Aug 31 2009

Top Five Organizational Silos

August 31, 2009 – 7:20 am

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Picking up the discussion from last Spring’s white paper on silos and organizational barriers to social media adoption, the following list represents the top five silos I’ve encountered in helping scores of organizations adapt (Image: Brick Wall by Zunami). This is not a scientific list, just one based on a single person’s experiences. Please feel free to add to the barriers you have encountered in the comments section.

First, the greatest barrier still remains industrial era organizational structures. In a networked economy, silos tend to resist the free flow of information across the organization and the enterprise’s extended network of stakeholders. Here some ways that resistance manifests itself:

1) CxO Suite - Without executive buy in, cross departmental issues tend to get stymied quickly. Increasingly, executives understand that they need to be engaged in social media, both for customer reasons and for internal morale and engagement. Yet, they seem to want to relegate it to a department or a young staffer, rather than looking at how organizations are using social to transform their businesses and nonprofits to meet the modern era.

As a result, when issues arise, executives seem not to care too much about changing policies so departments work together in a more fluid nature. By its very nature, social media will challenge organizations to collaborate in unthought of ways in a very rapid fashion.

2) PR/Public Affairs – Control, control, control. What a bloody nightmare. A business that was meant to build good relationships between people and instead evolved to controlling the message. Telling them what they want to hear or sticking to your three messages, not the truth, is a common practice.

Now faced with social media, PR practitioners represent the greatest barrier and source of muff-ups that I encounter in social media on a daily basis. Unlearning, untraining, and simply changing the entire business has been extraordinarily difficult for many practitioners. Agencies have a very hard time with this, because in order to be authentic the customer needs to actually communicate as opposed to the media relations representative. This undermines retainer models.

3) IT - Another industry dramatically impacted by social media is IT. A lot of things are faster, cheaper and more efficient now. Changes include integrating in a world of open APIs, evolving security structures to meet peer-to-peer activity, and rapidly evolving databases to allow for cross-pollination across department (sales and marketing/development to PR to customer service to…). It’s such a nightmare that many IT types find it easier to hide behind a policy and say no.

4) Sales and Marketing/Donor Development - This department likes social, so long as it turns into some hard ROI. Understandable, but social represents a relationship driven medium. It requires a balance of patience, and well integrated, soft calls-to-action in order to deliver ROI. Many financially driven managers do not have the patience for the organic nature of this process, and can create errors in an attempt to drive numbers.

5) Legal - Ironically, the group you think would be most difficult is the one that seems to be a lesser evil in the equation. While there are certainly implications to consider, overall, attorneys seem to get that it’s in the organization’s best interests to use social. Many are able to create policies and disclaimers that protect the organization while freeing it to participate. This gets thorny quickly once you get into highly regulated businesses and organizations.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (27)
Aug 28 2009

Social Good Live Stream/Preso & Social Marketing University

August 28, 2009 – 9:46 am

It’s a great honor to be in New York City today and speaking at Mashable’s Social Good Conference. This event wraps up Mashable’s Summer of Social Good, and features fantastic speakers with many nonprofit attendees. It will be a great opportunity for folks You can catch the live stream of the conference here. Also, below find my 15 minute presentation on Social Media for Social Good.

Movements Begin Within: Mashable Social Good Conference

Also, Nedra Weinrich is starting up her Social Marketing University series of classes again this Fall. Any beginners or intermediates seeking to get a better grasp of this business should attend. I checked it out last year and was impressed by Nedra’s comprehensive approach to online and social marketing communications. She teaches online and in person. In person classes slated include:

Social Marketing University (Advanced Course):
Berkeley, CA
September 14-15, 2009

Social Marketing University (Foundations Course):
Washington, DC
January 11-13, 2010

Social Marketing University (Advanced Course):
Los Angeles, CA
Spring 2010

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Comments (3)
Aug 26 2009

Pro Communicators: Don’t Be a Punk; Try Being Provocative Instead

August 26, 2009 – 8:08 am

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Guest Post by Lindsay M. Allen

For many professional communicators — myself included — our industry is something we take very seriously, doing everything in our power to maintain professionalism both in and out of work (and the rapid blurring/erasing of that line is a subject for another blog post in itself), even sometimes relinquishing our right to an opinion for the sake of professionalism.

