Nonprofits, Technology, and Social Media

SC Get Your Business Online - Free Google Event

2012-02-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

On February 21st, Google is offering a free event in Charleston to help businesses - and nonprofits - get online. During the event, they are offering a free website from Intuit, free web hosting for one year, and free training on online tools. Please register as soon as you can if you plan to attend.

Starting Palmetto Technology Hub

2012-01-30T10:38:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to present at the SCAVA conference about my experience starting Palmetto Technology Hub with Michael Carnell.The first half of the presentation is about how Palmetto Technology Hub currently runs. The second half offers my opinion on what we did well, what needed improvement, and challenges along the way.SC Association of Volunteers Presentation

View more presentations from Coastal Community Foundation

Liking and Subscribing on Facebook

2011-12-22T10:17:00.003-05:00

If you can't keep up with the changes in Facebook, I don't blame you. It seems like there's always a new feature or a change in a privacy setting. I'm not listing everything new in this post, but want to point out a couple things of interest.

Did you know you can comment on a page without "liking" it? Allowing people to interact with your page without "commitment" could encourage more activity. It also implies that people who do like your page are true fans.

You can also "subscribe" to profiles. For example, if you want to follow to updates of someone well known in your field, but not become their "friend", you can subscribe to their profile. Of course, people will have to allow subscribers and will also be able to see who has subscribed to them.

The Importance of a Web Presence

2011-11-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to speak to the Charleston Grant Professionals about the important of having a web presence. This slides reference different tools I use and are generally free.

View more presentations from Coastal Community Foundation.

Google Analytics: Know your questions before you measure

2011-11-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

I'm speaking at Geekend this weekend on Google Analytics. Anyone who has used this tool will probably agree that the amount of data it provides can be overwhelming. To keep yourself from becoming inundated with all those numbers, it's important to start out with some questions.

Are people clicking through the links in your e-mail newsletter? If not, you may want to reconsider the type of content you provide or the anchor text of your link.

Are people bouncing on a key page? If you have a page where people are taking a quick visit, then leaving your site, you should check if there are any issues with it. Also, look at how people arrived on that page. It is possible the referring site represents that page as being something that it's not.

Is your AdWords campaign driving useful traffic? Do these visitors make purchases or indicate interest another way, such as using your 'contact us' form?

There are a lot more questions you can ask and hopefully the above ones are enough to get you started.

Do you really need all that data?

2011-10-31T14:45:00.000-04:00

I attended GAUGE conference recently; an event that’s all about Google Analytics. In addition to the great suggestions on using an analytics account, I noted two great takeaways about working with data in general.

Collect only the data you need. It sounds obvious, but do you really need to know every single thing about a person? Too many questions may come across as intrusive, so think about what you really need before you request certain information. When you are looking at your analytics account, you probably don't need to review every available report to answer your specific questions.

Don’t just report out. Are you displaying data in colorful charts and graphs, but not doing anything with it? Do you show numbers at your board meetings with no action plan? Make sure you are using data to make decisions about your organization. Again, these takeaways don’t just apply to your analytics account. They are also relevant to any data you have on your constituents or customers.

Volunteer at a professional level

2011-10-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

There's no shortage of volunteer needs. You can tutor a child in the afternoon, help out at the soup kitchen, or answer phones for a busy nonprofit. But what if you are looking to use your professional skills for a more complex nonprofit project? Catchafire is one option for time limited, project-based work.

Although based in New York City, they now offer virtual opportunities for professionals interested in pro bono work. Potential volunteers fill out a profile listing their qualifications and causes of interest. Catchafire then makes a match between the professional and an appropriate nonprofit project, which includes accounting, graphic design, and public relations. Each project is clearly explained so you'll know the time commitment and required skills up front. If you're ready to take your volunteering to the next level, visit their site. You may find a good match based on your professional experience.

Give.... but not to a charity

2011-09-01T12:22:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking of creating a community based site where people "join" by giving a few bucks a month and the collective money is given to a chosen charity at the end of each month. It's been on my list of random-ideas-I'd-like-to-try for a while now. Recently, I discovered Love Drop, a group that's already doing it, but their focus is on specific people rather than an organized nonprofit.

On Love Drop's web-site , you can sign up to give as a little as $1 a month which will go to an individual or family. Anyone can nominate someone who needs some financial support and the Love Drop team reviews suggestions to determine the monthly recipient. I love the idea that anyone can help with a small amount of money and you can track their monthly goal on the website. Check out the site when you get a chance. I signed up to give a small monthly amount..... but I still think it would be awesome to do something like this specifically for our community.

Staying safe online - Part II

2011-08-19T18:29:00.004-04:00

I did a "staying safe online" post awhile ago, offering tips for using Facebook, responding to password requests. I recently came across some additional tips worth posting.

Sharing on Facebook: You need to be extremely careful about sharing information on Facebook, especially if you have "friends" you don't well or maybe never met. Do you use your hometown or pet's names for passwords? If so, you may want to use caution before sharing that information online. It's like giving your password hint to a stranger.

Job hunting: It's very easy to job search without leaving your computers. As more sites become available, it's an easy harvest for scammers. If you're asked for a social security number before you are even called in for an interview, run... quickly.

Wi-Fi: Are you using a "secure", public wi-fi connection? Think again. Fake hotspots have been set up which allows hackers to view everything on your screen. Stay safe and do not do banking at a public wi-fi spot.

Stay alert when using the internet and read about scams happening online. The intention is not to make you paranoid, just to keep you safe online.

Book Review: Social Media Metrics by Jim Sterne

2011-08-01T13:26:00.001-04:00

Jim Sterne’s book, Social Media Metrics, goes well beyond the basic metrics of tracking visitors and "mentions" across social media channels. His subtitle is “How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment”. (If I could add an additional subtitle for this book, it would be “More than Numbers”).

Sterne urges people to go beyond counting followers and fans and to think more about engagement. What are people doing as a result of the content you are sharing? You want to measure the action they are taking based on what you are saying, whether it’s making a purchase or signing up for additional information. Is your audience engaging in response to your requests for input? More importantly, are you acknowledging or using that input? If you ask questions of your audience, but never respond, you’ll lose audience interest very quickly.

This doesn't diminish the important of tracking your statistics. Numbers are still a starting point. As a colleague reminded me recently, “Every conversion begins with a click”. However, rather than getting caught up only on the raw data, focus on trends and growth over time, as well as what happens after that initial click.

Social Media Metrics is not a book about tools, such as Facebook or Twitter, and may be overwhelming for people new to the social media measurement field. It’s a better fit for people who have been utilizing social media for a while and want to think analytically about their metrics. If you are new to social media, I can recommend several good introductory books. Once you spend some time with '101'-level books and are ready to dive in deeper, take a look at Jim's book.

The challenges of selecting a nonprofit database

2011-07-22T15:17:00.003-04:00

On today's phone call for NTEN's leadership academy, I was part of a group discussing the challenges of selecting the 'right' database for their organizations. Some great points were made that are applicable to every nonprofit.

Think about where you want to be in five years, then pick the solution that will meet those needs. If you limit yourself to a product that fits your org as it stands today, you may find yourself shopping for another product in a short period of time.

Consider an online solution. This not only benefits you as platforms become obsolete but can also be extremely helpful as more employees telecommute.

And finally, be careful about choosing a solution that requires heavy customization. You may find it difficult to find support down the road.

My favorite comment from someone in the group - "One size fits all doesn't fit anyone." Finding the right database is definitely a challenge, so do your homework and talk to similar organizations for their recommendations.

Do you run your nonprofit like a business?

2011-07-13T13:19:00.001-04:00

I did a post recently on "startup success" with tips applicable to new nonprofits. There are a lot of similarities between running a business and running a nonprofit.

Recently, I was contacted by David Matthew of Software Advice, who wrote specifically about utilizing software and capacity building tools to improve transparency. Clearly, thinking about nonprofits as a business is on people's minds, especially after the issues surrounding Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute.

In David's post, he discusses the importance of choosing the appropriate software to help maintain a level of accountability with clients/donors. If you are a nonprofit employee, are you comfortable with the infrastructure currently in place at your org? Do you have the records to show your organization is using funds the way you said you would? Read the rest of David's post about this topic - he's definitely interested in your thoughts.

Google for Nonprofits

2011-07-01T12:27:00.002-04:00

Google for Nonprofits

View more presentations from Coastal Community Foundation.

Starting a nonprofit?

