Coalitions are by their very nature in the business of strategic social interaction. The central mission of any coalition is to develop a collective understanding across the community of the social issue at hand as well as to envision new ways of living that will yield better outcomes. Though a coalition works collaboratively to create a set of policies, enforcement efforts, and educational programs across all corners of a community, effective coalitions understand that it is through the many social interactions across the community that those strategic initiatives gain their full adoption as social practices, and ultimately, as “culture.” 

The goal is to change the focus of the conversation; to offer new perceptions, new social cues, and new values to healthier, safer social practices.  The more we interact in ways that focus us toward adopting a new and improved set of practices, the more those practices become a normal part of our lives. 

Thinking about coalition work from this perspective has proven important for many communities who have come to understand social change not as a set of programs that get implemented successfully or unsuccessfully but as a collective process to change a culture that has become focused on the excessive use of substances to sustain many of its social practices. 

Successful coalitions have employed social interaction at all levels–from coffee shop and water cooler conversations to city council and school board discussions –to integrate new ways of thinking about substance use and related behaviors, and to establish new social practices– safer, healthier, and satisfying ways in which a community lives, learns, works, and plays. Doing so also changes the collective community identity, and a campus or a town begins identifying itself with low-risk social practices. 

Accomplishing such change is no quick task, but the result of years and years of focused and strategic interactions, and often in competition with the interactions that encourage increased consumption by those who profit personally, socially, or financially from that social practice. 

     Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about.
                                                               -- Cory Doctorrow

Talk is anything but cheap. Focused, informed, deliberate conversations have shaped our world in many ways, for good or for bad. The goal of any collective effort to bring improvement to any community begins and remains founded on the quality of the conversation. In short, it is impossible to create an effective community coalition without social interaction.

Next > Social Media as Social Interaction

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Social Media as Social Interaction

It is no surprise, then, to see the rapid use of social media as a popular tool for social interaction for many segments of society and for a number of coalitions trying to bring about change.  Social media is the overarching term used to describe a wide range of communication technologies that enable a “virtual” form of social interaction through digital programming. Virtual social interaction occurs in digital space, which only broadens and expands the interactions in ways that non-digital interaction cannot (we’ll get into the challenges of that expansion in a few pages).

Social media is far more than digital computer technology, however. Much of our existing digital technology use is non-interactive; we use digital technology to store and easily retrieve vast amounts of information in various forms without the need to directly interact with one another. We even have the ability through this technology to “share” this information; the document I may be reading on my computer desktop may actually “live” on a computer thousands of miles from my own. Sharing digital files does not, however, mean that we are engaging in social interaction.

Social media, on the other hand, is inherently relational. The data is secondary to our interaction surrounding it; a favorite article, an opinion about the latest episode of a television show, or the pictures from our last get-together are only valuable in the ability to share them with others and receive feedback, regardless of where we both are at the moment.

However, the interaction that occurs in social media is not the same as “live” social interaction (and most would argue it was not ever intended to serve this purpose). Instead, social media enables a virtual form of interaction.

That word – virtual – is worth a moment of thought in order to understand the potential impact of social media. The term is a modern creation of our culture, and is used to describe things that are not real, but which take on the important qualities of the real. In Disney parks, for example, you can go on a ride that makes you feel as if you are flying, or sailing on a boat at night in a far away land or time. The experience is similar to the real thing by incorporating key elements of the real experience into the simulation – the rush of air, the feeling of the night sky, or the sounds and images one would expect to see. In fact, the creators of this virtual entertainment argue that the virtual experience may actually be better than the real, because many of the dangers connected to the real experience are removed. The car won’t crash, the boat won’t sink, and no one falls to the ground as they fly off into the stars.  

Virtual interaction differs slightly from this idea of “simulation,” but is not far from it. Older versions of social media that relied mostly on the exchange of text are being replaced with newer technologies that replicate many of the same aspects of face-to-face interaction, and often in real time and employing similar non-verbal and verbal cues that help us make sense of one another. Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions (through video or images that communicate emotion called “emoticons”) and audio enhancements increase the exchange of meaning between and across those interacting.

Virtual interactions go beyond face-to-face communication in many ways, however, through the digital technology that enables “hyperlinking” or the ability to link a variety of files or images or sounds to the interaction, which creates fuller, broader messages than are usually found in “live” conversation. Hyperlinks to images, videos, audio clips, files, or web pages provide immediate illustrations, examples, or elaborations to the conversation. No longer do we have to simply mention or comment on an event; I can now link directly to the video clip, or the Web page, or photo collection on Flickr.

True to its interactive nature, social media creates and sustains “virtual communities,” that are much like our physical communities with an important difference: they are not bound by physical time or space. Though many of us participate in professional communities that must hold conferences or meetings to allow members to interact, virtual communities allow members to interact at anytime and from anywhere. Because of this, social media applications have been used to create communities that could never exist before the technology emerged: support groups for those around the globe who share the same chronic health condition, collectives for every interest or hobby imaginable, and communities for many occupations and professions. Even Tom’s physical community – Atascocita, Texas – has a virtual community equivalent, where he can meet his neighbors, participate in a church, hold a garage sale, find a babysitter, complain about the uncut grass in the nearby park, or even report a crime without ever seeing any of these neighbors face-to-face.

Next > Strange New Digital World 

 Table of Contents >

How much has social media impacted our daily lives?  Watch this short video created by a Kansas State University Professor.

Social Interaction Resources

Online Interactions have Positive Effects for Real Life Communities

Online Interactions & Social Capital (Best & Krueger)

For many of us who were born and raised before the creation and adoption of interactive media and “virtual” interaction, this is a strange new world, and one that garners a good deal of distrust. We’ve been trained to communicate in face-to-face interactions as our primary source of meaning-making and relationship-building; we need to see someone’s face or hear the tone of their voice to fully engage their message. We like the concreteness of printed paper. We’ve learned to judge a person on their handshake, not the quotation at the bottom of their e-mail signature. More importantly, we’ve been able to control our involvement in community based on our physical location, and to become involved in a community only through our physical presence. We knew that those gathered in the room for whatever reason had to take time and energy to get there, making their contributions a bit more legitimate. A Google group on parenting doesn’t feel the same as being a part of the PTA with flesh-and-blood people sitting in the same room, drinking from the same coffee pot.

There’s a good reason for this discomfort, say researchers, and a good reason why those of us (mostly over 40) feel like we live on a different planet than those from younger generations. Writer and educator Marc Prensky calls us “Digital Immigrants” who are not accustomed to this form of social interaction, where those born into the digital era are “Digital Natives.” 

Digital Natives think differently from Digital Immigrants; they process and value information differently. Digital Natives view identity as a fluid presentation that changes like the weather (because in the digital sphere, it can), and see knowledge as thing that is in constant flux and revision rather than something that is static and sitting on library shelves. The world is the library, and it disagrees about most things more than it agrees about them, making all reality a current understanding of the current moment that is simply waiting for the next idea to change it all. Digital Natives are fluid thinkers, less interested in conclusions than they are in current understandings. 

