Message and the Message and the Medium: How We Medium: How We Tell Our Story and Tell Our Story and

Get it HeardGet it Heard

ObjectivesObjectives

• Mission first. Set goals that you can tie to your mission.

• There is no such thing as “the public.” Focus on target audiences. 

• Self-interest drives action. Put it out the way they will take it in.

• Research, research, research. Evaluate and adjust.

• The new rules of Social Media. Talk less, listen more.

• Mission Organizational Goals Communications Goals

• The communications department must work with all other areas of the organization to best serve the mission.

MissionMission

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ihtatho/627226315/

ObjectiveObjective

•What do you want to accomplish with your campaign?

•Describe how your objective supports or links to a specific goal from your organization’s communications plan http://www.flickr.com/photos/wili/214316968/

Goal Setting IQ TestGoal Setting IQ Test

To draw political attention to ongoing genocide in Darfur by delivering 1 million postcards to be sent to Obama within his first 100 days in office

AudienceAudience

•Who must you reach with your communications efforts to meet your objective? Why this target group?

•Is this a target group identified in your organization’s communications plan?

•What do they know or believe about your organization or issue? What will resonate with them?

•What key points do you want to make with your audience?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuellar/57473280/

Self InterestSelf Interest

• How do you best motivate your audience….

• Where you’ve reached them? http://www.flickr.com/photos/spencershu/1559982415/

What are they doing online? Offline?

The Right MessageThe Right Message

• Is our message simple?• Are we breaking patterns of thought?• Do we become trapped in the Curse

of Knowledge?• Are we credible?• Do we utilize emotions effectively?• Will our stories move people to act?

The right message in the right The right message in the right place at the right time.place at the right time.

One WayEmail

Direct MailAds

SocialListening

ConversationConnecting

HomebaseWeb Site

AudienceObjective

It All Works TogetherIt All Works Together

What is Social Media?

Using the Internet to instantly collaborate, share information, and have a conversation about ideas and causes we care about.

What is Social Media?What is Social Media?

Powered by ..Powered by ..

It is a conversation It is a conversation between peoplebetween people

SupportersSupporters

ClientsClients

AudiencesAudiences

DonorsDonors

And those And those donors too!donors too!

Brand in control

One way / Delivering a message

Repeating the message

Focused on the brand

Educating

Organization creates content

Audience in control

Two way / Being a part of a conversation

Adapting the message/ beta

Focused on the audience / Adding value

Influencing, involving

User created content / Co-creation

TALKTALK CONVERSATIONSCONVERSATIONS

Source: Slide 10 from "What's Next In Media?" by Neil Perkin

Some Differences in TacticsSome Differences in Tactics

Not Controlled Not Controlled

Not OrganizedNot Organized

Not On MessageNot On Message

184 million bloggers

73% of active online users have read a blog

45% have started their own blog

57% have joined a social network

55% have uploaded photos

83% have watched video clips

39% subscribe to an RSS feed

Source: Universal McCann Comparative Study on Social Media Trends April 2008

Not everyone is a social media user

Online MediaOnline MediaBroadly speaking, the top 1,000 media sites fall into two categories

Publisher Media Social Media

Social Media took the lion’s share of the 2.1 trillion page views made at the top 1k media sites last year, nearly doubling 2007 PV volume

Page View SharePage View ShareShare of all page views at the Top 1,000 Media sites, December 2007 – 2008

15%

85%

Publisher Media

Social Media2008

Welcome to the Social WorldWelcome to the Social World

Case Study in BuzzCase Study in Buzz

http://tweetsgiving.org/• $10,000• 48 hours• 364 donations• 3,000 gratitude tweets• 40% from twitter + 30%

direct visits + 9% search + 6% Facebook and StumbleUpon = 85% of all visits

How do we balance How do we balance conversation and talk?conversation and talk?

Build BuzzShare

Your Story

Listen &Participate

Build Community

Tactical ApproachesTactical Approaches

Listening is Listening is knowing what is knowing what is being said online being said online about your about your organization and organization and your field.your field.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niclindh/1389750548/

Listening leads to participationListening leads to participation

Participation

• Who is empowered to respond and in what circumstances?

• How will you address negative comments or perceptions?

• What is the goal of your participation?

Less about tools, more Less about tools, more about techniqueabout technique

• They’ve paid you a compliment

• Valid client complaint• If information is incorrect• If you have something of

value to offer

RespondRespond Don’t RespondDon’t Respond

• Trolls• Competitors• Not you

Organizational Organizational Development ConcernsDevelopment Concerns

•Acceptable Use•Business Voice and Personal Voice•Coordination with communications, HR, legal, and IT•Management tolerance, participation, endorsement•Safe zones for experimentation•Balance "quick and candid" with "thoughtful and professional”

We Are Media Project:The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits

Visit the WeAreMedia wiki for additional resources and to connect with other nonprofit social media practitioners via http://www.wearemedia.org

Funded by the Surdna Foundation