2011-06-21T12:07:00.000-04:00

I did a book review on startups recently. Although written for businesses, much of the content is applicable for people thinking of starting a nonprofit. It encourages you to really research whether or not there is market for your service which is as important for non-profits as it is for for-profits.

Is your organization intended to meet a specific need that another group is already meeting? If so, perhaps you can partner with them instead of trying to start something totally new. Or maybe your organization is needed because it serves a very different geographical location. Ask yourself these business questions before you get too involved with the work of starting a brand-new 501(c)3. Consult with for-profits as well as other non-profits as you put a plan together.

Social media is about relationships, not accounts

2011-05-31T13:21:00.006-04:00

Social media is about relationships, not accounts. In Social Nation, Libert reminds people of the purpose of these social tools and how to integrate them into the big picture of how your organization operates. He encourages readers to look for ways to connect authentically, which is key. Many people look to just connect.

Your online presence should also match your offline presence. We’ve all seen people say something on their social media account that probably would not be said offline. He suggests social media users always pretend they are offline so their mindset doesn’t change when they’re using Twitter versus talking to someone in person.

Being social is also about valuing the input of other people. Use the information you collect from your community and be ready to change based on the input you receive. Respond to ideas and view outside innovation as a collaborative resource, not a threat.

This book is definitely not about social media tools. Someone new to social media may want to start with one that gives a 101-overview. However, once you are using the tools, Libert’s book will help you use them the right way.

Keeping your email address off the "blacklist"

2011-05-18T13:33:00.000-04:00

Email. We all receive and probably send too much of it. And what if you are sending it to people that want to receive your email (as far as you know) and are concerned about having your address blacklisted. It can happen to people with the best intentions, so follow these steps to avoid having this happen to you.

Occasionally, a bounced-back email will go through successfully when you send it the second time. If you do find yourself resending a message, ask the user to "add yourdomain.org to their email safe list." (Ideally, you'll ask people to do this from the start).

If you forward a message, remove "Fwd" from the subject line.

DO NOT USE ALL CAPS.

Reduce the number of identical emails you send at a given time. (That's a flag for spam!).

Your best bet is to avoid using your email client for bulk messages and turn to an email newsletter tool instead.

You'll find more helpful hints through a simple Google search, but this should be enough to get you on the right track.

Do you need some help with your SEO and SEM?

2011-04-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

I guess the first question is - Do you know what SEO and SEM mean?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a way to increase your rankings by improving the quality of your web site. This usually includes having a site with quality content and appropriate keywords. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is about getting additional traffic through search, often through paid advertising, such as Google Adwords.

It's okay if you're confused. No one can be an expert in everything. Hopefully, you at least get the concept that it's important for people to find you online easily. There are a number of experts who specifically help clients improve their web ranking. Fortunately, nonprofits can receive this assistance for free.

MediaCause is a free service started by Eric Facas. He's using his extensive experience as a digital media strategist to benefit nonprofits. MediaCause works by matching nonprofits and volunteers to work on improving SEO and SEM for the nonprofit. Once you're registered and accepted as a nonprofit, you'll have templates which will help define your need for a volunteer.

Are you already an expert in SEM or SEO? Then perhaps you'd consider volunteering. Either way, take a look at their web-site and at the very least, help spread the word.

Creating an Email Newsletter

2011-04-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

Many organizations, companies, and nonprofits incorporate email marketing into their overall business plan. However, email marketing is more than just creating an email or e-newsletter and sending it out to a list. To increase the chances of your email being opened, read, and acted upon, it’s important to have a strategy before clicking “send.”

What is your image?

As you start thinking about sending your first e-mail newsletter, make sure you think about how it fits with your image. If your freelance work is graphic or “artsy”, recipients will probably expect a creative email. If you are in finance, they may want straightforward factual information and less creativity.

Who is your audience?

In addition to the image you project, also consider your recipients. Are you speaking to stay-at-home parents or executives who consider a 70-hour work week to be part-time? Develop content that speaks to your audience. Hopefully, when you collected information from your recipients, you asked for their first and last names. Using the names of recipients helps them feel a connection with you. Different tools enable you to automatically include the recipient name in your message.

Consider Time of Day

This is one that will take some trial and error. With all online communications, there are differing opinions on the best day and time to send an email. If your newsletter is short and includes some humor, people may enjoy that mid-morning break on a Monday. If it has “heavier” information, you may want to wait until mid-week when people have more time to process a longer email. To determine what works best for your organization, try testing certain times, then evaluate which works best for you. To do this, split your email list into two groups. You could send the email to the first half of your list on Monday at 10:00am. Send it to the second half on Wednesday at 2:00pm. Check the open rate for the two different times. If you have the most readers on Monday morning, your newsletter might be what people need to beat the Monday morning blues!

Have a Call to Action

Decide what you want recipients to do once they open the email. Is it simple awareness where you are driving people to your web site? Are you asking them to buy a particular service? If so, then you want to direct them to more information on your service and perhaps some client testimonials. Make sure there is a purpose for sending the email.

What is your landing page?

As mentioned above, if your goal is simple brand awareness, it’s okay to direct readers to your home page. However, if the purpose is to have recipients read about a specific service you offer, have a link that leads directly to that particular page of your site. If you drive them to the home page of your web site and require them to do additional clicking, you may lose them. Remember the attention span of internet users (myself included!) is very short. If you don’t have your information readily available on your site, create the appropriate page before sending out your newsletter. Again you want to make it very, very easy for readers to find what they need.

Should I bother with a blog?

2011-03-31T14:50:00.002-04:00

At the recent SCANPO conference, Coastal Community Foundation staff talked about using social media tools. A common concern with the audience was whether or not their nonprofit should even bother with a blog. I think it's a great question to ask before jumping into since it can be time-consuming.

You can think of a blog as a resource or a place to tell stories (among other things). If your nonprofit has great stories to tell about volunteers or clients, this is a way to showcase them online. You are publicly recognizing their great work and sharing your successes with donors.

For me, I use this blog as a resource. I was often getting the same questions from people about technology tools and social media. This blog is a great place to refer people with questions about these topics.

If you think either of those directions would work for you, you may want to talk with your team about getting started. However, if you are having trouble coming up with ideas, don't stress about it. The timing may not be right for you or a blog may not be the best direction at all. Either option is fine. No one can do everything.

Three Tools for Managing Twitter

2011-03-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

Once you’ve set up a twitter account, you’ll find yourself using it for different purposes. For some people, the ability to schedule tweets in advance is important. This is great if you will be offline for a bit, but still want to appear “active”. Other people manage multiple accounts, so being able to easily work with more than one account from a single dashboard is another feature found with different tools. Read on for a brief review of tools that will help you manage twitter.

TweetDeck

When I first started using Twitter, I was a huge fan of TweetDeck. Being able to put twitter users into columns made it much easier to manage who I was following. My columns include local people, nonprofits, and social media rockstars. On days when I was a little short on twitter-time or maybe just interested in what was going on in my area of town, I could scan one column, such as local tweeters. I also set up a column to track mentions of my own user name. That way, I wasn’t overlooking any replies sent specifically to me. Being able to do these customizations is a feature to look for with any tool.

Seesmic

Seesmic is another desktop application that is similar to TweetDeck. Like TweetDeck, you create columns based on people you follow. It’s also very easy to include other social media accounts, like Facebook or LinkedIn. I didn't see a feature that allows you to schedule tweets, which is important for people who want to plan ahead.

HootSuite

Although I still log-on on TweetDeck occasionally, I started using HootSuite earlier this year and wrote my initial impressions on my social media blog. I love that you can add other social networks to your dashboard, such as Facebook. Since I manage multiple Facebook pages, I set up a tab simply called “Facebook”. Each column on this tab has a different Facebook page. At a glance, I can see if there was any activity on the page without having to log-in and pull up the different pages.

A version of HootSuite released last summer includes Google Analytics in the dashboard. This is especially useful for people using twitter to generate business leads. You want this kind of detailed data to see what’s working and what you may need to change.

Twitter can be a very useful way to promote the work you do and stay connected with professionals in your field, but it is important to be able to easily manage your account so that your time does not become all-consumed by Twitter. Try out a few different tools to see which one works best for your purposes. And let me know if I missed any good ones.

Happy Tweeting!

Four Tips for Managing Information Overload

2011-03-07T20:34:00.001-05:00

There’s no shortage of media competing for our attention – print newspapers, social networking accounts, blogs, and text messages just to name a few. While all these resources are good, it can definitely be overwhelming. So how can you manage information overload? Here are four of my favorite tips.

