Two of My Fav Original Thinkers Share Nonprofit Marketing Gems

So much great content comes my way, I just had to share a few sparklers from two folks I am continually inspired by:

1) Seth Godin urges nonprofit marketers to focus on whom you're talking with (not your org) and the  relationships rather than the tools. He also advises that we test, test, test to find the best strategies for our organizations.

• Get more tips and insights via the full transcript of Seth's online discussion with Chronicle of Philanthropy readers and staff. He knows what he's talking about. Really.

2) Allison Fine shares her research on what it means to Millennials (15-29 year olds), to have the ability to become an advocate for their cause instantly, broadly, inexpensively, and what that ability means for nonprofit communications. She found young people to be very idealistic, marinating in causes, alienated from government and public policy -- in short, Social Citizens.

• Your org has to learn how to work with Millennials most effectively if you want to move forward, and they're incredibly savvy marketing wise. As Allison said at the close of a recent speech on her research, "If we don’t figure out how to incorporate Millennials into our nonprofit organizations, they’re just going to start their own causes, overnight, using free tools.”
• Dig into Allison's paper to learn more about her methodology and guidance on talking and working with Millennials, then keep up with the conversation in her Social Citizens blog.

Photo credit: abielskas

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Your Org's Base is Most Vital Nonprofit Marketing Power You Have -- Pull Your Peeps In, Now

This is it.

The boiled-down, most essential, most vibrant, most potential (you can sing that) takeaway I have from the NTC Conference is the value of imperative for nonprofit marketers to fully engage our citizen bases, aka crowdsourcing. It's not just about Web 2.0, social marketing gewgaws, getting attention, or capitalizing on our constituencies (and that can mean external audiences, partners, boards, colleagues or...) their creativity or intellects to create high-impact content.

They are you and you are them, or not (and that's trouble). The whole dynamic has shifted, and you have to get with it. This is the natural continuum of ceding control of our brands -- ala Everybody's Talking About You--Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Listen, and Listen Hard, and we've moved ahead very quickly.  Now it's clear that proactivity is key to growing and strengthening your org. Don't wait till you have no other choice.

Read my posts from the 08NTC (Nonprofit Technology Conference) for several inspiring models and hands-on how-tos. Then get to work, today.

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LinkedIn Answers Great Source of Nonprofit Marketing Guidance

I recently dove into LinkedIn (a high dive, mind you), and find it to be an absolutely incredible professional networking tool.

You probably know all that, so let me tell you about its much-less-publicized value -- as a strong source of peer insight on the challenges that are plaguing YOU. LinkedIn offers a great Question-and-Answer venue (you can do either, or both), which you can post to your other members in your industry (charity and nonprofit, marketing) and/or to your own network of connections. It's an incredible resource.

Here are the few of the queries recently asked in the marketing and nonprofit venues within LinkedIn (accessible to LinkedIn members only):

• What does communication mean in 2008?
• How can a fundraiser use LInkedIn to engage donors?
• Long copy vs. short copy: which one is better?

I subscribed via a RSS news feed to get new questions in the nonprofit and marketing areas sent to my news reader. Makes it easy for me to share my knowledge to help colleagues, and to learn what others have to say.

Beyond providing great answers, LinkedIn provides an opportunity for nonprofit marketers to ask key questions of colleagues in the field. The community is one of pure sharing, nothing territorial here. So refreshing, and so valuable.

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Here's How Making a Great Chocolate Cake Engages Much Like Good Nonprofit Marketing

Balderdash, you say. What ever is she talking about? Too long a long weekend, perhaps?

Nope, just inspired by my newly-discovered expert on social networking tools -- Chris Brogan. The guy's fantastically insightful, imaginative and (most critically) realistic. I recommend you add his blog to your reading list so you understand the options social networking wise and improve the impact of what your doing and/or get some strong direction on how to start or change course.

Anyway, last week Chris wrote about cake. Baking a cake. Now, I'm not much of a cake eater, but baking my daughter Charlotte's birthday cake is one of my favorite rites of spring. So Chris' analogy about the impact of baking a cake the old fashioned way, vs. just using a mix vs. using a "nothing to add" mix  hit me hard.

