A colleague and friend of mine, Todd Bolster, at The Basement Design + Motion, were IM'ing each other on Facebook yesterday. I was helping him brainstorm potential prospects and he jokingly referred to me as the Forbes Magazine of our industry. I think that industry spans some territory: the interfraternal community, nonprofit community, and knowledge about social media. I took that comment as a huge compliment, because if there is one thing I like to do is network with people and listen to what they have to say.
With that in mind, I thought I would share with you some good people to follow, network with, like, and above all...listen to what they have to say about social media, communication trends, nonprofit technology trends, and other things "tech." By no means is this an exhaustive list. This was just my off-the-top of my head list of recommendations to get you started.
On Facebook
NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network
TED
Fortune Magazine
Fast Company
On Twitter
@jeffbullas
@johnhaydon
@kanter
@newssocialmedia
@techcrunch
@dakshinamurti
@mashable
@davidebowman
You can easily go crazy with following people so I picked out my favorites that post the most relevant and useful content. I would be interested in hearing your recommendations. And in case you are so inclined, you can follow me on twitter at @bethanydeines.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Kickstarter - Coolest Idea to Fund Innovative Projects
In the June 2010 issue of Fast Company, I read an short blurb about the 74th most innovative company: Kickstarter. It was founded by Perry Chen and Yancey Strickler. According to Fast Company, Kickstarter is a "...platform that lets users crowdsource funding for creative ventures." Interesting. I was sufficiently intrigued because I believe 115% in igniting passion and this sounded like a way for creative people to actually get their dreams funded. Afterall, nothing propels dreams into reality better than cold hard cash. So, time to learn more...
Here's how Kickstarter describes itself on the FAQ page:
Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors.
We believe that...
• A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide.
• A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement.
• A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement.
Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands.
Here's how it works, according to Kickstarter:
Every project has a funding goal (any dollar amount) and a time limit (from 1 - 90 days) set by the project creator. When the deadline is reached, there are either of two results:
1. Funding Successful: If a project has met or surpassed its funding goal, all backers' credit cards are instantly charged and funds go directly to the project creator. Project creators are then responsible for completing the project and delivering rewards as promised.'
2. Funding Unsuccessful: If a project has NOT met its funding goal, all pledges are canceled.
There are certain Kickstarter guidelines, such as people can't use this for fundraising, charity projects, funding business expenses (i.e. payroll, rent) or asking people to fund personal needs (mortgage payments, travel, medical expenses, living expenses, etc.). I appreciate guidelines. I think it gives programs legitimacy and credibility. Always good to read the small print!
When a project gets listed, someone interested in making a pledge to fund it uses Amazon's payment system. Anonymous pledges are not allowed. You have to be okay with using your name and indicating what you are supporting. I like transparency. It adds authenticity.
Someone always asks, "What's in it for Kickstarter?" If a project is successfully funded, Kickstarter keeps 5% of the funds raised. What isn't completely clear is what the credit card transaction fees are and how those are covered. But perhaps I just didn't dig deep enough to figure that out. Nevertheless, if you are looking for capital to make a movie, create music, design something, write a book or do anything else creative and ambitious, this could be a wonderful place to start. There's very little risk but potentially great reward.
There are a lot of great answers to questions on the Kickstarter FAQ page. Be sure to spend some time on that page if you decide to try this out for your bringing your own dream to life.
Here's some of the projects that are popular this week:
- Punk Mathmatics - part math book, part online event
- Set Music Free - help purchase music that can be released without copyrights
- Jamie and Jessie are Not Together - a queer lesbian feature film
- Santa Bring the Funk - a "holidelic" holiday album
The site lists something that likely meets anyone's individual tastes. Take some time to explore this. It is such an exciting idea...and if you are looking for funding to bring that creative idea you've been tossing around in your head to life, this may just be the answer you are looking for.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Social Media What?
Here's the Social Media presentation I recently presented for the grant writing professional in Dayton.
Social Media What?
View more presentations from Bethany Deines.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Likes, Retweets and Tell-A-Woman: The Power of Personal Recommendations
The modern version of word-of-mouth referrals is Facebook's "Likes." It's everywhere - you can like just about anything at any time on the internet and can then have your personal thumbs up broadcasted to your entire network of friends. We all learn that if someone doesn't like something, they will tell 10 people. If they like something, they generally don't say a thing. Facebook has changed all that. If you like something, Facebook will make sure everyone knows about it. Marketers are just beginning to harness what this means. As usual, nonprofits are lagging behind.