Use RSS feeds

I follow a number of different blogs and updates from different web sites. I used to have email subscriptions to these various resources. They all provide great content, but seeing that many emails in my inbox each morning nearly brought tears to my eyes because it was so overwhelming.

I un-subscribed to the majority of email updates and set up an RSS feed instead using Netvibes. This way I can look at one screen to see all the headlines. From here, I can decide which ones I want to dig deeper into on a particular day. This is even easier with tabs set up so I can check local blogs (such as LTP), nonprofit specific news, social media updates, etc.

Google alerts

Whether you monitor your brand or simply your name as a freelancer, using Google alerts will make life much simply than constantly surfing the internet for new mentions. Simply visit the Google alerts page and enter your search criteria, email address, and frequency of updates. And that’s it. You’ll start receiving email notifications when your brand or name is mentioned.

This can also be useful for monitoring specific keywords. It can get overwhelming though – obviously there’s a lot of information available on the Internet – but it’s very easy to modify the search criteria in your Google alert if you’re not getting the right information.

Quit multi-tasking

This is one I’m guilty of doing. I have two monitors at my computer, so I’ll have one screen set up to search something up on the Internet. While it’s searching, I’m reading email on the other monitor. Apparently, waiting 5 seconds for the search to complete is just too much downtime!

We all think we’re getting more done when we multi-task, but that’s not the case. You think you’re learning more. In fact, you’re learning less. Any information learned while multi-tasking can actually take longer to retrieve later on. Multi-taskers are also prone to more errors and are generally less productive than people who focus on one task at a time

Turn off the electronics

I am a strongly believer in shutting down electronic devices by a certain time each night. This includes television, computer, mobile devices, and anything else with a screen. During the week, I have a set time where I shut things down and just relax with a book. I talked about this in my article on work and life balance

To wrap up, use RSS feeds and Google alerts to monitor your electronic news (but still shut down at a certain time each night). If you’re a multi-tasker, start doing one thing at a time this week and see if you notice a difference in your overall productivity.

Communicating in a Digital Age

2011-02-22T09:13:00.001-05:00

Whether you work from home or in a office, changes are most of your communication is done digitally. Although that’s not a perfect substitution for face-to-face communications, there are ways it can be done well.

Draft difficult emails - If you are having a difficult conversation with someone and it needs to be through email for whatever reason, draft your email, and time-permitting, sleep on it before you send it. The next morning, decide if you’re still on target with your wording, or need to “soften” it a bit. It’s never a good idea to send an email when angry.

Use the phone - With our Facebook, texting, IM, emailing world, talking to someone on the phone seems “so last season”. I often catch myself with this one. I’ll start typing an email to someone and realize that a back-and-forth email exchange could end up taking a while. So yes, I actually do call the person, have a two-minute conversation to get the answer I need or provide information requested; then I check it off my list. Think about how long some of your emails have been. If there’s no legal reason that it needs to be in writing, make a call. You could save a lot of time.

Use available tools - When I need to convey a message to multiple people, of course that’s when email makes sense. One email versus 20 conversations? That’s when I’ll go with the email. If that’s the case, pay attention to your work habits and keep your eyes open for available tools to get the job done a little quicker.

Here’s a great example. Have you ever had to schedule a meeting for a group of people? You send out an email with potential dates. It works for everyone except one person. Or everyone ends up with a bunch of “reply-all” messages cluttering their in-box. Do you see where I’m going with this? I came across a tool called Doodle a while ago that helps solve this problem. You post potential dates online that people can view through a web link. Recipients check all available proposed dates and times and you as the sender, can quickly eye up when most people are available. No account is required, it’s free, and it’s so easy a caveman could do it.

There’s obviously a lot more to communication that what’s listed above, such as listening more than you speak and not interrupting people. However, the above tips should at least give you some pointers for communicating in the digital age.

You're on Facebook. Now what?

2011-02-10T13:05:00.000-05:00

I recently did a blog post for the Foundation Center's Glasspockets blog. Although it was geared towards foundations with Facebook pages, the tips are useful for any organization.

Whether you work for a foundation, another nonprofit, or a for-profit, I hope these suggestions are helpful for your page. Please view the full post at the Glasspockets blog and share any tips I may have missed.

3 great books for social media beginners

2011-01-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

Still not on board with Twitter? Wondering if all these “tweeters” just have too much time on their hands? If so, Twitter Marketing for Dummies is for you. It’s the perfect book for readers who just don’t get Twitter and offers an introduction to how and why you would use this tool.

The Social Media Marketing Book by Dan Zarrella gives a broader view of social media, moving beyond just Twitter. It offers a hands-on approach for getting started with the popular tools such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. This book is to the point and very practical.

Catherine Parker’s book, 301 ways Use Social Media to Boost Your Marketing is for people who don’t want to sit down and read a whole social media book. From the title, you can see it’s one where you can look for tips specific to your need, whether it’s blogging, wikis, or bookmarking. Not sure what any of those words mean? The book will explain that too.

There are a lot more beyond these three, but this should be a good start for people looking to expand their social media knowledge.

Volunteering in the digital universe

2011-01-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Volunteering has changed. It’s no longer limited to helping the nonprofit in your neighborhood every other Tuesday night. Now, there are opportunities for people without transportation or in rural areas. I mentioned Sparked in an earlier post, which is a way to micro-volunteer from your phone or computer. I’ve come across two more unique sites I wanted to share with my readers.

Amazee is an opportunity for you to promote your ideas and connect with other like-minded people. Once you register or connect with your Facebook account, you can suggest a new idea by forming a group or join an existing group. Amazee describes itself as a “global action network”.

If we ran the world is another way to express your good intentions. Simply fill in the blank “If I ran the world…” to get your idea going or micro-volunteer for an existing idea. Once you fill in your blank, you’ll see a list of actions related to your idea and can invite others to help out. Nonprofits can also make requests for micro-volunteers.

And if you’re local to Charleston, SC, of course don't forget SC Path for tech-specific needs and Trident United Way for general opportunities. Regardless of time-constraints or location, there is a way to help!

Technology Resolutions for 2011

2010-12-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

Entrepreneur.com recently had an article on "Small-Business Technology Resolutions for 2011". Whether you work for a small business, a nonprofit, or are a home computer user, these are wise tips to keep in mind.

Their four tips are listed below, but take time to read their full-post.

1. Change your passwords -- all of them.

2. Close down dud emails, business software and social networks.

3. Shred your documents.

4. Don't forget your mobile phone (security).

Getting started with your HTML newsletter.

2010-12-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

At BarCamp last month, I attended a session given by Julia Anderson of Unmatched Style. She shared some tips for people who are getting started with HTML newsletters. I've listed four of them below.

Have a goal in mind – This sounds simple but is often overlooked. Why are you starting an e-newsletter? What do you want from your readers?

Don’t forget your mobile readers – More and more people are going mobile. In any e-news tool you use, you should see an option to make your e-news mobile-friendly so people can read it on the go. In other words, include a “plain text” option.

Include a call-to-action – What should people do when they finish reading your e-newsletter? Make a donation? Volunteer? Visit your website?

Use text for important information – Images will drop off in some email programs or if people choose not to view them. It’s a good idea to include vital information, such as your organization name, as text instead of an image.

There’s a lot more to e-newsletters than these steps, but hopefully I at least conveyed a few of her key points. And of course, I have to make a shameless plug for a newsletter starting in February from the Palmetto Technology Hub. If you're interested in nonprofits and technology, make sure you check it out.

How many times a day should I tweet?

2010-12-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

People getting started with social media often ask me how many times a day they should tweet. Although there are no "rules", I'll share my opinion. Chances are you'll get a slightly different response from anyone you ask, so listen to different suggestions and do what works for you.

The number that seems reasonable to me is a maximum of 5 - 7 times per day in four different categories.

1) One or two of your tweets can be self-promotional, meaning you're driving traffic to a specific landing page on your web-site or talking about an upcoming event.

2) Provide tips that are not directly about you. For example, as a nonprofit, you clearly want people to give to you, which is where the self-promotional tweets come in. However, to be helpful without promoting yourself, provide general tips about charitable giving.

3) Include some re-tweets, which is promotion of other people and their work.

4) Try to answer questions. When I can find some extra time, I'll do a search for questions I can answer from any twitter user, regardless of whether or not we're following each other.

With these guidelines in mind, I suggest spacing out your tweets. No one wants to see a steady stream of just your account. Also, know that some of your readers may only view tweets occasionally. If it's a different time of day than when you're sending multiple tweets, they may miss everything you send which is another good reason to spread it out.

