Community Organizer 2.0

The National Wildlife Federation uses free online listening tools to compile a powerful listening dashboard and stay on top of trends, mentions, and fan activity. This blog post summarizes the key points from their presentation at the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference session.

The Listening workshop at the Nonprofit Technology Conference covered more than the tools: it was a point of view about why listening is critical to any organization. Wendy Harman discussed how the American Red Cross thinks about listening: it is critical to the relevancy of the organization, internal development, professional development, and reputation management.

In an international survey of social network users, InSites Consulting found that social network users trust brands’ social sites for information about the brand itself, second to peer information. Is this astonishing? In the article, I also think about how nonprofits can utilize this information for their brands.

Many foundations and philanthropies are using social media to talk to their stakeholders. If you are a nonprofit seeking foundation funding, make connecting with foundations using social media part of your overall development plan – and your engagement strategy.

How does social media fit into the overall messaging? What role does it play in the sales cycle? This post considers the value of social media in meeting organizational goals, conceptualized as a flow chart of the overall brand and program marketing strategy.

To create a great online fundraising campaign, combine the principles of community organizing with fundamental social media principles. The mashup will guide your campaign strategy and map. Presentation includes a slide show of essential elements of social media fundraising, and uses 2009 as a case study.

Two data sets, two different user groups, same results: Small businesses and nonprofit find social media effective for reaching new customers and strengthening existing relationships. Irrefutable evidence of the power of engagement.

How do you explain social media to the public, no matter what their level of understanding? This was the issue we faced crafting an “overview” of social media. From this experience, I offer five basic ideas that you have to utilize in order to convey the concept of social media effectively.

Active management of an online community on a registered site or social network translates into quantifiable value for the sponsoring organization. This blog post offers value data from two online communities that lost active community managers, and the subsequent effects on both the community and value from the community to the sponsoring organization.

Nonprofits can tell the best stories. But why tell them on the same old social media platforms? I’m excited about Animoto, Whrrl, Posterous and Blip.tv. They are easy to use, offer beneficial social media aspects, and spice up your digital storytelling with something new.