Chris reminds us that when cake mixes were "improved" so users no longer had to add two eggs and water, sales plummeted. The experience became too much like buying a cake.

When the makers pulled it back so that people added two eggs and the water, sales rocketed back up. It turned out that adding the eggs made people feel more involved, part of the process.

When your media feels too complete, people don’t feel like they’re participating. [Let them make cake.]

I'd push Chris' conclusion even a bit further -- make sure your organization is having a conversation (most of the time), rather than lecturing. Because interaction is a key ingredient in effective nonprofit marketing, just like a homemade cake is always better than store bought.

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Five Stars for New Users' Guide to Great Nonprofits

Perla Ni, former publisher of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, and friends have just launched GreatNonprofits, a new site that aims to be the Zagat guide to nonprofits.

Frankly, I couldn't be happier about this latest resource in the "get a better idea of whom you're giving to" universe. Yes, it's great to see 990s and charts on how budget is allocated. But I'm hooked on insights from peers (I'm addicted to Amazon's user reviews, and never buy a book without reading a few), and GreatNonprofits gives me what I never had before.

At Greatnonprofits.org, donors can read personal stories, see photos, and videos showing how people have volunteered with, worked with, donated to, or benefited from the work of nonprofits.

GreatNonprofits is piloting in Pittsburgh in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership, over 300 nonprofits are participating.  Reviews of nonprofits have been written by people who have volunteered, who have donated or who have benefited from a nonprofit's services. 

Says Vivien Luk of Pittsburgh's Forbes Funds, "We see GreatNonprofits as a way to connect the public with services provided by our local nonprofits and to better connect nonprofits with each other.  This is also a great way to increase donations and volunteerism for our local nonprofits.

Great work, Great Nonprofits.

P.S. I've found that giving participants (and here that means donors, volunteers, board members, program participants, service users) a venue to spread the word like this gets them even more fired up. Nice byproduct of a very useful service, Perla.

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Use these 4 Powerful Online Strategies from Mike Huckabee

Nonprofit marketers, listen up. Candidate Mike Huckabee is showcasing some powerful online communications strategies. Take a look at what he's doing right to build online audiences (and awareness) to learn to put these techniques to work for your organization:

1. Shares lots of user-created videos via his blog. These videos are provocative, informative and funny -- a trifecta. They also provide interesting apples-to-apples comparison with other candidates; showing rather than telling which always works better.
2. Reaches out to key bloggers twice-monthly, and not just the stars. Huckabee has invited bloggers to participated in regular conference calls (listen in here). He's become known for good listening, and has succeeded in building loyalty among this critical (and widely courted) group of influencers.
3. Delivers a user-focused Web site, easy-to-use for key functions (participating, giving, learning more).
4. Encourages independent action including MeetUp, and Huck's Army (a hugely active independent Huckabee forum), giving up the quest for control he can never achieve anyway.

Together, these strategies have led to a massive increase in traffic to the Huckabee site, far greater than that to Obama's or Clinton's site. Even so, Huckabee needs to do a much better job making it easy for site visitors to learn about his responses to key issues such as Pakistan. As it is now, his site just doesn't give users the tools to judge him. When he does, he'll find site traffic to build at an even greater pace.

Caveat:
Huckabee doesn't touch Ron Paul's supporter-led online fundraising coup of November 5th, which raised 4.3 million in a day. Perhaps this more organic effort -- led by Paul's supporters, not his handlers -- made the difference. After all, us communications folks are constantly framing social networking as controlled by users, not by content producers. Any thoughts on the root of Paul's success in motivating action/giving (other than it wasn't generated by Paul's staff)? Please comment below. I want to understand this phenomenon.

Disclaimer:
No, I'm not a Huckabee supporter. But I'm eager to showcase strong communications models, no matter the source.

Hats off to TechPresident for the tip.

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7 Facebook Essentials Nonprofit Marketers Need to Know

The latest Marketing Profs tutorial on What the Web Marketer Should Know about Facebook really got my attention. Facebook is the second biggest social network in the world (following MySpace), with more than 40 million users and a phenomenally high user growth rate. 

