Handout from Twitter, Facebook & YouTube! Oh My! Understanding Philanthropy 2.0

May 29th, 2009 Published by: mhamburg

Handout: Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter: Oh
My! Understanding
Philanthropy 2.0
the many ways you can use Twitter
http://applicant.com/twitter-guide/
Hi,
•
• The PDF version of this document
Here are some posts I've written contains links to many more
(mainly) on my "Me Like the Interweb" resources (sources I've quoted
blog that might be helpful to you as etc.). Please email me if you would
you begin exploring the world of social like me to send you that version.
media. (monica.hamburg@usa.net).

Cheers,
Source: http://
Monica monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/
youtube-and-nonprofits/
Other Resources In spite of its many teenage confessionals
and frat videos, make no mistake: YouTube
• See the "Illustrated Guide to Using is more than just a vestibule for teen angst,
Twitter" from applicant.com for crotch-kick footage – or just a place to watch
Created using zinepal.com. Go online to create your own zines or read what others have already published. 1


illegally posted prime-time television shows • Serve as messages to government
(something, I, of course, would not consider
• Unite people with similar views and
doing).
empower them Youtube can become
Youtube footage has a large audience a Hub to show solidarity for a
– and far reaching consequences.Earlier cause.“WITNESS uses video and online
this year a Baltimore police officer was technologies to open the eyes of the
suspended after footage of him physically world to human rights violations. We
and verbally abusing a teenage boysurfaced empower people to transform personal
on Youtube.And “police are increasingly stories of abuse into powerful tools for
relying on YouTube as a crime fighting justice, promoting public engagement
weapon”. and policy change.”)
Citizens capture footage of an event before • Show people they are not alone (for
reporters (and sometimes police) even know instance – depression or sexual abuse)
there is a story.Disasters (like Hurricane
• Grab the attention of people who might
Katrina) are being covered by regular
be interested, but have not yet been
people, people who are involved in the
compelled to act
story or are witnesses.They are becoming
the reporters and they are often more • Get more people involved and engaged
compelling ones as they have background with your cause (the Human Society’s
knowledge of, and an attachment to, the Youtube “competition drew 2,000 new
story.“If you look at what individuals are members to their email list, provided
showing and posting on YouTube, it’s just HSUS a whole batch of new online
astounding. You get a much better sense, videos to use, and garnered over 95,000
I think, of the scale of the disaster and of views of the winning clip.”
the personal nature of it. You really get a
strong sense of how individuals have been Videos can involve:
impacted”
• important footage captured
In the case of Nonprofits – the stories can
• a person discussing their experience
be told by people affected by an issue or
supporters of a cause – often with amazing • someone talking about their motivation
results. (for supporting a particular cause)
The Youtube platform enables Nonprofits to • a person succinctly stating an opinion
use video to: • a sequence/montage set to music (some
are like a commercials – e.g. Girls on
• Educate People about an issue.(This can
the Run, others simply use music and
involve personal testimony/experience
images (E.g. Free Hugs and Stand Up
and more. e.g. “24 Hours for Darfur is
to Cancer), and several are, in fact, a
a global video advocacy and education
music video with participants singing
campaign to help end the genocide in
their message – like the fun-tastic
Darfur.”)
WearetheWeb – Internet Celebrities for
• Encourage people to take action NetNeutrality



