Published by Angus on 06 Oct 2009
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Maybe you should be making better use of web services like YouTube, Slideshare, and Flickr. Here we share what makes these services so valuable as a complement to your own web publishing efforts, be they a website or a blog, and how they will enhance your social media efforts. › Continue reading… |
Published by Kerry on 05 Oct 2009
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When Theresa Williamson, Executive Director of Catalytic Communities, was searching for a place to build her online community, she turned to WiserEarth. Now with three free WiserEarth Groups (Portuguese, Spanish and English) that work alongside CatComm’s own website, the organization can direct more of its energy on helping Brazilian favela communities. › Continue reading… |
Published by Angus on 22 Sep 2009
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Let’s face it, it’s easy for a nonprofit to get seduced by the latest web technology and distracted from their actual mission. This is even more the case with open source tools like Joomla!, Drupal, and Plone that promise free social websites at the touch of a button. What many people don’t realize is the cost of customizing some of these so-called free tools often runs around $40,000 in consultant fees and staff time. On top of that you are saddled with ongoing maintenance and hosting costs. Running your own souped-up website appeals to many because it implies control and ownership. But does this really help you in today’s social web? Here is a checklist to review before you take the plunge. › Continue reading… |
Published by Angus on 21 Sep 2009
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The folks over at The Monitor Institute have been working with The Packard Foundation to explore this question. Their conclusion? Don’t worry so much about the social media tools and instead realize that you are building a social network. To do that you need a ‘networked mindset’ characterized by ‘openness, transparency, decentralized decision-making, and distributed action’. We encourage you to read the full paper ‘Working Wikily 2.0′ but here is a summary of the more important points for people working in the social sector. › Continue reading… |
Published by Angus on 14 Sep 2009
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Clay Shirky says the world has moved on from the old model where non-profit called you a member, you gave them money, and they gave you a newsletter. This was a one way communication approach, with the organization at the center like a star, broadcasting light to its members. Now smart nonprofits are moving to convene small groups of members interested in specific issues thereby fostering lateral links that function independent of their organization. › Continue reading… |
Published by Angus on 09 Sep 2009
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We’ve written before about how you can view your community as a network. Here we use the ‘network lense’ to show how communities typically evolve and what specific actions you might want to take to get to the next stage. › Continue reading… |
Published by Angus on 02 Sep 2009
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We have read a lot of books over the last year that aimed to be the “go to” source for understanding Social Media. Finally, one stands out. Here we review, ‘The New Community Rules’ by Tamar Weinberg – probably the single most important book to read this year if you are involved in marketing your organization or cause on the web. › Continue reading… |
Published by Timonie Hood on 06 Aug 2009
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We have been spending a lot of time understanding the ins and outs of webinars. In particular how to run them and what tools to use. Recently we attended a great ‘webinar on webinars’ held by George Kao, a WiserEarth community member. Here we share some of his and our best insights. › Continue reading… |