Getting Started With Blogger: a 101 Guide

2010-11-23T15:13:00.000-05:00

Getting Started With Blogger: a 101 Guide on Howcast

Staying safe online

2010-11-18T10:36:00.001-05:00

The internet is a breeding ground for scammers. It is possible to use the internet safely, as long as you are a "savvy surfer". These are a few steps you can take to stay safe online.

Be careful on Facebook: No, clicking on that link probably won’t win you a free iPad. Facebook is a great place for scammers who want to spread spam – and viruses! If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t click on anything that offers you money for very little work or a chance to win a huge prize for answering a few questions.

Don’t respond to emails for your password: I occasionally get an email that’s alledgedly from PayPal asking for my account information. I also get ones from banks where I don’t even have an account! These emails will often send you to a website to collect your personal inforation. Your best bet is to delete them without clicking on the link. If you think it may be legitimate, call your financial institution (using the number you know is valid, not one provided in the email).

Don’t give to every charity: This may seem “uncharitable” coming from a blog that’s focused on nonprofits, but disasters are an especially great time for fake charities. If you're drawn to an email or online appeal from a charity you’ve never heard of, do a little research. Check with GuideStar or the IRS to verify the organization.

Spare time? Micro-volunteer online through Sparked.com

2010-11-08T12:29:00.000-05:00

You may have read about BeExtra in one of my earlier posts. Since then, they’ve made some changes and have launched a new site – Sparked.

Sparked is a place where professionals complete short-term projects for nonprofits online. This assistance is offered at no charge to the nonprofit organization.

Many people are not actively volunteering and time is one of their biggest reasons. With Sparked, the projects are completed at the volunteer’s convenience and in short time periods. The project can be as simple as reviewing a job description to something more time intensive, such as helping with media relations.

Still not convinced? Check out some of the success stories featured on their blog. Ready to sign up as a nonprofit or volunteer? Visit Sparked.com and you’ll be online in no time. You’ve got nothing to lose and lots to gain.

Three tips for your Facebook fan page

2010-11-03T10:08:00.001-04:00

You have a Facebook fan page, but you're not quite sure what you should do with it. Here are three tips for making the most of your Facebook presence.

1) Talk to people who “like” you. If someone comments on your page, acknowledge it. If they ask a question, do your best to answer it. Some of these conversations may need to be moved offline which is fine. Just make sure you don’t ignore your fans. That’s the quickest way to lose them!

2) Offer good content. Constantly talking about your nonprofit isn’t (necessarily) great content. As interesting as you think you are, don’t use Facebook for 24/7 advertising. Clearly, people care about your work and want to know about your fund-raising events and volunteer needs. However, they are also interested in general community issues. For example, if you work for an arts organization, you may want to let people know about an event at the local museum. Or you can comment on $20 million painting that was mentioned in the news! It’s not specific to your organization, but may be of interest to your fans. And – my guess is that anything selling for $20 million will get people talking!

3) Measure engagement. Either with the built-in Facebook Insights or by adding Google Analytics, you can track what people are doing on your Facebook page. See what’s successful – and do more of it!!

With all this social media stuff, is there still a place for direct mail?

2010-10-25T10:26:00.002-04:00

Clearly, I’m pretty caught up in all things online and have made the effort to cut down on paper. However, I came across some interesting facts that make a good case for continuing to use direct mail.

Direct mail generated almost $8 of every $10 donated to nonprofits in 2009 (Source: Target Analytics).
People receive more email than postal mail (Source: USPS). This can be a great opportunity to stand out on paper since there are fewer competing messages.
80% of consumers rely on more than one channel when making a purchasing decision. I’m sure the same thing applies to donations for nonprofits.
You can still use it to drive people to your online channels.
It gives you the opportunity to include a QR code. More and more people are mobile, so this can be a creative way to get your message to potential and current donors.

So don't completely give up paper. Just think of creative ways to use both paper and online channels to talk to your donors.

4 ways to save money on computers

2010-10-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

There are ways for nonprofits to acquire computers without breaking the bank. Below are some tips for saving a few dollars.

Buy a refurbished machine – If your needs are basic word processing and email, you don’t need a high-powered machine. Check the web sites of different vendors and you may find a decent computer within your price range.

Ask one of your donors or board members – It’s okay to note your need in a newsletter or mention it at a board meeting. You may be surprised at how many people have upgraded their computers recently and don’t know what to do with their old ones.

Don’t buy the extended warranty – It’s usually not worth the extra money, but you may want to consider it for a laptop which is more difficult to repair. When it doubt, check the reviews for similar machines. Users will tell you if the warranty is needed or not.

Buy memory later – Memory is generally cheaper when it’s bought through a third party and is very easy to upgrade in a desktop. You can compare costs of additional memory built in to the machine versus buying through a vendor, such as crucial.

Quick tips for using Slideshare

2010-09-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-17T14:27:00.002-04:00

Social Media for Community Foundations

View more presentations from Coastal Community Foundation.

Are Facebook and LinkedIn the same thing?

2010-09-14T14:11:00.023-04:00

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.

2010-09-07T12:34:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-01T16:27:00.001-04:00

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.

3 Tips for a Successful Blog Post

2010-08-26T11:50:00.001-04:00

Social media is an ongoing learning process for me, so as I pick up helpful tips, I want to pass them on to my readers.

Use keywords in the title and in the content of your post so it’s easier for people to find it when they’re searching. However, make sure you’re transparent. Don’t use popular keywords that have nothing to do with your actual content.

Make sure your links are relevant. If you are referring readers to something on your web site, do NOT send people to your home page. If you force people to do additional clicks, you may lose them. Instead, send your readers to the landing page on your site that is directly relevant to what you mention in your blog post.

If you receive comments, make sure you respond to them. This lets readers know that you care what they think and shows your willingness to make social media a two-way conversation.

Using Facebook Responsibly

2010-08-18T11:05:00.000-04:00

“Last night, I was at this great party until about 4:00am. I don’t remember much of it other than doing a keg stand in a clown suit, but based on those Facebook pictures, it sure looks like I had fun…”

Hopefully, you can tell where I’m going with this statement. First, let me say that last night, I most likely read a library book and was in bed well before 10:00pm (in my pajamas – not a clown suit). But, for many people, this description is probably not far from reality, especially with the part about party pictures going on Facebook! The point of this post is to talk with you about using Facebook responsibly. Read the full post at LinkToPro.com

How to create a survey using Google Docs

2010-08-10T11:33:00.001-04:00

You may have used Google Docs to work on a shared document, but did you know you can also create a survey for free by using a Google Form? Check out this short video for instructions.

How to Create a Survey With Google Docs on Howcast

Is There Life Outside of Work?

2010-07-30T09:25:00.000-04:00

It's no surprise that people in the nonprofit field tend to work a lot of hours. I also know a lot of IT people that are constantly connected. Is there life outside of work?

I say, yes, there is life outside of work - if you choose to make it a priority. Check out my article on LinkToPro.com and tell me some of your tips for finding balance.

Social media presentation: Twitter, Facebook, Blogger

2010-07-27T13:29:00.003-04:00

First Federal recorded this presentation I gave in May of this year. The 50-minute recording can be viewed here. Hope it's helpful to those new to social media!

Is Yammer a corporate alternative to Twitter?

2010-07-20T10:13:00.001-04:00

Unlike Twitter, which is for the general public, Yammer is focused on companies, and only users with the same email domain can be part of a given network. It also takes a slightly different approach with updates. Twitter asks “What are you doing”? and Yammer asks “What are you working on?”

Yammer also seems to be a “mini-facebook” since every employee has a profile, which could be useful for large companies. Organizations with remote users may also find this feature helps remote users feel more connected to the organization.

Having a knowledgebase with past conversations has the potential to reduce email conversations. With conversations in one place, it could serve as a public email system for users and possibly reduce email overload.

Since it is web based, there’s no need to host or maintain the service on a company server. The basic version is free for those who simply want to try it out. If it turns out to be something your company wants to implement, there are several different options for upgraded service.

Managing twitter with sobees

2010-07-14T09:18:00.002-04:00

Sobees is a tool for managing Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. It’s up to you to determine which accounts you want to connect and how you want to access it. You can use it in a browser, on your desktop, or mobile device. Many users will probably initially use it for Twitter. If you choose to add more than your Twitter account, you can still organize your social networks however you choose. You may want one vertical column per social network or a full column for your primary network, and have the other networks combined in another column.

Probably the best feature for twitter users is anti-spam blocking. You can block twitter spam using specific keywords and determine which trending topics to keep out of your timeline. Many twitter users spending time dealing with clutter will appreciate this feature. Like other tools, you can also use your existing twitter lists so there’s no need to recreate.

If you decide to connect to multiple social networks with Sobees, you can easily update your status on multiple sites at the same together or select only one or two to update at a time. There are clearly multiple tools out there, but it never hurts to experiment with the frees ones to see what works best for you.

Managing email overload

2010-07-12T11:18:00.007-04:00

I’m sure I am not the only one with multiple email accounts. I have a couple different ones for work, several for personal use, and a couple more that I use for side projects.

Whether you're nonprofit or for-profit, you’re probably receiving more email than you have time to read. Other than deleting your accounts, you just can’t get rid of email. However, there are ways to manage email overload. Check out my full post on LinkToPro.com for some of tips for managing email overload.

Interested in twitter, but not ready for an account?

2010-07-08T13:08:00.001-04:00

Microvolunteer from your desk or iPhone through The Extraordinaries

2010-06-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

Lots of people want to offer assistance to nonprofits, but may be short on time. That’s where The Extraordinaries comes in. Either from the web browser on your desktop or through an application on your iPhone, you can volunteer for a few minutes at a time for one of many nonprofits.

Once you’re connected, search for projects based on your interest, such as schools or animals. Projects vary and may include tagging images for a museum or cataloging photos from an art show. There’s no long term, or minimum commitments, so take a look when you have some time and see which questions you can answer.

Monitoring keywords with Google Alerts

2010-06-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

Do you know what people are saying online about your organization? Or even you? It’s hard to keep up with all the content on the internet. Google alerts make this process easier by monitoring keywords for you.

To get started, simply click here to get to the alerts page. Enter your search terms, which may be a specific name in quotes (“Your Organization”) or several keywords that are of interest to you, such as your geographical location.

Leave the default type of “everything” and “once a day” for frequency. Enter your email and click “Create Alert”. You can create multiple alerts for different topics and every email you receive provides an option to change your alert or unsubscribe. If you find the results aren’t what you are looking for, you can easily modify your search terms until you have what you need.

Social Media 101 Presentation

2010-06-17T09:37:00.002-04:00

I've done this presentation for several local groups and had good feedback, so I'm posting it for my readers.

Social Media 101

If you have suggestions for future presentations or feedback on this one, please email me - tina |at| coastalcommunityfoundation.org.

Google AdWords strategy

2010-06-15T15:28:00.000-04:00

Google AdWords is a way to advertise to Google users who search key terms relevant to your product or service. As an advertiser, you have control over the advertising budget by paying only when people click on an ad in the search results. Nonprofits have an added advantage because they can apply for a free account through Google.

Once accepted to the program, nonprofits need to think through a strategy for their advertising even though they do not have to worry about the budget (since it's free).

This involves 1) Knowing your goals, 2) Choosing good keywords, 3) Creating targeted ads, and 4) Monitoring your account. Check my article on eHow.com for more detail about each of these steps.

Create an online business card with Dooid.com

2010-06-10T16:37:00.003-04:00

Keeping track of your social media links is a challenge. As you add more and more accounts, it can be tricky to remember what they all are and no one wants to see a bunch of URLs in your email signature line.

Dooid is a tool for easily creating your social media profile in an online business card. Currently, Dooid is free with add on features available for purchase. When you set up your account, you can keep the default bio or write a short one of your own. Decide which profiles to add, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Also include links to other sites, such as your blog.

With Dooid’s privacy setting, choose which information you want to make public, such as your work email address and make other information private, such as your personal email address. You can also add your interests, which are basically keywords about you. One you set up your Dooid account with your name, you can further brand yourself by buying the URL for your name and redirecting that to your Dooid address, which will be Dooid.com/YourName. Once Dooid is set up, provide this link to your contacts so they have an easy way to find out where you are, and what you’re doing, online.

How to Receive Less Junk Mail

2010-06-08T11:46:00.002-04:00

Spam. We all receive it. We all hate it. But is there anything we can do about it?

Chances are we can’t completely get rid of junk mail. However, there are way to reduce the amount we receive. Check out my post on eHow.com for some tips.

Conducting Successful Web Conferences

2010-06-01T12:21:00.005-04:00

As more people telecommute and work from remote offices, web conferencing is becoming more and more common. How do you conduct an effective web conference? Do you just stick a web camera on your monitor? Well, maybe. But there’s more to it than just that if you want to be part of a successful web conference.

Check out my post on LinkToPro for tips on conducting successful web conferences.

1,000 words is worth a picture

2010-05-21T15:12:00.007-04:00

I know, I know, it's the other way around. "A picture is worth a thousand words." But, when it comes to Wordle, I think 1,000 words is worth a picture!

This is a tool Michael Carnell used for our our Palmetto Technology Hub business cards. If you are not sure how to explain what your organization does, or simply need a funky looking picture, go to Wordle.net and enter your domain name. When I entered the Tech Hub's web address today (scpath.org), this is the picture that was generated. I think it can also be useful for figuring out key words to use when you're writing about your org. Kind of cool, don't you think?

What is Microsoft Project 2007?

2010-05-18T11:47:00.004-04:00

Most people are familiar with the standard products in Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Project seems to be one of the ones used less often. What is it and why use it? Check out my thoughts on answerbag.com

Nonprofit Networking Lunch - May 7th, 2010

2010-04-30T14:56:00.011-04:00

Do you work for a nonprofit? Are you interested in learning about Social Media 101 while networking with your peers? Then come join me at First Federal (2440 Mall Drive, North Charleston) on May 7th, 2010. Keep reading for the session description and registration details.

Session description: "What the heck is social media? Wondering if you should bother with Twitter, Facebook, or a Blog? Not sure of the difference between friends, fans, and followers? Tina Arnoldi, Director of Information Management at Coastal Community Foundation, will talk about how they got started with social media, what’s worked for them, challenges along the way and how they define success."

The presentation will be from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm followed by networking and free lunch from 12:30pm - 1:30pm. Please call Lynn Greer at 843-529-5940 to RSVP by May 5th and spread the word to nonprofits in the Charleston area!

Social bookmarking with Delicious

2010-04-22T11:12:00.012-04:00

I finally set up an account with delicious so I have all my bookmarks in one place and can keep them organized. If you already have a yahoo account, simply sign in from the home page of delicious.com to get started.

Other than being free, there are some great things about this site. I love the ability to make bookmarks private or public. I have some things in my account that the general public may not care about, so I’ve marked those private. My work-related ones are all public and have tags such as nptech and socialmedia that may be of interest to other people working in the field.

The great (and obvious) advantage is having them all in one place. Whether you travel or occasionally work from home, it can be inconvenient to have multiple computers with your favorite web sites stored.

I was also able to easily import my existing Firefox bookmarks into delicious. Tagging them properly took some time, but now they are more accessible.

Firefox users will love the add-on from delicious. This makes it even easier to tag a site when you’re surfing the web. I’m sure there are more features I haven’t figured out yet, so these are just a few of the highlights.

Why didn’t I do this sooner?

Spring cleaning your shared computer files

2010-04-01T15:10:00.005-04:00

If you have a shared file system on your server (or even in your home), chances are it has become a mess over the years! You have subfolders within subfolders within subfolders. You may even have multiple folders with the same kind of information.

YourDir is a great freeware program to help you clean up your file structure by giving you a picture of your folders (see image in this post). Download it, unzip, and double-click the exe file to run it. Once you do this, you'll click on the top-left button to select a new top-level folder to examine. Nesting is the number of sub-folders you want to view. I recommend starting with three to see your results. If you change the "nesting" number, don't forget to hit refresh (second button from the left). Once this is done, you may want to print your results, so you can develop a strategy for cleaning up.

Using dropbox for sharing files

2010-03-24T12:52:00.006-04:00

Dropbox is a great little (free!) tool for sharing files.

When you put a file on Dropbox, you can access it from any other computer where the software is installed. When you edit, your changes are saved in both places, so you no longer have to worry about multiple versions of files or carrying a flash drive between two computers.

You can also use it to share files with other users. Have you ever tried to email a file to someone and it was kicked back to you because it was too large? Dropbox solves this problem for you by giving you a folder online for you to share with other people you select. Files are also backed up for free (up to 2GB).

So, check it out here.

