Power Tools » social media

Penny for your jokes

caitied — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:59:47 +0000

By Jinny Wong

If you thought that a honed sense of humour was just good for a few laughs, think again.

Early this month, Gulf Restoration Network official Aaron Viles was pleasantly surprised to find that someone tweeting as @BPGlobalPR deposited $10,000 into the organization’s Paypal account. The donator refuses to be named publicly but calls himself “Leroy Stick (aka a guy in his boxer shorts)”.

The money was raised by selling T-shirts simply decorated in dripping black paint with the words “bp cares”—a direct satire about the way BP has been handling the disaster.

He told the Huffington Post that he “started @BPGlobalPR, because the oil spill had been going on for almost a month and all BP had to offer were bullshit PR statements. No solutions, no urgency, no sincerity, no nothing. That’s why I decided to relate to the public for them.”

@BPGlobalPR began with just a few followers and a guy with a knack for jokes. As his popularity grew to the thousands—he decided that this would be a greatway to raise money for an organization that is actually doing something to help out this catastrophe.

Order your very own “bp cares” tee

To find out more about Leroy Stick and the amusing back-story to that name, visit: http://streetgiant.com/2010/06/02/leroy-stick-the-man-behind-bpglobalpr/

Donate directly to the Gulf Restoration Network, or to send a message to BP calling on them clean up their mess.

This is a great example of how someone can utilize social media to make a difference. To do the same for your cause, please visit: http://blog.powerofthehour.ca/2010/01/social-media-and-the-common-good/

Digital U – The Series

caitied — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:34:04 +0000

Do you want to know more about Facebook, Twitter and the power of social media? Getinvolved.ca presents Digital U a series that explores how social media is affecting social change. TVO is airing all 8 shorts 3 times a week, on Fridays after Heartbeat in March. You can also watch them all online on our Get Involved site! Check out a full schedule and description here:

Episode 1 – Online Activism: An Overview: WATCH

- With social tools like twitter and facebook, and thousands of sites devoted to issues and causes –– like minded individuals are hooking up about everything – and it’s revolutionizing how activists organize. Individuals can organize large scale events with virtually no cost, to create awareness and engage others for their cause.

Episode 2 – Transparency: Tell No Lies: WATCH

- Controlling and spinning a message has driven public relations for decades. The motto has been– it’s better to conceal than to reveal. But the internet has allowed us to access any and all information surrounding institutions and government. Not only can individuals share and discuss products and policies, but concerned citizens can use accountability sites to report neighborhood problems.

Episode 3 – The Power of the Citizen: Politics 2.0 – WATCH

– Social media has forever changed democracy. Citizens are now being engaged like never before, as a dialogue in now emerging between politician and voter. People can now actively participate in their society, as governments have begun giving them the opportunity to brainstorm ideas to create change initiatives in their communities. And this concept of active citizenship is only the beginning of this democracy make-over.

Episode 4 – The Power of the Consumers: Consumers Pumping Up the Volume – WATCH

– The power is back in the hands of the consumers. With networking sites, blogs and forums, customers can share their opinions on virtually any purchase. But the conversation isn’t just one ended, consumers have begun to demand a conversation with the companies themselves. The digital space has finally given consumers the power to stand up and be heard.

Episode 5 – Twitter and Micro-messaging – WATCH

– Twitter is the “hot” micro-messaging tool, and it’s bringing people together faster than we ever could have imagined. Events like Ho Ho Ho TO proved micro-messaging’s success and its capacity for social change. But micro-messaging doesn’t always need to connect people over serious issues. It has made creating events, and coming together virtually effortless. The world is flattening in not only a geographical way, but a social way too.

Episode 6 – Crowdsourcing: The Wisdom of the Masses – WATCH

– Crowdsourcing is all about taping into the power of your consumers, acknowledging that many customers interested in an organization or a company are also going to be extremely knowledgeable about your products. Crowdsourcing also gives companies the opportunity to test products before they hit the mass market. From designing their own t-shirts, to measuring craters on Mars for NASA, this ability to harness our collective talents all over the world is one of the most powerful tool to bring about social change.

Episode 7 – A Virtual Printing Press – WATCH

– Self-publishing has become easier then ever before, and simple tools like blogs, Youtube and Twitter, your message can reach the over 1.5 billion people online. Anyone can publish online and for free, which means that content is diverse, unique and frequently controversial. Citizen journalism has also taken to the internet, as everyday citizens take to the streets and have begun conducting their own interviews and asking their own questions that haven’t always been addressed by the mainstream media.

Episode 8 – A Loss of Privacy? – WATCH

– The internet has closed the geographical gap and put information right at our fingertips – but its also important for all users to remember that anything they put on the web, can be difficult to remove, and accessible by almost anyone. Any profile or account you create online can be searched by employers, potential spouses, friends, family and strangers – which not only puts your reputation at risk, but also your safety. As a user you need to be aware and beware of the digital crumbs you can leave behind.