Here are 7 Facebook essentials for nonprofit marketers:

1. Your nonprofit's Web site is becoming less relevant by the minute. Users dive in and out to find exactly what they need, but few "page through" sites at this point.
2. Facebook is the primary network for college grads, and its user base is diversifying rapidly beyond students (including the aging of the initial user base), with 35+-ers comprising over 40% of users).
3. With a clean and easy-to-use interface, Facebook is coming to be THE social network, and a key tool for your nonprofit marketing.
4. So its the first social network your nonprofit should tackle -- college grads with money. See this demographic and audience analysis for proof.
5. Media is embedded right in Facebook, so you have the opportunity to do some rich storytelling with audio, video and live-streaming video.
6. Individuals with similar interests are busy developing their own communities through Facebook's friends network.All of these are opt-in only; so participants are engaged and connected, having decided to join. Perfect way to connect with target audiences on your org's issues when there's an overlap in interests.
7. Facebook is a low cost and highly effective way to engage with a broader audience.Potentials benefits are powerful promotion of your blog, e-news, events and more, and an organic way of staying in touch with core audiences on an ongoing basis. You can even organize and manage events.

Take a look at the Humane Society's Facebook page, which integrates multi-media, event management and more.

Jump in today to strengthen your nonprofit marketing. Assign a few staffers to join and set up profiles, find what's there community-wise and start to participate in related communities. From there, you'll want to launch a group for your nonprofit or event. Turn to TechSoup's Beginner's Guide to Facebook for the nitty-gritty how tos.

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Doing Something Innovative with Social Networking or Other Online Communications Tools?

April 6th Update--

Take a look at these project proposals already submitted for some inspirational ideas.
____________________________________________________

If your organization is working on a project that:

•       Uses the power of community and social networks to create change
•       Uses existing, or newly developed technology tools for social impact
•       Has a sound financial model
•       Has a clear way to measure success
•       Shows strong leadership, passion and resourcefulness
•       Exhibits a passion for social change...

Then apply for the NetSquared Innovation Fund Award. Applications are due April 6th with voting -- by the "general public" (remember, there is no general public audience, anyone who knows NetSquared is interested in nonprofits and technology/online communications) the following week.

Application guidelines here. And you can browse the projects already nominated. Jump in!

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Make it Easy for Online Readers to Spread the Word

Nothing's more powerful than having your audiences spread the word about your program, organization or new leadership. Such "viral marketing" is far more powerful than your organization telling its own story as friends tend to listen to friends, and believe what they say.

To generate viral marketing, make it as easy as possible for your audiences to spread the word. here are two great ways to do so:

1) Include a 'forward to a friend' link in your e-news and e-advocacy campaigns.

2)Enable your audiences to spread the word more broadly, via social networking tools. Here's how: 

• Crafted to double as direct communications with your target audiences. They have to be engaging, succinct and formatted for easy digestion (lots of bullets, white space and short paragraphs).
• Integrate key tools to link to spokesperson bio and contact info, related resources and more. They'll make a world of difference.
• Feature the single keyword for the release in the page title tag, the primary content heading (in your list of releases, or in your site) and the text at the top of the release (ideally in the first sentence of the first paragraph).
• One click buttons to Share the Story (more engaging than Forward to a Friend):
  • Add the site to reader's bookmarks via Delicious
  • Rate the site via DIGG.

Calvin College's release on its Sushi Theatre is a great example. Note the prompt to Share the Story, and the easy-to-use links to do so. Also, as higher ed marketing guru Bob Johnson points out, "the topic of the press release, 'Sushi Theatre' is included in the title tag for the page, making it more likely that a search engine 'spyders' will find and index it. The keyword in the title tag is then repeated in the major text heading (the headline in this case) on the page, and again early in the text itself."

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Change the World, One Gift at a Time

New social gifting site ChangingThePresent lets donors choose exactly what they want to do to "make the world a better place" and makes it easy for them to direct friends and families to replace gifts with giving. 

This is how you can pitch this to donors -- When birthdays, weddings and holidays roll around, donation gifts made in a friend’s name offer a wonderful way to show we care, instead of buying yet more stuff.  After all, how many of us really want another fruitcake or fuzzy slippers?  Imagine, for one delicious moment, how much we could accomplish if even some of the $250 billion we spend each year buying presents went instead to donation gifts that do good. 