Such a level of reverence for one’s profession, clients and colleagues strikes me as being unique to professional communicators, perhaps because diplomacy is — actually, let’s make that should be — at the heart of our profession.

Instead, what we sometimes find in our professional community looks more like this:

To someone who’s passionate about something — whether it’s a cause, a profession, a belief or something else — people who also are a part of that “something” but seemingly disregard all courtesy, convention and common sense associated with it can seem like real “A-Holes,” not unlike the ones depicted in the “Saturday Night Live” clip above.

There’s another, slightly gentler term I’ll use for the purpose of this post: “Punks.”


(source: Dictionary.com)

While the term “useless” in the list of definitions might seem harsh, it actually is quite fitting when you think about it. If your communication only serves to rile people up, disrespect people with whom you should be collegial, discount the ideas of others, or give the outside world a poor impression of your profession — especially if you intentionally aim for such responses when crafting your thoughts and words — your communication is useless.

Link-baiting. Name-calling. Disagreement simply for the sake of being a contrarian. Non-constructive criticism of others’ methods or ideas, either directly or passive-aggressively. Self-promotion through competitor-bashing. I’ve seen it all, even in just the last week or two, and it’s all punk behavior.

PR agency owner Rachel Kay (Twitter: @RachelAKay) recently posted a tweet that quite nicely reflected what I’m getting at:

Being a punk adds nothing to the conversation. Period.

But how do you avoid being an irreverent and, perhaps, self-serving, punk, yet at the same time avoid being a stick in the mud whose approach is as exciting as watching paint dry?

Be provocative.


(source: Dictionary.com)

For the purpose of this writing, the highlighted definition — “stimulating” — is most fitting. And, if you try, it’s not that difficult to be truly provocative without being a punk. Some tips:

• Be a contrarian with a purpose rather than a rebel without a cause (or a clue!). Take it from Mack Collier (Twitter: @MackCollier):

• We all were born with a filter between our thoughts and our written or oral communication. Utilize it. Considerations: Will what you have to say catalyze dialogue? Is it based on something solid, like research or personal experience? Will it make people think because it’s thoughtfully presented and offers a fresh perspective, or will it make people angry because it’s straight-up mouthy and incendiary? It’s all in the delivery. Says Ari B. Adler (Twitter: @AriBAdler) (as tweeted by Barbara Rozgonyi):

• Offer bold, new ideas, products or services without bashing your competition, instead focusing on the strengths of — and continuing to strengthen — what you bring to the table. Danny Brown (Twitter: @DannyBrown), who in my opinion has mastered the art of being a provocative voice of reason, recently blogged about this very subject:

• If a disagreement heats up, take it “outside” — that is, don’t let it play out publicly/online. Allan Schoenberg (Twitter: @AllanSchoenberg) uses this approach (as tweeted by Ari B. Adler):

So: Are you adding value, or are you just picking fights? Next time you go to start a conversation or contribute to one in progress, ask yourself this … and let the answer guide your action.

Lindsay is a Michigan-based PR professional with more than a decade of experience in journalism and PR, largely focusing on higher education and the entertainment industry. Recently downsized, she is freelancing and engaging in professional development while seeking her next career move. Follow her on Twitter: @LindsayMAllen.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing, PR Industry Trends | Tagged , , | Comments (25)
Aug 24 2009

The Science Behind Social Change Might Be Better

August 24, 2009 – 8:18 am

Guest Post by Alexandra “SocialButterfly” Rampy

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That term–social marketing–is buzzing across the blogosphere, our inboxes and in conference rooms. However, did you know that it’s been around since the 1970s? …and fundamentally, it has nothing to do with Twitter, flickr, Ning, Myspace or Facebook. It’s much bigger than that.

This is because social marketing has everything to do with behavior–influencing it and changing it. Simply put, I like to say that social marketing is the science behind social change. It is not social media. Read that line again. People often confuse the term “social marketing” to mean two very different concepts: 1) social media marketing and 2) the real, science behind social change. While the two have much to learn from each other, they are not one in the same. (For a deeper clarification, check out Nedra Weinreich’s dichotemy.)

I realize my 140-character friendly definition of social marketing is a bit of a simplification, which is easy to say and harder to implement. In the past month, we’ve been writing and reading about movements, and many of us touch–either directly or indirectly–work that deals with social change. We love it, live it and on an increasing rate–crave it. Climate change. Poverty. HIV/AIDS. Human Rights. Animal Rights. But moving the needle is tough work. It’s persistent work. It’s not glamorous, and you, or your organization, can’t do it alone.

We can live social change, and we can do social change. But, until we study it and own it as a discipline, we won’t be as successful in our movements as we could be. As a follower of the Buzz Bin, I know a large focus of dialogue here is on social change, so I want to share some social marketing tools to add to the tool belt (that don’t require a log-in):

  • Social Marketing Listserv. Join over 3000+ great social marketeers from 38 countries who, on a daily basis, discuss the latest trends, research and updates regarding behavior change and social change.
  • Academic Textbooks. There are over 12 social marketing textbooks. My current favorite–Social Marketing in the 21st Century by Georgetown’s Alan Andreason. Ever heard of Philip Kotler? Marketing guru. Ya, he helped invent social marketing, along with Nancy Lee. Bill Novelli? Yup, him too. The best part–so can you, and it can start with the turn of a page.
  • Ongoing Research. Check out the the Social Marketing Quarterly.
  • Successful Case Studies. Here. Here. Here. and Here.
  • Social Marketing and Behavior Change Experts: Start following @chiefmaven, @stephendann, @sm1guru, @Nedra, @mikekujawski and others.
  • Captivating Conferences. In late 2008, the 1st World Social Marketing Conference was held in Brighton. There is also the Social Marketing in Public Health conference held every year in Florida. The 2010 conference will mark its 20th anniversary!
  • Social Marketing Association. This is in the midst of being formed and will launch at the 20th Anniversary at the above mentioned conference. Philip Kotler has already confirmed to do the kick-off. Feel free to join 300+ fellow change makers in this effort.

When it comes time to implement, perhaps we need to start by thinking–Are we asking the right questions? Or, as Jay Baer put it, or we addressing the WHY before HOW? To add some visual and emotional elements to the discussion, I like how this video turns the tables and asks different questions of us:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIZ56OrLQ5k

So, fellow changemakers-movement-igniters, next time we buzz through the blogosphere, open our email, or sit around in the conference room, perhaps we start not with what tool or tactic should be used. But instead, ask first:

  • What behavior are we wanting to change?
  • What problem can we help solve?
  • Where do we want to go?
  • What’s our long-term plan?
  • How can we involve the consumer in developing the product, service, message, initiative, movement?
  • What are the barriers to the behavior we want to influence? the benefits?
  • What is our consumers’ current environment? Can we change it and how?
  • How can we add joy into the mix? Will rewarding good behavior provide more results than making consequences for bad behavior?
  • Before we write a press release to promote something, think first about the other four marketing p’s: price, product and place. Is there a certain product or service we can add into the mix to address behavior change? Is there a certain place in the consumer’s decision-making process where we need to active?
  • What does success look like?
  • Sound off: What other questions should we, with our social marketing hats on, be asking?

    • Alexandra Rampy is a social marketing believer, blogger, practitioner, researcher and enthusiast. Connect with her on Twitter and on her blog.

     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (34)
    Aug 20 2009

    The (Social Media) Natives Are Getting Restless

    August 20, 2009 – 3:00 am

    Guest post by Richie Escovedo

    clip_image002“____________ is dead.”

    Go ahead and fill in that blank with the usual suspects; blogging, Twitter, PR, marketing, FriendFeed, the press release, the media, etc.

    Admit it, you’ve probably seen, read, or possibly wrote something that fits the above standard claim. It gets repeated, rebroadcast, refuted, and recycled. And that’s ok. That’s how this stuff is supposed to work. It is what happens as people keep entering the house of social web and longtime residents become bored with the decor and want to move on to more interesting things. (Photo credit: matildaben)

    The barriers to entry into social media are often easy to overcome with a little planning and commitment. Basically, you have to want to know because by this point, if you are not learning, experimenting, or using social media tools, you are choosing to ignore the significance and potential of the social web.

    Natives + Immigrants
    In his book Don’t Bother Me Mom – I’m Learning, Marc Prensky writes:
    “After dealing with Digital Natives for quite a while, I’ve become a kind of digital anthropologist, spending a great deal of time observing the rich digital world and life that the Natives are in the process of creating for themselves. It turns out that for almost every activity in their lives, the Digital Natives are inventing new, online ways of making each activity happen, based on new technologies available to them. Some of these new approaches Digital Immigrants can -and do – use as well. But some are so foreign to the Immigrants that they are almost, or totally, unintelligible.”

    Sound familiar? While Prensky is explaining to parents how children are actually getting valuable skills from playing video games, I am interested in how social media natives and immigrants are not adversaries. Instead, we should operate in mentoring relationships.

    To the Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, and Late Majority on the adoption bell curve, you are the Social Media Natives. You get it, you’ve shared it, many of you are tired of talking about it.

    To the Laggards of the adoption bell curve, you are the Social Media Immigrants. You’re getting it, you’re sharing it and yes, in time, some of you will probably grow tired of the tools.

    But we can (and should) still learn from each other.

    We have a responsibility to share
    In the seminal work for the PR field, Effective Public Relations, the authors write:
    “Because professions draw upon a specialized body of knowledge developed through research, practitioners are obligated to support the advancement of professional knowledge.”
    (Cutlip, Center, and Broom)

    As professional communicators, we should devote time to topics, writings, discussions and brainstorms that keep us sharp and informed. If that means rehashing some old(er) debates, so be it. We’ll all be better for it.

    —–

    clip_image004Richie Escovedo (@vedo) is a husband, father of two and communications/PR professional with experience in educational and non-profit settings. He writes over at the Next Communications blog and believes in education and the integral need for effective and open communication. Richie is also focused on helping blossom the social media interest and network within the Dallas/Fort Worth area.


     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By rescovedo | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (12)
    Aug 18 2009

    Movements Require Discipline (Plus Updated Open Source Social Media Process)

    August 18, 2009 – 11:33 am
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    The best measure of success for any communication effort on or offline must be the successful development of a movement. Movements encompass true word of mouth where the community embraces the call-to-action or brand and makes it their own.

    Yesterday, we discussed how the LIVESTRONG effort has achieved this noteworthy status. And of course, there’s the case study of the year: The 2008 Obama Campaign (so tired of this one). Yes, causes have an unfair advantage when it comes to movements because by their very nature they deal with subjects that touch people’s lives. Yet companies have been successful with this, too. Apple, Harley Davidson, Starbucks, etc.

    Movements do more than just publish content on social tools or engage people in conversations. They touch people’s hearts. An emotional connection exists, and people make the cause or product a part of their brick and mortar lives.

    To be successful means that as a CMO, a strategist or simply an online community advocate, our job must surpass the deployment of a social media effort that simply uses tools (for example, the DoD’s new site). Orchestration of a true communications strategy must occur for a movement to succeed!

    We must have the discipline to step back and create a true value proposition (or strategic offering, for people freaking out on semantics) that touches the hearts of our stakeholders. To do that we must find, listen and understand the people we want to communicate with. Then we have to inspire and compel them to act. And we have to vet our own cultural barriers preventing us from openly enabling our stakeholders to take these movements into their own hands. When we deploy, we must integrate cross-channel activity within social and beyond into traditional communications vehicles.

    Yes, sometimes it’s much easier to simply deploy a tactic (like FB, Twitter, Ning, iPhone app, etc., etc.). Movement building takes time, intentional effort, commitment and discipline. But that’s the difference between true excellence and just may be good enough.

    Use a Framework

    When Now Is Gone was in the active marketing phase, I blogged here and on the Now site. I created a social media strategy process that I open sourced for all to use. Below find an updated version of that process. Whether you use this or your own, a process gives you the framework to act in an intentional, disciplined way.

    This process is general enough to guide development of specific social media initiatives. It really incorporates many of the steps in a traditional communications strategic process. It does not recommend blogging or video, per say. Rather the process encourages social media to move towards the market’s needs, and within the company’s resources.

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    There are 15 steps in all (image: triumph arch stairs by maria flying):

    1) Clearly articulate who your stakeholders are before you begin.

    2) Clearly articulate the key issues these stakeholders care about as it relates to your offering. Use a bulleted list with no more than three or four words per item.

    3) Begin by researching which, if any, top bloggers are discussing these issues. Use your bulleted list to search. The following are good places to start…

    * Twitter Search
    * Del.icio.us
    * Google Blogsearch
    * Ask.com Blogsearch

    4) Inevitably, any substantial subject matter area has a back channel where top bloggers and influencers chat. For example, PR and marketing bloggers tend to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and to some extent, private communities on Ning and FriendFeed. This back channel can yield powerful connections to highly influential minds.