Want to learn more about a specific topic? Check out the full length interviews – as our Digital U Podcasts.

Social Media and the Common Good

caitied — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:53:27 +0000

So now you know the basics of social media – and that’s great, but I’m sure you are wondering how this has anything to do with you and your organization. Is this just another task to add onto your already hectic day? In fact, social media is completely transforming the not-for-profit world; in the way they connect, fundraise and promote. Social media provides a free platform for you and your organization to announce yourselves. Sites like Get Involved and Facebook give you a place to declare your cause and your mandate to a huge, worldwide audience.

Although social media has already begun to have an impact on individuals and businesses, it will actually have the most impact in the not-for-profit world because it is free. Suddenly, with applications like Skype, you can chat with your board members, staff and worldwide counter-parts for free, from anywhere.

Facebook and Twitter enable you to launch massive campaigns and “calls to action” without spending a dime.

Volunteer communities like Get Involved, help you connect with like minded-individuals and other not-for-profits for collaboration projects that could never have been done on such a large scale before.

So get out there and see what social media can do for you! Get inspired by Mashable’s two great articles:

4 Ways Social Media is Changing the Non-Profit World

5 Events that Have Used Social Media for A Good Cause

GuluWalk uses social media to raise over $4 million

caitied — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:07:36 +0000

On October 25th roughly 25,000 people in 75 cities across the globe gathered in groups to walk a dozen kilometres, at dawn. These “walkers” were replicating the night commuters of northern Uganda, children as many as 40,000 — walking from their rural villages into the town of Gulu and other urban centres to avoid abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).(Globe and Mail, Charities Finally Cashing in on Web 2.0 Revolution, Joanna Pachner)

The Guluwalk organization started these walks in 2005 and has since made almost $4-million for Ugandan charities through online pledges, none of which could have been possible without the free tools of Twitter, Facebook, blogs and You Tube. Guluwalk began as a two person operation, but grew quickly as their fabulous blog gained followers, who gave their time or money and then spread the word to their friends, and so forth. Online donations and interaction allows for engagement amongst donors as well as accessibility. Guluwalk’s supporters could learn about the event and make small donations all with a click of a button.

So how do you make this success story become your own?

1) Who are your current supporters? Get to know the voice of your supporters – are they University students, neighbourhood communities, corporate businesspeople? Build your calls to action, blogs and content to to reflect their interest, and then think about branching out to your missing demographic.

2) Make a simple call to action. Make it easy and accessible for interested viewers to donate or volunteer. Maker sure your site is clear and you have a quick and easy “donate now” button on your homepage. And don’t underestimate the power of statistics and videos.

3) Understand these tools and get to know their full potential. When used properly, these can all become powerful tools, but recognize the needs your fundraiser has. For example if you want to spread the word and perhaps have more views of your new fund raising video tweet your heart out. But if your upcoming event has a fantastic story behind it, use something with a larger character count (ie a blog), when you can create an open discussion about your cause and gets people really thinking.

So get out there and get fundraising!

To learn more about these tools check out our previous blogs Social Media and Social Media and the Common Good.

Mitch Joel’s Tips on Managing Social Media

caitied — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:44:17 +0000

Digital marketing guru Mitch Joel sat down with Digital U to discuss his take on social media trends. A committed blogger, entrepreneur and heavy metal music lover, the president of digital marketing firm Twist Image lives and breathes social media. To him it’s effortless, and he controls it, not the other way around.

Having just published his first book, Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone, he continues to promote the marketing tome, while doing everything he’s always done – blogging, public speaking, a weekly podcast, and work with clients in Twist Image offices in Toronto and Montreal.

Joel’s book is a primer for every business on how it needs to strategize to be successful in the digital age. According to Joel: “The truth is, we no longer live in a world of six degrees of separation. In fact, we’re now down to only six pixels of separation, which changes everything we know about doing business.”

Among the themes Joel discusses with Digital U is transparency – to him transparency is easy, credibility is hard. And being a marketer, Joel gives insight on the conversation between consumers and brands. Joel notes consumers don’t have control, but they do have volume.

VIEW THE PODCAST IN FULL:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tackling Social Media

caitied — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:46:45 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Social Media Revolution is indeed here to stay. Conversations are happening all around you – and a lot of these conversations could be about your organization or company. If you haven’t already, it’s time you dive into social media – but don’t worry, we’re here to talk you through it!

Let’s start off with the basics – what is social media? This fantastic Common Craft video will help you understand the basic concepts, using an excellent metaphor we all recognize – ice cream!

Click here to view the embedded video.