Our goal in this primer is to help you make sense of this new world, identify its many positive contributions to coalition-based prevention work, and guide you on the journey toward successful adoption of social media as one of many tools to increase meaningful social interaction. The first thing you should know, however, is:

  ... that none of us believe that social media technologies can or should ever replace face-to-face social interaction. 

Rather, our belief is that social media technology can enhance our coalition’s face-to-face social interaction in ways few other tools can, and can expand our work in community change by reinforcing much of what we are doing in physical reality on campus and in the community. 

Moving into the digital realm of virtual interaction requires thinking differently about many of the ways in which we are accustomed to interacting. It is helpful to identify these differences.

Next > Analogue versus digital interaction

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Other thoughts from other folks

CNET article 

PBS Video Story

Connectivism
(learning theory)

MSNBS news story 

Audio Podcast

We've all become accustomed to the written word, in fact, it is our default, right?  How many times have you been in a meeting to plan a community event and someone says, "we need a brochure for that"? What if instead of a brochure (or along with it) you produced a brief audio or video podcast?  It is easier than you might think.
 

What's a podcast?

A podcast is a digital media file (audio or video) posted to the Internet for playback online or downloaded and played back on a portable device like an MP3 player, smart phone or iPod.  It can be strictly audio or can be a video (enhanced) podcast.

Why podcast?

Audio and video provide alternatives (or additions to) print media. Some significant changes in recent years have made these not only possible but far more popular including:

• abundant, inexpensive bandwidth and storage
• pre-loaded software i.e., included with computer purchase
• saturation of all sorts of portable audio listening devices 
   

Audio (or video) podcasting is a good way to do four very important actions when it comes to community change:

1. inform
2. increase awareness 
3. educate
4. recruit
    

Coalitions use these tools to establish and nurture relationships and to engage community members on the issues, ideas or topics most important locally.  With portable devices podcasts are an excellent way to spend a commute or pass the time when taking that all important daily wellness walk. 

What topic makes for a good podcast?

Topics and formats for podcasts are only limited by your imagination.   Be creative and provide the kind of information your community members or stakeholders most want or need to know about. For example, an onsite heads up about the CADCA Mid Year Institute Social Media track or like the Oregon Prevention Conference's elegantly simple video invitation.  When in doubt, consider riffing on someone else work or one of the radio/television shows like a talk show, news show, infomercial, or rountable. Some examples:

• interview key leaders or coalition members
• string together youth comments on a local issue
• host a panel discussion on an important local topic
• edit a recording from a workshop or presentation
• do person-on-the-street interviews
• contact a researcher, scientist or policymaker for a phone interview
• host a coalition leader talking about current events or coalition involvement
   

Before you turn on the microphone or video camera, define your story or content.  Consider the purpose, format, type of podcast, any special guests or content expertise ideal for your topic.  Then at the very least do a light script including any questions or lines of inquiry you intend to explore and prepare your call to action.
 

What equipment do you need to do an audio podcast?

There are many ways and approaches to producing a podcast.  What you need is in part dependent on the kind of podcast you want to produce but generally speaking you'll need some basics.  Pretty much every computer sold in the past five years comes equipped with a sound card, speakers and a microphone jack. What you'll need is:

• a stand alone noise cancelling microphone OR a computer headset with a microphone (available from most office supply or electronics stores)

• the free to download cross-platform software Audacity,
  

With these tools you'll have a small, inexpensive audio studio right on your desktop computer.
 

Capturing audio for your podcast 

There are several ways to record the audio for your podcast. Each will produce an audio file that you can import into Audacity to edit, add music or additional voice tracks and then export as an MP3 file. Depending on what you will be recording and where, there are several options.

1. Desktop/laptop computer with a microphone
2. An ipod with an audio capture device e.g., Griffin's iTalk pro or other recording device (the Griffin iTalk is no longer in production and may be a bit difficult to find)
3. A conference call line from which you can record and download

Face-to-face recording
To record an interview while sitting at your desk or laptop, simply plug in your microphone, open audacity and record. Be sure to posiiton yourself and your guest side-by-side in order to both speak into the microphone without having to scoot it around (the scooting sound will show up in the recording). Audcacity will capture the audio for editing and posting. By preparing well you may be able to capture the audio with little or no need for editing. Tip: practice recording with a friend, family member or colleague and listen back to see where you may need to make adjustments before recording the real deal.

For on-the-fly recording
When out in the community whether on the street or at a community event, having a recording device with you is extremely helpful.  One easy way is to use a iPod with a small clip on microphone (Griffin iTalk or Belkin TuneTalk) depending on your type of device. There are a number of other portable digital recorders available ranging in price from about $50 up. Check with your local electronics store for options.

Recorded Phone Calls
Sometimes sitting down together isn't possible so you may find yourself needing to do a recorded interview via the phone.  So, how do you record the conversation?

FreeConferenceCall.com offers a conference call line with a recording feature at no cost to you other than the long distance charges you'd normally pay for a call.  You'll be issued a number, participant and moderator passcodes and a pin number.  To record you and your guest(s) will call in to the conference call number, you'll press *9 to start the recording, the recording stops when you hang up. To retrieve the recorded file you'll log onto the website and download the audio file, save it and then open it in Audacity to edit. When you've finished adding or editing, use the drop down menus to save and export your file to MP3 format.

Now that you have your podcast produce, you'll need to post it online so that it can be heard by others.  Depending on the length and format of the podcast, you may be able to load it facebook or YouTube or any number of other podcast hosting sites. Once your file is posted online you will be able to share a link with others.  You may, depending on your host, be able to embed the code for your podcast, as you do with YouTube videos, on any website or blog.

There is an excellent audio podcast tutorial developed by Jason Van Orden and podcast planning instructions from Voices.com.

Next > Blogs

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Blogs
 

A blog is an easy-to-update website, organized in reverse chronological order so that a new posting is always on top.  Blogs, unlike websites, can (if you want) allow comments. Comments can be moderated (which means you'll be alerted and decide whether to allow readers to see the comment) or open so that all comments are viewed immediately by all readers.  Adding comments means that what was once a monologue (standard website) is changed into a dialogue. 
 

While you can technically set up a blog in only minutes there are a number of other things to think about before diving in.  Consider:

• What do you want to “talk” about on your blog?
• Who will write your blog? 
• Why Blog? What purpose do you have in mind?
• What will you name your coalition blog? 
• How often do you plan to post to your blog?
• How do you structure comments e.g., open, moderated?
• Who will read and engage with you on your blog?
• How will you know your blog is working?

One of the best descriptions of blogging and how it works comes from Lee Lefever at the Common Craft Show.

Blogs can be no or low-cost depending on whether you take advantage of a free or paid blogging service (called hosted blog service) or host your blog on your own server using your own domain name. Most coalitions begin experimenting with a no-cost hosted blog.  The three dominant low- or no-cost blogging platforms include:

• Blogger (no cost)
• WordPress (no cost or low cost)
• Typepad (low cost)

Blogs are good tools for taking first steps into social media. A blog provides an easy-to-use method for producing, distributing and engaging with people in your community around topics that matter to you.  Blogs are dynamic meaning they are always changing especially when allowing comments.  Comments enable community members to offer ideas, add to your thinking and provide different perspectives on your posts.
 