    Marketers looking to find their subject area’s back channel should start with a basic search. Once your initial search yields important blogs, events, shows, etc., please visit their web sites and note which social networks the influencers use to connect. Join their communities. And learn what your stakeholders really care about.

    5) Don’t just observe, participate. Comment on Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, blogs and other social networks in a non-promotional way. Become part of the community.

    6) Note several things in your research:

    1. Top industry issues
    2. Top bloggers/thought leaders that write about your issues (you will need these for marketing purposes after your content creation process is done)
    3. Preferred content forms (video, white papers, blogs, podcasts)
    4. Ideal places to connect with the larger industry (social networks, etc.)
    5. Other companies playing in the space: Who’s successful, who isn’t? Why?
    6. Behavioral norms.

    Write this information down in a formal analysis.

    7) Using the analysis of your social media marketplace, identify the outcomes the organization would like to achieve. These outcomes will determine the measurement benchmarks once the company decides on its preferred communication tools. Possibilities include:

    * Influence
    * Awareness/changed perception on a particular issue
    * Third party credibility through Word of mouth
    * Brand awareness
    * Return on investment (sales)

    8) Identify the company’s value for the marketplace. Specifically, the organization’s subject matter expertise as it relates to the top industry issues currently being discussed amongst bloggers and thought leaders.

    * Will internal cultural barriers prevent the company from participating in the conversation (control, IT, legal, etc.)?
    * Can the company provide enough information to add to the conversation?
    * If so, is it enough to consistently be a part of the conversation, or is it limited in nature? Will it only be valuable for a short time?
    * If so, is it enough to consistently be a part of the conversation, or is it limited in nature? Will it only be valuable for a short time?
    * Can the organization afford to give away this information or does the information comprise trade secrets?
    * Would it be easier for the company to host or help host a conversation rather than publish content or participate in conversations with influencers?

    9) Based on the company/organization’s value offering and the marketplace’s issues and needs, draft an editorial mission or value proposition statement to serve the community/stakeholders. For example, here was the Now Is Gone blog editorial mission:

    Continue serving as a primer for those business executives new to social media or considering engaging with these new communications tools. The conversation should be educational, pragmatic and weigh the pros and cons of social media to provide an authentic, genuine viewpoint of social media marketing. We believe in social media’s potential to better communications, but do not think it will replace traditional tactics. Instead we believe social media will be integrated into the larger marketing mix and may influence change in other disciplines.

    10) Now examine the company’s resources:

    * Time
    * Thought leaders
    * Technical capability and savoir faire: Blog, audio, video, social networking
    * Financial resources for some of the above, plus graphic design, SEO, web hosting, application development

    11) Select the outreach mechanism(s) that best fits the industry’s preferred content needs (#6), can achieve outcomes (#7) the ability to convey the company’s ability to deliver value through it’s editorial mission (#8 and 9), and that the company can afford to invest in (#10).

    There are Many, Many mechanisms. Each has its assets and detriments. And blogging is not a cure all silver bullet solution. Consider these more popular initiatives:

    * Execute an influencer relations program
    * Blog or Facebook page
    * Tweet
    * Podcast
    * Create video(s)
    * Develop social network community
    * Create social network application
    * Go mobile
    * Build your own social network
    * Build a widget

    12) How does the effort work with traditional communications tactic? Is the effort integrated intelligently? Will cross channel marketing and calls to action seem natural to stakeholders or contrived, or even worse, are they nonexistent?

    13) Determine who will be the voices, or the community manager(s). Group efforts can help distribute load as well as protect the company from an individual personal brand departure. Assign a schedule and make the person responsible. Participation in larger networks should be part of your community development plan and resource allocations.

    14) Map back to your larger strategy, and select general discussion/content categories to provide guidance on a weekly basis (if the effort is ongoing). Remain flexible to allow for larger industry and community events.

    15) Determine measurement based on outcomes, social media communication vehicle(s), and dedicated effort the company intends to commit to the effort. Select tools to attain measurement. Tools and measurement can vary greatly. Research what is right for you and your effort. Some are free, some are not.

