Presentations and other posts relating to Social Web Sampler

Using the social web for social change can be — dare we say it — like a box of chocolates. There are lots of choices, and they’re all tasty, but you probably shouldn’t eat them all.

How do you figure out what online services, tactics and approaches make sense for your nonprofit, social good project or activism?

Join us at Philly NetSquared’s Social Web Sampler to share tastes of the different options out there. We plan to have 15 small group discussions — five simultaneous discussions x three 20-minute time slots. (Sessions 1-5 for 20 minutes; then sessions 6-10 for 20 minutes; then sessions 11-15 for 20 minutes.)

What are the topics?  Well, here’s what has been offered so far (in no particular order):

• Desktop tools to help manage the social web flood, led by Warren Allen.  There are many social media platforms out there on the Web: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and more on the horizon. Also, some organizations have many people who use those sites on behalf of the organization. What a mess!!! In this discussion we will get hands-on with a couple of great tools that can help you manage the situation and improve your organization’s social Web presence.
• Email Marketing & Social Media, led by Crystal Gouldey.  How social media ties in with email marketing to build a larger audience for nonprofits.
• Improving your Organization’s Website for Better User Experience, led by Michael Tedeschi. One of the biggest issues with growing web technology is keeping your organization’s website up-to-date and streamlined for better user experiences. Join this discussion to learn about some best practices about user interface design, information architecture, and web design to present your information clearly and easily to your target audiences.
• Mobile Site or App for your Org?, led by Nate Gasser.  Mobile internet use is growing rapidly and estimates say it could overtake desktop use as early as 2014.  Your organization can communicate with mobile users through social media like Facebook, or existing apps like Foursquare, but does it make sense for your organization to launch its own mobile website?  How about a native iPhone or Android app?  Let’s discuss the options and share ideas and experiences with sites and apps.
• Legal issues with business adoption of social media applications, led by Frank Taney.  Non-profit institutions and other businesses stand to gain substantial benefits from harnessing the power of social media applications.  However, there are legal and operational risks inherent in indiscriminate use of these applications.  I would discuss those risks as well as potential methods to avoid or at least mitigate those risks.
• Tools for audio podcasting, led by “Podcast Steve” Lubetkin.  A few cool tools you can use for audio podcasting and how they work.
• Making Social Media Part of Your Regular WorkDay, led by Gloria Bell.  The sheer volume of information streaming in from social media can be overwhelming.  Add finding time to digest it and be an active participant in the conversations and it feels easier to just not do it or, worst yet, to do it with half an effort.  We will discuss tips, tricks and tools you can use to incorporate the stream of information into your regular work day without feeling overwhelmed.
• Timebanking, led by Jim Wurster.  A TimeBank seeks to reweave a local community through an extended, volunteer-based ‘circle of giving.’  By sharing the skills, experience and needs of our community, we empower both ourselves and the communities in which we live.  I’ve helped develop our TimeBank in Media, PA and can share lessons learned and help think about how it might work in your community.
• Web and media strategies to maximize your reach, led by Rob Kall.  I’ll briefly present an overview of building a “platform” for you or your org, then how to tap the power of the web and media to maximize your reach and effective use of the resources available, using case examples.  The overview will include blogging, facebook, google alerts, twitter, youtube, cross-posting to alternative media, email, listserves, print, and more.  My background— I founded and built opednews.com, ranked by technorati as one of the top 100 blogs in the world, overall. I consult on the use of the web and media for non-profits, corporations and authors.
• Multi-channel Social Media Marketing, led by Ralph Medley.  Using many different marketing channels  as part of the marketing strategy to get the word out, to ensure that the “Word Of Mouth” is happening and that vital buzz is generated as people share the latest news with their groups and networks.
• Utilizing Mobile for Better User Experiences, led by Michael Tedeschi.  As the market share of smartphone users continues to grow (over 40% of American cell phone users have them), not taking advantage of mobile applications and mobile-friendly websites can lead to lost viewers. By branching out to this market and making use of current best practices for mobile web, non-profits organizations can expand their presence to their wider audience. This discussion will talk about user experience and interface design for mobile web, the current technology, and how to best use it.
• Tools for video podcasting, led by “Podcast Steve” Lubetkin. A few cool tools you can use for video podcasting.
• Engineering viral video, led by Ryan Draving.  Can you engineer viral video success for your organization?  Ryan Draving of Philly Marketing Labs has helped a client achieve over 1,000,000 channel views pro-bono with a $0 budget and 700 total video uploads.  He will share fun examples of bigger recent viral successes from organizations with tiny video budgets, and lead a small group discussion.
• Using WordPress to Build a Web Site, led by Jim Wurster.  Depending on who participates, this could be a general, quick discussion on getting a WP site up and running quickly; and/or a quick review of how to update a WP site; and/or a discussion of some plugins that can be used for social networking.

NOTE: Because of the small-group format, we will NOT be streaming or recording this event.

Thanks to the American Friends Service Committee for sponsorship.

It’s our anniversary!  Philly NetSquared started holding monthly Net Tuesday gatherings of people “interested in using the social web for social change” back in May, 2008.  And, for our second anniversary, we’re going to hold a “Social Web Sampler”.

The Sampler will be an opportunity to address how various social web tools can help YOUR nonprofit or social action cause.  Blogs.  Wikis.  Mapping.  Facebook.  Podcasts.  Photo sharing.  RSS.  Videoblogging.  Mobile applications.  Twitter.  Tagging.  LinkedIn.  Digg.  Meetup.  And so much MORE!

•  How are nonprofits and activists using these tools?
•   How can they be used most effectively for YOUR nonprofit or social cause?
•   What are the latest developments and trends?

The evening will be divided into two major sections: Small Groups and Large Group.

First, we’ll have time-limited, small group discussions around a specific social web tool or topic and how it applies to social change or the nonprofit world.  Which particular social web tools will be discussed, and who will facilitate those discussions?  That’s up to you.  You’re all invited to lead a discussion.  Maybe you’re an expert in using one (or more) of these tools.  But you don’t have to be an expert.  Perhaps you are just interested in a tool or topic and want to enjoy a discussion focused on it.  YOUR interests and passion will shape the agenda.

We plan to have three 15-20 minute discussion periods, each with 4-5 simultaneous groups, resulting in a total of 12-15 small group discussions focused on a particular social web tool or topic.  Each small group discussion will have a computer available for real-time demonstrations (and wireless is available).  Small group topics people have already volunteered to lead include:

• Twitter (Sara Cederberg & Warren Allen)
• Podcasting (Steve Lubetkin)
• Facebook (Judah Ferst)
• Blogging (Ivan Boothe)
• Video web conferencing (Tim Siftar)
• Facebook (Sara Cederberg)
• Monitoring social media impact (Cliff Stevens)
• WordPress (Jim Wurster)
• Flickr (Ralph Medley & Tony Heriza)
• Content management systems (Nate Gasser)

If you’re interested in leading a group discussion, please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/SocialWebSampler.  Please sign up before midnight on Sunday, May 2 to be sure to secure a slot.

Then, after our thinking has been stimulated by these small groups, we’ll regather into a large group, and you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the collective wisdom of the entire crowd by asking about applying these tools and strategies to your own situation.

This will be a highly interactive gathering with lots of shared knowledge and excitement.  Lite fare will be provided if you’re hungry.  Hope to see you there.  RSVP’s via Meetup or Facebook (links above) are appreciated.

We gratefully acknowledge the American Friends Service Committee, who sponsored our kick-off event two years ago, and has graciously offered to sponsor this anniversary event also.