10 Tips for Using Social Media to Engage Volunteers

Connecting Great Ideas and Great People

www.asaecenter.org

Content Leaders: Jessica Medaille, International Society for Technology in Education Jennifer Ragan-Fore, International Society for Technology in Education

10StepsforUsingSocialMediatoEngageVolunteers

August 16, 2009, 3:15 pm Tweet this session: #asae09 lr1

10StepsforUsingSocialMediatoEngageVolunteers

•  Novirtualopportuni<es•  Noshort‐termassignments•  Loca<oninconvenient•  Concernaboutexpense/lossofincome

•  Don’tknowothervolunteers

•  Noopportuni<esfornetworking

BarrierstoVolunteering 

fromDecision to Volunteer,page103

ExamplesofVolunteerOpportuni<es

•  Leadingmonth‐longbookclubdiscussionsonourwikiorNing

•  Servingasorganiza<onal“docents”inSecondLife

•  Gree<ngnewmembersofourNingeveryfewdaysforamonth

•  Short‐termguestblogging

•  Offeringaninformal“UStream”liveeventformembers

•  Pos<ngnewsitemstoFacebook

•  OrganizingaspeakerseriesinSecondLife

AnnualConference

TechnologyStandards

20,000individualmembers85,000affiliatedmembers

VirtualCommuni<esBooks

Educa<onAdvocacyPeriodicals

WhatWe’llCover:

Sec$on1:Prepareyourorganiza$on

Step1:Assessyourorganiza<on’sreadinessStep2:Educatetherestofyourorganiza<on

Step3:Establishguidelines&orienta<on

WhatWe’llCover:

Sec$on2:ThinkDifferent

Step4:RemovethebarriersStep5:Understandtheculturalshi_s

Step6:MaketheinvisiblevisibleStep7:Iden<fyyourchampions

WhatWe’llCover:

Sec$on3:AvoidthePi>alls

Step8:BuildincheckpointsStep9:Holdthemaccountable

Step10:Givegooddirec<on

Sec<on1:PrepareyourOrganiza<on

Step1:AssessyourReadiness

How does this fit with your mission? 

How will you measure success? 

Step2:Educatetherestofyourorganiza<on

Help the rest  of your org  iden:fy  appropriate  volunteer  opportuni:es 

Ques<onstoAsk:

•  Whatsocialmedianeedsandopportuni<esexist?•  Whichsocialmediatoolsandchannelsareyourmemberscurrentlyusing?

•  Whatskillsorknowledgeareneededtocontribute?•  Whattypeoforienta<onwillneedtobedesignedandwhowilldoit?

•  Howlongshouldtheappropriatevolunteerhavebeenamember?

•  Howmuch<meisavailabletomanagethevirtualvolunteer(s)comple<ngtheproject?

•  Howlongwillittaketocompletetheproject,oristhisanongoingproject?

Step3:EstablishGuidelines&Orienta<on

Create a Code of Conduct 

IssuestoCover:

•  Howavolunteer/communityleaderwillbeiden<fiedwithinthecommunity

•  Howavolunteerwilldifferen<atebetweencommentsthatrepresenthisorherownopinionsvscommentsthatrepresenthisorherroleasavolunteer.

•  Whatthevolunteercanandcannotsayonbehalfoftheorganiza<on

•  Howthevolunteerhandlesescala<ngornega<vecommentsorsitua<ons(whatheorshecanhandlevswhatshouldbele_tostafforvolunteerleadership)

Consider how well you  know these volunteers 

Break the work into chunks 

Be flexible 

How will these volunteers fit? 

Make the value proposi:on clear 

Clarify your organiza:on’s mission 

Tap your volunteer leaders to reach  out to new poten:al volunteers 

Sec<on3:AvoidthePikalls…

Step8:BuildinCheckpoints

Step9:Holdthemaccountable

Strike the right balance 

Step10:Givegooddirec<on

Watch out for volunteers who take  themselves too seriously 

Atyourtables

Take5minutesanddiscuss3waysthatyouthinkyoucouldintegratesomeoftheseopportuni<esintoyourownorganiza<ons.

Ques<ons?

www.asaecenter.org

Contact Information

Jennifer Ragan-Fore Director of New Media & Member Communities International Society for Technology in Education jraganfore@iste.org Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook: raganfore

Jessica Medaille Senior Director of Membership Development International Society for Technology in Education jmedaille@iste.org Twitter/LinkedIn: jmedaille

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! Annual Meeting & Expo August 21 - 24, 2010

Los Angeles, CA