Expanding your Organization's Reach with Social Media and Web 2.0 ...

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Expanding your Organization's Reach with Social Media and Web 2.0 ...

Sujets

• Arts

Informations

• Publié par: alurenum
• Nombre de lectures: 46
• Langue: English

Extrait

Building an online community should be the goal for a social media platform.

To begin, try listening.

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W

hen the Adventure Cycling Association began planning its social media platform, its ultimate

goal was to build an online community. The organization was concerned with selecting the right

tools, assessing its potential audience and understanding how active the tools are across dif

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ferent channels. Listening to communities was a big part of its success. “There are a lot of tools

and paid services that allow you to ‘listen,’” Winona said. “We use Google Reader, which is a

really good way to look at everything without filling up your inbox. I’ve listened to what people

are talking about, so when I’m planning content through our blog or Twitter, I’m getting that

from what people are talking about.”

M

ake sure all of your social media efforts are integrated into your current

marketing mix, like e-mail and print campaigns.

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S

ocial media is the new public square, according to Winona, who equated it to a place where

people hang out, walk around, and have conversations.

• The content and conversation is key, rather than focusing on the ask. “In thinking about con

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tent, it’s good to get the word out, but it’s also a good way to publicly recognize what’s happen

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ing in your community and your partnerships,” Winona said.

• “Make sure all your efforts are integrated into e-mail campaigns and print campaign,” Winona

advised. “We did not create a divide between our newsletter and print campaigns – we’ve inte

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grated our social media into this, and I think that’s a big key to success.”

Choosing your tools and then building engaging content is key in building your

online community.

• The Adventure Cycling Association has tested several tools and methods across its social me

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dia platform. One goal: Recruitment of new members. “This has been a place for us to give

away free memberships to let people try out the membership,” Winona said.

In this iPhone age, the Internet has come to dominate how we get information and how we communicate it to

others. Social media, like Facebook and Twitter, have become powerful and popular means to keep our mem

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bers updated and mobilize our supporters to take action. But how do you build and cultivate an online com

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munity and how do you leverage those contacts to advance your campaigns, engage more members and even

boost your fundraising efforts? To gain insight on these points, the Alliance hosted a 2011 Mutual Aid Call on

“Expanding Your Organization’s Reach with Social Media and Web 2.0 Technology.” Panelists included: Winona

Bateman, Media Director of the Adventure Cycling Association; Andrew Casteel, formerly of the Bay Area Bi

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cycle Coalition; and Casey Golden, CEO of Small Act.

Tips from Winona:

Expanding your Organization’s Reach with

Social Media and Web 2.0 Technology

Alliance Mutual Aid Call Series

April 13, 2011