Social Media 101 for Jewish Communal Professionals

standing together. moving forward.

Web 2.0 "101”: Introduction to SocialMedia and the New Internet

Lisa ColtonFounder and President, Darim [email protected] 434.977.1170

JCPSC February 24, 2009

INTERNET STRATEGIES FOR JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES

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Overview

• Social Media Theory and Implications

• Look at various social media tools:–Blogs–Social Networking–Wikis–Twitter

Photo credit: KarenSJilly, Flickr


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More Than New Functionality

Social Media is fundamentally changing the way people

relate to one another, and provides not just new

opportunities, but new norms for relationship building and

doing business.

Volume

PersonalVolume, Viral, and Personal


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New Perspective on the 80/20 Rule

80/20 Rule example: 80% of your fundraising comes from 20% of the wealthiest donors.New Perspective: 80% of your message is distributed through 20% of your most connected constituents.Connect with the well-connected! Leverage their networks and trust.


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What Is Social Media?

The Term “Social Media” refers to online tools (web sites) that depend on user contributions and interactions between people to build shared meaning and value. It is:

• Participatory: It blurs the line between media and audience. • Open and Democratic: It encourages voting, comments and the sharing of

information. For this reason it is seen as authentic and trustworthy.• Conversational: Two (or more) way conversation rather than one-directional

broadcast. • Communal: Supports formation, growth and strength of communities around a

particular shared interest.• Connected: Thrives on being connected, making use of links to other sites,

resources and people, rather than being territorial and proprietary.


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Increasing Depth of Connections• Content (email, web sites) moved to connections

(listservs, chat rooms) grew into collaborations (social networking, wikis, etc.). The evolution of technology is getting more and more “human”.

• The strength of social media is that is marries the power of the technology with real human needs, instincts and behaviors;– We want to express ourselves;– We want to be heard;– We want to connect with other people;– We want to collaborate;– We want to be productive;– We want to be reflective;– We want to trust those we connect with;– We want to feel in control;


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Thinking Strategically: POST

1. PEOPLE: Identify audience(s)– Understand their technographics profile

2. OBJECTIVES– What are you goals and objectives for this audience?– Listening to needs, energizing alumni, connecting like

minded people…

3. What is the STRATEGY to reach these goals? – A plan (with room to grow)– Implications of the plan (privacy policies, training, etc.)– Who is in charge? Who is participating?– How to evaluate vendors/products

4. Determine the specifics of the TECHNOLOGIESyou’ll use. Implement, measure, refine!


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The Social Technographics Ladder

• Groundswell, by Forrester research

http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/profile_tool.html


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http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs

BLOG


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What is Unique About Blogs and Blogging?

• Democracy: range of opinions and discussion. Comments and guest bloggers build community and invite discussion.

• Empowered: don’t need to have IT middleman - blog platforms area easy for non-technical writers to post to.

• Personal: More casual (does not mean less thoughtful) and succinct than most website content. Often includes personal anecdotes and humor. Builds community by getting to know the people, not just the organization, behind the blog.

• Accessible: Two-way conversation makes you accessible, friendly and HUMAN.

• Delivered: Via RSS your posts are delivered to them.• Highly relevant: Blogs are often much more focused than other

sources of information, making them highly valuable and attractive to the specific audience you want to reach.


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Examples: www.jcarrot.org

• Blog of Hazon (Jewish food, environmental bike rides, etc.)

• Specific focus, integrating two interests.

• Building a brand -- connections into other programs.

• Empowering and energizing a movement.


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Examples: www.JewPoint0.org

• Blog of Darim Online• Demonstrate our value• Share knowledge• Invite best practices• Present ideas and

opportunities our audience might not find otherwise

• Multiple bloggers for diversity of expertise and approach.


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Avi Chai - Educational Technology

http://edtechexp.blogspot.com/• Seed funding for

technology in day schools

• Internal knowledge sharing, documentation. (This is public to share more broadly, but can be private)


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Taking the Learning Outside of the Walls

• CBI Preschool• Share what’s going

on inside with interested parties outside

• Reinforce learning at home

• Demonstrate value beyond the obvious

• Embed video


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RSS -- Really Simple Syndication

• 115 million + blogs• Old way: go OUT to blogs and news

sites and check periodically for new and interesting content. This requires time and initiative.

• New way: RSS allows you to subscribe to your favorite sources of content, and new content is delivered to you in your “reader” window.

• Many sites have icons that allow you to subscribe in one click. Look for these icons.

• For an RSS video, visit:http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english


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What is an RSS Reader?• This is Lisa’s Google

Reader.• Like “bookmarks”, left

side shows list of feeds she’s subscribed to, with new posts in bold.

• Can read excerpt or full posting within the RSS reader.