Wish lists and registries ensure we get the perfect gift, while personalized, printed greeting cards announce this more meaningful way of showing our love.  Profile pages with favorite causes and favorite nonprofits let donors share their enthusiasm and passions with others (yes, it's another giving-focused social networking site -- don't know how many "the market" can bear).

Don't forget to visit the Stupid Gift Hall of Shame, which memorializes those gifts we hope never to receive.  Submit your favorite for a chance to win a sweet prize: pints and pints of Ben & Jerry’s.

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Kevin Bacon Wants Your Donors to Work their Connections -- Via SixDegrees.Org

"All human beings are connected through relationships with at most six other people." -- Wikipedia

Thanks to Katya Andresen for the heads up on SixDegrees.org, just launched by Kevin Bacon and friends. Jumping off from the the popularity of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, Bacon, celeb friends and family,  and partners Network for Good, Entertainment Weekly and AOL hope to inspire individuals to motivate their friends and family into online giving. I like it when a drinking game is parlayed into charitable giving.

Clearly Bacon gets giving. And he's capitalized on relationships with co-celebrities to power the launch. Among those plugging their favorite charities are Bacon's wife Kyra Sedgwick (NRDC), plus celebs Nicole Kidman (UNIFEM), Ashley Judd (YouthAIDS) and Robert Duvall (Pro Mujer), among others. A real all-star cast.

Now us regular folks are invited to be celebrities for our own causes by joining the Six Degrees movement. Jump on today -- what a great tool for your nonprofit's fundraising.

Here's how it works--

• Option 1: Visitors to SixDegrees.org can find out about a favorite celeb's charitable work and make online donations to that cause
• Option 2: Users can easily grab a celebrity "badge to add to their blogs, emails, etc. or create their own badge with their own photo or their charity's logo
  
  • The badge displays a photo, a short blurb on the charity of choice, and a "donate now" button. Plus, donation total to date via that badge.
  • Soon, users will be able to plug badges into other social networking venues like MySpace, Facebook, etc. or email.
  • It's visually compelling, interactive (with the totals) and personal. It works.

As Andresen comments, "I find it interesting to have had this celeb-extravaganza experience the same day research came out showing celebrities don’t much influence giving, but that...friends and family (do).  Our hope is the site will draw people because of the novelty of the celeb involvement, but that what will engage them is a chance to be a celebrity for their own cause, in their own circles, by asking people to support their own favorite charities. "

Great idea, great execution, great way for Network for Good to differentiate itself from other online donation folks like Chip In.

P.S. SixDegrees.org was launched at the Sundance Festival with all accompanying glamour. More here.

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Nonprofit Do's for My Space Success -- How-Tos for Raising Awareness and Promoting Advocacy

With all I've researched recently, I've come up with few examples of nonprofit wins via MySpace. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot was a definite winner via his MySpace campaign powered by mastermind Jacob Colker. Now finally, thanks to nonprofit technologist Beth Kanter, here are a few more lessons from the field:

• Promoting Advocacy -- 4 Keys to Success
• Campaigns: Genocide Intervention Network, Save the Internet, Save 1800 Suicide
• Keys to Success
1. Reach out to people where they already are on MySpace
2. Forget physical location
3. Let participants take ownership, stay out of the way
4. Minimize fundraising

• Raising Awareness
• Campaigns: Defenders of the Wildlife, Oxfam America, The Humane Society
• Top Tips for Your MySpace Page
• Integrate photos and videos to bring your nonprofit's work to life
• Update your page frequently, so friends (your MySpace audiences) will get in the habit of frequent visits
• Articulate specific actions you want friends to take -- sign a petition, register for your nonprofit's e-news
• Maintain some consistency branding-wise with other communications channels (Caveat from Getting Attention--You have to customize the tone to the MySpace demographic, 50 and younger)
• Go beyond your own circle of like-minded organizations, e.g. nonprofits can reach out to for-profit companies with strong social responsibility programs that can help spread the word about their causes.
• Document and promote how your nonprofit is using MySpace. There's a lot of interest in MySpace among nonprofit staff members. Work it.

