Social Media FAQs Part 1 - Profile Setup

I've received many questions from Twitter followers of GoalBusters and AFPNAZ regarding Social Media sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. and thought I'd send out a reply to some "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs). I'll focus this post on tips for setting up "Profiles."


Q1. Do I want to set up separate profiles. One for business and one for personal?
Yes, I recommend setting up separate personal and business profiles. Remember you are frequently "your brand" ask yourself... Is your brand different professionally and personally? Typically, we get to be much more casual/goofy with our friends and family. You have to decide how much distinction you make between your "Front Stage" and "Back Stage" presence. Should your boss and clients really have complete access your "unfiltered" side?

Q2. Should I use separate email addresses, or come up with a new email address that kind of covers all?
Usually you have to have a separate email address to set up the accounts. It's an effort to stall spammers. I try to use consistent if not the same email for the same personal or professional "identity." For example, my Twitter / YouTube / LinkedIn / Myspace / Facebook might all share contact info for same professional or personal "identity." I keep a spreadsheet to keep track of them all.

Q3. Are these profiles for individuals? Or should I make one for work?
I highly recommend you set up Facebook/Twitter/YouTube etc. profiles for work. Where else can you market you organization and promote your events and issues for free to people who self-identify that they are interested in you and what you do? Email blast, sure...but they are "push marketing." Social Media is interactive "pull marketing."

Q4. What name should I use when making a profile?
Pick names that are memorable and unique to your organization. You might also want to "protect your brand" by grabbing a few different "similar" names even if you only actively use one of them. You can block other people from diluting your brand either inadvertently or intentionally by grabbing the "real estate" around your brand. Secure names that someone might search for when thinking of your organization. Provide brief information in those "dummy" profiles which direct people to your website or other preferred profile address.

Q5. Is that necessary? Why should I bother?
Wouldn't you put an ad in the Yellow Pages if it was free? Consider Myspace. GoalBusters has a Myspace page, but we only use it as a "billboard/Yellow Pages ad." We provide redirection info to the sites we regularly update. You don't have to regularly manage sites like this, but it is important to have a presence in forums that enjoy millions of active users. Today's world is all about choice. Let people choose how to interact with you and they will. We've linked our Myspace page to Twitter and update from TweetDeck with a simple click when it seems appropriate. I rarely actually log on to Myspace, yet I update it regularly from TweetDeck. It's like simulcasting. Same message, same effort, no additional time invested, multiple sites updated.

We hope to see you in our network soon!

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

To improve your LinkedIn understanding and effectiveness, see LinkedIn - Why it Matters and Tips for Success This blog details who is using LinkedIn, why you should care and how to create the most effective profile.

A Remembrance for A Dedicated Volunteer

Amy set down her phone and raised her hand.

“May I have a moment? Teri’s gone.”

What followed was a deafening silence that probably didn’t last long, but felt like an eternity.

Jim was standing in front of the room, facilitating a portion of an all day board retreat for Flagstaff Community Partnership, a group of parents who provide peer to peer support for families with special needs children. He looked to me, and we both grasped for what to say to our grieving participants.

Teresa “Teri” Sanders was a strong advocate for the rights of special needs children. The board members described a passionate woman who was a force to be reckoned with. One person said, “You did not want to see her stand up in a meeting. One time she stood up and pointed her finger at someone, and I thought, ‘Good thing she’s on my side!’” Another board member elaborated, “Teri knew the law inside and out. She always knew what to say or do. What will we do without her?”

The people in the room continued their remembrances. Soon, it started to feel familiar. In my mind, I was transported back to the Quaker memorial service we attended for long-time Flagstaff philanthropist, Frances McAllister. I shared with our group what someone had shared then:

“If you continue to tell someone’s stories, they’re never truly gone.”

Interestingly, we had just worked on an exercise that the group had a difficult time completing. The group was trying to figure out the key stories for Flagstaff Community Partnership—what is your elevator speech? Whose stories do you tell to the outside world? What makes Flagstaff Community Partnership unique?

After hearing about Teri, we had our answer. As a parent of two special needs children, Teri had taken it upon herself to smooth the path for families, educating herself about resources, regulations and assistive services so that she could share the best of the best with others. She understood the difficulties parents of children with special needs were going through. She did all this as a volunteer, with no vested interest other than to make sure families didn’t have to unnecessarily struggle and had information that she didn’t have before. She embodied what Flagstaff Community Partnership is all about.

I like to think that Flagstaff Community Partnership will be telling Teri’s stories for many years to come. Jamie, the board president, said, “Teri’s definitely watching over us now.”

Although we never met Teri, we thank her for her dedication and service, and for being an inspiration for special needs advocates in Flagstaff for years to come.

Flagstaff Community Partnership:
http://www.flagstaffcommunitypartnership.org/

Teri Sanders’ obituary:
http://azdailysun.com/articles/2009/01/20/news/obituaries/20090120_obitu_189310.txt

*****
Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Staying True to Your Guiding Principles

Jimism #171 - "There is a difference between serving your community and protecting your commodity."

Most nonprofits are truly committed to serving their communities. They understand that the reason they exist is because there are real people with legitimate needs for their services and outreach. These organizations fully invest their funds and resources to meet those needs. When faced with difficult times, these philanthropies dig deep and make sacrifices all the while striving to maintain the quality services and the quantity of those served.

Sadly however, some nonprofit organizations forget their mission. They forget that they exist to serve. But let’s face it, organizations don’t make decisions, people do. And it can be devastating when a decision maker or influential board member begins to hamper an organization’s effectiveness in pursuit of their own agenda.

Why?
What might cause someone to pursue paths that seem contrary to their philanthropy’s mission?

Fear
Are they merely frightened? Do they begin to “hunker down” and impose a scarcity mentality that can be debilitating to their team, their volunteers and their constituents? If so, is their fear based on what’s good for the organization or on self-preservation?

Agenda
Is this a pattern of behavior? Are their actions temporary due to conditions or do they seem motivated by a pursuit of personal power or empire building? Is there a preoccupation with protecting individual legacy?

Identity Crisis
When these motivators are in action, decision makers begin to function more and more like a “profit before principles” business manager. They lose organizational vision. They become margin driven.

Appearances
Reality can be less important than the perception that is created by the right chart or graph. They’ll cut expenses to create an illusion of growth. They’ll restrict spending and diminish services strangling the organization and squashing the motivation of their team and volunteers.

If you’re a “business,” there’s nothing wrong with making a profit. But if profit is not your mission, if hefty balance statements are not a part of your vision, why should they guide your decisions?

Getting it Right
I started out by talking about what effective philanthropic organizations do right. They stay true to their mission of service. They remain guided by their organizational vision. They are dedicated to service before self. They are fortunate to have leaders that refuse to be only managers.

When times are tough, these individuals and organizations will be at their best.

---You can ride this wave too.

INNOVATE
Embrace change as a tangible resource that can redefine how you get your work done. Boycott the phrase… “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

CREATE
Nurture partnerships that can create greater efficiencies than either partner can deliver alone. Tear down the fences. It is a pointless park that no one gets to play in.

EXPLORE
Discover new value patterns. What can you do differently? What can you “refine” and do better? What should be repeated and what should be rejected?

We’re all facing difficult times.

So when you have to make a tough decision in your next meeting, pose this question…

“Are we serving our community or merely trying to protect our commodity?” Jimism #171

View more Jimisms at the GoalBusters Website.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace