The Commandments of Social Media:Strategy, Tools and Culture

Presented by Lisa Colton, Founder & President Darim Online

lisa@darimonline.org434.977.1170

Agenda

Communications RevolutionSocial Media BasicsImpact on Your Web SiteBuilding Blocks of Social Media Participation– Listening– Engaging– Social Content

Integration With Web Site

COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION

COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION

Characteristics of 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 producer and consumer, 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. Is personal, specific, and engaging.

• 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.

It’s a Tool

Success of the tool is if it helps you achieve your goals.

Thus, critical to know your goals and then determine which tool(s) to used in which ways.

GROUNDSWELL’s P.O.S.T.

1. PEOPLE: Identify audience(s)

2. OBJECTIVES– What are you goals and objectives for this audience?

– What are your audience’s goals?

3. What is the STRATEGY to reach these goals?

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

A Tool Can Be A Game Changer

Traditional Media

Brand in control

One way / Deliver msg

Repeat message

Focused on the brand

Educating

Org creates content

Social Media

Audience in control

Two way / Conversation

Adapt the message

Focused on the audience

Influencing, Involving

User and co-created content

How are you adapting?

User Experience: Home Page

Every page is a home page

Every interaction is two-way

• Have at least one “Donate Now” button on every page of your site.

• Make it a graphic, not just words.• “Donate Now” should take a user

to the form - with NO INTERMEDIATE STEPS.

• Limit choices on that page - if you have a gazillion funds, provide a link to another page (pop up is good) with info about those funds)

Donation Tools

Storytelling is Cultivation

LISTENING

Source: Flickr user andyadontstop

HOW TO LISTEN

Keywords

Influencers

Staffing

Who’s talking about you?

Who’s talking about your field?

What’s most important to your audience?

Breadth, Depth, Reach

Are you on their radar?

What will they pass on?

Who is listening?

How do they respond?

What are they learning?

How do they pass on info?

Google Alerts

OpenYourEars

Temple Israel, Memphis Facebook Page

OpenYourEars

Temple Sinai, Oakland, CA

• See NYTimes Article “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” Sept 7, 2008

• JewPoint0.org blog post, including link to the article: http://bit.ly/MqtCw

• “Right now is the largest increase in expressive capability in human history.” - Clay Shirky on TED

Ambient Awareness

Twitter

HowTo

BeginListening

• Identify Keywords

• Key people’s names, URLs, related organizations, grantees, industry keywords, etc.

• Identify Key Influencers

• Who is sharing info on your industry

• Who is connected to the audiences you want to engage with

• Who are your online mavens and connectors (internal and external)

• Set up tools, people,

communication

SocialFish offers Listening Audits

#1

Social media is

continuing to evolve.

Fast.

ENGAGING

Red Cross

A Person, Not Just A Brand

Unofficial Outposts

Find places where your target audience goes.

Participate in the conversation. Add value, educate, include links.

Use your “listening” to identify these places.

When to Respond

Respond when:- Someone has given you a compliment;

- Someone has a valid complaint;- You have something to offer;- Information is incorrect.

Real Life Example

Social Content is Social Capital

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

• Content should be newsworthy, unique, controversial, timely immediately useful and/or funny.

• 1:12 or 1:20 ratio

Invite User Generated Content

Examples:• CNN iReport• Tags in Flickr, blogs, Youtube

• Crowdsource by asking questions (learn, connect, engage, respond)

• Guest bloggers• Hashtags on Twitter

A Platform for Self-Organizing

“Organizations no longer

have a monopoly on organizing”

-Clay Shirky

1000 volunteers 10,000 donors

202 cities $700K+ raised

What does this mean for

synagogues?

Allow Users to Remix

Social Means: Make It Human

• Authenticity buys attention

• How can you make your work personal?

BlogTwitter (#beth53)Facebook (Causes)

475 Tweets with the #beth5366 blog posts (others)2047 clicks on the link40% new donors

8 years -- guess total raised?

Build on Relationships & Use Multiple Channels

Beth Kanter is 53

Community Building

Source: Flickr user JYRO

Community Building

Source: Flickr user Rick Neves

Community Building

Source: Flickr user divemasterking2000

REMEMBER: P.O.S.T.

1.PEOPLE: Identify audience(s)

2.OBJECTIVES– What are you goals and objectives for this audience?

– What are your audience’s goals?

3.What is the STRATEGY to reach these goals?

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

MEASUREMENT

Tangible

• Donations• Leads• Subscribers• Members• Saved time saved

cost• Increased

hits/rank, PR• Action

Intangible

• Learning• Interaction• Engagement• Branding• Loyalty• Satisfaction• Feedback

Source: KD Paine, a social media metrics expert.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Stay nimble - Change will continue

• Know what you want to measure and how you’ll know if you’re successful

• Think about staffing and guidelines

• Address your whole culture, not just marketing & Fundraising.

John Fitch’s Steam Engine

John Fitch’s Steam Engine

IT’S NOT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY