Social Network Helps Connect Coalitions to Improve Local Strategies

As the social media explosion of recent years continues to grow and affect the way people connect with each other, the use of networking sites becomes increasingly important in coalition communication strategies. While sites such as Facebook and Twitter remain some of the larger playing fields in the game, it's important to also find venues where they can look for more focused feedback from other coalitions to improve their effectiveness in their communities. CADCA's social network, Connected Communities, offers coalitions a venue in which they can take advantage of the opportunity to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others in the substance abuse field.

Member participation and engagement drives the content of the network by allowing coalitions to share their stories and experiences with others through tools such as photos, blog posts and discussion forums. Coalition members can seek advice from and network with coalitions in different communities to learn from each other and better tailor and implement evidence-based strategies.

“CADCA has a national perspective, but local coalitions deal with their own specific issues in their communities,” Sue Stine, Sr. Manager of Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA’s National Coalition Institute, said. “Connected Communities helps coalitions from communities around the world work with and learn from people working on the ground to tailor their experiences to their local coalitions.”

Using coalition feedback from survey and training evaluation data, CADCA developed Connected Communities with the help of LaDonna Coy, Media Consultant and Prevention Specialist, to help coalitions network outside of training events and conferences. CADCA conducted a “soft launch” to social media training participants in February 2009 and by its official launch at the Mid-Year Training Institute in July, the site had grown to 500 members.

According to Stine, the success of Connected Communities exceeded her expectations and grew very quickly. With nearly 1,500 members, the network shows continual, steady growth as members generate more content, use more information and participate in the digital conversation.

“With Connected Communities, people can avoid all the extra noise of other social media sites and focus specifically on coalition advice and resources,” Stine said. “It is less about someone’s brand and more about creating a place where people can share and help each other openly and comfortably.”

Groups promote active communication, event planning and collaboration between coalition members in different locations. The interactivity of groups not only helps coalitions connect across states, but also across seas and international borders. Most recently, Connected Communities helped connect coalitions in Brazil and Peru to exchange information about youth empowerment strategies in their respective communities.
Photo and video content also provide coalitions with a media-rich resource for displaying the effects of their work in their communities. According to Stine, the use of these features continues to provide a vibrant insight into coalitions’ engagement with each other and the people they serve on the community level.

“These photos can bring an event to life for people that are half a world away,” Stine said. “Connected Communities gives people a chance to see that their work is not jus a one-shot thing, but that people are embedded in their community and are a part of community life.”

As Connected Communities continues to grow, CADCA staff will continue to tailor management of the site to the needs and requests of its members to promote member participation.

“The future of Connected Communities is truly driven by and for coalitions to help them become more successful in their communities,” Stine said. “We want to help coalition members become more engaged because Connected Communities offers them a unique coalition-building tool that cannot be found anywhere else.”

To join Connected Communities go to http://connectedcommunities.ning.com.

For more information on the site, contact Sue Stine at sstine@cadca.org.