Increasing MNA’s Web Presence Through

Social Media, Part I:

Blogging and Micro-blogging:

The MNA blog and MNA’s use of Twitter

Social Media

• Definition: “the use of electronic and Internet tools for the

purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences

with other human beings.” - Ben Parr

http://www.benparr.com/2008/08/its-time-we-defined-social-media-no-more-arguing-heres-the-definition

• In other words, social media describes the tools people use and the ways people share ideas online.

Examples of Social Media

• Social Bookmarking

• Blogging

• Feed Reading & Sharing

• Social Networking

• Photosharing

• Video

• Podcasts

What is blogging? What is a blog?

• Blogging is the practice of maintaining or adding content to a blog.

• A blog is a contraction of the term “web log,” meaning an online journal or log comprised of multiple entries posted by the user. The entries are generally displayed in reverse chronological order.

• A blog can contain thoughts, ideas, photos, video, audio, links to other web sites, and forums in which discussion can take place through comments.

Why should MNA blog?

• MNA’s blog disseminates information to a large audience, including:

• other MI organizations• other organizations in the nonprofit sector• members

• MNA’s blog as tool for feedback • Facilitates discussion on important

issues

What has MNA’s blog been like so far?

• PSA style:• informational posts• announcements• links to resources

• One way conduit vs. two way conduit of information

• Few types of media embedded in posts – mostly text

Where are we going with MNA’s blog?

• Greater focus on interactivity in posts:• higher use of various media types• more questions for the reader • higher use of linking to other bloggers • more mentions of members• use of storytelling • answering all comments on posts within 36

hours• greater insight into what MNA does:

– who works here? – what teams do we have?– why do staff want to work at MNA?

Where are we going with MNA’s blog?

• Recent poll results… readers would like to see:

• greater information about the MI nonprofit sector• greater information about MNA’s role• photos and recaps of events held by MNA

and its members • weekly posts spotlighting MNA member

organizations

How can more of MNA’s staff be involved in the

blog?• Different involvement = different topics to

post about • For example, Mandy Paust is our blogger

for Blog Action Day 2008.• Knowing more about certain member

organizations and events • Compelling stories about working at MNA• Having open ears and having different

ideas for facilitating discussion among members and between us and members

• Email me or stop by my cube - let’s talk!

Where is MNA’s blog? How do people read it?

• Two main ways: going directly to our blog address or subscribing (feed or email)

• What does it mean to subscribe?• Instead of manually checking the site for posts,

whenever a user creates a new post, that new post gets dumped into your reader or email and alerts you that it is new.

• Using a feed reader, you can put all of the webpages you like to read in one place, categorize them, and keep track of which of your favorite sites are posting new content. More organized than email subscriptions.

• http://www.google.com/reader/view/#overview-page – keeps track of 5 searches and 60 feeds.

Where is MNA’s blog? What does it look like?

• http://mnaonline.wordpress.com• Widgets:

• RSS feed – allows a reader to subscribe to our posts

• MNA link – direct link to the MNA homepage• Blog Action Day 2008 – event we are participating in• delicious – link to our social bookmarks • Twitter – feed and link to our microblogging page • polling – way to get direct feedback from blog readers • blog roll – links to other blogs related to MI & the

nonprofit sector• recent posts – list• category cloud – allows people to search tagged posts • archives – allows people to search posts by month

What is microblogging?

• A form of blogging comprised of user-created brief updates ~ 140 characters

• The truncated nature of the updates allows for less sifting and faster, more direct transmission of information

• The most popular microblogging service is currently Twitter – http://twitter.com/home

• http://twitter.com/MNAonline

How is Twitter used?• MNA has a Twitter account – use this to

tweet (“tweet” = verb form of update)• We post links, reminders, and important

information that we want our followers to see• Currently, we use Twitter to get the MNA

name out there and to try and create a buzz about MNA events

• Some past MNA tweets: • Reminder to MI nonprofits: Crain's Best Managed Nonprofit Contest

Apps due 09/17/08 by 5:00pm -check this post for info: http://is.gd/2gvh• Welcome to @Brandon_at_MNA , who heads up MNA's membership

department. He is the source for MI nonprofit job postings and MNA member info!

• MNA is participating in Blog Action Day 2008, http://is.gd/1v09 - join us 10/15 to find out how our members are fighting poverty in MI!

How is Twitter used?

• We follow other nonprofits, MI residents, and marketing companies to see their tweets… and they follow us to see ours:

• Gov. Granholm/ @govgranholm• NPR News/ @nprnews• nptech blogs/ @nptechblogs• Mid Michigan Tweet Up/ @midmichtweetup• Social Media Club/ @socialmediaclub• Youth Service America/ @youthservice

Does microblogging actually

have value?• Yes!• April 2008 – James Buck and

Mohammed Maree arrested in Egypt• California residents successfully

used Twitter during October 2007 fires

• The American Red Cross uses Twitter for disaster updates, information, directions, etc.

• Hurricane Ike Online newsroom is up and running. Already populated with info and pictures http://hurricaneike.wordpre... (09/08/08; 1:47pm)

How can you tweet?

• Use it to send brief updates about projects, pose questions, find information

• Currently, there are ~8 or so MNA staff on Twitter. Two are representing MNA.

• Twitter accounts are popular for events• SuperConference 2009 • http://twitter.com/sm4sc• http://twitter.com/MidMichTweetUp• http://twitter.com/PCPGH

Questions???