• Several people reinforcing the message • Sincerity counts. So“[b]e genuine —
(Yes We Can – for Barack Obama, ONE interview people who are affected by
– against poverty or Watch for Change the work your organization does, record
for.. (drum roll!) change. actions you are taking to solve problems
in your community, ask YouTube users
Video Tips to sound off on why your issues are
important. These tactics will resonate
• Consider starting a contest.As in the much more with the YouTube audience
Humane Society’s experience, contests than a piece you think is hip or one that
can be a great way of getting new features a celebrity.”
people involved and invested. Worksafe
ran a “Serious Injuries Stop With • Humour can work too.Consider “Sing A
You” contest asking for students to Long” which reminds men to check for
create videos about work safety.And testicular cancer with a hilarious ditty.
Greenpeace encouraged artists to record
themselves playing Beethoven’s 5th. • Use the Bonus Features. Youtube
recently introduced annotations, a
• Invite people to be a part of it – the feature “that allows you not only to
larger “it”.Ask them to send in videos annotate your uploaded video with
(or even pictures) that will be part of captions, but also to create links within
a compilation. Stand Up to Cancer is a the video to other video clips or to
perfect example – they asked people to your YouTube channel”.Consider how
submit pictures stating why they “Stand you could might integrate this feature to
Up to Cancer” (e.g. “Because of my link other videos.
Dad” etc. which were then edited into a
compelling video). • Make it Short, Sweet and Riveting.
• Names make a difference. Make sure Remember to make it short (we all
to tag the video so it can be found have ADT).And compelling.WITNESS’
by people interested in your cause or video about the plight and segregation
nonprofits.And consider how you title of the Roma people distills a fairly
it: “Often, an effective title (e.g. “This involvedsituation into a video that is
Is Why I’m Hot” instead of “Global easily understood. Giant Ant Media ’s
Warming is Serious”) or interesting tags Bongo Promo – a video for Urban
can increase the number of people who Project tells their story – which involves
click on your video.” the funding of hip hop artists in
Tanzania in a way that moves and
• Encourage people to participate. Ask captures the audience.
them to post related video comments
etc. The Vlog Brothers Project for Unprintable Content (Video, Flash, etc.)
Awesome for the Humane Society –
Encourages Donations – and asks others Other Tips
to post video to continue spreading their
message • Create a Channel. You need one to create
an organized place people can go and



find all the videos (e.g. Campus Progress • Frogloop’s – Insider’s Guide to Video
Action). and YouTube for Nonprofits
• Create a Playlist.A Playlist can highlight More Resources
some specific videos (e.g. the ones made
by Youth for Beatbullying). • can be found bookmarked on
• Create a NewsRoom. With regards to Delicious [my delicious Powertoyou and
Photos, Videos etc. – make it easy YouTube ]
for people to share and show your
content.Having a central hub (website :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
etc.) to aggregate efforts (as Be the My Related Posts
Full Stop does) is excellent (read: do
it!) but also consider combining all Possibly related posts: (automatically
your efforts into a type of “social generated)
media newsroom” – a place where you
amalgamate items people can easily Source: http://
use and repost (the most effective monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/
videos/pics in your arsenal, news items/ facebook-myspace-and-nonprofits/
releases and more), so people (and
tradional media) don’t have to search, FACEBOOK
space (take this tip from big business – Finding long a lost love? Contacting friends
e.g. Ford). you’ve lost touch with? Facebook is certainly
• Create Buzz. Think about how you are phenomenal at these things. It sometimes
going to get the buzz going – a video has seems as though Facebook has so many
no effect if people don’t watch it.Figure users, that it has become a type of internet
out how to promote it – e.g. Be the Full phone book… In fact, that’s just what
Stop’s site asks people to take action Toronto Public Health officials decided to
by “emailing everyone in their address use it for when they needed to contact
book with a link to the Click TV ad” ”. someone urgently: in this case, a woman
Or consider Presentense which “had a who needed to be told to get a rabies shot
“Viral Video Party” when a new video after coming in contact with a rabid bat.
release was due, where they got a group While your organization may not be in just
of about 70 people in a room with such a situation you, too, can leverage the
computers, and they send the video to power of Facebook and to help with your
their friends, friends’ friends, etc.” needs. The nature of Facebook is entirely
• Note that Youtube has a nonprofit viral, and users can garner information
program (Nonprofit must be U.S. based, immediately from their friends activity and
however) interactions. (For instance, when someone
joins your group or plans to an event, this
Great Resources activity is listed in their News Feed, which
exposes the message to all their friends!)
• Youtube’s NonProfit tips, including
those on running a video campaign