• Aggregates what you’re interested in to save time and bring the things you care about to you.


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Fun Blog Names

• The Jew and the Carrot (Hazon)• Jlearn2.0 (Jewish Education and Technology)• The Fly Fishing Rabbi• Feed Me Bubbe• Bagel Blogger• Yid with a Lid• Judeosphere• Velveteen Rabbi• JewPoint0

How does the name influence your interest/attraction?


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Blogging Resources

• Free or low cost blogging platforms:– www.blogger.com– www.wordpress.com

• RSS readers:– www.bloglines.com– www.google.com/reader

• Books:– The Blogging Church– Naked Conversations


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SOCIAL NETWORKING

• Social Networking builds online communities of people who share interests and activities. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users share information about themselves, find and connect with others, and share information (including photos, etc.) with others.

• Social Capital is the value of the connections between and among social networks for increasing productivity, spreading information, and locating desired resources.


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Social Networking

• Single source of information about a person (often both personal and professional).

• Facebook is highly “sticky”. 45% of users return at least once daily.

• Groups can define a “community” and help people get to know one another and contribute to a shared identity and dialogue.

• Facebook hit over 110 million users within the last month.

• Must determine your goals, and create a strategy to make it useful. (Remember: POST)


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Example of the Power of Social Media: Connect

• Facebook: Camp Alumni Group

• Alum initiated and virally spread - 147 members

• Reconnected with dozens of people

• Thanksgiving events organized

• 909 photo, 2 video and 67 text posts


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Facebook Causes

• Causes is an application

• Users can JOIN a cause, DONATE (thru Network For Good), and recruit others to the cause.

• Works well for specific campaigns

• Spread virally• Birthday function


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NING

• Specialized social networks• Open or closed• Many features (discussion,

blogs, photos, video, profiles, RSS etc)

• Customize design/URL• Requires momentum to keep

people coming back (less sticky than Facebook for many users, but also more focused)

• Instant and free• Anyone part of a Ning group?

Storahlab, a project of Storahtelling


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Ambient Awareness

• See NYTimes Article “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” Sept 7, 2008 http://tinyurl.com/5frgla

• Small bits of information add up to a stronger relationship

• Implications for community building, staff relationships, team cohesion, board engagement, volunteer and donor recruitment and engagement, etc.

• If you are in the business of relationship building, this is one of your most powerful tools.


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WIKIS

• A wiki is a collaborative online workspace where members can add and edit content easily. Wikipedia is the most commonly known wiki.

• Wikis can be private or public, and have a variety of permissions.

• “Wiki” means “quick” in Hawaiian.


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What is a Wiki? Why Do I Need One?

Old Way New Way

WIKI


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Wikis - Jewish Education 3.0 Project

• Collaborative process

• Knowledge repository

• Central address


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How to Add to a Wiki

• Click “edit this page”

• Use a WYSIWYG toolbar like a Word doc

• Click “save”


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Uses of Wikis

• Drafting grant proposals or reports

• Project plans for a distributed team

• Storage of documents to be accessible from anywhere

• Central repository for ideas, brainstorms, etc.

• Your experiences?


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Permissions

• Totally open• By invitation only• Request to join• Anyone can view,

only members can edit


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Wiki Resources

• Wikispaces.com• Free basic account• $10-50/yr for private,

on own domain, remove ads

• See TechSoup.com/stock for nonprofit discounts


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Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service

that allows users to send and read other’s updates

(“tweets”), which are text posts of up to 140 characters.

Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and

instant messaging, SMS (text msg on phone), RSS, email

or through an application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.


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Twitter

• Post your update• List of updates of

those you follow

Photo credit: Stuart Henshall, Flickr


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Power of Twitter

“These technologies are helping us to create an information and intimacy revolution, not driving us to interact less as some purport.”

- Jake Brewer on Beth Kanter’s blog (beth.typepad.com)


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Twitter Examples

Sharing Knowledge Promotion/Marketing

Keeping Up with Friends


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Professional Twitter

• Share your ah-ha moments and links to valuable things• Get questions answered/input• Share openings and opportunities for spontaneous connections

(opportunities that otherwise might have been missed)• Great article: “Business and Nonprofits Find Value in Twitter” (Wild Apricot

Nonprofit Technology Blog) http://tinyurl.com/5ht8e8• Many posts on Twitter on Darim’s Blog: http://www.JewPoint0.org• Remember people using Twitter and other tools are mavens and

connectors who are powerful allies for you and your org!• Follow us @DarimOnline, or me personally @LisaColton


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Start Listening

• Find opportunities for your org to observe what people are already doing and saying

• Sign up for Google Alerts (www.googlealert.com)

• Search Technorati.com for your organization


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Q/A and Discussion

• Your experiences• Successes?• Frustrations?• Questions?