54. … barriers to group action have collapsed.. ..without those barriers, we are free to explore new ways of gathering together and getting things done.
Most of my work is with public health professionals….and since they have limited resources ( both time and money)
The WI Clearinghouse brings the science of communications to organizations working to influence healthy change in their communities and states
I work with people like Harriet who are passionate about creating healthier communities. Harriet works hard Raging Grannies http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantneufeld/416296900/ I’’m going to share 5 strategies that can help you motivate others to take action
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathangaskin/119586908/ There is always more to do than she has time for
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ario/20732186/ Just keeping up with her email is a challenge. She has a limited budget in fact
She has to fight for every dollar she can get. She does get to go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensheldon/212159782/ So when social media came along…she was excited….she heard the tools were free and easy to use and would save her time
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pablobastidas/198063594/ But….what do they all do, how do you choose and who has the time to learn to use them. She was left feeling like
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hecanjog/220654190/ This
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinielsen/476326980/ And this…. Any similarities between you and Harriot?
Imagine if social technology did help you work smarter
This session will take a look at how organizations are using social media/ social networks to reach engage and influence I’ve spent the last three years teaching people how to use social media…I’m going to share some of my lessons learned…and hope you will also share yours. I’m going to focus the discussion today on
What I think are the three most powerful reasons to use social networks Content: they are changing the way we get information and knoweldge Connections: they are changing the way we organize Credibility: they changing our access to different perspectives and expertize…they are changing who’s voices we hear
And social technology is changing
Information/ knowledge is power…. Social technology is changing what information we have access to
Used to be that the only way to get into the news was traditional media… Only a few organizations could publish, because it was complicated and expensive…so news was limited Now newspapers quote blogs now social media is free and easy……anyone can make the news…and in fast…traditional media often quotes blogs.
How long does it take to get information Now we can get cutting edge information immediately….from multiple sources We can now get cutting edge information immediately
We can get information…anywhere, anytime. We can get information right when we need it
Has also changed
Who creates content..used to be a limited number of experts…now anyone can create content… And it isn’t just that any person can create content…social networks means that people can collaborate to create content
This is my favorite description of who can create content…I hope I am citing the right person because this one gets said a lot. What does it mean for public health..now that we are not the sole producers of content…it can mean in accurate information..but it can also mean more tailored, more relevant and more appealing
Familiar with this The strategy is to let your audience create content that is effective..because they know themselves better than you do
Dr Clark with his H1 N1 rap was the winner…he really is a doctor…it really is a pretty good rap and it is accurate information…when copies this slide it had been viewed over 200,000 times…and was most likely reaching and audience CDC would not have been able to reach 234,000 views Now we can use everyone’s expertise
Information = Power
Blogs are an easy, fast way to publish and share content Let’s take a look at how blogs are being used ( my examples are going to be primarily public health…so I’ll be interested to hear if your experience is different) How are blogs being used
Le’s take a look at how blogs are being use
As a newsletter SFW, a public health advocacy organization uses a blog as a newsletter If you are new to blogs: blog post is content, easy to include: photos, video and hyper links to other web pagess. Columns can include a wide variety of options. Here you can subscribe to have updates come your email This is a way for you to establish yourself as an expert in a specific area
Marathon County ( in WI) is using a blog to support mothers who are trying to quit tobacco. Because blogs are easier and faster to write…you can target a blog to a specific audience. The more tailored information is the more likely people will read it…and the more likely you are to influence behavior
A nutrition blog..talking about Farm to School…in WI we are working to pass policies that will support this effort Prompts to action
The CDC has used blogs in a number of ways -Share information to the public…as well as blogs for public health professionals. -educate popular bloggers so that those bloggers are providing accurate up to date information to their audience- -Leadership blogs ( transparency) This is a use the power of social networks strategy, bloggers are helping CDC disseminate information Win win: bloggers look good, made it easier for bloggers CDC wins: bloggers already credible..so it is a referral from a known and trusted friend
Learning to blog>:> I started a family blog to practice..this is me with my two sons…we blog about environmental actions we take. I have been surprise at how much impact we have had…people I know and people I don’t…approach me and tell me they have changed their behavior because of our blog. Keep in mind…I rarely tell people what to do..I share what we are doing..and sometimes I ask for help ( this was a fundraising request…our goal was $ 250…we more than doubled our goal. Both of my boys were very impressed by this
An internal blog…we use this to share what we are learning within the WCH…so this is just our staff. One organic effort that has emerged is video book reviews
This is one of my favorite blogs…she has added value for me for four years… This is professional dev for me I don’t’ always keep up with reading but search when I need info She models sharing what she is learning …reflective practice…and open sharing She is a great example of creating content and sharing it for other’s to use
Archive Faster to write: no formatting one post at a time Easier to share multi media You can track readership easily You can link to to other communication channels Interactive: readers can comments, ask questions, interact with each other widgets: like polls and links in the column Subscription management; people sign up ( permission marketing) - you can tailor to smaller subsets of audience You can have guest bloggers; you can share the load of writing easily you can set up a private or public blog You can schedule posts to publish
Easier to write and faster to read More information = more posts Less info=fewer
Blogs make it easier for readers to find information in previous posts because there is an archive. You can search by time or key word. The reason this is innovative it is easier and faster for people to find information they need when they need it. In other words I don’t have to read a blog all the time…I can go to a blog just when I need information and search for what I need..when I need it.
Newsletters send information one way..out.. Blogs can be a conversation comment or ask a question. If something isn’t clear they can ask for clarification..if they know more information or another resource..they can add it.
Why publish: build your crediblity as an expert, because you have content people need, you have a unique perspective and expertise People get to know and trust you You contribute to the learning and the knowledge Why read…number one way to stay up to speed in your field You can listen to your audience and what they need
Creating new information is not the only way to add value What do you know that is unique What does your audience need How can you make it easier for your audience to take the action you want
Speaking of publishing..that brings up RSS..or real simple syndication. You can update a blog any time…so information can get out faster than traditional media….and with RSS…you can subscribe and get informed each time a blog ( or website is updated) …so you can really get the news instantly.
Let’s say you want to subcsribe to our blog… You can subscribe via email which is fine if you only read one or two blogs…but if you start to read more
Here is a health dept blog…gives you the opportunity to subscribe via RRS and tells you what RSS is So subscribing to RSS means I’m subscribing to the news feed so I’ll be informed when ever updates are made ( this saves me time..I don’t have to go check multiple websites and blogs)
Here are three of the blogs that I read…I follow a lot of blogs..so rather than having the updates come to my inbox I subscribe with a reader
I use google reader. Left column is my list of blogs and the right side lists new posts…content I have not read yet. So I can skim the titles of new posts from all the blogs I subscribe too…all in one place. For me..this is like creating my own personalized news letter…with just the content that I am interested in. Blogs have become my number one professional development tool.
Content: information is power and social technology is opening new ways to create and share content. Blogs are one powerful and easy and often free tool to share content
Ever seen something like this? This is a map of a social network…it is showing how obesity spreads through social contacts..I show it to public health professionals to make the point that we are influenced by our social contacts ( this study showed that if your friends become obese..it is much more likely that you will too) http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/370/F1 New england journal obesity study
http://socialmarketing.blogs.com/r_craiig_lefebvres_social/2007/07/maybe-it-is-all.html Social networkins influence our behavior.. We have always had social networks Online social networks have the ability to reach much farther and much faster. If you want to influence behavior…you need to pay attention to social networks
It’s about relationships…and the tool that is being used the most ( at least right now) If I am connected to you…I can influence your behavior ( that’s power) If I am connected to a network..and we can organize to take action ( that’ s power)
Social networks are creating new ways for people to come together and get things done
We don’t depend on organizations to coordinate action anymore
The story of Sameer and Vinay..both diagnosed with leukemia..both needed bone marrow transplants…very few Asians are in the bone marrow registry. Their friends formed a team…and using email, Facebook, Youtube
This was not an organization..this was a team of people who formed to help a friend How many organizations could do what they did…in the time that they did it? We have always had social networks ..but with online networks information can move faster and farther.
The most popular social network right now…let’s take a look at how it is being used.
I didn’t really use facebook…I am busy, I have a lot of people to keep up with face to face and many of my closest friends and family are not on using facebook regularly. The bottom line…Facebook didn’t add enough value for me to invest my most limited resource..my time
The day I heard that WI Gov was making changes to the state budget …both the content and the process were things I had strong feelings about I wanted my kids and their friends to know what was going on…and how democracy worked…this is from a day that Madison schools were closed because teachers called in sick.
I got information on facebook that I was not getting anywhere else…it was my single best source of up to date information ( I did check accuracy) I used facebook to inform others…I past on information that I thought was important.
become a citizen journalist…I published information and photos that was not making it into the mainstream media..and that my friends and famly outside of Madison might not know
This is from a faculty member at the college I used to work at So I started to use Facebook when it helped me: get information I needed, pass that information on to others…and share calls to action and actions I was taking.
