Don’t Get Beat To The Tweet

Don’t Make The Same Mistake Twice

Remember when you waited to buy a domain name for  your organization because you wanted to see what was going to happen with this new-fangled thing called the Internet? Would this crazy concept ever catch on? Many thought it wouldn’t. Now those organizations have URLs for their website with words like “now” or “net” or “online” in them while the more savvy organizations have rock solid, memorable URLs for what turns out to be the most valuable marketing tool you’ll organization will ever have.

Ad Age has a recent article that talks about how major brands like GM, Kellogg and Hyundai (who, ironically, is also named marketer of the year on the cover of the same issue) missed their land grab opportunity. Squatters claimed their handles on Twitter leaving them to scramble for an alternative solution.

But We Don’t Use Twitter

It doesn’t matter if you use Twitter or not. Even if you don’t plan to ever use Twitter, it makes good sense to grab your handle just the same. If someone else grabs it, they could be representing views and opinions that don’t align with your organization. Some other sites you should quickly claim your real estate on:

YouTube
Flickr
Facebook
LinkedIn
Delicious

It’s astounding that major corporations with powerhouse marketers somehow missed the writing on the wall with Twitter. Regardless of how you feel about Twitter, it (or something very much like it) will be around for the duration. Grab your handle while you still can.

Association Social Networking Strategy Checklist: 10 Things To Do First

What’s First?

This blog post is meant to assist associations who are either just getting started with social networking or have a social network up and running that they wish was performing better.

It’s not enough to simply implement social networking software and hope that your members figure out a way to make it work for them. Having the right software is vital, of course, but community building is all about creating and nurturing an environment that your members can thrive in. A place where networking is natural, influencers drive content and dialogs, and members take ownership of the community and monitor it for you.

So, how do you achieve social networking nirvana?

Every association requires their own special plan – there are no cookie cutter solutions – but there are some important steps that every association can take to get off on the right foot. Remember, your members will eventually take over your community for you, but, to start, you’ll need to do some thinking, strategizing, planning and incentivizing to get your community up and running.

A Simple Checklist

Below is a simple checklist of 10 things you can start working on today to get your members engaged and your community to a place where it becomes a true member benefit, offering unmatched collaboration, sharing and networking.

1. Identify and document community goals and objectives. They should map to your organizational goals and be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive.
2. Identify and recruit influencers. Your members will respond better to content and conversations created by the leaders of your membership.
3. Indentify and prioritize programs. What will get more attention: a blurb in your newsletter saying, “Check out our new online community” or a call to action like “Congress passed a bill this week that will affect the way you do business. Click here to weigh in.” Don’t assume people will know what to do in your community. Create programs and topics of interest that will spark engagement.
4. Identify and contact partners. Are some of your members also bloggers? Could a sponsor or vendor somehow help promote your new community? Could they be a part of it? Could you collaborate with a competitor? Keep an open mind and contact those that may be able to create synergies for you.
5. Create and gather content. And then make a plan. Don’t throw everything you have out to your membership at once. Schedule releases and employ volunteers to create more content for you.
6. Create outposts. A private social network is critical, but establish yourself at least on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter, too. Figure out how you’ll use them later if you have to, but claim your real estate now. Ultimately, you want to direct the outside world back to your web presence and these are great websites to do that from.
7. Define a roll out plan. It should include what, where, when and how. Don’t let the launch of the software feel like the end of your project. It’s actually just the beginning.
8. Train your staff facilitator. This is all new stuff. Don’t assume because you’ve assigned someone the role of owning the social network that they know what to do. Find an outside source to help if you have to, but don’t leave your social networking manager hanging. Even if they are young and are active on Facebook, they still need some formal education on how to be successful managing your private social network. Schedule ongoing training for your facilitator to keep up with emerging technology.
9. Draft terms of use. Crucial. Establish guidelines early and post them in the appropriate place to make sure your community adheres to them.
10. Define success factors. What will it look like when you’ve gotten it right? Most importantly, write the success factors down. It’s not real till it’s written.

Now What?

