(10/5/2010) –For more than 100 years, Extension has reached out to Minnesotans where they gather—schools, farms, communities, homes. Today many people are gathering in communities online in chat rooms, blogs, social networking sites and websites. During this session, you will learn how to find and engage with communities that have formed online--allowing you and your team new ways to extend your outreach and enhance your programming.

1. Connect Online With Your
Program’s Communities
Danny Sussman
Julie Christensen

2. Connect Online With Your Program’s
Communities
1. Extension’s History of Connecting
2. Online Communities in Action
3. Finding Online Communities
– User-Centric
– Topic-Centric
4. Engaging in Online Communities

3. 1. Extension’s History of Connecting

4. Educational Trains: 1912-14
• Brought lectures,
exhibits from U
• Listened to rural MN
• Ensured research,
education relevant

5. Use of News Media: 1950s
• TV, radio,
newspapers
• Disseminated
ag and home
economics info
• Mass media
approach

6. Popularization of Teleconferences: 1970s

7. The Information Superhighway: 1990s
• Web 1.0
• Researched-based
info goes online
• Online learning

8. Web 2.0: Today

9. Extension Meets People Where They Are

10. 2. Online Communities in Action

11. Challenge: Learn About Dairy Producers

12. Types of Online Communities
User-centric Topic-centric
• Facebook • Cafe Mom
• Twitter • TeachAid
• LinkedIn • Cyburbia

13. User-Centric Social Networks By Age

14. Males vs. Females on Social Networks

15. 2A. Finding Online Communities:
User-Centric Social Networks

16. Where Do You Start?
Image:
http://web.archive.org/web/19981202230410/http://www.google.com/

24. Watching the Rains Come

27. 2B. Finding Online Communities:
Topic-Centric Websites

28. Sometimes, You Have to Get Information
the Old Fashioned Way

29. What websites do you go to?

30. The Tale of Goodhue Gouda

31. Retelling the Story
Read the story: http://cheeseunderground.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-
location-acs-in-seattle.html

32. Posted to E-Democracy and Craigslist

33. 3. Engaging in Online Communities

34. Listen, hear, observe

35. Foster mutual value

36. Remember the 4 C’s

37. Quality content attracts/builds community

38. Meeting people where they are = context

39. Connectivity supports online interaction

40. Connectivity supports online interaction

41. Continuity = Consistent user experience

42. Best Practices for Engaging Online

43. Best Practices for Engaging Online

44. Review: Connect Online
With Your Program’s Communities
1. Extension’s History of Connecting
2. Online Communities in Action
3. Finding Online Communities
– User-Centric
– Topic-Centric
4. Engaging in Online Communities

45. Connect Online
With Your Program’s Communities
• Danny Sussman, Extension Webmaster
email: sussman@umn.edu
twitter.com/TheSuss
• Julie Christensen, Extension Communications
email: reuve007@umn.edu
twitter.com/JRChris
twitter.com/UMNExt (Extension account)
youtube.com/UofMNExt (Extension channel)