As a NonProfit, Facebook allows you If you’ve been the victim of a epileptic
to: seizures brought on by the viewing a
MySpace profile page, you might still be
• Create a group (like Support Monks in a bit shell-shocked. As a Non-Profit, you
Burma) and thus establish a database of might also believe the site is predominantly
supporters – or a Fan Page. for teeny-boppers or that it has worn out
• Enable others to spread your message its welcome. However, although Facebook
easily (e.g. The Causes Application – is catching up to MySpace, MySpace still
like the one to Support Breast Cancer dominates in the US and has as many unique
Research) monthly worldwide visitors as Facebook
(a staggering 115 million people). MySpace
• Keep your supporters apprised of events profiles can have a tremendous impact
(meeting, protests etc.) (Facebook even on your Nonprofits momentum if used
has a great feature where people can effectively. In fact, you may not know that it
post an event straight into their Outlook has the power to save lives: a recent MSNBC
or other calender) segment profiled a MySpace page which
• Post links/Articles of interest/Blog helps youth suffering from depression and
Posts isolation.
• Encourage people to take action (sign What can it help a nonprofit do:
petition, donate etc.)
• Gain supporters
• Gain Supporters & Get to Know them
Better • Allow you to get to know your supporters
better
Supporters can • Encourage supporters to take action
(sign petition, donate etc.)
• Join you
• Help them spread your message easily
• Spread your message around – people
(via the use of Badges or Stickers whose
can “Share” postings, events etc. and
code they can ad to their own profile)
invite others to events and – as
mentioned above, simply by adding your • Keep them apprised of events or “issue
group, cause or by deciding to attend an alerts” – as bulletins
event, the word is spread to others • Have another presence on the web/a
• Be kept in the loop type of interactive brochure: containing
your video, blog posts, pictures etc.
For More Great Resources about Facebook
check out my delicious links marked Supporters can
(”PowertoYou”+”Facebook”)
http://delicious.com/mhamburg/ • Join you
powertoyou+facebook%20 • Spread your message around (E.g. site
MYSPACE badges or stickers allow others to help
promote campaigns)



• Be kept in the loop • “Use MySpace to drive your friends to
other social networking sites” (Where
Examples of Nonprofit MySpace else are you? see below for ones that
Pages: make it clear)
Increase Your Exposure on MySpace • “Don’t set your age to be 13-17 years
with: old”> (Does not show up in searches)

• NonProfit Organzation http:// General Suggestions
www.myspace.com/ As with all social sites, you must take the
nonprofitorganizations time to:
• A Place for Impact – http://
• update frequently
www.myspace.com/aplaceforimpact
• Impact Awards – http:// • participate and engage
www.myspace.com/impactawards • monitor (for adult content posted or
• One Person Difference http:// very offensive comments)
www.myspace.com/
Remember to have a hub where you
onepersondifference
display all your social networks – so people
Some MySpace Specific Tips can find you on all social sites easily A
Quick Reminder About Integration/Cross
• “On your MySpace page, ask friends Platform. Here are just a few examples of
to take specific actions such as “link Nonprofits making this clear:
to our Web site,” “subscribe to our More Great Resources
e-newsletter,” “tell a friend about our
current campaign,” “contact us to learn • The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s
about,” and so on.” “Facetime”
• “Don’t make the mistake of staying • Tech Soups Excellent “How to Use
within your own circle of like- MySpace to Raise Awareness” – Talks to
minded organizations. When you add 3 Nonprofits
friends, consider reaching out to folks
• Diosa Communications provides an
outside of your circle. In particular,
incredibly comprehensive list of My
nonprofits could reach out (via
Space Best Practices with explanations
MySpace) to for-profit companies with
strong social responsibility programs • The SocialMedia4Change Wiki
that can help spread the word about
their causes.” (What are other groups And on my delicious
that could help you out?) (”Powertoyou”+”MySpace”

• “Don’t “Add” a song to your Blogged with the Flock Browser
organization’s MySpace profile” (It’s so :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
very annoying)
My Related Posts:



Source: http:// (e.g. London Bombings, the Indian Ocean
monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/flickr- Tsunami). And he makes the point that these
and-nonprofits/ photos are often used on other people’s blogs
What is Flickr? when discussing the subject, which spreads
Put simply, Flickr is an online photo sharing the picture and message around.
site. As you can see, Flickr has a power that
Flickr – What is it Good For? extends beyond your group alone.While
In his book “Here Comes Everybody”, you might be posting, other people are
Clay Shirky provides purposes for the seeing and reacting to the photo. Curiosity
social media site which go beyond the alone will get some to learn more about
pale.Certainly, at its most basic it is your organization, and possibly spread your
an excellent photo sharing, database and picture and message around (some even get
organizing system – but its reach and power gallery exposure).By posting your picture on
goes beyond that. a site with as many users (and hence, eyes)
as Flickr, you are exposing your message
Firstly, as Shirky points out, Flickr doesn’t to countless people, some of whom will be
organize the photos – YOU do – an amazing interested enough to join you and support.
feat in itself.By using tags (a keyword
system common to many social-sharing With that in mind, here are just a few
sites), people organize their pictures in examples of Flickr uses for Nonprofits:
logical ways (such as Events – e.g. BarCamp
• Create a Photo Petition (such as
Vancouver or Visual Content/Topics- e.g.
Oxfam’s). Thisis a really exciting use of
homeless ), so that they might later find
Flickr.Oxfam asks that you to “add your
them more easily.
picture in support of Ethiopian coffee
Luckily, this organization helps others, as farmers”, for their Starbucks Photo
well.As Shirky notes of Coney Island’s Petition.
Mermaid Parade:
• Document an Event of
“The interesting social side effect of Significance.Youth Service America’s
tags is that although people are doing Global Youth Service Day 2008, is
this out of a personal need to keep a great example of this. (When
track of their photos and so forth, the Beth Kanter talks to Ian Gottesman,
aggregate social effect is that if you Director of Information Technology
go onto Flickr today and you look for at the organization andGottesman
all photos tagged ‘Mermaid Parade,’ remarks,“Especially if the event is
you’re going to get tens of thousands carried out through a network where
of photos taken by hundreds of your staff cannot be everywhere the
individual photographers.” event is taking place. It gives everyone
Shirky also describes the greater good a feeling of community and shows what
of Flickr in that people post evidence people are doing for your event. It also
pictures (of tragic events, wrongdoing, and helps capture stories that are really
so forth) as well as search for missing compelling so you can retell them.” (See
people during catastrophic occurrences Footnote (1), below)


• Provide Evidence.For instance, of Protecting the Environment, Nature and
wrongdoing as does the Mara Wildlife).
Conservancy. The Conservancy
endeavors to protect Wildlife, and posts • Connect the Dots – on a Map. Flickr
pictures of poaching offenders. has Geotagging – so you can create a
map that works with your cause.(E.g.
• As a Database – That Generates Traffic. I’ll be advising the CPP participants to
“[H]elp generate traffic, reduce on Geotag photos of the rivers that have
bandwidth and storage” – gtp_zambia. been devastated by privatization etc.)
These are some of the reasons Global (See Footnote (2) )
Teenager Project (Zambia) – uses
Flickr.And they’re darn good ones too. • Make it Easy for the Media.Some have
Think about it: most organizations have photos up “to put information out there
a myriad of photos taken at events, for the local media to access when
for pamphlets, brochures, websites – they want to feature us in a story.” –
many are not on a website simply Cmartin82
because of bandwith issues.Upload to
Flickr – use the site as a low-cost • Add Your Face.Somewhat similar to the
database/storage unit, while promoting Photo Petition, ONE (“Americans of all
your cause and accumulating more beliefs and every walk of life – united as
photos (as others contribute).And, if a ONE – to help make poverty history”)
photo is intriguing, it creates even more wants you to join their Flickr group and
interest and attention – a bonus for your post your photo to it to demonstrate
purpose! support.