     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (21)
    Aug 17 2009

    LIVESTRONG Brand Transcends Cancer

    August 17, 2009 – 9:07 am

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    When you start seeing photos like this one, you know a brand has superseded it’s organization to become something beyond just, “fight cancer.” There’s no question that the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s singleness of purpose is just that, and the organization does a fantastic job building awareness and raising money for cancer prevention and research. Below find an interview with LIVESTRONG’s Online Community Evangelist Brooke McMillan. But first, a little marketing analysis.

    4637_82907419915_6195089915_1691813_1878334_n No other brand in the cancer segment of the nonprofit space has this kind of movement behind it.  And there are some great organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand (full disclosure, my sister Joanne Marder is the office manager at Alex’s) and the venerable American Cancer Society.

    The difference lies in the brand’s promise to people, which transcends cancer and brings hope to cancer patients, survivors, their families and society in general. LIVESTRONG brings hope to all. For many, the LIVESTRONG brand means:

    Together, we can overcome anything.

    photo It’s hard not to feel passionate with this effort. For me, when a nuclear family member came down with cancer this summer it was a real easy decision to slide on the yellow bracelet.

    Who doesn’t want to fight great challenges in life and be a winner? With Lance Armstrong’s Foundation, you can. And that’s why the nonprofit has almost 600,000 Facebook fans, has people all over the world sliding on yellow wrist bracelets (though I am told such things are out of fashion for any other cause) and donating money, and yes, just like that venerable brand Harley Davidson (FREEDOM!), it has people tattooing the brand on their bodies.

    LIVESTRONG has transcended social media tools, it’s cause, and perhaps even its founder to become a true movement. And it also has become one of the strongest brands in America, nonprofit or not.

    Brooke McMillan Breaks Down LIVESTRONG’s Online Effort

    mcmillanTH Brooke McMillan is the online community evangelist for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Brooke started with the LAF in April of 2004 as the first LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare Coordinator helping thousands affected by cancer get educational information. Brooke reaches out proactively via online tools such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LIVESTRONG.com, the LIVESTRONG Blog, Flicker, YouTube and more to build the community and raise awareness of the organization’s efforts.

    Q: How is it working with Lance Armstrong?

    A: He’s great. Very dedicated to the cause and to making cancer a priority all over the world. Walks the talk more than anyone Ive ever met.

    Q: How has social media benefitted the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG)?

    A: I think it has sped up relationships with our supporters. Relationships with our supporters that would (in the past) have taken months or years to develop take much less time. Ive recruited folks all over the world to help in the fight against cancer, support LIVESTRONG and help their friends/family members deal with cancer…its humbling and awesome.

    Q: What’s your favorite social media tool?

    A: I like facebook- mostly because our fans are so great-600,000 people. Always something to talk about. Twitter has been good for us too. Spurred a lot of conversations that Ive been able to take, write about on our blog. Good stuff.

    Q: What new tools are you looking at?

    A: Using ustream for the first time at our global cancer summit this coming week. They are building out a special facebook ustream channel for us. Here’s the link to where the show will be http://www.ustream.tv/channel/livestrong-summit

    The tdf is always a crazy time for us. I was around when LA won the 7th tour in 2005 and honestly have been missing that pure energy that takes place around the office. As a team-it pumps us up. Reminds us why we are a truly unique organization and brings us together as a staff/as a movement. We have an international stage.

    Lance was able to get our message out to this huge audience. Nike gave us 15 videos to use as part of their “Its About You” campaign. The stories are all about people that have done amazing things after cancer or after a fight with another disease. 

    Content is king…especially when the content is as powerful as this stuff.—my favorite video in this series was either LIVESTRONG Films: Lance Mackey or LIVESTRONG Films: Sean. Watch them..you wont be sorry.

    Q: How do you see online media affecting societal change?

    A: Like I said above—social media speeds up the process of locating supporters, spreading our message, gathering feedback. Its still the same message as before, but the method of delivery has changed—we can also deliver that message really fast and to an enormous amount of people.

    It also lifts up that curtain that people hide behind—that fear of telling others about your cancer, your fears, sharing your story. This is especially important in countries where cancer is still highly stigmatized. We have been able to make positive strides in these countries by being online and accessible and engaging. That will be our crowning accomplishment I think.

    Q: What’s next for Brooke McMillan?

    A: This! I am exactly where I want to be. Can’t ask for anything more than that.

     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (41)
    Aug 13 2009

    @DCTwestival Beneficiary Miriam’s Kitchen Gets Social

    August 13, 2009 – 9:37 am

    Jenn@DCTwestival is  right around the corner (September 10, register  today), and the beneficiary is Miriam’s Kitchen. Miriam’s Kitchen was chosen for a variety of reasons. Miriam’s Kitchen provides healthy, homemade meals and comprehensive case management services to the homeless (image from Miriam Kitchen’s Flickr feed). It has a healthy Twitter and general social media presence, but could benefit from some additional social media training and support.

    As a member of the DC Twestival planning committee, it seemed appropriate to interview Miriam’s Kitchen Head of Social Media Jennifer Roccanti about the event, and social media. And yeah, I asked some hardball questions for my marketing friends.

    Q: How does it feel to be the DC Twestival beneficiary?

    A: As an organization, we are so grateful to the Twestival committee for selecting us to benefit from this awesome event. It gives us the chance to meet new people and connect in person with those we’ve meet through twitter. Most importantly though, it allows us to make connections and raise money to continue providing high quality services to our guests.

    twestivalQ: What do you hope to get from DC Twestival (besides funds)?

    A: Everything we do is for our guests, the homeless men and women of Washington, DC. Twestival gives us another opportunity for us to share their stories with our community and to make connections with people who truly care. We are excited to build those connections at Twestival and bring even more people into the Miriam’s Kitchen community.

    Q: Your social media effort has been lauded by traditional media, but how have the online masses received you?

    A: The friends we’ve made through twitter are some of the most generous people I’ve ever met. @barleyandbirch, @kristymyers, @richdevans, @soapbuddy…those are just a few of the dozens of people on twitter who have made a difference in our guests ‘ lives. I can’t say enough about the community that has welcomed us on twitter. They are truly amazing.

    Q: I noticed you shoot a lot of links out on Twitter, but you don’t seem to engage in conversation. Is there a reason for that?

    A: We definitely do talk to our twitter community, we just do it through DM and email and in person. The reason we don’t do many @ replies is because it feeds onto the homepage of our website and while we have tried to filter out the @ replies from the feed, we haven’t had any luck yet. (if you know of anyone who can help us, let me know!).

    So…because people who aren’t familiar with twitter are seeing that feed on our website we felt it would be best to keep those conversations private. Also, since this is an organizational twitter page, we wanted to keep it as clean as possible and not have a jumble of @replies on our page that might not be interesting to anyone else.

    However, if someone on twitter deserves kudos for something they’ve done for our guests, we don’t hesitate to give them a shout out (hi @barleyandbirch!). Long story short, we do have conversations with our twitter community, we just choose to keep them mostly private.

    Q: So if social media is conversational, what do you think of the conversations you see online?

    A: We are fortunate to have been invited into those conversations, both positive and not so positive. For those not so positive conversations, we’ve been given the chance to tell our side of the story. To defend our way of doing things (which is always in the best interests of our guests). Conversely, those positive conversations give us an opportunity to give people a glimpse into the lives and struggles of our guests. It has become a powerful vehicle for telling their stories and we are so grateful for that.

    Q: What’s your favorite social media tool?

    A: Twitter. Hands down.

    Q: What’s next for Miriam’s Kitchen online?

    A: Continuing to build relationships online and bringing even more of those supporters into the Miriam’s Kitchen community off line. Integrating more video into the stories we tell. We are also working with some of our guests to help them get more acclimated with social media. So many of them are already online and a few are on Twitter, Facebook, etc… Social media gives them a way to tell their stories and to record their lives.

    They are so often ignored in public but social media allows them to even the playing field and be treated the way they should always be treated…with dignity and respect. I’d like to see what we can do with our guests and social media. I think they could really benefit. So stay tuned…

     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , | Comments (24)
    Aug 11 2009

    Whatever Happened to Folk Media?

    August 11, 2009 – 12:39 am

    Folk–adjective (dictionary.com)

    6. of or originating among the common people: folk beliefs; a folk hero.

    7. having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society: folk culture; folk art.

    These days anything online can have the word social affixed to it. The marketing trend to dub everything “social” demeans the word, turning it into a ploy rather than a bonding between people.

