Social Media: I'm giving you one (or several!) good reasons

agardina — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:36:20 +0000

Growing up, my dad and I would always read Prince Valiant in the Sunday Comics. I never got that into it, but I vividly remember one comic, where Prince Valiant has to ask a difficult, almost unanswerable, question. He asks, simply, "Why?" The villian, unable to answer, gave up. The answer?

Because.

Why should you give social media a shot? Because! Okay, there are more detailed answers than that, but, when it comes down to it, social media is a great thing to try - it requires minimal financial investment and there are tons of resources online (like this site!) to help you along the way! More specifically:

Why blog?
Blogging is a great way to tell a story. It's easy to incorporate photos, videos and links, so you can connect it to other sites. Many organizations integrate their blog with their website. You can add several authors to a blog, so each person in the organization has a chance to contribute.

Why Twitter?
Reason #1 is because you can't afford not to. In the past year, Twitter's unique visitor count has grown 1,192.13%. Granted, user accounts are being opened and abandoned at high rate as well, but it's still growing - and is now the #3 social media network. Plus, Twitter's benefits, from conversations to a wide range of user search and metrics functions, make it a great place to start a social media campaign.

Why Facebook?
If you're going to start anywhere and you want something quick and easy, try Facebook's Pages. Facebook's system allows you to add information easily and select applications that are right for your page. The pages system was recently reworked, making it very similar to Twitter.

Why Flickr/YouTube/Vimeo/Blip.TV/etc.?
Odds are, your organization has a camera (whether it's 5 years old or older remains to be seen) or maybe even a camcorder. Start taking it with you to events and uploading what you capture. Your videos may be dark, your images blurry, but having a multimedia presence is more important than your photography skills. Plus, if your photos and videos are a hit, all the more reason to put in a reqeust for some new equipment!

Why social bookmarking?
Social bookmarking is just like regular bookmarking. If you're already using the tools your Internet browser provides, it's just one small step from there to sharing what you're saving. Start an account on Delicious or StumbleUpon and install the right Firefox add-on. (You are using Firefox, right?) Now you're bookmarking and sharing.

So go give it a try! Really! Got questions? Leave a comment or contact me!

Technology Terms Translated: Social Media in Plain English

agardina — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:17:50 +0000

I'll never forget the day I told my boss that we should probably be on Twitter. Actually, I may have said, "We should be Twittering!" - this always results in a raised eyebrow and a question as to whether the word "Twittering" is work-appropriate. If you've ever had a conversation like this, you know that social media technologies aren't easy to define. Thus, I present to you a Social Media to English dictionary, so the next time someone tells you that your organization should "do a blog", you can send them here!

Blogging
A blog is anything from an online journal to a series of articles ordered in a chronological fashion. Blog entries or posts are invidiual articles that often include photos, video and links. Popular blog platforms include Blogger and Wordpress.These are free tools, but can be improved for a very low cost. Blog readers will often subscribe to your blog and read it on another website, such as Google Reader.

RSS Feeds
On a related note, a quick definition of RSS Feeds. They're lifesavers. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is a way for your readers to add your blog or podcasts to a website that automatically updates when you post.

Twitter
Twitter is completely its own entity. Some describe it as "micro-blogging" (as in, blogging in 140 characters or less), but it's much more collaborative than that. It's a cross between a blog, an away message and a conversation with a random person on the street. You can request a good Twitter how-to guide (free!) here. I'll go into more depth about Twitter in the future, but, in the meantime, try it out! Make a bio with a personal twist and use Twitter search to find people who are talking about your organization or your topic (i.e. Washington D.C. food banks).

Other basic Twitter terms:

Tweet: a message published on Twitter
DM: Direct message, or message that's sent to the user and not visible on Twitter
"@" or "at": A reply that's visible to others on Twitter but specially notifies the user whose name comes after @ (for example: @agardina would be a message that I would see!)
RT: Retweet. Sharing a link or a message that someone has already "tweeted" (see definition 1!)

Facebook
It's way more than college kids. Facebook's average users now include high schoolers, Baby Boomers, and everyone in between. It's a social network where people connect by "friending", or requesting a friendship with someone. Facebook also offers applications, pages and groups - all of which can be used for your organization! Pages share information, photos and events about your organization and allow Facebook members to become Fans and receive updates.

Podcasts
A podcast is an audio or video file that's distributed via the Internet. Similar to blogs, podcasts are shared and people can subscribe online or using a program like iTunes. While the term "podcast" makes it sound like this media is only meant for iPods, don't let that fool you! You can listen to podcasts on your computer, on any MP3 player and on many mobile phones! Podcasts are great for sharing interviews, providing audio tours, or putting together quick video pieces.

Social Bookmarking
I'm sure you've bookmarked something in the past - social bookmarking just shares those links you save with the public. Tools like Delicious, StumbleUpon and Digg help you share your content with a larger audience.

I know I've left something out - leave a comment with what I've missed or fill out the contact form and I'll get back to you with more info!

alyssagardina.com - social bookmarking

Social Media: I'm giving you one (or several!) good reasons

Technology Terms Translated: Social Media in Plain English