Here's the danger of not paying attention to who likes you: you are missing an entire audience of people championing your cause. Give your constituents the opportunity to like you. Have an up-to-date Facebook page. Use the new tools to embed into your website so people can share their support of your message and broadcast it to a far greater audience than you could reach independently. Encourage people to like your blog and then repost the message via their own Facebook page. It's a viral form of personal recommendations that has a really wide reach.
People trust other recommendations. Whenever I book a hotel room, purchase a product, or look for a service, I seek out the section on websites on references. That feedback is honest, often blunt, and generally spot on. Sites like Amazon, Hotels.com, Orbitz, CNet use these personal recommedations brilliantly. Don't buy a product before reading them. Better yet, take some time to give your own feedback and help others out. Your opinion is valuable; speak out.
Twitter's Retweet (RT) functionality is nothing more than someone say, "Hey, I like this...check it out." I am more likely going to read an article that I've seen RT'ed by friends that I trust. There is something very flattering to see a tweet you've posted get picked up and rebroadcasted to their own network. It gives credence that your message is important, worthy, and valuable.
In the May 31, 2010 issue of Time Magazine, there was an article entitled "Philanthropy Roundtable." It featured various philanthropists and nonprofit leaders and sought out their opinions on fundraising and the spirit of philanthropy. I was struck by a comment made by Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, founder of Barefoot College. His organization works in Africa training rural women to be solar energy engineers. He shared some thoughts on grassroots communication, "The best way to communicate is not a telephone or a telegraph. It's tell-a woman....Word of mouth really is the best way to communicate."
Why is word of mouth so effective? Because it comes from someone you trust. It provides opportunities for honest, unprovoked recommendations. It's organic and not created by a marketing firm or clever campaign. It comes from someone who has truly been impacted. Testimonials are a powerful way of getting your message to new donors, followers, fans, volunteers, clients, employees, etc. Are you giving people something positive to talk about? Do you encourage feedback on your Facebook page? Do you provide the ability for fans to like something on your website and share it with others? Are you creating forums for people to share their thoughts? Do you ask for honest feedback? Are you sharing valuable information that those already networked with you can share with those who are not?
Grassroots organizations need to provide grassroots methods of communication. The good news is that social media and the internet have made this simpler than ever. It's up to you to simply take advantage of it.
Here's the danger of not paying attention to who likes you: you are missing an entire audience of people championing your cause. Give your constituents the opportunity to like you. Have an up-to-date Facebook page. Use the new tools to embed into your website so people can share their support of your message and broadcast it to a far greater audience than you could reach independently. Encourage people to like your blog and then repost the message via their own Facebook page. It's a viral form of personal recommendations that has a really wide reach.
People trust other recommendations. Whenever I book a hotel room, purchase a product, or look for a service, I seek out the section on websites on references. That feedback is honest, often blunt, and generally spot on. Sites like Amazon, Hotels.com, Orbitz, CNet use these personal recommedations brilliantly. Don't buy a product before reading them. Better yet, take some time to give your own feedback and help others out. Your opinion is valuable; speak out.
Twitter's Retweet (RT) functionality is nothing more than someone say, "Hey, I like this...check it out." I am more likely going to read an article that I've seen RT'ed by friends that I trust. There is something very flattering to see a tweet you've posted get picked up and rebroadcasted to their own network. It gives credence that your message is important, worthy, and valuable.
In the May 31, 2010 issue of Time Magazine, there was an article entitled "Philanthropy Roundtable." It featured various philanthropists and nonprofit leaders and sought out their opinions on fundraising and the spirit of philanthropy. I was struck by a comment made by Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, founder of Barefoot College. His organization works in Africa training rural women to be solar energy engineers. He shared some thoughts on grassroots communication, "The best way to communicate is not a telephone or a telegraph. It's tell-a woman....Word of mouth really is the best way to communicate."
Why is word of mouth so effective? Because it comes from someone you trust. It provides opportunities for honest, unprovoked recommendations. It's organic and not created by a marketing firm or clever campaign. It comes from someone who has truly been impacted. Testimonials are a powerful way of getting your message to new donors, followers, fans, volunteers, clients, employees, etc. Are you giving people something positive to talk about? Do you encourage feedback on your Facebook page? Do you provide the ability for fans to like something on your website and share it with others? Are you creating forums for people to share their thoughts? Do you ask for honest feedback? Are you sharing valuable information that those already networked with you can share with those who are not?
Grassroots organizations need to provide grassroots methods of communication. The good news is that social media and the internet have made this simpler than ever. It's up to you to simply take advantage of it.
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