    Professionalism and the marketing machine behind and invested in “social” media, the only growing segment of the marketing business, has robbed us of what the true communications breakthrough is… That common people can now create and participate in media without professional barriers or training.  That’s what is truly meant by social, conversational, or perhaps, yes, even that antiquated word from the 60s, folk media.

    Instead, we now have spin and pitches. Is the dream over?  Will there be a backlash from all of the contrived socialization? Or is this just the course of the social web?

    While we are already seeing regular comments to “put the social back in social media,” it’s likely that the onslaught will never be turned back. Social will never mean social again, just like the word “friend” has forever been altered by our new media. There are way too many dollars behind this engine…

    Instead, most companies will broadcast, err, market in their very anti-social “social” way. And the results will be less than stellar for most.

    At the same time, folk media lives on.  You should see some of the phenomenal groups that provide support for budding amateur photographers on Flickr.  All across the web, on large and small social networks, in blogs and wikis, on video and photo sites, the folk media revolution continues.

    Organizations will keep trying to be a part of the movement, but the deaf ears they are growing accustomed to will only get more obstinate. See, it’s not about dollars, it’s about people. This will never change: People expressing themselves, and building relationships with other like minded people.  When organizations figure that out is when their fortunes will truly change online.

    And we can pretty much kiss the word social goodbye. It’s only a question of time before social goes the way of “e” and 2.0.

     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (10)
    Aug 10 2009

    Untapped Opportunity to Engage High Dollar Nonprofit Donors via Social

    August 10, 2009 – 9:00 am

    Jen McClure originally ran this story on the New Communications Review site.

    SONY DSC

    The social web offers a welcome place for individual philanthropic activity (original homeless image by jlmccoy). New research funded by the Columbus Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation demonstrates that High dollar donors — especially 30-49 year-olds — use the social web, but have yet to be engaged by strong, trustworthy philanthropic organizations. This was among the key findings of the new research study, “Community Philanthropy 2.0,” conducted by Beth Kanter, myself (I am a Society for New Communications Research Fellow), and Qui Diaz.

    The full executive summary of the study is available for download.  This version has much more content and statistics than the version we ran on Mashable last Spring! The following is a brief summary…

    The Community Philanthropy 2.0 research study examined the use of social media by non-profits and causes, as well as existing donors and Internet “savvy” users’ traditional and social media usage patterns. The research was designed to determine if and how social media can be used to engage and cultivate high dollar donors. Objectives of the research included:

    • To determine if high dollar donors use social media
    • To see if those currently using social media could become potential high dollar donors
    • To examine if cultivation of high dollar donations is possible online
    • To determine what kinds of social media would serve this user base

    Key Findings

    The online world of charitable activity is highly social, but also fragmented. No dominant voice for charitable giving exists online, indicating the social web is still in an early phase of philanthropic activity.

    Online conversations rarely evolve into meaningful discussions about how nonprofits are achieving their missions and impacting society. Donors don’t advise other donors, and generally, philanthropic experts from foundations do not participate in these discussions. There is a need for a trusted source, and a lack of authoritative philanthropic conversations.

    The 30-49 age group represents the best fit to cultivate major donors using social media strategies.  More than 50 percent of 30 – 49-year-old survey respondents are interested in the following topics:

    • “Whether or not a nonprofit is successfully making an impact” (75%)
    • “Learning about organizations that are actively working on issues and causes I care about” (62%)
    • “Success stories and updates on the progress of nonprofits I support” (54%)
    • ”Information/updates on the issues and causes I care about” (54%)
    • “Financial accountability and governance of nonprofits I support” (51%)

    Eighty percent of the Internet-savvy respondents aged 30-49 reported that they would participate in social media with nonprofits if the information was highly credible and of strong quality, and 77 percent said they would participate if it came from a trusted source. Online community-oriented social media is a preferred tool over most other forms of online conversation.

    "The social web represents a tremendous opportunity for community foundations to shape local giving. High dollar donors use the social web, but have yet to be engaged by strong, trustworthy philanthropic organizations. Foundations and nonprofits in general simply need to determine the best means of participation," concludes the report.

    In addition, I have published a paper based on the findings in the upcoming issue of the Society for New Communications Research’s Journal of New Communications Research and will present the findings at the Society for New Communications Research’s Annual Research Symposium, which will take place November 5-6 at the Harvard Faculty Club in Cambr.  I hope you’ll join me for that!

     
    AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Geoff Livingston | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (39)