Social Media 201-J:The Jewish Framework for Social Media

JHubEsther D. Kustanowitz

December 2011

How Can Social Media Help Jewish Professionals?

Connect Support outreach & fundraising efforts Strengthen community Create stronger, more valuable relationships Court engagement from “younger” people

Are Nonprofits Seeing Results on Facebook?

www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2011/06/13/are-non-profits-seeing-results-on-facebook

According to a Wild Apricot survey, over 80 percent of organizations surveyed feel that Facebook is effective in:Increasing awareness of their organization (not a notable increase in new constituents)Reaching more peopleProviding information to their constituentsEnhancing relationships with their constituents

Takeaways

• Two (or more) frameworks for understanding social media’s culture

• Introduce social media tools– Culture & format of Facebook, blogs & Twitter

• Begin to strategize about improving social media use

• Identify local mavens• [Pitching projects to bloggers]

Effective Social Media Interactions

• Commitment to relationship-building• Collaborative spirit• Involvement in public infostream• Initiating & participating in conversations• Authentic voice• Adding value to public discourse, online &

off (self-promotion is secondary)• Intentionality - kavanah

Tools of Intimidation

Language Immersion

• To learn Hebrew:– Simultaneous translation– Ivrit b’Ivrit– Ulpan– Learn by speaking with Israelis in a cultural

immersion

Social Media Immersion

• Research (Recon)– Learn terminology, aseh l’kha rav

• Understanding (Analysis)– Deeper understanding, ivrit b’ivrit

• Actions (Moving Ahead)– Total immersion – jump in, listen and

participate, accept corrections

Research

• Develop “ambient awareness” • Learn the language • Schedule “surveillance time”• Follow links, explore tools that increase

social media’s accessibility (Mashable, Inside Facebook, FB Connect,Tweetdeck, mobile apps)

• Who’s doing it right? What can you “borrow” from them?

@EstherK Buzzwords

• Showing up – being present• Creating and deepening relationship• Adding value• Connecting passionately• Living generously• Making life more meaningful

Facebook is Like…

• …a newsroom• …the water cooler• …a high school/camp/college reunion• …meetup.com• …evite.com• …anything else?

Twitter is Like…

• …a cocktail party in a large room• …a convention• …a sports arena• …CNN news ticker• …meetup.com• …anything else?

Google+ is Like…

• …video meeting center• …space to share articles of interest• …better way to organize friends?• …I’m not really sure

You’re Nobody Till Somebody “Likes” You: The “Social Web”

• Jewish geography = “2.0”– “Social web”– personal recommendations

trusted (e.g. Amazon.com)• Cocktail party: Small talk follow-up• Informational swap meet

information community

IMAGE: http://blog.researchworks.com/the-socially-enabled-search-war-facebook-vs-g

Increasingly Social

• Spotify, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn• Sites adding buttons to make sharing easy• FB adding feeds from other sites

Comedy Framing, Part 1

Comedy Framing, Part 2

It Takes a Village

Effective Social Media Attitudes

• Commitment to relationship• Collaborative• Initiating & involved in conversations• Authentic• Adding value• Generous & meaningful• Intentionality - kavanah

Effective Social Media Interactions

• Reading• Liking• Commenting constructively• Being personal, but not invasive• Sharing• Element of strategy, but also authentic

“Virtual Shiva”

Federation Language as Guidelines

• In L.A.:– Engaging the Community– Helping Jews in Need– Ensuring the Jewish Future

• In other communities:– Commission on the Jewish People– Peoplehood– Live generously, make life meaningful

What is social media about?

• Not about geekery• About acquiring tools

to help:– Access information– Increase & deepen

relationships– Reach people

“where they are”– Express authenticity

The Microcommunity: Our “Little Town”

– כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה– )Jewish geography( אל תפרוש מן הציבור– Six degrees of …

IMAGE: http://chicagotheaterblog.com/2009/06/12/review-topol-in-fiddler-on-the-roof/

What Do Consumers Want From Brands?

• CommunityOrganizer 2.0 blog– “A report by Lightspeed Research about what US consumers

want from brands online - top demand is “to improve their knowledge.” - Deb Askenase (@askdebra)

– relevant news and analysis– new ideas and thinking– useful applications that consumers can download– create a space where consumers can interact directly with the

company or staff • Increase credibility

Social Media StrategyCrash Course

LOOK BEFORE YOU BLOG/POST/TWEET…

Facing Facebook: Strategy• New Group or Fan “Like” Page?

– Groups permit owner contact, & foster group discussion (more like listserves/bulletin boards)

– Pages are like websites – post info centrally• Read FB FAQs – official responses/user responses• Ask a friend• Questions for your organization:

– Who will post content? How often?– What will the tone be?– Will you link FB with other social media (blog or

Twitter)?– Will you link to people/organizations/events on FB?

Facebook: Being Professional

• Don’t clutter official FB• Tone consistent with the organization’s (or have

a reason why it’s not)• Do follow your instincts and personal experience

– Use what you like (discussing stuff on your friends’ walls, Scramble)

– Don’t use what annoys you or others (Farmville)– Use what resonates or inspires you to action

(reaching out to friends in need, Causes)

Twittertalk: Strategy• Creates transparency• Allows immediate customer service response, with

transparency to show you’re handling things• Brevity enables you to cut to the chase• “Listening” to conversations provides insight:

Organizational chatter (you’re the CIA)“the market” / instant focus group (you’re the

marketing wiz)World and community news and trends (you’re

CNN)

Twittertech: SetupGoal: Listening, sharing, asking & responding

• Listening & touring the site, becoming familiar with terms– Replies/@/Mentions; DM; RT, HT, #hashtags

• Choosing your handle– Your name (@estherk)– Your org’s name (@JCPSC)– A project’s name (@g_dcast)

• Finding followers (address book, other people’s accounts, twitterator.org, lists)

• Continuing to listen more than you respond

Twittertech: Posting

• Brevity, poetry, strength, mission, value• Sharing = Link to and RT others• Abbreviate URLs with tinyurl, bit.ly, j.mp• Use # to categorize (~ tab in a file cabinet)

or comment sarcastically• Use a viewer/lists (Tweetdeck, Ubertwitter,

Tweetie, Hootsuite)

Google +

• Trying to keep the pace of social media• Competing with FB• Steadily growing in # of users, but still in

early stages• Circles seem easier than groups/pages• Video conference call

Personal TrainingSocial media regimen/cultural immersion• Find the time (coffee breaks, lunchtime, etc)• Check Twitter/Facebook page at least once a

day• Visit Jewishblogging.com or JRants.com• Ask questions (professionals/civilians)

Actions for Your Organization• Determine your institutional voice/s• Identify person/people to update Twitter and

Facebook (daily)• Identify newsy angles for programs, use as hook

to promote org in online conversations• Start a blog, host conversations• Find “mavens”/hubs in your community, invite

their feedback & partnership• Consider inviting personal assessment by a

social media trainer• Stay current on social media changes

Quick Tips on Blog Pitching

• Authentic – show you’ve read them• Brief pitch with strong hook• Make contact info clear• Be respectful• Identify “chosen bloggers” for exclusives

The Bill and Ted Rule

• Be excellent to one another• Kol yisrael areyvim zeh bazeh• Al tifrosh min hatzibbur• Be generous

@EstherK

• NextGen Engagement Initiative at Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles: ekustanowitz@jewishla.org

• Not exactly everything else:– esther.kustanowitz@gmail.com– http://twitter.com/estherk– http://facebook.com/estherkustanowitz– http://youtube.com/EstherK– http://estherk.com