Read more here about how the Genocide Intervention Network is using social media to prevent genocide.

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More on IDing the Right Social Networking Tools for Your Nonprofit

There's so much hype about social networking, and I've been trying to guide you through this maze. After all, we nonprofit communicators, even more than colleagues in other fields, have to work with real resource limitations.

So I was relieved to see these very concrete guidelines for selecting the right social networking tools, from Think Personality's Kevin Hendricks:

• Your use of social networking has to be a cultural fit with your organization.
• Be yourself. Audiences know immediately when you're not being real.
• If your nonprofit quivers at the mention of open dialogue, forget about social networking altogether. It's not the right fit.
• But
• If your story comes across powerfully via video (think disaster relief, international development, personal stories or memoirs any focus that's out there in the field) and you're willing to give up some control, consider You Tube or DoGooder.tv:
• The Philadelphia Songwriter's Project
• Illinois Holocaust Memorial Museum and Education Center
• If your story comes across more strongly via photo stills (think health-related or social service organizations), and you typically use volunteer photographers or have contest results or a series of other strong graphics (ideal generated from more than one producer), jump start a group on Flickr.
• The Opportunity Agenda's Photo Stream -- capturing media studies student photos and graphics conveying one of the Agenda's opportunity values.
• If convening audiences is relevant and comfortable, bring folks together online, via a wiki or a natural outgrowth of what your organization does, consider getting people together online.

Be yourself and social networking will be that much easier. Find your organization's personality and run with it.

For more insight on selecting the right social networking tools for your organization, read:

How to Pinpoint the Right Social Networking Tools for Your Nonprofit, and Get the Support and Budget to Put Them to Work -- Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants Weighs In

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Crash Course in How Nonprofits Can Use the Web for All Its Worth -- from Seth Godin

You'll find this info-packed cheat sheet here. Don't take a breath before digesting.

Best thing is you can executive all six of Seth's top tips in a day. And if you already know this stuff, pass it on to those who don't -- like your boss or board.

P.S. Before you plunge into these six steps, read these important caveats from Beth Kanter.

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Using Social Media to Sway Voters and Prevent Genocide -- Two Nonprofit Case Studies

These two case studies are compelling examples of effective use of a host of new communications tools, most of which fall under the 'social networking' umbrella. Because these are new tools, and most of us don't have a lot of time or money to experiment in depth, case studies are more important than ever. Look for more to come in the course of the next few months.

Read the complete case studies here.

DeadElephant.ORG – Fall 2006

• Tool: MySpace
• Goal: To distribute 500,000 downloadable bumper-strips in the two weeks pre-election

The Genocide Intervention Network – Ongoing

• Tools: MySpace, YouTube, FaceBook, Flickr
• Goal: To inform anti-genocide learning and motivate advocacy and giving.

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How to Pinpoint the Right Social Networking Tools for Your Nonprofit, and Get the Support and Budget to Put Them to Work -- Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants Weighs In

The traveling Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants brings you the best blog postings on nonprofit issues. For this week's event, I asked bloggers to advise on how already over-taxed nonprofit communicators can handle the ever-expanding menu of communications channels, especially social networking tools, and what social media have the greatest potential for nonprofits.

I received so many useful responses that I have to break the rule to limit my Carnival to seven post references. I just can't do it -- you'd lose out on too much valuable information and insight. Here goes:

Marc Sirkin, VP of eMarketing at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and blogger extraordinaire at npMarketing Blog, has more experience with social networking than most. He covers several key issues in It's a Social Networking Carnival, , and emphasizes the importance of communicating as a human being -- rather than a marketer -- in these venues. The value of being genuine is something I hear a lot these days, Marc.

Kevin Hendricks of Think Personality concurs with Marc in Be Yourself to Make the Most of Social Networking.  He takes it one step further to stress that the social media (social media and social networking used interchangeably here) venue you use must be a good fit. Blogging makes sense when the blogger posts in a genuine, opinion-laden voice; YouTube works great when your nonprofit has footage that really conveys your story, and is willing to give up some control. 