This list is not necessarily comprehensive, but it is a great jumping off point. As you work through these 10 items there is no doubt you’ll realize there are other things to consider as well. Your online community will eventually be your most valuable asset, if you get it right. But don’t feel like you have to get it right the first time. We’re all still learning the inner workings of Web 2.0. The important part is to get started and go from there. I hope this list helps you begin your journey to social networking nirvana.

his document was created to assist associations who are either just getting started with social networking or have a social network up and running that they wish was performing better.

It’s not enough to simply implement social networking software and hope that your members figure out a way to make it work for them. Having the right software is vital, of course, but community building is all about creating and nurturing an environment that your members can thrive in. A place where networking is natural, influencers drive content and dialogs, and members take ownership of the community and monitor it for you.

So, how do you achieve social networking nirvana?

Every association requires their own special plan – there are no cookie cutter solutions – but there are some important steps that every association can take to get off on the right foot. Remember, your members will eventually take over your community for you, but, to start, you’ll need to do some thinking, strategizing, planning and incentivizing to get your community up and running.

A Simple Checklist

Below is a simple checklist of 10 things you can start working on today to get your members engaged and your community to a place where it becomes a true member benefit, offering unmatched collaboration, sharing and networking.

1. Identify and document community goals and objectives. They should map to your organizational goals and be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive.

1. Identify and recruit influencers. Your members will respond better to content and conversations created by the leaders of your membership.

1. Indentify and prioritize programs. What will get more attention: a blurb in your newsletter saying, “Check out our new online community” or a call to action like “Congress passed a bill this week that will affect the way you do business. Click here to weigh in.” Don’t assume people will know what to do in your community. Create programs and topics of interest that will spark engagement.

1. Identify and contact partners. Are some of your members also bloggers? Could a sponsor or vendor somehow help promote your new community? Could they be a part of it? Could you collaborate with a competitor? Keep an open mind and contact those that may be able to create synergies for you.

1. Create and gather content. And then make a plan. Don’t throw everything you have out to your membership at once. Schedule releases and employ volunteers to create more content for you.

1. Create outposts. A private social network is critical, but establish yourself at least on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter, too. Figure out how you’ll use them later if you have to, but claim your real estate now. Ultimately, you want to direct the outside world back to your web presence and these are great websites to do that from.

1. Define a roll out plan. It should include what, where, when and how. Don’t let the launch of the software feel like the end of your project. It’s actually just the beginning.

1. Train your staff facilitator. This is all new stuff. Don’t assume because you’ve assigned someone the role of owning the social network that they know what to do. Find an outside source to help if you have to, but don’t leave your social networking manager hanging. Even if they are young and are active on Facebook, they still need some formal education on how to be successful managing your private social network. Schedule ongoing training for your facilitator to keep up with emerging technology.

1. Draft terms of use. Crucial. Establish guidelines early and post them in the appropriate place to make sure your community adheres to them.

1. Define success factors. What will it look like when you’ve gotten it right? Most importantly, write the success factors down. It’s not real till it’s written.

This list is not necessarily comprehensive, but it is a great jumping off point. As you work through these 10 items there is no doubt you’ll realize there are other things to consider as well. Your online community will eventually be your most valuable asset, if you get it right. But don’t feel like you have to get it right the first time. We’re all still learning the inner workings of Web 2.0. The important part is to get started and go from there. I hope this list helps you begin your journey to social networking nirvana.

5 Reasons Why Playing It Safe Is Dangerous For Your Association

Here are 5 reasons why thinking safe and acting safe can be dangerous in these times more than any other.

1. Safe defends the status quo. There is no greater time to buck traditions and move outside your comfort zone.

2. Safe doesn’t equal success. Some of the greatest companies in the world started in a recession. Where would we get a Whopper if James McLamore and David Edgerton played it safe?

3. Safe is boring. How will you attract younger members, create an increase in non-dues revenue and establish a stellar online presence if you’re boring everyone to death? Better yet, how will you motivate your staff to be energetic, effective and productive if your safe approach to communication has made you a bore?

4. Safe means you’re fearful. Are you still fretting over whether you should do social media or not? Guess what, your fear just cost you a whole truckload of time you’ll now need to catch up with the status quo.

