Happy Social Media Day! Happy #InternetGeek Tuesday!
How are you celebrating Social Media Day?
I am celebrating Social Media Day by becoming a social media mentor to Thomas Vaughn, one of my favorite Starbucks managers in my U Street neighborhood in Washington, DC. That means I will help Thomas create his LinkedIn and Twitter profiles and provide tips on how to use his social media presence to support his career.
Thomas, a native Washingtonian, expresses kindness, excellence, and the highest form of customer service I’ve ever seen. He connects with his customers and makes everyone feel special. That’s why he was recently named Starbucks employee of the quarter. Go Thomas.
I was inspired to become a social media mentor after reading the July/August issue of More Magazine. First Lady Michelle Obama served as the guest editor and discussed how we can all make an impact in someone’s life right where we live.
WRITE is #InternetGeekat50 Lesson 5. During the WordPress Press Publish Conference in Portland two weeks ago, I participated in a “Blog to Book” panel discussion with Automattic conference organizer Andrea Middleton and my fellow authors and bloggers Cecilia Gunther, Christine Lee, Jerry Mahoney, and Mary Laura Philpott. After the discussion, I had several conversations with people about how I used blogging to write and publish my books “Love’s Troubadours” (novel), “That Which Awakens Me” (creative memoir), and “Digital Sisterhood” (technology memoir).
Here are 8 tips I shared during my post panel conversations to inspire bloggers to WRITE their blogs with the intention of creating content for books they plan to publish.
1) Write your blog posts freely and fully with your authentic voice and passion.
2) Write your blog posts without censure.
3) Create or use a daily (Creative Every Day) or monthly challenge (Art Every Day Month and National Novel Writing in November and National Poetry Month in April) to establish a regular blogging practice and generate content you for your book. I used National Poetry Month in 2008 and 2009 to prepare content for my creative memoir. Currently, I am using National Poetry Month to prepare content for my e-book series.
4) Launch a blogging series to create content for your books. I’m currently writing a blogging series about being 50. I plan to use the content for my e-book series.
5) If you have been blogging for 5 or 10 years, select your favorite blog posts during the time period and prepare and publish an anniversary blog book or e-book.
6) Make a podcast series featuring your thoughts for book content. Select key points or the core messages from the podcast series and include them as your book content.
7) Record video blogs, pick out the most relevant points, and prepare content for the book.
8) For Flickr, Instagram, and Pinterest Users: Use your photos on these social media channels for inspiration to write a short update that can be used later as book content.
I love taking selfies with other people. Today I took one with President Barack Obama during the White House (#whsocial) Tumblr Q&A session on education, college affordability, and student loan debt reduction.
What are some of your unforgettable selfies?
PS: I’ll post a blog recap about my #whsocial visit later this week.
Today’s blog is all about social media and nonprofit digital storytelling.
What is social media?
Social media is a means of communication that builds and enhances relationships online and offline. Social media relies on content. Content includes ideas and information. Social media tools help communicate ideas and share information. Social media allows you to have a conversation with others about ideas and information. The conversations you have through social media create connections. When you cultivate the connections you have established through social media, you build community. The connections you make and communities you build through social media lay the foundation for your audience in digital storytelling.
Did you know there are seven social media secrets of nonprofit digital storytelling?
I recently gave a workshop presentation for my client, Serve DC that introduced the seven social media secrets of nonprofit digital storytelling to AmeriCorps agencies in Washington, DC. See my presentation below or click here to view it on SlideShare.
Just in case you need more information about the seven social media secrets, I have included my talking points, a how to guide on creating a social media strategy plan that I use with my clients, and several nonprofit resources.
Ananda Leeke at Serve DC Workshop, May 21, 2014
If you would like me to facilitate a workshop or give a talk for your agency, business, community, group, or organization, please contact me on 202.607.3509.
7 Social Media Secrets of Nonprofit Digital Storytelling
Secret #1: Define your social media goals (why does your organization want to use social media to tell stories?)
Secret #2: Know your audience (clients, donors, staff, Board members, funders, interns, volunteers, community and corporate partners, local citizens and organizations with shared interests, businesses, and other local stakeholders).
Secret #3: Know where your audience lives online.
Secret #4: Become your audience’s digital neighbor (maintain an active digital presence on the same social media sties that your audience belongs to).
Secret #5: Know what types of digital stories appeal to your audience.
Secret #6: Develop a plan to tell your digital stories (that includes an editorial calendar, time management tools like HootSuite to help you schedule your social media efforts in advance, any special campaigns/events/advocacy efforts, technology tools needed to create digital stories and use social media, budget and funding for technology tools, identifying staff duties for managing social media and digital storytelling efforts, social media/digital storytelling training for staff, and/or recruitment for interns and volunteers with digital communications and public relations experience).
Secret #7: Evaluate your digital storytelling efforts weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually (document lessons learned and best practices and study what other nonprofit organizations are doing and learn from their efforts).
Creating A Social Media Strategy Plan
When I help an organization create a social media strategy plan, I use a series of questions to guide its development and execution. They are organized into six categories: goals, target audience, content, social media budget and team, social media and technology tools, and evaluating social media efforts. See below.
GOALS
What are your organization’s quarterly and annual goals?
How will social media support the goals (examples: create/curate/distribute content, engagement, network building, and promotion)?
What calls to action, campaigns, events, program initiatives, and services will be used to accomplish the goals?
What is your timeline for accomplishing the goals with social media support?
TARGET AUDIENCE
Who is your target audience for each call to action, campaign, event, product, program initiative, and/or service?
Where does your target audience reside online?
CONTENT
What type of content (articles, blogs, photos, podcasts, social media messaging, surveys, webinars, and videos) appeals to your target audience?
What are the sources of content?
Who will develop the content?
What are the content requirements for your editorial calendar on a daily, weekly, quarterly, and/or annual basis?
SOCIAL MEDIA BUDGET AND TEAM
What is your social media budget?
Who will manage, execute, and support your social media efforts (primary lead person, team members, interns, online community members, and brand/blogger ambassadors)?
What are your social media team’s skills?
What type of resources and training does your social media team need to stay updated on current and emerging social media best practices, tools, and trends?
How much time does your social media team have to commit on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and/or annual basis to the management and execution of social media efforts?
SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY TOOLS
What are the best social media tools to communicate with your target audience?
What type of technology tools (digital/web cameras, laptops, microphones, printers, smartphones, software, tablets, and time management tools) do you have and/or need to manage and execute your social media efforts?
EVALUATING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS
Who will review your social media efforts (executive officers, social media staff, communications staff, media/public relations staff, development staff, membership staff, information technology staff, and/or online community members)?
What tools will you use to analyze your social media efforts?
How often will you analyze, modify, and review your social media efforts?
Curated Storytelling: Paper.li (electronic paper – http://paper.li) and Storify (http://storify.org – great for documenting live and online events and campaigns that use photos and videos with hashtags)
Podcasts and Audio Platforms: BlogTalkRadio (www.blogtalkradio.com – Internet radio show), SoundCloud (http://soundcloud.com – audio platform available as mobile app with limited free space), Talkshoe.com (www.talkshoe.com – Internet radio show), and VoiceBo (http://voicebo.com – free mobile app that allows you to record up to five minutes)
This week I am using my #InternetGeek skills to prepare for my “Seven Social Media Secrets of Nonprofit Digital Storytelling” workshop that will be held on May 21 at the Serve DC Program Director Institute. As a former nonprofit program officer for an AmeriCorps civic engagement program with over 18 years of digital communications experience, I have a special passion for AmeriCorps organizations and programs. That’s why I am really excited to share digital storytelling resources, strategies, tips, and tools with the Serve DC organizations. Look for an update about my workshop next week.
PS: For more information about my digital communications experience, click here. I’m available for consultation, speaking engagements, and workshops. Contact me on madelyncleeke@gmail.com and 202.607.3509.
Are you actively participating in your local digital communities?
Listen to today’s podcast which discusses what I have gained from participating in my local digital community including the Blogger Week (see photos above). Click on the link to listen: http://soundcloud.com/ananda-leeke/listen-to-ananda-leekes-1.
I recently watched the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) YouTube channel which featured a short video from Tyler Perry’s television program, For Better or Worse. The video features an African American female therapist who has lived with HIV for 18 years sharing her story in an effort to convince another African American woman who has recently had unprotected sex to get tested. It represents a powerful example of how OWN and Tyler Perry are using YouTube and their television programming to promote HIV/AIDS awareness.
Today I am sharing a Digital Citizenship (#DigCitizen) Project profile featuring Danyell Taylor, a social media leader, I met while attending the White House Social (#WHSocial) for the French Arrival Ceremony for French President Francois Hollande in February.
I am a Communications Specialist at the Council of the Great City Schools, a nonprofit organization that focuses on education legislation. I’m from Plano, Texas, and currently live in Washington, DC. To stay updated on my social media adventures, follow me on Twitter: @IDreamInChanel.
2) Why did you apply to participate in the #WHSocial?
I love all things Parisian and volunteer with Alliance Francaise. I saw the #WHSocial as an opportunity to expand my cultural knowledge and social media influence.
3) Share the key moments you experienced while participating in the #WHSocial.
My key moments included:
Seeing school-age children vying to get a look at President Barack Obama.
Watching the 21-gun salute.
Being close enough to hear and see President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Attending the #WHSocial Meetup Happy Hour at the Old Ebbitt Grill and discussing our stroll down digital memory lane.
4) What social media tools did you use to support your participation in the #WHSocial?
Instagram and Twitter
5) Did you learn any lessons while participating in the #WHSocial?
Anything is possible. I can expand my digital knowledge both personally and professionally.
6) What does digital citizenship mean to you?
Digital citizenship is learning and using online tools to explain and comprehend American and global culture, norms, and politics.
7) How are you planning to stay engaged as a digital citizen?
I plan to stay engaged through mainstream newspapers and their digital presence.
8) Share several ways Americans can use their digital presence and online network to engage civically on a local, state, and/or national level.
Share your concerns, questions, revelations, and insights with your network.
Grow in your knowledge and don’t except the status quo in life, religion or politics.
Be curious about the world outside of your block, city, state, and country of origin.
Ananda Leeke 