Katya Andresen of Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog adds the Five Minute Guide to Social Networking, with a host of tips derived from her travels in developing countries. Seems that there are several relevant analogies between finding one's way in uncharted territories and with uncharted communications channels. Take 1 -- get to know the culture before plunging in.

Emily Weinberg at Emily's World shares her insights on How Nonprofits Can Use Facebook, including several mini-case studies.

Ken Goldstein at The Nonprofit Consultant Blog introduces us to Care2, an online community specifically for folks looking for volunteer or giving opportunities, in Care2 Join an Online Community?

Michelle Martin at The Bamboo Project Blog summarizes why The Bridge is such an effective MySpace campaign. The Bridge is The Glue Network's project to build a virtual bridge around the world connecting 24,092 people (the number of miles around the world) who care about helping others (and donate to jump on the bridge).

Jeff Brooks at Donor Power Blog muses on How Blogging Changes Things, emphasizing the necessity of an authentic voice and looking forward to the day when that voice spills over into other communications channels.

Beth Kanter at Beth's Blog emphasizes the importance of experimentation in understanding which social networking tools are right for your nonprofit, suggests four steps to getting started in Using Social Networking Tools - Advice, Brief Case Study, and Resources.

Nedra Weinreich of Spare Change reports in on The CDC's Second Life. One of the reason's behind the CDC's success in Second Life if its immersion in Second Life culture before taking the plunge. Are you beginning to sense a theme here?

Michael Hoffman, one of the innovators behind DoGooderTV, posts his take on Social Networking -- What's Real at See What's Out There.  Michael's caution to take a breath makes great sense. Don't jump on the social networking bandwagon because you fear being left behind. Do jump on the social networking learning curve, so you find out what makes send for your nonprofit's outreach.

David Wilcox, from across the pond at Designing Civil Society, wonders if social networking will, in time, eclipse interest in associations and other membership organizations in Why Bother with Membership?

And finally, my post on MacArthur Foundation Walks the Walk with Launch of Digital Media and Learning Initiative.

Next week's Carnival, hosted at Donor Power Blog, is an open call. Don't forget to submit your post. .

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MacArthur Foundation Walks the Walk with Launch of Digital Media and Learning Initiative

Kudos to the thought leaders at the MacArthur Foundation who recently launched the $50 million Digital Media and Learning Initiative, focused on understanding how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.

What's most impressive is that the Foundation's communications strategy for launching the Initiative was designed to show what the initiative is doing, in addition to talking about it.
The multi-channel launch included the standard, in-person press conference, held in New York, plus two simultaneous virtual casts -- a Web videocast of the live event and a Second Life events in New Media Consortium virtual campus. (that's the image here, the Second Life participants viewing the live event).

According to nonprofit-use-of-tech-innovations blogger Beth Kanter, there were over 65 educators on the Second Life virtual campus, each represented by an avatar. "While the speakers were talking, the avatars in Second Life were carrying on a lively debate in chat about the points raised, suggesting questions to be asked in the room in New York City, and sharing resources related to the discussion at hand," reports Beth (who participated herself).

Talk about convergence. As participants joined the launch via Webcast and Second Life, real-life bloggers were blogging the in-person event. In addition, the Second Life gathering was projected to the participants at the live event. That's multiple channel, multiple audience, reach anybody who's interested where they get their information. At the same time, Beth and other bloggers live-blogged the event on Second Life.

Most relevant to your nonprofit communications effort, is the way in which MacArthur demonstrated its commitment to social media/networking as learning and communications tools, and its fluency in those tools, in the launch itself. Core communications maxim: It's far more effective to show, rather than to tell.

MacArthur's Press Release
Launch Coverage from a Second Life Perspective

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Tips on Getting an Online Conversation Going

I can't tell you how many  nonprofit clients I help to build a blog where comments are accepted or an online message board, wiki (collaborative Web site), listserv, or any combination of the above. Then, despite what we've discussed on what it takes to keep an active conversation going, the effort falls flat.

But there's hope. Yes, it seems that these online conversation strategies failures are quite common. But at the same time, more organic online conversations -- via channels like MySpace and Facebook -- are flourishing. And online communications experts are focusing on finding out why. Here are some initial insights from Web writer and online conversation specialist Amy Gaharan:

• Conversations demand attention, time and effort.
  • These are three highly-valued and heavily-guarded resources.
• In-person conversations are more demanding, so participants have to be more selective about which ones they participate in.
  
