#TECH: Facebook Timeline Rolled Out-Nonprofits Roll In
Last week a much-anticipated feature was released by Facebook’s developers. No, not the stock IPO (Initial Public Offer), but the Timeline feature/app that can turn one’s activities online into, well, a timeline. In one sense, one’s posts and posts of one’s friends (including organizations) created a proto-timeline. What the new feature offers is the opportunity for one’s activities outside Facebook to be brought into one’s Timeline, a development of what the folks at FB call ‘The Open Graph’.
The paradigm, and the opportunity to develop applications to link your nonprofit/business/media conglomerate/reading circle/music application…, was first presented in mid-January and now some 80+ such organizations have developed apps (the numbers shift periodically as more organizations make such apps, but some are blocked after being reviewed by Facebook). The numbers of nonprofits taking advantage of Timeline are not yet huge, but many are discussing how they might in the near future.
Popularity: 1% | Category Advertising, Branding, Cause Marketing, Communications, Crowdfunding, Facebook, Facebook, Fundraising, How-to, Marketing, Measurement, Media Review, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Permission Marketing, Reviews, Site Administration, Social Media, Software Review, Storytelling, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#SM4NP: Beware Not Of SM But Of SM Snake Oil & Silver Bullets
Should you? Must you?
If we aren’t careful, we might be entranced to believe social-media networking platforms have been around for quite a while. I mean, if Facebook is valued at $5 billion in its Initial Public Auction, then surely it’s a tried-and-true company that still has room to grow. Right?
Before you jump over to your E*Trade account, you might ask yourself “What has Facebook (or Twitter, for that matter) done for me?” That query, if you are a nonprofit or a small business, can be tricky to answer, unless you started with a plan and with some measurable goals that can be stood next to what you have in fact done. And sometimes, what you want done can get a nice push from social media but social media won’t necessarily do the heavy hauling. And that’s ok!
Popularity: 1% | Category Advice, Blogs, Cause Marketing, Communications, Community Gardens, Facebook, Facebook, Fundraising, Interview, Marketing, Marketing Budget, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Site Administration, Social Media, Storytelling, Strategic Marketing, Technology for Nonprofits, Tweets, Twitter | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#Development: Listening To Social Networks An Important Investment Too
The field got built only after Ray listened
Yesterday we talked about creating content on your business’s or nonprofit’s website that will bring new readers to your site, deepen the loyalty of those already in contact with it, and turn more of them into customers, volunteers, and donors. The creation of such content requires some investment. Staff – at least some staff hours – have to be dedicated to research and writing. The technological side of blogging is not like programming anymore, thanks to all the great platforms (think: WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, TypePad…), but it takes some time to get comfortable with the features and quirks of your chosen platform. When your blog reaches out to those beyond your office, you need to budget for unscheduled delays or time to allow your subject to review the interview.
But then what? If you build it, will they come? No. (more…)
Popularity: 1% | Category Advice, Blogs, Campaigns, Case Study, Civics, Communications, Community, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Nonprofit, Public Relations, Site Administration, Social Media | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#Communication: SOPA & PIPA Bills Are Dying, But Not Dead
Yesterday, a couple of the most used and best-known websites on the internet willingly shut themselves down: Wikipedia and Reddit. Google, you likely noticed, ‘redacted’ its daily Google Doodle. These efforts were to call attention to and protest against the Congressional debates over the ‘Stop Internet Piracy Act’ (SOPA) in the House and the ‘Protect Internet Protocols Act’ (PIPA) in the Senate. And they seem to have worked, as support for either bill has drained away: ”We can find a solution that will protect lawful content. But this bill is flawed & that’s why I’m withdrawing my support. #SOPA #PIPA,” Republican Sen. Roy Blunt wrote on his official Twitter page. (Quote from CNN Tech report earlier this morning).
But the concern over online piracy of entertainment and software remains, and SOPA’s political supporters promise to refine new legislative efforts.
Popularity: 2% | Category Blogs, Civics, Communications, Community, Copyrighting, Marketing, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Reviews, Site Administration, Social Media, Technology | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#SocialNetworks: (Almost) Free Web Tools To Stir Online Discussion
The consultants, designers, editors, and bloggers at MKCREATIVEmedia wish you a happy Martin Luther King Day. The holiday has been on the US calendar since 1986 when the left-leaning, union-supporting, out-of-the-mainstream Republican President Ronald Reagan signed it into federal law. And on this Martin Luther King Day 2012, numerous schools, nonprofits, and religious organizations are getting their students, volunteers, and parishioners out into the community to put service into action.
To inform your members of such service opportunities and to inspire others to join your organization, you need to reach out and market your organization’s focus, skills, and ambitions – as well as explain how your followers can help achieve those ambitions. So in that spirit, we wanted to relay a short list of handy, inexpensive, online tools to help you do just that.
Popularity: 2% | Category Advice, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, Community, Fundraising, Marketing, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Resource, Reviews, Site Administration, Social Media, Software Review, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#Tech: SOPA Inspiring Blackouts & Lobbyists – Should Nonprofits Care?
Could SOPA chill free speech?
