2 Blog or Not 2 Blog

Qui Diaz360°Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations WorldwideQui.diaz@ogilvypr.comwww.ogilvypr.com http://evangelisting.blogspot.com

&Jocelyn HarmonNPower Greater DC Regionjocelyn@npowergdcr.orgwww.npowergdcr.org

Social Media Matters

• Social media “online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other. . . These sites typically use technologies such as blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, and vlogs to allow users to interact.”

• Within the digital landscape, social media is very likely important and relevant to your mission.

Social Media Stats1) Social media is mainstream media.*

• 39% of internet users, or 57 million American adults, read blogs• 170 million MySpace members

2) Trust in traditional media and advertising is declining, while trust in online media and social networks is on the rise.**• 68% of U.S. consumers are most trustful of other people “like themselves”• 20% of word of mouth happens online

3) People are probably already turning to social media for information about your cause.***• How many blogs are talking about your issue on Technorati? • Is your mission being discussed in social networks (Care2, Radoo, Idealist

* Pew Internet & American Life, “Bloggers,” July 2006** Forrester Research, “Social Computing,” February 2007*** Technorati

People Want to Engage (& Are!)

• Across the board:~80 million blogs (120,000 new blogs every day!)

• Age:Boomers/Seniors: 71% of people over the age of 50 are online

• Race:56% of Hispanics living in the U.S. and 60% of African Americans use the Internet, compared with 71% of whites.

• Causes Health: 80% of American internet users (113 million adults), have searched for information on at least one of 17 health topics.

• Gender:68% of men and 66% of women are online

What’s a blog?

• A two-way conversation• An authentic voice

Characteristics:• Journal-esque entries• Reverse chronological order• Features: blog roll, about, recent posts, archives

Why blog?

• Turn up the volume on your brand/mission/product/service!

• Show the human side of your organization• Build a pool of content• Throw your hat in the ring:

– Start a conversation– Continue an existing conversation– Tell your story (or get others to tell it for you)

• Build relationships with your advocates, peers and people w/ similar interests– Reach a new & captive audiences

Who is blogging?

• Everyone!

• People:– Teens, 20’s - 30’s, Moms, dads, elder/boomer

bloggers, industry pros in all fields (CEOs too!)

• Big brands (all industries and sectors)– Corporate: GM, Intel– Government: HHS, CDC– Nonprofits: ASAE, Kiva…

Tips for getting started – you need a strategy

• Are you ready? (Social Media Score)• What’s the purpose? • Who will own it?• What topics will you cover?

• What’s your comment policy? • How much time will you allocate?• How will you market your blog?

Promotion

How will you market your blog?• Promote through influencers who

reach your audience• Comment on other blogs• Respond to comments on your

blog• Register in issue-specific and

geographic blog directories (Technorati, Placeblogger)

• Develop the rest of your online presence! (social networks, tagging, Flickr, Digg, keyword marketing, optimize your website)

Case Studies

• American Society of Association Executives: Acronym: association blog

• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: staff blog

• Kiva.org: journals from loan grantees

Short-term BlogsBLOG SUMMIT: short-term, multiple contributors• Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog

www.climateresponseblog.com

EVENT: Corporate Climate Response:• Liveblogging and vlogging for 3-day conference

www.climateresponseblog.com

EXPERIENCE: Intel Blogger Challenge• 6 laptops to 6 bloggers for 5 weeks• www.intelbloggerchallenge.com

CONTEST: Up Your Budget (Budget Rent A Car)• 1 month to tell you favorite roadtrip stories• http://www.upyourbudget.com/

Blog Carnivals • Traveling ‘event’ hosted by guest bloggers

– Blogging Boomers Carnival– Breast Cancer Awareness Blog Carnival– Health Blog Carnival

Learn from the Best

• Beth Kanter: Beth’s Blog

• John Bell: Digital Influence Mapping Project

• Houtlust

• Marketing Profs

• Nonprofit Marketing Blog

• Nonprofit Communications

• Seth Godin’s Blog

• Advertising Age: Top 150 media & marketing blogs