  • They usually require you to interrupt what you were doing, listen and make eye contact, and observe social conventions that take time and interpretation.
  • When you abruptly end an in-person conversation, you are perceived as rude.
• Online conversations require less from participants, and provide more control over when or how you participate.
  
  • You can divide your attention with other tasks, or delay your response, making them ideal for less crucial discussions, or for those where you want to participate intermittently.
  • The barrier if far lower for all participations, so expectations of you are very limited.

Here's what Amy's observations imply for your nonprofit:

• Be realistic about the time and focus participants will bring to your online conversation.
  • Don't count on online conversation as your only community-building strategy.
  • There has to be a reason for folks to participate even once in a while.
• An online conversation is a perfect supplement/complement to other communications strategies:
  • Conference pre-quel or sequel
  • Teleseminar or webinar.
• Save your most important conversations and meetings for face-to-face.
  • Still nothing like it.
  • Once you've established a relationship with your colleagues and other audiences, then online conversations are a perfect way to continue talking.

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Seeking Blog Posts on Nonprofit Use of Social Networking Tools

Get ready, the Carnival is coming to town. Next Monday, November 13th, I'll be hosting the next edition of the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants -- a weekly compilation of the best guidance and resources that nonprofit consultants post on via their blogs.

Next week, I'll be featuring posts on nonprofit use of social networking tools (MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc.). Write a post covering one or more of the following topics, and email it to me by Sunday, November 12th.

• Context: As more and more communications channels come on the scene, we, as communicators, have more to analyze, experiment with, and staff (and sometimes pay for).
• How do we:
  • Find the time to explore an ever expanding menu of communications channels
  • Identify the channels that will be most effective
  • Ramp up our skill base in those channels
  • Convince leadership to invest in these channels (even if it means more budget, or doing less via traditional channels)
  • Learn from other nonprofit communicators
  • What channels have the greatest potential for various facets of nonprofit communications (giving, advocacy, program/service marketing, branding, etc.), and why?
• What are some social networking “don’ts” for nonprofit organizations?

I’m looking for your post (either a recent post, or a new one you’ll write for this purpose) on any or all of these topics. And please consider marketing in its broadest sense.. as it relates to fundraising, messaging, technology, etc. 

Here's what to do:

1. Some time between now and Sunday, November 12, publish your nonprofit/social marketing post.
2. Once you've done that, send me your post's URL (the post permalink, not the blog’s URL) at npc.carnival@yahoo.com   
3. On the afternoon of Monday, November 13, I'll post the Carnival.  The Carnival post will feature comments on and links to the seven most relevant posts submitted. 

I've found that participating in this carnival is a great way to boost blog traffic, and be discovered by new readers.  The weeks my posts have been in it, I've seen a modest but persistent increase in traffic. In addition, I’ve found it refreshing to be pushed by a colleague to think and comment on a topic they've selected.

Don't forget to come back next Monday to join me at the Carnival!

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Make it Easy for Online Readers to Learn More with Social Media Press Release Format

You already know that you can distribute press releases online to reach readers directly, vs. through the traditional media. Now, take that one step further with this new press release format (from Shift Communications) which presents the kind of info demanded by online information seekers -- in accessible chunks and with RSS feeds, links to del.icio.us (to share bookmarks) and tags (to faciliate being found by search engines). As a bonus, this format might generate a new style of PR writing that relies less on hyperbole and more on facts.

Take a look at the announcement press release from Shift, which follows the new format. Put that and the format template in front of you, and you'll see the following elements that enable online release readers (who include many traditional journalists, as well as bloggers and your audiences) to easily take action:

• Full contact information with email, blog and instant messenger addresses.
• Succinct, news facts bullet points -- easier to digest than traditional narrative.
• Delicious page with links to related sources, updated regularly and available as a feed to your RSS reader, so updates come to you. In this case, SHIFT uses this page to link readers to coverage of their template release, and the agency itself.
• Downloads -- in the sample a photo, logo and the press release template.
• Links to spokesperson's LinkedIn profile.
• One-click buttons to add the press release to the readers Delicious bookmarks or to rate it via Digg.
• Technorati tags to improve search access via Technorati (mostly a blog-focused search engine).