• Run a Photo Contest.The Nature • Add Your Message.Like any social media
Conservatory runs an annual photo endeavor you are best to combine a few
contest.“Your digital photos will help that would best serve your goal.(A Flickr
to inspire others to protect our campaign can work with a YouTube one,
natural world.” And the Environment for instance – and many organizations
Protection Agency (EPA)runs an annual have a Facebook Group, Twitter, Flickr
Earth Day contest: “We want to see etc. e.g. )One that made great use of
how you would show EPA’s mission Youtube and could have built up their
to protect human health and the Flickr stream quite seamlessly, is Stand
environment.” “Has your community Up to Cancer which also uses many other
organization cleaned up a stream? Have social media tools. Stand up to Cancer
you enjoyed a day in the woods? asked people to submit pictures stating
Has a wild animal ever sparked your why they “Stand Up to Cancer” (e.g.
imagination? If you’ve caught anything “Because of my Dad” etc.Photos were
like those moments in a photo, share then edited on the video. The video
it with us!” The contest asked you to also requests that people post photos
submit to 3 separate groups, depending to their Flickr group (with SU2C tag).
on content (Enjoying the Environment , Oddly, while the organization no doubt
has a ton of photos (used for the video


and the many more which were likely (5) Flickr basic accounts are free. Flickr even
submitted/sent – they didn’t cross-post gives away Pro accounts to Nonprofits as
many of them to Flickr…(Perhaps that’s part of their “Flickr for Good” initiative.
in the works?) (6) Create a stream or slideshow with your
Flickr photos on your website
So there you go – just a few ways Flickr
can generate attention and support for your Some Great Resources I’ve Used for this
cause. Post:
Any examples you like, that I haven’t listed • Beth Kanter’s “Ten Cool Examples of
here? Or what are your thoughts on these Nonprofits Using Flickr!”
methods – have they been successful for
your organization?I would love to hear your • Joe Solomon’s Wiki – “Social Media 4
thoughts. Change“
Notes:
• Tech Soup Asks “How Can Nonprofits
(1) Many note that nonprofits are fortunate Use Flickr” – and users respond
in that they have compelling stories to tell.
Pictures are part of this equation.Choose For More Resources – See my delicious
pictures that tell a good story. bookmarks – [tagged: powertoyou & flickr]
(2) Be the Full Stop (which wants to put an :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::
end to child cruelty) uses geotagging in a
My Related Posts:
great way, by asking their supporters to get
on a map pledging their support.
Possibly related posts: (automatically
(3) When you post, try to keep others generated)
in mind and choose a Creative Commons
license that will allow them to re-post your Source: http://
photo monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/
(4) Respect people and treat their photos twitter-and-nonprofits/
as you would want them to treat yours.Be Put simply: Twitter is a microblogging
aware of permissions (note the Creative network that allows you to make a post
Commons license/rights for each picture. of 140 characters of text or less. While it
While many will allow you to “Share and asks you to answer “What are you doing?”,
share alike”, some don’t).If they don’t, try to most use it for a variety of other mini-
contact them through Flickr and ask them if posts (some including links). Twitter has
you can use their photos.Provide the specific its own terminology: the quick posts are
context you intend to use their photos.Many, known as “tweets”, people are “twittering”
will in fact, allow you to use their photos when they post, someone is “following you”
once that communication and context is they are merely subscribing to your posts
established. If not, respect their position and (no need to fear) and they become your
find another picture that would work. “followers” (sounds cult-like, but it’s not…
generally. For instance, you can’t get your
followers to clean your apartment. Trust me,


I’ve tried). Another interesting element is • Encourage Action/Tell Story. For
that Twitter can also be used via mobile instance – frustration with Government.
devices. Note: I worked for years in a field
The constant pulse can be a benefit to where government action was necessary
– but slow in coming – this might
those who feel isolated – the distance
be an experience your nonprofit is
that may exist in busy lives is virtually
happening. Difficulties with getting a
eradicated by the hyper-connectivity of
response (or satisfying) response from
Twitter. Like all good social media tools,
government can be aided (and exposed)
Twitter is engaging, connecting – and can
by Twittering. You can show what is
be a big time-suck (er, commitment, I
happening – like a public log. (E.g. Sept
mean). Twitter involves communication –
12th- “Sent this letter [perhaps link to
but Twitter communication is brief and its
letter] to Premier, hopping for response
life-span is short. That same immediacy that
soon.” Then, say, 2 weeks later – I’m
can be a drawback in some cases, is a great
an optimistic gal – you tweet again:
asset in others. Twitter’s immediacy has
“Response received from Premier, he
been highlighted in life-saving cases: a man
has forwarded my letter to X”. Then, 2
posts a suicidal message, but realizes how
weeks later: “No response yet from X”.
much people care when they reach out to
And later, perhaps “Response received
him and Twitter was credited with saving
from X, he refuses to get involved”.)
a man from Egyptian Justice. The site may
Perhaps there can be an action followup
even soon be used to find missing children.
– for instance: “Please email him with
So, how can you, as nonprofit, benefit your thoughts”.
from using Twitter?
• Mobilize people to do things with
• Find out what people are talking about urgency – donate, encourage signing of
(Use Twitter Search or Twemes (if petition, Diggs etc. (See Social Media for
people are hashtagging (i.e. using a tag/ Real World Social Change)
keyword with a # in front of it, e.g. • Find out information/Ask questions
#LPV5) of your supporters (E.g. Advice,
• Build your relationship with supporters Recommendations, Contacts – “What’s
and community a good site for X?”, Know a good
consultant re: X?”, “Does anyone know
• Post new information, blog posts (via someone at company X that I could
Twitterfeed or manually to an engaging contact?”)
message with the link), press releases
etc. “Several groups like GreenPeace, What can your supporters do?
the Obama Campaign, NetSquared,
MobileActive, etc use Twitter to call out • Re-tweet important tweets from your
press releases, links to new pages on nonprofits & other supporters. This
their blog or website, and sometimes will get eyeballs from their network/
asks to donate” – mg131 followers.
• Mention upcoming meetings



• Submit and make popular stories on Anyone can see them and they will likely
social news sites, like Digg. (E.g. They exist for awhile (potentially forever).
submit to Digg & encourage others to on So, don’t post anything you don’t want
Twitter to Digg as well.) most knowing/sensitive information.
(See Rob Cottingham brilliant cartoon.)
• Post tweets summarizing important
points (See #cdninst) and a conference • You need to participate in the
(something a nonprofit could do at a conversation rather than
related conference). If several people are • Hashtags can be very useful.
twittering, you can get an good picture of
the conference highlights. More Excellent Resources
• Respond to advice and make
suggestions of their own. • Twitter for Health – discusses the
many different way nonprofits are using
• Point you to related information/posts/ Twitter
articles
• Social Media 4 Change Wiki
• Talk about issues/build community
• Twitter Collaboration Stories
• Twitter is being used in countless other
ways (see Twitter Collaboration Stories) • Beth Kanter’s Twitter Primer
• For others, see my delicious
Examples of NonProfit Twitter Feeds (”Powertoyou”+”Twitter”)
Highly Effective Twittering:
My Related Posts
Some Tips
Blogged with the Flock Browser
• Peek in before you dive in (sound advice
for most social sites), so you can see how Possibly related posts: (automatically
it works. generated)
• Wondering who to follow? – Check out
Source: http://
the appropriately named: Who do I
monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2008/09/21/more-
follow? Wiki
nonprofit-social-media-ideas/
• The Creation of Twitter Best Practices:
Round 1 recommends that you BE • Blogging. Ideally, your nonprofit
INTERESTING & INVOLVED in the should be blogging – but remember
conversation, among other useful that it’s a big time commitment. You
suggestions. Don’t use twitter as a might consider getting a few people
bullhorn. It’s not a platform – it’s a to run blog collectively (e.g. each post
communication tool. once a week). Consider, as well, that
• Remember if you’re going to allow your many of your supporters already blog
Tweets to be public (the best way to get (for instance, in the CPP’s case, 49
new people involved in your message) Megawattsfilmmaker, Bryan Watts, has
remember that you’re tweets are public. his own blog) and might be pleased
to occasionally post for/about and link


