Quick tips for using Slideshare

Slideshare is used to upload content to the web.  It’s a great way to share your presentations online and it’s easier to share a simple link rather than emailing what may be a large file.  

An online presence in multiple channels can  improve your search engine ranking.  There’s not a whole lot of space for text in Slideshare, so make sure your title is a good one and includes at least one keyword.

It’s also a good idea to have your contact information on the first slide of your presentation.  If you look at the social media presentations I posted, you can see I forgot to do that on one of them.  People can figure out that I’m affiliated with Coastal Community Foundation (due to the logo), but that’s it.  A contact information slide at the beginning immediately gives people a sense of who you are professionally and you will see that on the second presentation.

Definitely use a large font on your slides.  Although it may look readable on your computer screen, users see a smaller version if it’s viewed directly on Slideshare.  Err on the side of bigger rather than smaller when it comes to font size.

And finally, you can see the views on your presentations.  This is helpful for knowing which of your content is of interest to viewers.

Social Media for Community Foundations

Social Media for Community Foundations

View more presentations from Coastal Community Foundation.

Are Facebook and LinkedIn the same thing?

If you have an account on one of these social networks, should you bother with the other one? At first, it can seem to be just too much, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find it’s manageable.   

Facebook is a tool that is great for personal use – catching up with long distance family and friends. LinkedIn is beneficial for job-hunters and employee-seekers, yet is equally helpful for people looking to expand their professional network.

Since LinkedIn is geared towards professionals, consider being more formal in your interactions on there. You have the opportunity to show your professionals skills, which could lead to your next job or perhaps some new clients. It’s also a great place to connect with people you meet at business events.  With all social media tools, take time to observe how others use the tool before you dive in.

Getting started with twitter.

Twitter can definitely be a great way to waste a ton of time.  You can easily spend time on twitter first thing in the morning well into the evening.   And you can even check updates throughout the day on your phone.  You can tell people what you’re doing at home, in the grocery store, at the park… well, you get the picture.  It’s not hard to go over-board once you’re “on board” with social media.  Read my tips for getting started with Twitter.

How to set up your Blogger blog: A 101 guide

If you are ready to set up a blog, hopefully you've spent some time thinking about what you want to share and are ready to start writing!  The steps to set up a basic blog on Blogger.com are actually relatively easy -- even for those challenged by technology!  

Since I've been hearing from more nonprofits wanting to set up a blog, I created a "How-To" guide.  Please take a look online and freely distribute to anyone who can use it.  I hope to add some additional tips in the near future.