Variations on this format are beginning to pop up but all share the common denominator of easy interactivity. Let's say it together one more time. Make it easy for your audiences.

Nonprofit communicators, try this format for posting on your Web site and distributing via the wire services. If you're bold, email it to your key press contacts and solicit their feedback. Email me to share what you hear back, and I'll report back to Getting Attention readers.

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23-Year-Old Uses MySpace to Build MD Candidate's Volunteer Base, and Capture the Primary

Update--11/9/06

1. Peter Franchot won, easily
2. Read my comprehensive interview with Jacob Colker here to learn his six steps to building and maintaining a loyal social network for your nonprofit.

Frogloop, a blog published by the online progressive community Care2, reported recently on an amazing primary victory by Peter Franchot, a candidate for Maryland Comptroller. It was amazing because the victory was generated primarily (claims Frogloop's Justin Perkins) via volunteers recruited and motivated by the power of social networking -- MySpace and Facebook to be specific.

As the election nears, and I hear and read constant coverage of the bitter, hard-punching battles between incumbents and their challenges, I've been thinking a lot about how social networking can be put to work for campaigners. This recent MD victory, reported first in a great article by Chicago Tribune reporter  Mike Dorning on social networking's role in the 2006 elections,  is just one of many influenced by social networking. NOTE: I'll dive into Dorning's article for more social networking being put to use in these midterm elections in another post.

What's particularly interesting about the MD campaign is the warp speed -- only four weeks -- with which 23-year-old organizer Jacob Colker recruited 80% of the entire volunteer base (by searching for college students in the region whose profiles indicated a poli sci major and liberal perspective). and put them to work making 15,000 phone calls and dropping the 50,000 pieces of campaign literature.  Pretty incredible, very inexpensive, very easy and very likely to have implications for your nonprofit.

Colker credits the success of his online organizing skills to his experience promoting his band, Medici. Strangely enough, even prior to this win, the folks at Care2 had produced Think Like a Rock Band: How to Use Social Networking Sites for Political Campaigns which guides nonprofits and campaign staffs alike to use the Web and social networking sites to engage and motivates audiences.

Remember -- If your target audiences include those under 35 (and that ceiling is likely to change), your nonprofit can't afford to ignore this increasingly important channel. Take a look at the free first chapter for a useful checklist of prerequisites to effective messaging in an online social network.

Social networkers, take your mark. The elections, and your issue areas, are up for grabs.

Note to readers: Care2 and Getting Attention are both members of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange.

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Pew Internet and American Life Project Reports on Riding the Waves of "Web 2.0"

Web 2.0, that be-all, catch-all phrase that seems to incorporate every single new innovation out there Web wise, is challenging to assess. In this succinct analysis from the Pew Project (six pages, so you do have time to skim it), Pew provides clearer definition on what Web 2.0 really is, and looks at recent usage stats to see how it's impacting online practices.

Here's what the Project has to say: 

• Web 2.0 tools focus on collaboration and participation, enabling the surging wisdom of the crowds to eclipse the authoritative heft of traditional institutions. Think reader-created encyclopedia Wikipedia, vs. expert-author- driven Encarta.
• Despite the hype these tools have received, Web. 1.0 user activities, like asynchronous email, continue to rule.
• Most critically: The beating heart of the Internet remains its ability to leverage social connections. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook struck a powerful chord at the right time with the right technology, but the actions they enable are nothing new.   

What this means for your nonprofit is:

• Don't be intimidated by Web 2.0.MySpace and Facebook aren't the intimidating tools you thought they were.
• Just take the plunge to build a MySpace page for your organization, and a Facebook page for yourself (personal stuff, not professional) to get to know the tools a bit. As you do, consider how you can put them to work to extend the social networking you're already doing via email, blogs and e-news.

I'll be blogging on nonprofit MySpace, Facebook, Second Life and other Web 2.0 communications strategies in weeks to come. Nothing like learning from example.

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