What is your organization's primary topic of conversation online? If you don't know the answer to that, you may find that is the crux of the issue with your online strategy. Without knowing and owning the online conversation topic, your organization is doomed to wander aimlessly about in the online desert. To get at this, I often ask this simple question: "What about your industry or issue is so interesting that you want to have a conversation about it?" Taking this simple question a step further, I'll often ask: what topic of conversation is interesting to potential fans, can define your organization, but isn't about the organization itself? Knowing your conversation, then owning it, offers a map through the online desert to real engagement, trust-building, and advocacy. This post includes three examples of nonprofits who really know what their conversations are about, and execute them superbly.

Highlights and best practices of several youth entrepreneurship organizations using social media to promote youth entrepreneurship, source new borrowers from their loan fund, and support and find mentor businesses. This is part of a presentation offered at the Youth Business International Global Forum 2011 in Mexico City, Mexico.

The importance of the business website will soon fade as social network profiles become the prime source of information about your organization or business. Facebook members, with thousands of new adopters daily, use the site to search for information, share information, bring others to events and causes and regularly connect with others on the site. Your Facebook page will soon become the most important tool you have to engage with your stakeholders. Read why the Page is the Website in this post.