Getting the hang of hootsuite

2010-03-09T16:12:00.005-05:00

I have been a loyal TweetDeck user for quite some time and have finally decided to see what all the rave is about with HootSuite.

So far, there are a few great selling points (other, of course, than it being free). HootSuite is a great tool for managing multiple twitter accounts. You can easily select an account to tweet from with the HootSuite dashboard.

It is also great for measuring influence by seeing how many people have clicked on one of your links and where people were when they clicked (such as facebook or twitter).

The one thing I've found a little tricky is working with groups. It doesn't appear to be a feature (or maybe it's just one I haven't figured out yet). The way I've been handling groups is by creating a private twitter list and then adding that list into one of my HootSuite columns.

The Hootlet is also a great option for sharing links on twitter. Add it to your browser toolbar. Then, when you find a site you want to share with your twitter followers, you simply click on your Hootlet. It's a very handy tool.

So, I haven't completely converted from Tweetdeck. But, I'm getting there!

Protecting your computer from internet threats

2010-02-16T09:47:00.005-05:00

Jamey Mellis, “The Computer Guy”, spoke about internet threats at an AITP meeting. I want to share two of his great tips for making your internet use safer.

There are lots of good web sites out there and some not so good. SiteAdvisor is a free tool you can download from McAfee which will steer you away from the bad ones. Once you install this tool and browse the internet, it will give you a green check for sites that are safe and a red “x” for ones you should stay away from.

Secunia is another great resource and is free for personal use. This tool scans your computer and notifies you of any software vulnerabilities. Instead of having to check each piece of software on your computer for updates, this will show you in one shot where software patches are needed. (A “patch” is software that fixes problems or updates computer programs). You can then go out to the vendor’s web site and update any patches as needed.

There is definitely a lot more to be said on using the internet safely and these two sites will get you started on better browsing.

Social media 101: Influence, not control

2010-02-01T11:38:00.002-05:00

One of the biggest concerns I hear from people considering the use of social media in their organization is fear of losing control of their message. Well, the truth is, you don’t have control of it anyway. People can, and will, say anything they want about your company or nonprofit.

The key with social media is your ability to influence what is being said. It gives you the power to put your message out there and respond to what people are saying about you. For example, if a complaint is made over twitter about your customer service, you can respond publicly to acknowledge that you heard their complaint and are addressing it. This also shows other people watching this conversation that you are attentive to customer concerns.

So, with social media, although you can't use it to control what people say, you can effectively use it to correct any complaints, learn from customers, and find new ways to met their needs.

Tips for a successful website

2010-01-15T12:42:00.013-05:00

Hubspot recently offered a free webinar on website redesign. The entire recording is definitely worth watching. In this post, I want to highlight some of their tips for a successful site whether you are redesigning or simply getting started.

A very important key to success is getting found. To do that, you need to create content and refresh it regularly. Refreshing your content will result in more attention from search engines.

Also, think about different types of content, such as a blog, video, and photos. A small nonprofit will definitely not want to try implementing all these things at the same time. Think about what is doable for your organization.

Once a visitor comes to your site, consider ways to "convert" them. Having some type of call to action on the landing page will allow you to capture information by having visitors fill out a form, or responding to short survey. For example, there is currently a link on Coastal Community Foundation's home page, inviting feedback on the Annual Report as a call to action.

Finally, you want to be able to measure something. Before developing your site, think about your goals and desired statistics. For example, if your organization is seeking members, you probably want your membership page to be prominent on the site and make it easy for people to become members. It may be helpful to know how many people visited the membership page of your site, but did not become members.

If you want to learn more about a successful website and tips for redesign, take the time to check-out Hubspot's webinar and slides.

Getting the hang of Office 2007

2009-12-02T12:26:00.007-05:00

With Office 2010 beta out now, I figured this would be a good time to get the hang of Office 2007. Better late than never.

Although I'm still not completely sold on the ribbon, I think I finally understand what the developers had in mind when they created it. The premise seems to be that you start at the Home tab for your basic document creation, then move to the next tab for Inserting additional features, and so on. If you think of it in that order, it can be a little less frustrating. Also, if you click on the arrow on the bottom right of each group (see green box in my screen shot), you'll see some dialog boxes that will look very familiar to you and get you back into your comfort zone.

In my opinion, the key to making Office 2007 work for you is to customize the Quick Access Toolbar (see red box in my screen shot). This will let you easily add commands you frequently use, such as open, close, and save.

The feature I like the best is "live preview" where you can hold your mouse over a formatting option and see right away how it changes the appearance. What do you think? Are you a user of 2007? Still on 2003 (or even 1997!)? Planning to beta test 2010? Let me know!

Getting started with web metrics

2009-11-10T09:25:00.002-05:00

There are differing opinions on what to track with web metrics and some of it is dependent on what is important to you. This post is by no means the final authority, but rather some things I've picked up along the way and want to pass on to others.

Visitors count how many users came to your site, which I feel is a good basic statistic.

Views are useful for understanding visitor loyalty because it can show the frequency and time a visitor spends on your site. You can see how many pages someone looks at before they leave your site.

Hits are requests made to a web server. This is an inaccurate measure because each page can have a number of files. So, to make this a simple example, let's say you are looking at a page with 20 files. This would be considered one view to the page and 20 hits.

Clicks help you understand how much your visitor is interacting with your site by counting how many times they click on a link or image.

There's a lot more to web metrics than what is listed above. This post is simply an introduction for people getting started. It's important to understand the terminology when presenting your data.

Great tips for Flickr

2009-10-16T14:30:00.016-04:00

PC World had an article in their September 2009 issue with helpful tips for different applications include flickr. There are two specifically I want to highlight in this post.

If you are looking for a picture to use and do not want to worry about copyright issues, go to "Explore" once you are signed into flickr, then search within Creative Commons. These are photos you are permitted to use without any legal ramifications as long as you comply with the CC license.

Another useful tip is the ability to upload your pictures to flickr by sending them to an email address. You can find out your flickr email address by going to your account. (One way to get to your account is by clicking the "Signed in as" name once you are logged in). Once there, you'll see "Your flickr upload email" which is where you'll send your pictures. The subject of your email becomes the title of your picture and the body of the email becomes the description.

Who doesn't love tips that make working with flickr a little easier?

Creating an RSS feed

2009-10-05T17:49:00.014-04:00

There’s no shortage of services available to create your own RSS feed. If this is the first time you’ve heard the term "RSS", I encourage you to take a step back and read my introductory post on RSS before continuing on.

I’ve tested a number of different tools for creating an RSS feed and like F eedity because I think it’s fairly easy for a non-technical person to use and does not require any kind of registration.

To get started, go to Feedity.com and enter the web address with content you want to turn into a feed. For example, I tried entering our main web page, then selected preview. At the next screen, the easiest thing is to select the appropriate category and simply “Get Feed” rather than trying to refine anything.

From there, you’ll be taken to a screen with the message that your feed is ready to go. I wanted to see how it looked so I clicked on it and went to an iGoogle page where I saw three menu headers (see image on the left).

I decided that probably wasn’t what readers wanted to see, so I re-did the feed, this time pulling from our news page where the content is updated more frequently. I again clicked on the resulting feed and was happier with the results (see image on the right). So, if you want to explore creating your own RSS feed, there are plenty of services you can use and I especially encourage beginners to start with Feedity.

Google Docs

2009-09-04T12:19:00.008-04:00

Are you aware of the free tools offered by Google for nonprofits? You may be familiar with Google Apps, but not realize their Premier/Education Edition is available free for qualifying nonprofit organizations.

In this post, I want to specifically look at the features available with Google Docs. How often have you worked on a document with other people and have not been sure which was the latest version? Or perhaps you missed some important changes because you were comparing several different versions and did not catch all the edits?

Google Docs puts an end to that problem by making it easy for you to collaborate with others online. As you work on a document with others, Google shows who made the suggested changes and saves your revision history so you can revert back to a previous version. I think the best feature is that multiple people can work on the document at the same time. So, check it out. It's free so there's nothing to lose!

An intro to SEO

2009-08-13T10:18:00.009-04:00

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important for any organization wanting to increase the ranking of their web site in search results. Since Google has the market share for searching, the key to SEO is focusing on what Google wants. (As of April, 2009, Google accounted for 65% of all search results.)

1. Relevant content is extremely important to having a good search ranking and click-through rate on Google. Some helpful tips and resources:

2. Use key words, but don’t overdo it. It’s obvious if you are repeatedly using a word on your page to increase your ranking.