What do coalitions blog about?

• Current events
• Relevant news
• Program updates
• Prevention education
• Community opportunities
• Celebrating successes
• Recruiting coalition members
• Replace print-based newsletters

Once your content is online, opportunities to expand your coalitions presence become abundant.  By using the power of the hyperlink, e.g., your blog post link, you can share your blog content and invite others to comment and share as well.
 

Sources for more information:

• For discussion on blogging and other Social Media visit Connected Communities, and join the Social Media Group
• How to Start a Blog on Blogger (2 minute video)
• Blogging Start up Guide for Coalitions (PDF)
• Coalition Blog Roll on Connected Communities

Next > Chats

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Blog Resources

Blogger
WordPress
Typepad
 

Chat

What is an online chat? 
An online "chat" is a text-based conversation held in an online chat room.  It can involve just two people or many more depending on the platform being used.  If you've used instant messaging, Google chat, or been in an online session on platforms like GoToMeeting or Elluminate you've most likely engaged in an online chat.  There are also stand-alone chat options meaning they are not a part of a larger online platform e.g., Meebo, Cute Chat.

Why chat?

• To respond to quick questions
• As a back channel to support conference calls 
• As a way to include people with limited bandwidth for online participation
  
  

There are two kinds of chat rooms.

• One-to-one instant messaging style chats
• Multiple participant chats

Individual chats
Instant messaging, Yahoo messenger and Facebook chat are all examples of individual chat sessions. Individual chats are one person to another person. There is no way to invite a third or subsequent party to the chat.  Many platforms have built in instant message style chats including Facebook.  This is handy for brief, in-the-moment conversations.

Group Chat
A group chat room hosts more than two people, often up to 99, sometimes more depending on the platform. 

A group chat room also makes for good conference call support.  This means opening a chat room in addition to the conference call line so that participants can contribute comments or ask questions at any time without interrupting the speaker.  By recruiting a chat spanner i.e., someone to take notes during the call, the meeting is easily documented. 

By way of example, the Kansas Prevention Network Stewards use a group chat room to host one hour come-and-go technical assistance sessions or online event follow up chats.

Skype and Google Chat both offer easy-to-use, no-cost options.  Skype is a particularly good value in that it offers the ability to host a conference call as well as a chat and works on both Mac and PC's.  While there are many platforms to choose from, some of the most popular are included below.

A few other stand alone chat clients

• Skype
• Google Chat (also called Google Talk)
• Meebo Rooms
• Cute Chat
  

Chat Room Events
There are times when a simple Chat Room Event can help you further your work without having to host a full face-to-face meeting. For example, a project or event check-in or a quick brainstorm session to compile ideas prior to your coalition meeting.  These, like all meetings, take some planning since they are especially time sensitive.  They also require your full attention to monitor the pace and flow of the conversation.  Here's a few tips.

• Plan a brief agenda
• Decide how will you open the Chat Event
• Outline a welcome for the participants
• An activity to introduce themselves
• Define the purpose of the Chat Event
• Prepare several questions or content ahead of time
• Decide how you will both open and close the session

Not sure whether to choose an individual chat or group chat? Choose Group Chat. This will give you the flexibility of having a room for two or many more where a one-to-one chat option limits you to only two people.

Other resources:
Hopping Between Notetaking and Back Channel Conversations a blog post by Nancy White

 

Next >  Conference Calls

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Chat Resources

Skype
Cute Chat
Meebo
Google Chat

Conference Calls

What's a conference call?  
A conference call is when three or more parties connect via phone on a single line, each being able to hear the others on the call.  

Why host a conference call?
Sometimes hosting a face-to-face meeting isn't really necessary or perhaps isn't possible given member schedules, weather, travel and other circumstances.  

What tools are available?

Skype is an online phone service that offers conference calls as well as videoconferencing, chat, file sharing etc.  To Skype you'll need to download the software to your computer plus an Internet connection and web browser. If your computer does not have a built in microphone, you'll need one.  It is best to have a noise-canceling microphone or better a computer headset with a microphone. All of those participating in your conference call will need a free Skype account to participate.

FreeConferenceCall.com is a service offering a conference call line and passcode for your use 24x7x365.  NOTE: Callers will likely be making a long distance call to use this service which means that every caller will pay his/her own long distance charges for the call according to his/her own calling plan. This service also ffers a recording capability whereby you can record the call, then download it to your computer and/or post the call online (podcast) so that others can listen.  

HiDef Conferencing is a conference call service that incluides the ability to host a conference call with regular phone lines AND Skype lines on one phone bridge.  The web-based site enables the host to see all callers from a website.  No reservations. Free recording. Plan from 10-500 callers for a flat fee. Pricing begins at $40 per month.

Maestro Conference is a different kind of conference call experience.  This service enables dynamic engagment options that include breakout rooms, callers can raise a hand, vote or as questions in an orderly way. The service has a free 30 day trial period with plans beginning at $47 per month for up to 50 callers.

There are other services so be sure to shop around and compare prices along with the benefits/features.

Resources:
Tips to Optimize Conference Calls

 

Next > Location-based Applications

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Conference Call Resources

Skype

FreeConferenceCall.com

HiDef Conferencing

Maestro Conference

Location-based Applications

What are location-based applications?
Location-based applications are mobile phone applications or apps. The apps  enable social networking and serendipitous interaction by people checking in at the various places they visit e.g., local restaurant, airport, store, mall, office, etc. Checking in lets others know where you are and if they are nearby, may join you. 

Here is an example of how a location based application works.  Watch the video or scroll down to continue reading:

Step 1: Jason wants coffee, and decides to visit his local barista's at his favorite neighborhood coffe shop.

Step 2: Jason wants to share with all of his friends that he is heading to his favorite local coffee shop for the following reasons:
                a) He loves the coffee shop and wants to support them by
                    doing business with them, and letting his friends know
                    they should too.
                b) He wants to let his local friends know that he is headed
                    to the coffee shop incase they want to join him for a cup
                    o' joe.
                c) He wants to show the local coffe shop that he is a loyal
                    customer and supporter. 
                d) Because of his loyalty, and the coffee shops embrace of
                    both new technology, and being environmentaly friendly;
                    instead of frequent customer cards, they offer a free cup
                    of coffee for every 10 check-ins and/or every 5 friend
                    reccomendations. 

Step 3: Jason arrives at the local coffee shop and checks-in via foursqaure.

Step 4: All of Jason's connections on foursquare, twitter, and facebook are notified that he is at the coffee shop. (You may be thinking this is great, and you may also be thinking WHY!!! You just let everybody know that you are not home, and are inviting robbers in to steal all your wordly possesions.  We will cover this later, and address both sides.)

Step 5: Order Hot Chai with two-shots of espresso, sip, enjoy and network with others who also checked in at the coffee shop.

Why use location-based applications?
These applications are another form for networking based on places you frequent and by participating you can gain points, discounts and other rewards from participating businesses and other locations. According to Pew Internet & American Life Project research:
 

• 7% of adults who go online with a mobile phone use these services
• 8% of online adults 18-29 use location based services (more than online adults in any other age group)
• 10% of online Hispanics use these services, more than online Whites (3%)  or online Blacks (5%)
• 6% of online men use location based services compared to 3% of women

By way of example, local coalition members or youth can "check-in" at the local coalition meeting or perhaps a community-wide event e.g., Halloween parade, football stadium, field house, classroom or any myriad places and events. People checking in will be alerted to others in their network who are also at the same location.

Location-based applications
There are a number of location-based applications for mobile phones and smart phones.  Some allow participation via texting as well as by the application itself. Below are three of the most popular.


Gowalla and Foursquare are both popular location-application social network applications and huge competitors in the location-based world.  For an easy description of Foursquare, check out their video explanation.

Facebook Places is the way Facebook has stepped into location-based applications.  If you have a mobile application on your web-enabled phone you can check in via Places.  Like the other location-based apps, if your location is not recognized, you can add it. To get clearer on how this  works, check out the Mashable's Field Guide to Using Facebook Places.

Next > Photo Sharing

Table of Contents >

Location-based Resources

Gowalla

Foursquare

A Guided Tour of Facebook Places

Photo Sharing

Is a picture really is worth a thousand words?  According to the brain rules, the answer is yes!  An image communicates much more quickly and efficently than words.  Yet how often do we find ourselves immersed in the written word, with few opportunities to communicate with pictures?

How many opportunties do you or your coaliton members have to take and post pictures of community actions?

Did you know if everyone involved in your coalition or project posted community event photos to a common photo sharing site, and used a specific hashtag (of your choice), you could easily display them all online with a simple link.

In recent years sharing photos has become a more common, especially with the emergence of low- and no-cost photo sharing sites like Flickr and PhotoBucket. While there are many sites like this, these two are among the most popular and widely used.

Four things spread the sharing and use of photos:

1. Increased bandwidth and increasingly abundant wifi
2. Low or no-cost storage sites like Flickr and Photobucket
3. Tools for taking and posting photos e.g., phone cameras, twitter/twitpic, facebook
4. Creative Commons license

1. Bandwidth and Wifi
Bandwidth is the size of the "pipe" our Internet and mobile communications travels through. With faster Internet connections and 3G mobile networks (pipes) along with so many places offering free wifi service, the ability to share photos has become easier.

2. Low- and No-Cost Photo Storage sites
While there are many photo storage sites, two of the most popular are Flickr and PhotoBucket.  These sites offer free accounts with limited options. They also have Pro accounts that are relatively inexpensive and well worth having if you intend to capture and use community photos to document and tell your story. 

Flickr offers a free account for up to 100 MB of photo and/or video storage and bandwidth. If you take a lot of high resolution photos ranging from 2-10 MB each, this space can be used up fairly fast.  You can manage a free account somewhat by resizing/compressing photos before loading to Flickr or if you find you need it, get an unlimited Pro account for only $24.95 per YEAR.

PhotoBucket offers a lot more space, up to 500 MB of storage for both photos and video, with 10 GB per month bandwith at no charge.  The limitation on the size of each photo is 1 MB so again you may have to resize/compress your photos before loading.  The cost of a pro account is comparable to Flickr.

3. Tools for taking and sharing photos
Most cell phones now days come with a camera and most of the cameras are of quite good quality. If your phone is web-enabled meaning you can get online with it you have lots of options for sharing the photos you take.  Once you've taken a photo you might use a service like Twitpic to post your photo online AND share it via Twitter.

One of the most memorable photos shared in this way is the picture of the airplane that landed on the Hudson River sent from a Ferry passenger via Twitpic/Twitter while heading to rescue the passengers. Maybe you don't use Twitter?  If you prefer sharing photos via Facebook, just go to your settings and enable/confirm mobile uploads from your phone. Then you can post photos directly to your facebook account from your mobile phone. (you may incur standard MMS charges depending on your cell phone package).

4. Creative Commons License: Share, Remix, Reuse - Legally
Have you come across a photo you'd really like to use in a report, on a webpage or in a PowerPoint presentation but didn't have permission or a clue who to contact to get it? 

Often referred to copyleft, Creative Commons allows you to select and communicate the way you'd like others to use your photos or -- you to use theirs.  This advances the use and spread of your materials while at the same time honoring your work. One outgrowth of sites like Flickr is that many photos posted are available under Creative Commons for use by others at no charge.  Just follow the originators license conditions.

How to find Creative Commons images on Flickr? 

Either use the advanced search engine on Flickr and check the Creative Commons box or go to FlickrCC where you can easily search from only creative commons images. Tip: when you find an image you select to use, favorite it so if needed you can find it easily again.

More Resources

• Darren Rowse’s Digital Photography School
• Presentation Zen Blog and Book by Garr Reynolds
  

Cartoon: Wikimedia Commons

Next > Slidesharing

Table of Contents >

Photo Sharing Resources

Flickr

Photobucket

Creative Commons

Flickr Search -Creative Commons

Darren Rowse's Digital Photography School

Slidesharing

• Do you make presentations to local groups using PowerPoint?
• What if you could post the slides online in a way that allowed you to share a link, embed them on your website or blog or share them via Facebook?
• What if others could share your message in the same ways?

What is Slidesharing?
Slidesharing is an increasingly popular and growing way to share your presentations, materials.  Most slidesharing site have a free basic account.  Loading slides is a lot like attaching a file to an email message. Once loaded to your account you will add a title, description, keywords and then decide who can see it (private, public).  Some sites enable you to insert YouTube videos for playback at the appropriate point in the slides or to add your own audio to the slides.

By way of example, the following slide deck, Telling the Coalition Story, was developed by CADCA's Sue Stine for a conference. 

So, you've posted your slides, now what?
Once you have your slides loaded to your account and made any additions you want to them e.g., video links, audio, you can do a number of important things:

    •    Share the link in an email and ask for comments
    •    Post a link to Twitter or Facebook or other social network
    •    Embed your slides into your blog and start a conversation
    •    Embed your slides into your website

 Once you've posted and shared your slide decks in any or all of these ways others can pick up your content and share it in their circles.  The challenge becomes creating slide content that others want to share.

Why use a slidesharing site?
By making your slide show message public and inviting people to comment you'll start or expand the conversation about your coalitions work and the content you present. You'll also:

• Spread your message further faster
• Enable other people to pass along your link in their circles
• Allow others to showcase your message on their blogs or websites
• Provide an easy-to-share link for Tweets or Status Updates
• Make your content available to your coalition members, community partners, event participants, parents etc.

Resources:

Nine Ways Networked Nonprofits Use Slideshare by Beth Kanter

Circles of San Antonio Coalition on Slideshare
 

Next > Social Bookmarks

Table of Contents >

Slidesharing Resources

Slideshare

Sliderocket

Social Bookmarks

• Do you bookmark or favorite websites on your computer?
• Are you later able to find the things you favorite?
• Do you use more than one computer or share a computer?
• Would you like to share with others and see what they bookmark too?
• How much time do you spend searching and sorting?

What are social bookmarks?
Social bookmarks are links to your favorite web content, organized by "tagging" with keywords to help you (and others if you share them publicly) find them and use them later.
 

Why Social Bookmark?
Social bookmarks enable you to share your favorite websites with others and them to share their favorites with you.  What this means is you can find and use the best links collected by you and others who use the site - the "creme of the crop" so to speak. Rather than do a wide-open Google search and sift through t, why not look first to your colleagues, peers and others participating online to find the best content.

For example, if you are interested in underage drinking, type in the words and see what resources and websites are being "bookmarked" as favorites by others.  Each item bookmarked has the following:

• see the number of other people bookmarking the same resource
• click on the number of people bookmarking any resource and see the entire list; you may also choose to add some  to your network
• review the tags people have used; by clicking on a tag you can see other items with the same tag
• read any description people have added to the bookmark
• review your network contacts, add new people and more
• access your bookmarks from any computer, anywhere

Ressources:

• A Study of the Impacts of Positive/Negative Feedback on Collective Wisdom -- A Case Study on Social Bookmarking Sites (SpringerLink)
• What is Social Bookmarking? by Premier Social Media

Next > Social Networks

Table of Contents >

Social Bookmark Resources

Delicious

Diigio

Social Networks

Social networks are one of the most fascinating, fastest growing and engaging social media around. While there were a few social networks before Facebook e.g., Friendster, MySpace, Facebook has become the premiere social network with nearly 500 million users and growing.  If Facebook were a country it would be the third largest in the world behind China and India.

Social networks are websites where members can connect, communicate, interact, share, chat and more.  Most social networks enable members to:

• Share a profile
• Status updates
• Find and connect with friends and acquaintances
• Share links, photos, and videos
• Comment on status updates
• Send messages
• Promote online/offline events or causes
• Create or join groups
• Join and promote causes

Social networks enable us to remain loosely connected to friends and acquaintances all the time rather than from time-to-time.  For the people who belong to social networks and interact regularly, you'll seldom hear them start a conversation when they meet face-to-face with, "how have you been" because they already know -- they've been following along online.

There are many social networks but here's a short list of some of the more popular ones.  The first three are large open social networks while the last two are low- no-cost do-it-yourself social network platforms where you can create your own social network. You may find a beneficial creative tension between belonging to both types of social networks.  If we only belong to groups who think like us then we can become insular and stagnate. By being a member of multiple and diverse groups we can insights, stories and experiences different from our own.

• Facebook - the most popular social network in the U.S.
• MySpace - began with its appeal to music lovers and has recently returned to its roots.  
• Twitter - a social networking, microblogging platform that can be linked to Facebook.
• Ning - is a do-it-yourself (DIY) social network platform where you can build your own network. It is easy to use, flexible and integrates with Facebook. While it is no longer a free service it remains quite reasonable.
• BuddyPress - is a free and open source DIY social network affiliated with the popular WordPress blogging software.  It works similarly to Ning but has some additional features.

Many coalitions engage community members and youth on Facebook. 
Some create private groups while others host public Pages.  Pages are accessible for viewing by people who are NOT members of facebook however to comment one must have an account.  If the group you want to connect with is on Facebook (or other social network) it may make sense to go where they already are, join and engage them there rather than start from scratch.  With all the social media available many may find joining yet another network an overload to their stressful schedule. The best path of action -- ask potential members their interest and preference.
 

A word about starting your own network.

While it is technically easy to start a social network it is more challenging to nurture membership and engagement. 
Consider the 90-9-1 rule where 90% of members will lurk and learn, another 9% will post occasionally and only 1% will be consistent contributors. If you only have 10 members this it is easy to see how this makes it really difficult to keep the content fresh and the conversations lively.  If you start a network, be prepared to invite interaction and spend time sending notes to people within the group, nudging them to respond to posts and contribute from their experience and wisdom.
 

Before you jump into creating a coalition presence on Facebook, spend some time considering questions like these.

• What is your purpose for establishing a presence on a social network e.g., organize, mobilize, market, promote, engage, etc?
• How does a social network presence integrate with your communications and coalition goals and strategies?
• How do you plan to engage with coalition members or others?
• How will you handle conflict or disparaging remarks?
• Who will establish, monitor and post to the Page or manage a group?
• What will you monitor or measure (analytics) to know your actions are working?
   

Additional Resources

Mashable's Facebook News & Views
Using Facebook for Your Nonprofit by Tech Soup
Facebook Resources for NonProfit Organizations by Forum One

 Next > Text Messaging

Table of Contents >

Social Network Resources

Facebook

MySpace

Twitter

Ning

BuddyPress

Text Messaging
 

Some 72% of adult cell phone users send and receive text messages, up from 65% in September 2009.
--Pew Internet & American Life Project

What is text messaging?
Text messaging, also called texting, is exchanging short messages between two people via cell phone. Messages can also be originated from a computer and sent to a cell phone forwarded to another individual via cell phone or forwarded to email. 

You've probably heard or noticed on your phone there is a distinction between SMS and MMS.  SMS or Short Messaging Service is text based.  MMS or Multimedia Message Service includes sending photos, video or audio. Wireless carriers all have bulk text messaging packages that often help keep the cost low.  Without a package SMS texts may cost up to .20 each.

Why text message?

From an individual perspective, text messaging is ideal for brief message/response exchanges, in other words, situations where sending an email isn't practical or possible.  Texting is great for keeping in touch with family, friends and co-workers. As anyone who has attended a large conference or community event, texting can help you find your group and navigate a crowd.  Texting or Facebook seem to have become the best ways to stay in touch with youth as well.

From a coalition social media marketing perspective text messaging is an added "channel" for community outreach and education via these individual/private messages. Whether reaching new moms about their babies or sending prom night texts, there's plenty of room for creating unique and creative text message campaigns to promote healthy behaviors.

There are many services that support sending text messages in bulk but one notable open source tool mentioned by Dr. Craig Lefebvre at On Social Marketing and Social Change is FrontlineSMS.

How does it work?
Text messaging is relatively easy on a cell phone.  It is easier with a full keyboard than the smaller multifunction keyboard of flip phones etc.  Basically you'll open your messaging service, enter the phone number of the person you want to send a message to, type in your message, and click send. Each phone has its nuances so check your booklet or visit your carriers website for specific details using your particular phone. Or just ask your kid. 

You may also be interested in Twitter, a text-style communications method that is like combining instant messaging, blogging and email into one tidy little communications package.

 Resources

Mobile Health Applications: Turning up the Volume by
Dr. Craig Lefebvre
Texting and Talking: Kids and Cell Phones, NYU Child Study Center

Next > Twitter

Table of Contents >

Texting Resources

Examples:

All on Board
Prenatal Care through SMS
Text4Baby
Text a Tip & Pic
SexInfoSF.org

Tools for campaigns:

FrontlineSMS

 Twitter

Twitter is a simple but powerful networking, sharing and social learning tool.  While technically it is considered a microblogging platform with its short messages of 140 characters, is has become, in the hands of the people using it, far more.
 