On the surface, not much seems to be of relevance in the ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ (SOPA, H.R. 3261) because nonprofits aren’t really in the business of selling digitized content, much less pirated content. Nevertheless, nonprofit organizations and consumer protection groups are decrying the bill and calling for an internet ‘blackout’ on 18 January as Congress discusses the bill. AnonymousIRC, Reddit, and even the many Cheezburger sites are all participating in the blackout while encouraging others to do the same.
The blackout is meant, in part, to call attention to the powers SOPA offers internet service providers (ISPs) and media corporations to shut down sites they believe are dealing with copyrighted material. The blackout is also meant to act as a counterweight to the quarter of a billion dollars these companies have pooled to lobby Congresspeople for their votes in favor of SOPA.
The stakes are high for media businesses and service providers, but nonprofits apparently outside the bailiwick of the act are also starting to get involved. Why?
Popularity: 3% | Category Advocacy, Blogs, Campaigns, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, Community, Copyrighting, Events, Marketing, National/International, News and Current Affairs, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Opinion, Politics, Public Media, Site Administration, Social Media, Technology | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#HowTo: Getting Back To Your Desktop From An iOS Device
Write your next proposal on your iPhone!
It’s inevitable: You’re out of the office, armed with an iPhone or with your iPad, and prepping for a big presentation to a potential donor. You need to get to a file or access something on your computer, which – alas – is sitting on your desk back at the office. Now you’ve either got to go back to the office, or to call and hassle a colleague to sift through your machine to find what you need. This scenario probably also involves giving someone else your computer’s password, which you shouldn’t do.
Enter a number of options to allow you to connect back to your computer from iOS, saving you time and the embarrassment of calling HQ for help with your own files. I’ll explore two popular ones that I’ve frequently used. The first is one most have at least heard about, thanks to their email advertising campaigns: LogMeIn.
Popularity: 7% | Category Apple, Communications, Desktop Apps, How-to, iDevice, iPad Apps, iPad/Tablet, iPhone Apps, Nonprofit, Resource, Reviews, Site Administration, Software Review, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits | | 0 Comments
Written by: Scott Caldarelli
#Communications: ‘Tis The Season For Making Lists & Prepping For 2012
In our last blog posting for 2011 we wanted to encourage some meaningful reminiscence over this past year and what it meant for the nonprofit world and to inspire some thinking about the possibilities for 2012. Making lists and checking them twice is a time-honored way to prepare for the holidays, so we present a list of lists and the opportunity for your organization to break onto a list when they are compiled in a year’s time. We have compiled this list based on our own experience with apps, platforms, and issues discussed on these lists.
Popularity: 2% | Category Advice, Blogs, Campaigns, Case Study, Cause Marketing, Communications, Community, Design, Facebook, Fundraising, Hardware Review, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Media Review, News and Current Affairs, Newspaper Article, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Public Media, Public Relations, Publications, Resource, Reviews, SEO, Site Administration, Social Media, Software Review, Storytelling, Strategic Marketing, Technology, Technology for Nonprofits, Writing | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#Fundraising: Make A Video — Grow Your Outreach
Telling stories is one of the elemental qualities of humans. We love to tell them, hear them, and watch them. But sometimes changing media can short-circuit our storytelling instincts as we work our way through the technology yet allow the narrative to dissolve. In the nonprofit world, one of the great developments in media is video. Even inexpensive video cameras can capture amazing quality nowadays, and sites like Vimeo and YouTube offer free platforms to share your organization’s video with the larger world.
If you are not sure video can be worth the investment, did you know that YouTube is now the second largest search engine behind Google? Now that your organization can create its own ‘channel‘ for people to discover and subscribe to, why would you willingly pass up the opportunity to reach millions of people via the most human of activities? If the issue is guidance, the good folks at CauseVox and ListenIn Pictures have just the thing to get you started.
Popularity: 2% | Category Advice, Campaigns, Cause Marketing, Civics, Communications, eBook, Fundraising, How-to, Marketing, Nonprofit, Nonprofit, Resource, Site Administration, Storytelling, Strategic Marketing, Technology | | 1 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
#SocialNetworks: Does Your Nonprofit Still Doubt There’s An ROI For Social Media?
The opportunity to develop a following online has been a part of our business and communications landscape for a decade now, yet many organizations remain shy about using social media as part of a broad strategy of outreach, conversation, and client/donor-development. The time to pay employees and consultants to develop a presence on social networks seems rather too daunting – especially in the current economic climate, as we all hunker down to known knowns. Social networking can seem too much like a known unknown (Oh, Rummy, what you have done to our language and nation…).
To ensure our followers who still might be considering the move, we link you to this short video that demonstrates the statistical opportunities that social media presents:
So how can be sure we connect with those who are out there waiting to get engaged with our work?
Popularity: 2% | Category Advice, Blogs, Campaigns, Case Study, Communications, Facebook, Facebook, Fundraising, How-to, Marketing, Marketing Budget, Marketing Skills, Measurement, Nonprofit, Site Administration, Social Media, Strategic Marketing, Technology, Twitter | | 0 Comments
Written by: Christopher Gardner
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