to your cause. Alternately/Additionally, Conservancy use Gather, an online
you could create a feed of posts that social-networking site, to share ideas
have to do with your cause. For more about protecting the environment”),
nonprofit blogging information see Britt Think MTV, SocialVibe
Bravo’s wonderful “10 Ways Nonprofits • Do you have any other tips? I’d love to
can Use Blogs“. hear more ideas.
• Memes/Trends. Try something that has
possibility of being infectious/trendy –
like asking people to use your logo The Correct Way to Pitch
as their avatar for a specific day (e.g. to Bloggers
Red Cross Social Media Day), or post
Source: http://www.out-smarts.com/2007/11/13/the-
a picture of themselves wearing/doing
correct-way-to-pitch-to-bloggers/
something that has significance (e.g.
wearing pink against bullying or post a Guest writer Monica Hamburg a local
black profile picture to raise awareness freelancer and humorist points out the
about malaria) correct way to pitch to bloggers:
• Fundraising and Birthdays. “Hi, can I speak with Mr. or Mrs. [insert
Consider the impact asking for surname here].”
donations for your birthday can have
Sigh…. You know one thing for certain when
(e.g. Beth Kanter’s Birthday Challenge
you get these types of calls: the caller doesn’t
and Charity: Water)
know you from Adam.
• Social News Sites. Sites like Digg,
Sadly, pitches to bloggers often fall into the
StumbleUpon and Reddit are new sites,
same category, with the sender failing to
in which the importance/rank of the
understand that generic, impersonal emails
item is determined by the users. The
send precisely the same message as those
exposure brought on by a successful
dreaded telephone calls: we don’t know you,
Digg campaign can really boost the
we don’t care who you are, just purchase our
exposure and support for your nonprofit
product/service and help us out.
(e.g. Nature Conservancy)
The single most important element in
• Meetup.com etc. While Facebook
blogger relations is to know about the person
is a great place for events – you
you are pitching to. You should know why
might also want to supplement this
they would be interested in your request
with a Meetup.com group – which has
(e.g. promoting, reviewing, talking about
some more functionality (e.g., see an
your product or service etc.) and tailor your
event I co-organize, Vancouver’s Third
email accordingly. Generic solicitations not
Tuesday). Posting an event to other sites
only beg to be deleted but further show your
like Upcoming is also helpful.
company in a negative light, indicating that
• Consider other Social Networks (with you are too lazy or too disinterested to make
a Social Action component). Check the most basic effort.
out: Causecast, Care2, Change.org,
David Wescott in his blog “It’s Not
Gather.com (”Supporters of the Nature
a Lecture” breaks it down into “The