Twitter is like ...

• A social network in that you can follow others people's updates
• Text messaging in that the messages are short, 140 characters or less.
• Blogging only in smaller bites.
• Email because you can send direct messages 
   

Twitter is flexible communications. Unless your message, called a tweet, is sent directly to a specific person or group, everyone will be able to see it.  If you mention another person on Twitter by using the @ symbol along with their twitter name (also called a handle e.g., @suestine) not only will everyone see the message but the person you mentioned will be alerted.   You can push messages out but more important you can pull messages and people in.  Used well it is a stellar relationship building tool.

As more people use Twitter more interesting strategies, tactics and ways to measure emerge.  For most people it seems to take some time and experience in order to discover the best ways to use Twitter to help us accomplish our  communcations and engagement goals. Some of the early adopters of Twitter will tell you in the beginning they were doubtful of the value.  Now most who consistently use Twitter wouldn’t want to be without it.  
 

What are the benefits of Twitter?  

• Free
• One short message to reach everyone following you
• Many ways to access and “tweet” (web-based, desktop or mobile)
• Messages can be BOTH personal and/or public
• Communication is brief and immediate
• Responses are brief and often immediate
• Continuous connection (unless you turn it off)
• Both a contact point and a distribution channel
• Extends conference and event reach and engagement
• Did I mention it's free? and mobile?

For a large scale, real time communications and social networking tool, Twitter is unbeatableb. Many useful applications, beyond the original website, have been built on Twitter’s open API.  An assortment of desktop and mobile apps, directories, dashboards, and analytics have been created. Some tools are playful while others are focused on delivering serious value, many are both.
 

Desktop Tools

The Twitter website is the starting point and the way most people get started using Twitter when you sitting at their desk.  Recent improvements make this an excellent option. Throughout your day as you work at your desk you can:

• share links to information and resources you find
• share ideas or questions you're working on
• "listen" to those you follow for insights or inspiration
• discover meaning in the work of others and apply it to what you do

Other Twitter desktop applications

Twhirl is one of the easiest and smallest apps available.  Twhirl lets you monitor those you follow and to see when you are mentioned or receive a direct message.  This little desktop application does a good job without being overwhelming and takes up very little space on your computer screen.

Here's the basics of how Twhirl works. You will automatically see the tweet stream of those you follow. 

• If you want to see only the messages mentioning your name, click on the @ icon at the bottom.
• If you want to see your direct messages, click on the envelope icon.
• Needing to recheck a tweet you favorited, click on the heart icon to see all the tweets you've noted as a favorite.
• Notice the number 140 in the lower right side bar.  This will count down as you type your tweet in the white box so you continually know how many characters are left. 
• And finally, Twhirl offers a link shortener (see the chain links icon). When you have a long link (URL) to share, click on the links icon, paste the link into the pop up box and click shorten.  A shorter link will automatically appear at the end of your tweet. There's more but these basics will get you off to a good start.

Tweetdeck is one of the most popular and powerful desktop applications. This app is designed and built for people who like to organize and follow specific and diverse content or groups.  For example, a person who uses Tweetdeck will see:
 

• all tweets from those s/he follows
• any mentions of his/her twitter name
• all direct messages to him/her
• organize specific groups of people being followed
• follow hashtags for any topic or event of interest
• and all on one desktop and/or mobile application
  
  

In addition Tweetdeck has a built in link shortener that reduces the length of a link to about 15 characters which saves some of those 140 characters for you to use to craft your message.  You can also have your "tweets" automatically post to facebook making the task of weaving your online presence a little easier.  There are many more interesting and useful features and as Twitter evolves there will be more as those using it discover needs and opportunities.

As you can see, column one show the tweets of all those you follow.  The second column is for mentions of your twitter name. The third colum is for direct messages and the fourth column is a specifically selected group of people being followed. Additional columns can be added and then accessed using the scroll bar at the bottom.

Twitter Goes Mobile 

With the increasing adoption of web-enabled and smart phones many mobile Twitter applications have become available.   Whether you work at an organization or agency that won't allow Twitter access during working hours or perhaps you spend your days traveling about -- these applications keep you in contact with your followers and those you follow regardless of location.
 

One of the best things about Twitter is the many ways you can access it. If you don’t have a web-enabled phone or a smart phone, no problem. Twitter can be used via standard text messaging (text messaging rates may apply) by learning a few little details. For text messaging to Twitter use the number 40404 in the "to" field and then use the following symbols to craft your message. (These are already built into mobile applications).
 

1. To send a message that mentions another Twitter user simple use the @ symbol with their name e.g., @suestine or @MyCToolbox. A message sent in this way is seen by others.
2. To send a direct message use the letter "d" followed by a space and the name e.g., d suestine or d MyCToolbox. A direct message is private, much like an email message. 
3. To add a hashtag (a series of letter, numbers, words) use the # symbol followed by the hashtag e.g., #coalition, #quote, #cadca, #cadcasome
4. To retweet (RT) what someone else posted use the letters RT along with the content of the message your are sharing with your circle of followers. This is a way of complimenting others or showing respect and influence.
    

These four symbols or letter combinations are the foundation of Twitter whether online, desktop or mobile.
 

 If you have a web-enable phone or smart phone i.e., iPhone,  Droid or Blackberry there are many mobile applications to support using Twitter.  Lastly, there is the very popular mobile versions of Tweetdeck for the iPhone and for the Android.
 

For more information

Mashable's Twitter Guide Book  (online)
The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein

If you Tweet, add yourself to the TwitterPack (wiki list) of coaltions, providers and other people in prevention or send direct message to @coyenator and you will be added.
 

Next >  Video (Podcasts)

Table of Contents >

Twitter Resources

Twitter
Twhirl
Tweetdeck
 

Crowdsourcing
with Beth Kanter

Video

What's a video podcast?

A vdeo podcast, or enhanced podcast, is a digital media file (video) posted to the Internet for playback online or downloaded and played back on a portable device like an MP3 player, smart phone or iPod. 

Why podcast?

Audio and video provide alternatives (or additions to) print media. Some significant changes in recent years have made these not only possible but far more popular including:

• abundant, inexpensive bandwidth and storage
• pre-loaded software i.e., included with computer purchase
• saturation of all sorts of portable audio listening devices including web-enabled smart phones
   

Video podcasting is a good way to do four very important actions when it comes to community change:

1. inform
2. increase awareness 
3. educate
4. recruit new members
    

Coalitions use these tools to establish and nurture relationships and to engage community members on the issues, ideas or topics most important locally.  With portable devices podcasts are an excellent way to spend a commute or pass the time when taking that all important daily wellness walk. 

What topic makes for a good podcast?