3. Google offers webmaster tools to help you out. Log in with your Google account to access their tools.

4. Think strategically about relevant sites that could link to your content.

5. Seochat is another resource to spend some time exploring. The SEO Tools found there will assist you in configuring your website for SEO within the different search engines, not just Google.

6. Site maps are important. XML maps are picked up by crawlers, but HTML maps are picked up by crawlers and humans. Your site map helps search engines index all pages of a website.

7. Update your content frequently so the search engines keep indexing your content. (This also keeps your visitors coming back).

If you are looking to increase your ranking in a Google search, or any search engine, take the time to review your content and look into the resources mentioned above. Do you have any other tips for improving SEO?

Accepting donations online

2009-07-31T15:14:00.013-04:00

Many nonprofits want to accept donations online, but don't want to pay the processing fee charged by many sites. With Razoo, the processing fee is no longer a concern.

So what's the catch? Believe it or not, there isn't one! I contacted Razoo with that very question. They told me there is a donor backing their service who believes it is important for nonprofits to have online donation capabilities without losing a percentage for service fees. Knowing that 100% of your donation goes to nonprofits using Razoo is definitely enough for me, but there are other features that are pretty cool.

No account required! Signing up for an account can be a barrier for many users. It is still a good idea to set up an account with Razoo since it lets you track your donation history.

Connect with Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, you can use that to log-in to Razoo and share information with your Facebook friends.

Fund-raising pages. I've seen some pretty cool fund-raising pages out there, but they generally carry a fee, either through a percentage or a set up cost. Razoo lets you set up a fund-raising page at no charge. Anyone can create a page to support an organization.

I encourage you to check it out whether you are a nonprofit or an individual wanting to show support for a particular cause.

Are you thinking of setting up a web site?

2009-07-15T16:46:00.004-04:00

TechSoup has a great post about simple low-cost web sites for nonprofits. The whole article is definitely worth reading. In my post, I want to comment on some tips about getting started.

Even if you’re not completely ready to set up your web site, register your domain name. In fact, register multiple domain names! Nonprofits generally use .org and I suggest also buying the .com and .net extensions. There are numerous providers of domain names and one I like (and feel is reputable) is 1and1.com. They only charge $8.00 or so each year.

Evaluating your needs is also an important step before diving right in. Even though someone may recommend an expensive web developer, it does not mean they offer services your nonprofit even needs. What is the goal of your site? Do you want basic (static) information with your name, address, office hours, etc..? Or, is it information that will be constantly changing, such as an event calendar?

Many of the nonprofits I have provided assistance to had their needs met with a basic, “out-of-the-box” solution. These types of sites provide wizards which will walk you through adding pages to your site. The site builder and hosting service with 1and1.com is $60 a year for a basic site.

More people are realizing that blogging platforms such as WordPress can actually work as a website. Take a look at some existing WordPress sites to see which features are available with a blog. This is another way to put up a web site without any programming knowledge.

There are definitely many other considerations, but this is a good way to get started. Remember, buy your domains. It’s okay to hold them even if you’re not going to use them for a while. Also, brainstorm with a few other co-workers or volunteers and decide what you want from your web site.

19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day

2009-06-30T13:04:00.002-04:00

19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day

Posted using ShareThis

What are your stakeholders doing online?

2009-06-16T13:21:00.009-04:00

Michael Cervino addresses this question in Chapter 8 of “Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission.” Instead of just jumping on the Web 2.0 train, think about your expectations for each of these tools. For example, people generally think of LinkedIn as more of a professional networking community versus a personal networking community. What type of community do you want to develop?

Cervino also offers some suggestions establishing your baselines when getting started.

1) Mine the data.
2) Survey your constituents.
3) Compare to peers.
4) Study nonprofit benchmarks and metrics.
5) Review other industry metrics.

Regardless of which tool you use in the Web 2.0 world, there are three key questions to ask when examining online activity.

1) How are constituents finding out about us or connecting through to us?
2) What are they doing when they interact with us?
3) When are they leaving and why?

My recommendation to answer these questions is to use Google analytics. It’s a great tool for gathering some of this data.

Power to the users

2009-05-26T14:28:00.007-04:00

There seems to be no shortage of great books on Web 2.0 and Tom Funk’s book is another example of a well-written guide to the world of Web 2.0. One of the key advantages of Web 2.0, or social media, is the power it gives to users and their networks. By rating, commenting, and sharing sites, viral marketing has really taken off.

Whether using Squidoo for a simple one-page web site, or Ning for an online community, users are controlling the content out there on the web. A key to developing content is making sure it’s something that people want to share. Be relevant. Be personal.

What’s already out there? Are you filling a void? Funk projects that by 2011, half of all adults online and 84% of all teens online will be involved in a social network. There is definitely an audience; the question is how are you addressing them?

Should your nonprofit use a Facebook page or group?

2009-05-08T14:35:00.003-04:00

Good question! That is something we have gone back and forth about at Coastal Community Foundation. I want to give you my opinion on groups versus pages and invite your feedback. One thing we learned the hard way is that your page category cannot be changed. Currently, we are listed as “other business” and are hoping that someday Facebook will let us change to our category to nonprofit. What we do like about pages is that it automatically pulls in the foundation’s blog posts. Pages also have some more advanced features, allowing you to add applications (“widgets”).

There are definitely some advantages to groups as well and you may want to check out Center for Women as an example of an effective group. Groups make it easier to send out “bulk invites” and are a little better for viral marketing (meaning that group members can also send bulk invites to their friends).

Either way, both pages and groups allow for discussions and let you message all members (groups) and fans (page). Before you set up your group or page, take a look around Facebook to see what others are doing. Then, decide what works best for you strategically.

What is RSS?

2009-04-16T19:09:00.010-04:00

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a way to deliver changes to a web site. It saves time when you are following numerous blogs or web sites because you don't have to go to multiple sites to stay current. Although most sites give you the options to subscribe to updates via email, it may result in too many messages in your inbox. Also, there may only be a few headlines that are of interest and you end up scrolling through a long email to find what you want to read.

What does this look like? There are numerous feeds out there and one I am partial to is Netvibes. For an example of what this looks like, check out the public page used at Coastal Community Foundation. Each newspaper has it's own tab, so people can easily find the articles that are of interest. There's also a tab with widgets showing all of Coastal Community Foundation's social media channels.

So how do you get started? Select a reader. Netvibes is very easy and does not require any downloads to your computer. Find the sites that interest you and look for the orange icon (it will look like the image in this post). (Or, it may simply be listed as an "RSS feed"). When you subscribe to the feed, you'll see a link that you need to copy. Paste this link into your reader. In Netvibes, you will see "Add content", then "Add a feed". Once you do this, you are ready to go!

Watch a great presentation on Social Media

2009-04-08T09:51:00.002-04:00

Social Media for Non-Profits Workshop

View more presentations from Wild Apricot.

Blogging Tips

2009-03-31T16:46:00.006-04:00

Groundswell includes some great tips for effectively using social media. The authors cover a number of areas related to Web 2.0 and offer ideas for being successful. In this post, I want to share some of their suggestions for blogging.

1) A good first step is to “listen”. What are people already writing about? How can you add to what is already out there? 2) Decide if you want one author versus several. In this blog, I am the only author so it can be a little difficult to find time to blog regularly. In my foundation’s blog, we have several staff involved so you’ll see frequent postings. 3) It is also a good idea to practice some posts before going live. Make sure you get comfortable. 4) Once your blog is out there, how will you let people know about it? Sending an email to your donors? Putting out a press release? Don’t worry too much about a definitive plan. Just think about a few key questions, and then run with it!

Igniting social change in the connected age

2009-03-14T17:05:00.011-04:00

Can nonprofits use social media to ignite social change? This is a question Allison Fine addresses in “Momentum”. The key to being effective with social media is creating meaningful opportunities for people to participate. It’s not about being more technical, but rather it’s about using these tools to be more connected. The goal is to increase conversations and not just send out information.

To encourage conversation, focus on building a sense of community where information flows freely and people on the edge are able to provide ideas. A sense of ownership can happen through interaction. It is a different world – not necessary better or worse – but definitely different. The social marketing approach is about more than numbers. It’s about relationships.

Web 2.0 offers good tips on formulating social media plans

2009-03-02T12:48:00.009-05:00

This is another review I wrote for CharlestonCurrents.com. If you are considering a social media plan for your nonprofit, I encourage you to read this book!

