managing your online persona. How much personal information is too much? How do you control what other folks are posting about you? Should you avoid social media altogether or lock down your profiles so tightly that no one can get information about you?
My take is (and always has been) - if you are going to participate in the social media space, you need to manage your brand (in this case - you name). Social media is just what the name implies - having social interaction within a media (in this case - an online platform). In order to keep your reputation in check, manage your message. Be a real person with real stories, ideas and opinions. Share the YOU that you want people to see. Sure, someone may post a photo of you at a college frat party on Facebook, but, whether you like it or not - that’s part of your life. We’re all humans behaving humanly (Brilliant!)
Now, I completely understand that privacy is an issue and certainly don’t condone posting your social security number on the side of a cargo truck. But, by putting your name, information and what you’re all about out there, it’s much easier to say “Hey - this is me.” It’s also easier to rebut any negative information about you.
In a nutshell, if you put yourself out there, manage your name and let the world know who you are - you build your personal brand, you make new friends and you grow your standing within your space.
We have a Facebook Cause. We set this cause up about 6 or 8 months ago and so far have 34 members and have raised $115. We are getting ready to roll out a comprehensive social media campaign over the summer and are taking a hard look at our Facebook Cause. While large campaigns like Stop Global Warning and Save Darfur have hundreds of thousands of members, their donations seem out of line with the membership. So, what I’m seeing is that even though your cause may have a gazillion members, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are donating.
Philanthropy.com posted Is Facebook’s Fund Raising a Bust? on their blog on June 2. Clearly, there is some skepticism regarding the effectiveness of Causes for fundraising.
Frogloop from Care2 is a fantastic blog as a whole. If you are working through the ins and outs of marketing your non-profit, get a feed. Among the huge repository of information is this little nugget - a total assessment of Facebook Causes written a couple of months after it was launched. It’s very informative and includes some great tips.
We plan to continue to promote our FB Cause to see what we can get from it, but I’d like to know what experiences others are having. Please share.
So you’ve set-up your social network - Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Fickr, Twitter - now what? One of the critical paths to success within a social network is participation. Social networking does not to adhere to the “if you build it, they will come” mentality. You must engage your audience and participate in the conversation. Blog regularly. Comment on the blogs of others. Comment on Facebook “walls”. Comment on the photos of others. Reach out to your constituency and understand their needs. Then, do what you can to support them through regular discussion. Share your ideas. Spend a little time everyday feeding and tending to your network. Social = human interaction. People want to be seen, heard and be part of something bigger than them. By talking with your audience, your social network is sure to thrive and grow.
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Beth consults with businesses and non-profits on social media tool selection and strategy and helps her clients find effective ways to leverage these new mediums to meet business goals.