Topics and formats for podcasts are only limited by your imagination.   Be creative and provide the kind of information your community members or stakeholders most want or need to know about. For example, an onsite heads up about a conference track or maybe a video invitation to your event.  When you aren't sure or need ideas, consider riffing on someone else's video or one of the radio/television shows like your favorite talk show, news show, infomercial, or rountable. Some examples:

• interview key leaders or coalition members
• string together youth comments on a local issue
• host a panel discussion on an important local topic
• edit essential ideas from a recorded workshop or presentation
• do person-on-the-street interviews
• contact a researcher, scientist or policymaker for a phone interview
• host a coalition leader talking about current events or their coalition involvement
   

Before you turn on the video camera, define your story or content.  Consider your purpose, format, type of video, any special guests or content expertise ideal for your topic.  Then at the very least do a light script including any questions or lines of inquiry you intend to explore and lastly prepare your call to action, i.e., comment, go to a website, register, download a document, etc.

For video you'll need to consider what the viewer will see as well as what s/he will hear.  This is best done with a storyboard which is a simple way to layout your content and visuals.  It serves as a guide when you get ready to shoot your video especially if you are going to put several piece of video together in a sequence.  By laying out your story you'll be able to shoot the video in sequence and thus reduce the time invested in editing. Your storyboard will contain sketches of what you imagine will be on the screen e.g., setting, images, slides or drawings and a brief description of what viewers will hear while they view the visual. Finally, you'll add the timing. 

What equipment do you need to do a video podcast?

First you'll need some kind of digial video recorder e.g., digital video camera, computer with a camera and video card or a cell phone with video option. A Flip Video camera has become very popular becasue it enables you to take video and then, through the pop out USB port, immediately load it online to a variety of popular video sites. 
 

Capturing video for your video podcast

With so many portable video devices it is easy to capture video in-the-moment.  These short (1-3 minute), casual videos can be very informative with low labor and production intensity. For example, this on-the-street video by Circles of San Antonio, is a lively, casual and fun way to share a local event using a Flip video camera.
 

Using MovieMaker (PC) or iMovie (Mac), software available on most if not all computers these days, you can turn a slideshow into a training video.  You can mix video clips to tell a story like this Safe Streets Topeka video or develop video trailers for a project like  DanversCARES did for their Generations Project.  The combination of possibilities is unlimted.
 

When you have your movie ready you'll need to upload it online to any of the video websites like YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler etc. Each site has its own specifications on length of video and format so check them out to decide which one or more than one best suit your needs.  Video hosting services provide both links to your video on their website and embed code so you (and others) can play your videos on your own website or blog.  Each site comes with its own metrics as well.
 

 Next >  Webconference Platforms

Table of Contents >

Video Podcast Resources

Simple MovieMaker Checklist (PDF)

Getting Started with MovieMaker

Flip Video

Coalition Video Channels

Circles of San Antonio
DanversCARES
Dover Y2Y

Webconference Platforms

With all the economic stressors and budget cuts more and more organizations, companies and government agencies are participating in or offering webconference meetings, trainings and webinars. Webconference platforms enable people to host/attend:

• meetings
• trainings
• workshops
• presentations
• demonstrations

There are many of these services available, each with varied features and capabilities.  Some are equipped with interactive tools while others are primarily view only.  Some have built in audio (VoiP also called Internet Telephony) while others use a conference call line.  There are even some that now mix both a conference call line and Internet Telephony. 

Interaction online is fundamental to learning and engagement so regardless of the platform you use, gently exploit all the meaningful interative features available to you in order to engage particpants in your online meetings and events.

Below is a comparison table of seven web-based platforms to host meetings, events, demonstrations, etc.  While price is likely a leading factor, do consider how your group likes to interact, how comfortable they are with technology and willing to learn new ways of meeting and learning. Also think about existing tools you already have and how they fit e.g., conference call lines, content management systems, etc.

Web Con Comp  

Coalition Story
The NW Kansas Regional Prevention Center in Colby, Kansas was hit hard by budget cuts.  Being in the far reaches of northwestern Kansas with highly rural populations, they knew they'd need to make some adjustments in order to continue to support several remote rural coalitions.

So, they purchased an interactive webconference room from Elluminate and began hosting some of the coalition meetings and other events online. They discovered that coalitions actually liked to meet online, at least part of the time, and in one case was able to increase at a coalitions membership by reducing the time away from the office. Tricia Korthanke, Prevention Specialist, introduced the idea and gradually prepared coalition members for engaging online.  By starting out using only a few fundamental tools, she was able to create an engaging and dynamic meeting environment online.

Sue Evans, Director, says, "It's really important for me in these economic times that we find a solution that would help us do training and meetings in a more efficient way … I'm so glad we found this tool." (excerpted from case study)

Sue and Tricia participated in a CADCA  Leadership Forum 2010 workshop on hosting coalition web meetings. The session was recorded and is available online.

Additional Resources 

Web-based Meeting-Training Platform Feature Comparison

15 Webconferencing Services from Social Media Biz

Next > Wikis

Table of Contents >

Webinar & Webconference Resources

GoToMeeting
GoToWebinar
WebEx
Elluminate
Yugma
Vyew
Dimdim
LiveMeeting
Slideshare's ZipCast

Webconference Workshop recorded at CADCA's
Forum 2010

Wikis

What's a Wiki?

A wiki is a website that you, as a site visitor, can read in the usual way AND write (edit) by clicking the "edit" button.  The introduction of wikis takes websites well beyond how websites have worked in the past -- presenting information for consumption -- and into the world of true online collaboration (co-labor). 

Getting work done using a wiki is a way of networking online to produce results regardless of time or distance.  The most famous wiki is Wikipedia with more than 3 million entries in English alone.  Over time a community of some 1500 editors (and growing) have self-organized to support the always developing information and sharing of Wikipedia.
 

Why use a wiki?

Wikis are helpful online places for planning, writing, organizing and coordinating. Anytime your group is distributed around the community, state or nation - a wiki can be a virtual work space. 

Of course a coalition will still need someone to lead the group by attending to the process of working together in this way - skills that we are still developing in most organizations and coalitions.  The good news is some, like the Montior Institute, have made traveled the path already and have produced a realy great guide to Working Wikily.
 

Kinds of wikis
On the one hand, if you have your own server space and would like to host your own wiki, then you might want to consider WikiMedia (the foundation for Wikipedia) or SocialText which is designed for larger organizations (enterprise).

On the other hand, many of us don't have a server from which we operate so for us we simply need a small amoung of web space.  For us there are some reasonably priced hosted solutions. Hosted means the information is on the server owned by some other organization or company like those listed below.  They simply provide you web space while making the content you place there available online.  The price varies (free and up) along with the space allowed (2 GB-5 GB).

Alternatives

What if you don't really need a website, you just want to collaborate on a single document or spreadsheet? Then you might try Google Docs. It works like a wiki in that you can open a document, powerpoint, spreadsheet and share it with specific other people either to view or to edit.  When you've finished, Google will host the document online for you, providing a link to you. 
 