"Web 2.0: A strategy guide" is a good introduction for users new to the Web 2.0 world. Amy Shuen encourages the audience to ask relevant questions before embarking on a social media plan. How will we draw people to our site? Can we learn from users as they visit us? What is the target group? How will it change our business practices? Shuen gives an overview of well-known applications, such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, along with implications for their use. Web 2.0 tools make it difficult to control content, but more likely to generate interest from users because of its interactive nature. After finishing this book, the reader should be able to begin implementation of a Web 2.0 plan.

Using strong computer passwords

2009-02-18T13:04:00.002-05:00

How many of you have a computer password of “password”? Or maybe your dog’s name? Date of birth? Fess up. Many people are guilty of using weak passwords. Or perhaps you have the same password for your email newsletters as you do for your bank account. Bad idea. It is extremely important to 1) use secure passwords, 2) change them frequently, and 3) don’t use the same password for secure (bank) and “informal” accounts (newsletters).

To make sure your password is secure, use letters, numbers, and symbols. For example, you may replace the letter “I” with an “!”, or “a” for “@”. Don’t use words that include personal information, such as birthdays or names.

How often you should change your passwords is up for debate. You’ll hear quite a range and I would recommend at least every 90 days. I know it can be a pain, but better safe than sorry.

And finally, how often can you use the same password? One suggestion is to think in terms of different “levels” of security, with newsletter subscriptions considered “low level” and banking information “high level”. I think it is okay to use the same password for your newsletter subscriptions or other accounts that don’t have personal information. But never, ever, use the same password for your newsletters as you do for your banking information.

And my last point…. Please, please, please don’t post the administrator password in the server room. Yes, it’s been done.

E-mail on the go

2009-02-10T09:19:00.002-05:00

Many nonprofits do not have the money to shell out for a Blackberry, Motorola Q, or other mobile device, but still may need a way to check their email on-the-go. One solution is the Peek Mobile E-mail Device, available for around $80 from Amazon.com.

It does not include a camera, or even a phone for that matter, and is strictly for email. The email use is unlimited and runs about $20 a month. The battery life is good on this little device, but some users have expressed concerns with connectivity.

The bottom line is that this is a device worth considering for users needing a low-cost on the go email solution.

'Cult of the Amateur' looks at Internet's influence

2009-02-02T14:18:00.003-05:00

This is my latest book review on CharlestonCurrents.com. I think it's a great read for anyone exploring the influence of the internet on our culture.

Andrew Keen examines the effect of the Internet on our culture in "The Cult of the Amateur." Whether you concur with his premise that the Internet is having a negative impact, all can understand the need to be cautious. I agree that just because something is online, it does not mean it is true. However, I am less quick to diminish the value of some contributors to the Web 2.0 realm. "The Cult of the Amateur" is a thought-provoking book that can spark a lively debate between adopters of Web 2.0 and those who have not quite embraced this new world order.

Shorten a web address

2009-01-30T11:13:00.002-05:00

Have you ever tried to send a link, or received one, that wrapped around in your email address? Whether you're the sender or the recipient, it can be frustrating to try to click and paste a really long web address from the email to an address bar.

One solution for this is TinyURL. TinyURL allows you to enter a long domain name, which will automatically be shortened. The result will be http://tinyurl.com/xxxxx with "xxxxx" being a mix of numbers and letters that TinyURL provides. You can also try to select a custom name. For example, I wanted to use "nptech" instead of what TinyURL provides for the "xxxxx" portion of the name. So, if you come to this blog, you can use http://tinyurl.com/nptech instead of http://nptechnology.blogspot.com/. Try it out!

Why use blogger?

2009-01-22T12:37:00.001-05:00

If you're reading this, you've already figure out my preference for blogging is using Google's blogger. There are other good options out there, including TypePad and WordPress, so why Blogger over these other two? For starters, blogger is very easy. If you can send an email, you can do a blog post. Plus, many people already have a gmail account which makes it easy for them to comment on your Blogger blog.

It's also very easy to set up a custom domain name. When you set up your blog, Google will check the availability of your preferred name and add Blogspot to it. If you want a custom domain name which will remove the "blogspot", you can get one for around $10/year. This will allow you to set up your blog with a preferred name. But.. if you're just starting out, go ahead and set up your free account to give it a try!

Which Web 2.0 sites are the most commonly used?

2009-01-12T17:02:00.001-05:00

As you think about your Web 2.0 strategy, one question you should ask is: Which sites are the most commonly used? A good place to answer the first question is Compete. I did a search today to get a feel for the traffic on Twitter. From 12/07 - 12/08, the traffic has increased by 752.9%!!! I'm one of those people who had some doubts about using Twitter, but based on that traffic, I need to reconsider!

Sharing photos

2008-12-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

Flickr is a great way to establish a presence online for your nonprofit. It gives you a chance to tell your story and invite comments on the photos you post. By allowing comments, you can see how people are impacted and what issues they care about. TechSoup currently offers Flickr Pro accounts for a low administrative fee to nonprofits The basic free account is available to everyone.

Backups

2008-12-30T09:37:00.001-05:00

Whether you are with a large organization with multiple servers, or a small one with one computer, backing up up your data is crucial. Think of the valuable information you have on your donors that you just cannot afford to lose! Mozy is a low-cost solution for online backups. If you want to test it out with your personal files first, the first 2 GB are free for home users.

Print to PDF

2008-12-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

Occasionally, I find a great article online that I don't necessarily want to print, but want to save it in my electronic files. Or, I may need to send a file to someone who doesn't use Word, so I'll save my file as a PDF before I email it. There are lots of options to pay for converting to a PDF, but a great free one is available from BullZip.

Staff scheduling

2008-12-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

Chances are, you don't have an "official" HR department, and attendance is kept on 3 x 5 cards! WhosOff is a free utility for tracking staff time. It's easy for organizations to easily track sickness and unpaid leave for employees - no manual calculations necessary!

Virus protection

2008-12-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

Anti-virus software is a must, both for your nonprofit and your home computer. The one I use is AVG, which is free for home users. No support is available with the free version, but they do offer a forum to discuss problems with other users. They also offer paid versions. Go to their site to see the different features of each product.

YouTube

2008-12-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

Did you know that YouTube has a program for nonprofits? They also have some great tips for low-budget nonprofits wanting to establish a video presence online.

Reach out to the YouTube community for low cost or FREE help with creating a video.
Develop a slide show from digital pictures to create your video story.
Buy an inexpensive Flip Video Camera to make your own video.

Another great resource for scheduling

2008-12-11T12:45:00.001-05:00

I previously mentioned MeetingWizard on here for scheduling your committees and board meetings and also wanted to pass on Doodle. I like Doodle because there's no requirement to set up an account. Also, the link for your participants is sent from your email address so the recipients will not mistake it for spam.

Saving paper

2008-12-08T15:38:00.000-05:00

We should all cut down on our paper use, not only because of the cost, but also to save a few trees! Have you ever printed a web page and found lots of images, ads, and other junk printing out so you didn't quite get what you need? If so, check out PrintWhatYouLike. It lets you select the text you need from the web page, so you don't get lots of "extras" that waste paper.

Broken links on your website

2008-12-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

Chances are, you don't have a whole lot of free time to upload your web site, let alone make sure your links are still active. There's a free tool, called Xenu Link Sleuth, that will do the work for you. Run this report against your URL and pay attention to the "no such host" on your output. These are links on your site that are no longer valid.

E-mail newsletters

2008-12-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

With the cost of mail, and well, just about everything these days, nonprofits may want to consider emailing their newsletters and saving the cost to print and mail a paper newsletter. One solution I like is by Vertical Response. They allow you to customize the look and feel of your newsletter, so you can add your nonprofit's logo. You can also view statistics about who is opening versus simply deleting your newsletter. But, probably the best part is their FREE program for nonprofits.

Zoho

2008-12-04T13:39:00.001-05:00

Zoho has a new online file management system that unites its docs, presentations, and spreadsheets in one place, so there's no need to search multiple applications for a document.

It also support multiple file formats, including PDF and zip. It's worth checking out for people who need an online document management solution.

Google Chrome

2008-09-09T14:30:00.001-04:00

Is there more to nonprofit technology than Google? Yes, I do think so, it just seems that a number of new things have been happening in the Google world. They've released a beta version of their browser, Chrome. One feature I like is that tabs run on their own memory. So, unlike Firefox, if one of your tabs freeze up, the whole thing doesn't crash. I'm a big Firefox user, and this has happened to me many times. So, check it out & tell me what you think.