Lead by Eric Squair and Cristen Perks
Agenda
- MANIFESTO
- STRENGTHS
- WEAKNESSES
- BEST PRACTICES
- EXAMPLES
- DISCUSS
- FACEBOOK!
MANIFESTO
Why organize in pre-existing online communities?
Why use pre-existing software tools?
- If you build it, they may not come
- Fish where the fish are.
- My message IN their life, not their life
- Optimize resources (time & money)
- Silo Destruction
- Low barrier to entry
WORKING GROUP: WHY TO BUILD YOUR OWN TOOLS
- Branding
- Immersive experience
- Consistent aesthetic and use experience
- Control
- Keep people on our site (e.g. avoid YouTube "Related Videos")
- Create something that doesnt exist
- Custom functioanlity / features
- Privacy
- Own Your Own Data
- Access Your Own Data
- No third-party organizing success stories
- Reach communities that are not quantified online
- Avoid supporting corporate bloodsuckers
WORKING GROUP: WHY TO USE PRE-EXISTING TOOLS
- Meet people halfway
- Changing existing culture
- People trust: Friends first, Experts second, Celebrities third (Edelman's research)
- Permanence, Long-term growth
- You can still brand to some degree
- Saves money
- Less risk
BEST PRACTICES OF USING ONLINE TOOLS
(how to mitigate the disadvantages)
- Brand your tools
- Plan + collect your data
- Subvert the bloodsuckers
- There is no perfect solution: use a strategy-based hybrid approach
- Know your audience
- Participate in your organic networks
MISC
- Care2 has a "Social Network ROI Calculator" -- http://www.frogloop.com/social-network-calculator