5. Safe feels like you’re in control. But you’re not.

Get A Behind-The-Scenes Look At What It Takes To Build A Community Online

I’ll be part of a webinar put on by Higher Logic tomorrow, Thursday, October 22 at 1pm Central. It will be a case study webinar on the building of a community from the eyes of the association and the vendor. PromaxBDA recently launched a new website, community and custom awards module. Come to this webinar to find out what it really takes to get a Web 2.0 project off the ground. This one promises to be full of useful, real-world insights. Don’t miss it.

UPDATE: View the recorded webinar.

7 Key Things To Look For In Your New Association Website Vendor

toothpastefordinner.com

Website redesigns are a reality for many organizations these days. With the dawning of social networking and with the coming evolution of mobile, we all need to rethink our web presence. It’s vital to get your new website right, of course, but to do that you’ll need to find the right vendor to build it for you.

Here are 7 things to look for as you begin your search. Self-serving as this may seem, it truly is – based on years of experience and many conversations with associations and website vendors – a good list of things to think about as you make this important decision that will no doubt affect your organization for years to come.

1. Are associations what they do? Many times commercial web design firms will simply throw up a page on their website that says they work with non-profits. It’s a huge market, so makes sense for them to be there if they can be. Get references from associations they’ve worked with in the past. Ask to see that work. You’re a unique organization and you need people on your side who understand what that means.

2. Are they integrators? Your website isn’t just a website anymore. You’ll need it to connect seamlessly to your AMS system and most likely other systems as well. Don’t get caught up on design alone. Development of integration points will be a very vital piece to your next redesign. If you’re not looking at it that way then you’re building for 1999, not 2009.

3. Do they offer a CMS? Some web design firms can provide the design and information architecture of a project, but they don’t provide the tools on which to build your website. Make sure a content management system is part of their offering. On the flip side, don’t simply choose a CMS vendor who does design begrudgingly. They are focused on the software (and they should be) so design in some cases is just a necessary evil for them.

4. Do you see testimonials? Check their website. Have they posted testimonials from their existing association clients? If not, you have to ask yourself, “Why?”

5. Are they detailed-oriented? It’s easy to tell this by simply checking out their website. Are there typos? Does the layout look sloppy? While many web design firms claim “cobbler’s children,” what better testament to a future client than to show them how much you care about your own website. If a web firm doesn’t care about their own website, how much do they really care about yours?

6. What is their approach? Does the web design company have a stated process for how they do redesigns? Can they provide that to you in writing? You’re not only buying software and services from these folks, you’re buying HOW they do what they do. If it’s not sound, they could have the best software and be the nicest people around, but your project will fail.

7. What are their service levels? Do they openly state how quickly they’ll respond to your issues? Are they hesitant to guarantee  response times to your concerns? If so, it’s a red flag that they may not be prioritizing your satisfaction after your site has launched.

These surely aren’t all the things you’ll need to consider, but hopefully they’ll help you get started on your search.

Free “Must See” Webinar: Mobile for Associations – What You Need To Know Today

Find Out Why Mobile Matters Today

Tuesday, October 13th, Noon Central

In this 45-minute webinar, learn why mobile could be the most important technology for your association to consider in 2010.

There are over 3 billion cell phones in the world today. It’s projected that in just a few short years there will be more people accessing the Internet on their phone at any one time than on their desktop. Can you say, “The future is here?” Your members are already there.

Some major takeaways from this free webinar:

-    Find out why “context” is so important when delivering mobile content.

-    Learn why mobile is more than just your website on a small screen.

-    Get some ideas on how you can use mobile to reach your members cheaply and effectively.

Update: View the recorded webinar.

Site of the Week: Sidewiki

We talk to associations just about everyday who still feel like they somehow have control over what is said about them online…or offline for that matter. I think Google may have just taken this argument to its final resting place.

If you don’t know what Sidewiki is, you need to. Right now.

Google introduces Sidewiki.

Here’s a non-Google perspective.

And another.

Another Very Compelling Reason Why Your Association Should Join Twitter Today

The association industry has been talking about social networking for a few years now. To most organization’s credit, associations are doing their best to keep ahead of the curve and have created some sort of presence either on Facebook, LinkedIn or through a private social network like Higher Logic.