Resources:

Working Wikily

Next Section > Metrics and Measures for Social Media

Table of Contents >

Wiki Resources

Working Wikily

Comparison of Wiki Software

Wikispaces

Wikidot

Google Sites

Listen First

Listening is the first and single most important step to help you connect with key conversations and influencers where your topic, issue or cause is being discussed, both online and offline. It's important to understand what your community says about your coalition's work or issue. Without understanding where local residents and your other stakeholders get information and engage in conversation, it's impossible to plan your communication strategy.

For what are we listening?

• Where are the conversations about your community problem/issue happening now? Online? Offline?
• What is being said about your topic/issue e.g., underage drinking, parental responsibility, marijuana, etc.?
• What’s being said about your leaders, partners and your organization or coalition? By whom?

Listening as Measurement

Before getting started with social media, it's important to listen. Are your issues among those most talked about in your hometown? What is being said about your coalition within the community? Where are your key audiences getting information and news? Is there one online tool, such as Twitter or FourSquare where a large section of your community communicates and receives updates? If you are working with youth, have you considered using Facebook or text messaging?

Listening is the first and single most important step to help you connect with key conversations and influencers where your topic, issue or cause is being discussed.

Effective listening will occur in two directions: facing in and facing out. In other words are you looking at communications inside your coalition among and between members or are you facing out to the community as in social media marketing, i.e., using social media as a two-way communications channel with your community? This reference point will guide the choices you make.

To get started, we have a tool designed by LaDonna Coy and Stephanie Ross that will help you start plotting the places where your coalition has presence. Download the following graph and consider the following questions to get you on your way:

• Where do you and your members, customers and/or partners connect and engage? Face-to-face? Online?
• How and where do you interact with others and enable others to interact with you?
• In what ways do you capture and tell your stories and those of others? How are you enabling others to tell your stories?
• Where and how are you connected (linked) to your community? How is your community (members, customers, partners) connected to each other?
• Where and how do you “listen”?
• Now What? What else is possible? How could you use these actions/tools to more fully mobilize and support your community?

For more information and tools, check out LaDonna's Technology in Prevention wiki.

Here's an example of how your chart may begin to look when you map your existing linkages and potential linkages:

Next > Alerts

Table of Contents >

Why Listen

• To be informed about issues and norms
• To understand perspectives
• To engage in conversations that matter
• For opportunities to interact with the community
• To learn with and from our community

Analytics 

You can use Google Analytics to listen and discover a variety of insights about your online presence and the visitors who join you there. This first image below shows you a few basics. On the Dashboard, you'll find some initial information that will help you understand how many visitors have been to the site. The example below measures a one-month period on Connected Communities, CADCA's peer-to-peer social network for coalitions, but you will set the parameters to determine the period that you want to  measure.

On the Dashboard, you'll see figures for some key things including:

• The number of visitors
• Percent of increase or decrease in visitors
• Number of new and return visitors
• How much time people are spending on the site
• How many pages they look at while they are there
• How deep they go on the site
• How often they visit
• Sources of traffic to your site e.g., search engine, direct link, etc.
• And loads more

In the example below, we've pulled the traffic sources for Connected Communities. You can see from this initial search that 67.73% of visitors come to the site directly (Direct Traffic), 7.99% come from other sites such as the CADCA website (Referring Sites) and 24.28% come to the site from search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo (Search Engines). As the administrator of the site, I am happy to see that a good percentage are direct visitors because that likely indicates that they have been to the site before and have it bookmarked or are receiving e-mail alerts when new information is posted. I want to see a higher percentage of return visitors because Connected Communities requires registration and if our members are coming back, it helps to indicate that they are getting useful information from the site. I can take these statistics and drill down to see how many people return to the site and how often they come back.

Working with analytics can be a stretch for many of us unaccustomed to working with this kind of data. The language, descriptions and numbers can be challenging at first as you learn your way through to interpreting the data for your purposes. Google provides a guide to help you establish your account and begin to process data. It is located at http://bit.ly/cjytt6.

Next > Engagement

How do you measure engagement?

Is someone engaging with you when they visit or revisit your website? Or maybe when they click to download a file? Or register for your e-newsletter? Or donate to your cause? At what point do we consider people “engaged”?

Have you ever read the reviews on Amazon.com before making a purchase? Have you ever added your own review of a product? If not, you’re not alone. There’s research indicating that about 90% of the people online lurk, i.e., they read and observe but seldom participate with comments, ratings, reviews, etc. Another 9% will participate from time-to-time, which leaves only about 1% to account for the most in terms of content contributions. Those who lurk often are observing and learning at the edges, meaning they are quite likely to be benefiting from what you have to offer. Lurking is like the role of a “spectator” and is a legitimate online behavior, but it can make measuring engagement much more difficult.

So, if 90% of those visiting your website, blog, video, podcast, or other social media are lurking, another 9% only contribute once in a while and only 1% engage with you on a regular basis, how important is it to know and engage that 10% for the benefit of the 90%? Every conversation counts and yields influence whether we can count it or not and you never know when you will hit the tipping point with lurkers and nudge them into interacting with you. Provide stellar content and conversation is the first rule. You will learn as you measure and see what is resonating with those who follow you. Writing, engaging and measuring will also help you set realistic goals for growth of and engagement on your website, blog, etc. The process usually follows this pattern.

Katie Paine describes some ways to measure social media including engagement in her Guide to Measuring Social Media excerpted here with permission.

Engagement measures

• % Increase in unique visitors
• % Increase in visitors that return more than 5 times
• Increase in number of different pages viewed
• Increase in number of information requests or downloads
• Number of sessions that include more than five page views
• Number of sessions that are greater than five minutes in duration
• Number of visitors that arrive at your site from a Google search, or a direct link from your website
• Number of visitors that become a subscriber or provide an e-mail address

Intimacy measures

• % Recommending your coalition (brand)
• % posts or comments that would be considered a “shout out” or endorsement

Improved relationships

• % More likely to express satisfaction Improvements in willingness to recommend (Net Promoter Score)
• % Increase in trust, commitment or satisfaction score

Donations/Sales

• % Increase in conversion rates
• % Click-through to a specific URL e.g., community event registration/details
• % Increase in online donations to your organization,
• % Members donating multiple times
• % Increase in membership signups

As it turns out, most of these can be captured via Google Analytics.

However, there isn’t a built in way to compare your data (benchmark) to those of other coalitions. In addition there are other tools besides Google Analytics to gather data including content analysis discussed previously as a listening project, Twitter search and other Twitter tools, Facebook Insights, conducting surveys, hosting focus groups, etc.

Table of Contents >

Sources Used in This Section

• K.D. Paine, The Measurement Standard, Toward a Definition of Engagement http://bit.ly/c3yujF
• Jakob Nielsen on Participation Inequality http://bit.ly/aYZitM
• Nancy White, Full Circle Associates Blog: References on Lurking (2/26/10)http://www.fullcirc.com/2010/02/26/references-on-lurking/
• K. D. Paine, Guide to Measuring Social Media http://bit.ly/d3ZsiZ
• Net Promoter Score description on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_Promoter