Three R’s of Blogging Relations”: “Respect, (If only Linkedin were as interesting as this
Relevance, and Relationships.” Essentially: "LinkedIn smurfs" photo by 99zeros
don’t assume the blogger is there to I like the “Introductions” concept. If you’re
promote you, make certain your product/ looking to make contact with a particular
service etc. is in-line with what the blog’s person and you discover that he/she is only
content and who the blogger is (not separated by a degree or two, it makes sense
asking for your succulent rib house to to try to connect . Of course, in that case,
be reviewed by vegan.wordpress.com, for I’d simply find out who to contact using
instance) and building a sincere relationship Linkedin – and then Google to find the
with the blogger (even before you make your person’s email. I could then shoot them an
request). email, mentioning our mutual connection
– without going through Linkedin’s own
Points out Daniel Riveong at Emergence (unlovable) messaging system…
Media: “…the blogosphere is a community,
not a place to send press releases to.” Other than that, I haven’t found much on
Linkedin that you couldn’t do in a more
For more of Monica’s rumitations go to personal and engaging way on another site
her Your Dose of Lunacy humour blog and (mainly Twitter or Facebook).
website.
But, because I don’t like something, doesn’t
Posted on Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 and filed
necessarily make it irrelevant. (I wish!
under Blogs, Marketing.
Physical Sciences seem to have stuck
[...] November 13, 2007 Blogging Relations around, regardless. Go figure.)
Posted by monicahamburg under Social Many find LinkedIn extremely useful. I
Marketing | Tags: blogging, blogging have a friend who swears by the site. It’s
relations, PR | Mhairi Petrovic of Out- been invaluable for him in terms of making
Smarts was kind enough to ask me to write connections. And while I relish the ability
a post for her blog. [...] to be casual and “myself” online, I recognize
some don’t believe business and personal
Source: http://
should mix as much as most social sites
monicahamburg.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/
encourage/accept. Especially if you find
linkedin-are-you-feelin-it/
Facebook to be too personal (”Who cares
Confession: I don’t use LinkedIn well or what interpretive dance performance my
often. Frankly, when I got on it just felt too acquaintance is going to…?” ), LinkedIn can
“stuffy”, and I still get that sense. be an especially appealing social networking
While Twitter and Facebook feel lively and tool.
energetic (the interface, the way the tool So, in the interest of fairness, let’s look at
works, the way people interact), LinkedIn what LinkedIn can actually do.
feels like one of those sterile networking
It gives you the ability to (among other
events where people are trying to make
things):
contacts but there’s no actual engagement or
conversation • see who your contacts and friends are
connected to in a business sense (e.g.


who do they know well and have worked “…recommendations based on the
with). contents of your profile” in your
newsfeed. (Marshall Kirkpatrick on
• research people/companies (”What’s
that person like to work with? Should/ Mashable.)
could I work with them? Looks like some And in How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn
people I know have worked with her – by Brian Wallace remarks that:
I’ll ask them.”) “The old adage that “it isn’t what you
• request and receive public know, it’s who you know” still holds
recommendations (that never hurts) value. LinkedIn takes this thought
one step further, making it “who
• mention what you are up to (using the
you will know soon to be of utmost
“status”/”what are you working on?”
importance.” Using LinkedIn, I’ve
update.)
trained small businesses to spread
• ask for advice from the Linkedin their wings and get connected with
populace as a whole, or from your companies that they might otherwise
friends. have thought were beyond reach, and
• request a contact make an introduction to the persons they were looking for in
to someone in their connections with those companies.”
whom you’d like to establish contact. Indeed, it is often more efficient (and more
exact) to search for contacts at a company
Recently Linkedin has been making strides using Linkedin then to use the “About the
to make the platform more appetizing, Team” page (assuming they even have one)
adding SlideShare and blog post integration on their website.
(and other applications) as well as “Groups“
Further, LinkedIn lets you know where
And my problem with the site “not being your connections are now – even if you’ve
fun”, is in a sense, missing the point. It’s lost touch or are out-of-the-loop: once you
likely not supposed to be. upload your address book, it checks to see
“We want to spend as little time who’s on board and you could reconnect
as possible so that we can get the with people for whom you have outdated
job done, get off our computers, and emails:
have a life. LinkedIn is the most “I had old emails for people
efficient place to hunt for customers who had changed jobs; LinkedIn
and employees. It is the first real automatically showed me where they
change in productivity for those who work now (I assume based on
work on the front lines of business.” email forwarding).” (Bernard Lunn
LinkedIn also has an “Events” feature – and on RedWriteWeb)
you certainly can see (and be apprised of) So, clearly, some people are getting value out
the events your friends are attending – but of LinkedIn. Are you?
there’s more. It trumps the usual events ____
features by offering:



Stay tuned: in the next post, I’ll be looking at
Linkedin for NonProfits.Update: Well, no, I
won’t. It’s just off the priority list right now
– but I did find a great “A Visual Guide To
LinkedIn For Job Hunters” and since I feel
that networking is a bit like Job Hunting, it’s
appropriate. Or maybe it isn’t and I just love
the tips and visuals in it. Your call.

Possibly related posts: (automatically
generated)


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