Excellent.

But here’s the thing. Don’t take Twitter too lightly. According to reliable sources, Twitter is in talks with Google and Microsoft to give their respective search engines full access to the Twittersphere. What does this mean? It means when people search for something, there will be a results area showing all related “tweets” as well. Very similar to what we on this blog showed you here.

It also means people could potentially find your website easier – if you tweet right. Twitter allows you to post on industry-related topics as well as just about anything else, right? You can’t take this too seriously. There is some huge potential here. Don’t talk about SEO if you’re not on Twitter. This is kind of like the lottery – you’ve got to get in it to win it.

Read more from HubSpot here.

Is “Follow Us” Enough?

Adding icons to your website suggesting visitors “follow” you on your slew of social networking sites  is great when no one is doing it. But now everyone is doing it, so why should I click?

Is simply asking for a “follow” enough? Where’s the why? What do I get if I follow you? Do I get real-time insider industry information if I follow you on Twitter? Okay, now I’m intrigued. Do I get exclusive educational videos once a month by following you on YouTube? So, you want me to be your “fan” on Facebook. How about creating a fan page about your members, not about your organization?

Sure, we’re still getting the hang of all this stuff, but it’s not enough to be a follower. Icons on your home page won’t cut it any more. I know, I know…but you just put them on your site last week. Elevate your game to win or risk being trapped in the land of the status quo.

5 Questions Series: Greg Hill From The Kansas Dental Association – How To Effectively Create And Maintain Multimedia On Your Website

Welcome to the Vanguard Technology 5 Questions Series where we ask an association professional who is doing unique and innovative things with technology to share with us what it’s like to be them. The purpose of this series is to help association professionals learn  how to better use technology to streamline operations or attract more members.

The format for the 5 Questions Series is that one question is answered in writing right here on our blog and the other four are answered in a recorded interview that you can listen to now or download to listen to later.

Our guest for this edition is Greg Hill, assistant executive director from the Kansas Dental Association. Greg manages all video and social media for the KDA. Over time the KDA has evolved into a multimedia powerhouse of content. Their members love the immediacy of KDA’s content and enjoy receiving their dental industry information in relevant and innovative ways.

Greg talks about the opportunities and, more importantly, the misconceptions associations have about creating multimedia for the web. He talks about how easy it is to cost-effectively move into the multimedia space by using a few simple strategies.

Below is Greg’s written answer to one of the five questions. Click the play button below to hear the rest.

Question: Explain the types of multimedia the Kansas Dental Association uses today on your website and what the member response has been from each.

The Kansas Dental Association has implemented a number of social networking and multimedia applications into its website, including our own video content and, of course, Facebook and Twitter.

We believe that one of our most basic roles in the profession of organized dentistry is to provide our members with information that might affect their dental practice. We search news sites daily for articles and videos on dentistry and oral health and share that information through our Facebook and Twitter streams. Part of that stream is statewide and local media outlets that know day in and day out what we are doing here at the Kansas Dental Association.

We have also been producing an in-house video news report we call the “KDA Video Minute.” This concept began quite modestly, but has developed into a much deeper, graphically charged report we produce weekly during the legislative session and, then as issues warrant, during the remainder of the year.

We complement our membership with the KDA Network (developed on the Ning platform), a members’ only social network that provides our members with a secure site for posting of sensitive legislative issues, or even just a way for our members to communicate with one another.  It replaced what had been our members’ only section and now contains content that serves our membership.

Our social and multimedia efforts are well received throughout our membership.  Nearly a third of our members are part of the KDA Network, our KDA Video Minute has been recognized by the American Dental Association, and our Facebook and Twitter streams feed dental news to over a thousand people every day.

These efforts allow us the opportunity to serve our membership in ways not possible in years past.  Our goal is to remain on the cutting edge and continue to create value for our members.

Listen!

Hear Greg’s answers to the other four questions now. If you’ve ever considered doing multimedia or social networking or are already doing those things but have questions about how to do them better, then this will be the best 20 minutes you’ve spent in a while.

Download MP3 (9 MB)

Listen to our podcast with Shana Rieger. She manages InfoComm International’s social media full time.