Federal Government: Share up to date news out to the public Wall is where you share public info, people can “like” with a thumbs up, and comment and share with their networks
It is actually the norm at the national level to have a facebook page.
Local government: County public health dept Information out to the general public..they are sharing videos
Community coalition: WI obesity prevention coalition in Marathon county Keep up to date See the interaction Notice the photos..I didn’t point it out but flickr has added a square shape to their options
Share content….influence action by modeling
Non profit organizations: Online presence for policy advocacy They started separate pages for campaigns. Show support for policy work by numbers of fans and people who like this Recruit for off line aciton like speaking at hearing Consistent messages Share photos and videos
SFW Fan Page, older, largest following I go on once or twice a week and try to like comments, delete negative things and interact with our fans Support folks on the site who are discussing together or debating an issue Biggest regret is getting onto facebook before the cause feature was created.
Less active, smaller following, less moderation During the height of the campaign three people managed this page When it was your week you needed to do the following: Welcome new fans Create an ask for them- contact their legislators, write an LTE, ask a friend to join, etc. Friend people that you want to friend Delete any negatives off there Moderate debates if needed We did create events and posted videos from our youtube channel As we move towards implementation we are going to transition this page to Wisconsin is better Smoke-Free!
Primarily for our online fundraising- $700 to date, send out action alerts This is really a SFW organization focused cause versus a campaign or smoke-free air. Causes have to managed by some one- pref. a neutral account thus avoiding staff leave and not be able to manage cause Opportunity to do birthday wishes and get creative Cause function is 100% free and money raised gets sent in check form 2x a month We don’t do as much with this as we probably could due to time constraints You have to be 501(c)(3) in order to have this page and Guidestar needs federal employer ID number to verify
This year…my family was looking for a bigger challenge..and decided to go one year without buying anything new I’d love to say this was a new idea…but it turns out..there are groups of people already doing this…and you can find out about them by googling buy nothing new..or the Compact. This blog past
We got more comments on our blog than in the past three years ( which means ..three comments.) notice that I pulled one of the comments up as a blog post…I’m pretty sure that people reading my blog don’t’ know they can comment or how to read the comments..and they were thoughtful comments and deserved to be read.
Because of the blog my undergraduate college alumni magazine asked to interview me
Because of the article we got more page views
Plus I posted to me Facebook that I was famous..which got more comments that I have ever gotten on Facebook…I have some very supportive friends
And because of all the discussion…a friend is considering not buying new for a year
If you really want to engage and influence people on Facebook…your strongest strategies will work on building relationships And let go of control? (30-70 from networked non profit)
Share information, resources and updates, promoting events, influence behavior ( flu fighter), get volunteers ( SFW letters to ed, speak at joint finance)
http://www.workingwikily.net/Working_Wikily.pdf How we share information Connect with each other Access different perspectives and expertise
The web is the great equalizer….we can hear voices we have not heard before Think of communities that you work with who are not respected, who do not have access to power of Status, education, money, connections
Kids: alex lemonaid stand Homeless jack Witness Mercy corps FACT youth
Laura 10 years old…25 days of giving in honor of
Albert Stockman was my grandpa. He loved helping other people, and he believed that everybody could make the world a better place, not just by doing big things, but by doing small things too! My grandpa once told me that I was a leader. Even though he called me “Lit-tle Laura”, he made me feel big and strong inside. In 2005, my grandpa got very sick. He was only in his sixties, and he was very happy and healthy before then. I was sad and scared when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He died only five months later. I was very, very sad when he died, and I felt lonely. My grandpa would not have wanted this though. In December of 2007, I decided that the best way to remember my grandpa during the holiday season would be by living my life like he did, by making a difference and being a leader. I decided to honor my grandfather’s memory by trying to make a difference every day for twenty five days. I wanted to be able to do little things, like kids my age typically do, instead of HUGE things that are sometimes hard for kids like me. I decided to write about my adventures here, and I also created a challenge. I challenged everyone who read my blog to TRY to do something every single day during the holiday season to make a SMALL difference in his or her world. I explained that whoever made the “most difference” in December would win a $25.00 donation to the charity of his or her choice on Christmas night. I SAVED ALL OF MY ALLOWANCE ($25) FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED AND EXCITED WHEN SEVERAL PEOPLE GENEROUSLY OFFERED TO MATCH MY DONATION (OR MORE)!
Asked homeless people what programs made the biggest difference in their lives MN coaltion for the homeless
Delieberately connect with people who are different
Be a scientist?
My reflection blog….PPT link to slide share, summary of key points, list of resources, links to some of the examples. http://bit.ly/socialnet4h
We have the tools to work better….how can we not use them?