Social Technology A starting point.

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1 Social Technology A starting point. Social technology has become an integral part of our personal lives, with the Nielson Company reporting that social networks and blogs have overtaken in terms of popularity. This relatively new form of technology is now expanding to become part of our professional lives. This briefing provides an introduction to different types of social technology and highlights the issues to consider when deciding which method would suit you best. Is social technology a phase? The Nielson statistics tell us that social networks and blogs are now visited by over 67% of the global online population and they are growing twice as fast as any other top form of technology. Many organisations already use social technology as a way of promoting and expanding their brands to new markets. With social network and blogging audiences becoming more diverse in terms of age, and the increase in use through mobile devices, social technology has the potential to be significantly more cost-effective than traditional methods of reaching and attracting supporters. What options are available? Social technology is constantly evolving and improving. It would be virtually impossible to list all forms, but some of the more popular types are: - Blogs - RSS feeds - Social Networks Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ning - Live Streams Twitter, Googlewave - Content Communities you-tube, flicker - Forums yahoo groups - Widgets What are the different types of social technology? Blogs A blog is a web log, and is a platform that is used for commentary and thoughts, generally considered as an online journal. It can be a separate site or can be a page on your existing website. This can be a useful tool to comment on news stories or new legislation that could affect your organisation.

2 It could also be used as a method to keep donors engaged, whether you are telling them about the charity s daily workings or a specific appeal or project. There is little point in setting up a blog and only making sporadic entries or entries that are not really relevant to your organisation, so before setting up a blog, you need to ensure that it will be something that can be regularly updated and you have enough information to keep it relevant. RSS Feeds RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds can be used to keep up to date with content on a certain website. So, if you regularly visit a news site for example, you can set up an RSS feed to your , meaning you receive an alert every time new information is posted. You can also set up RSS feed capability on your organisation s website, so anyone who signs up to your RSS feed is informed through whenever new content is posted. RSS feeds are a quick way to ensure that you stay up to date or to keep supporters updated. This technology can be complex to set up on your own website, so ensure that you seek technical advice where necessary, as you do not want to annoy supporters by having RSS feeds that do not work. Forums Forums are a great tool to encourage interaction. You can set up multiple discussions about your organisation and issues that are relevant to you. It also allows the public to get in touch and ask questions and may give you the opportunity to start interacting with people who you would not traditionally work with. However, particular attention is needed as forums require moderation. Not all interaction is positive and you cannot stop people from commenting just because they may have views that are opposing to your own. You need very clear rules on what is acceptable and need someone to regularly monitor the forum to ensure that discussions do not get out of control. Live Streams The most popular form of live streaming is Twitter. Twitter is a micro-blogging site that allows you to put concise information about your organisation and to make regular updates about your activities. As you have a limited number of characters, this site may not be the best platform to launch new campaigns, but it can be used to direct people to your site or direct them to the information that you want them to see. Twitter needs to be regularly updated and works best if you use it as a system to allow supporters to talk to you. It is a good tool to raise your profile and to gain new supporters who may not have previously heard of you. However, again, you cannot always control the direction of the conversation and so it may lead to your organisation wandering outside of its objectives or other undesired outcomes, as mentioned above.

3 Social Networks One of the best known and most popular forms of social technology is the social network Facebook. Facebook allows you to do a multitude of things. You can set up a page to give people information about your organisation, which you can update with events and news. You can set up a fan page that allows interaction and discussion on campaigns, events, changes in laws etc. and you can also use Facebook as a fundraising tool to promote events or to signpost people to donations pages. These different methods are often quick and easy to set up and can bring in a new audience of potential supporters. As with many other forms of social technology, Facebook will only work if you regularly update content and you can encourage interaction with staff members or supporters. Once again, however, as it is used to encourage discussion, you cannot always control what is said on the site. Content Communities The two most popular content communities are You-Tube and Flickr. Content communities allow people to upload information that they want the public to see. You- Tube allows people to upload videos and Flickr allows people to upload photos. These sites could be ideal if you hold events, for example, as you can allow people to see what your events are about which can encourage them to get involved in the future. This can be a very effective tool in raising your profile, as people can then alert others to the site, by posting the link on social networking sites or alerting their friends or colleagues to it. However, people can comment on your content and it may not all be positive. Comments will need to be carefully managed as a result and you need to ensure that content is not used without your consent, such as the unauthorised use of your pictures. What social technology should we use? Not all forms of social technology are appropriate for every organisation. When you have identified the outcomes you want to achieve, then you can start looking at the most appropriate form of social technology to meet your needs. Some questions you may want to ask yourselves include: - What is the desired outcome? - Who are you trying to reach? - Do you want interaction with supporters? - How much time do you have available? - What audience are you looking to reach? - What methods are similar organisations using? - What do our staff already know about these methods that we can use?

4 Can we use a multitude of social technology? Yes - you can use as many methods as you like. Social technology can be used to complement and coordinate your work. For example, if you are launching a new campaign, you could put a post on Twitter that links people to the story on your website. Alternatively, you could post the story on your Facebook page, or add it as a comment to your Facebook fan page. However, as mentioned, all of these options take maintenance and need regular updates so people do not lose interest. Before you set up any or all of these systems, you should think carefully about the time and capabilities you have. Where can we learn more? There are many websites and articles that can help organisations looking to introduce social technology into their communications strategy. A short list of some useful sites are as follows: The basics: Getting started in micro-blogging: Twitter lists (new last week): Twitter clients: The Twitter fan wiki is quite good for mobile apps, photo apps etc This is a good website for all social media information : About the Institute of Fundraising The Institute of Fundraising is the professional membership body for UK fundraising, working to promote the highest standards in fundraising practice and management. The Institute of Fundraising s mission is to support fundraisers, through leadership, representation, standards setting and education, to deliver excellent fundraising. Committed to raising standards in fundraising practice and management, we engage with charities, Government, media, the general public and other bodies to positively influence the UK fundraising environment. We work to nurture the knowledge and standards of all those who undertake fundraising, offering an extensive range of training and networking opportunities. The Institute represents over 5,000 fundraisers and 300 fundraising organisations, providing information and support services for Individual and Organisational members.

5 Contact information Institute of Fundraising Park Place, 12 Lawn Lane London SW8 1UD Tel: Fax: Please bear in mind that the Institute does not give professional legal or accounting advice, and while care has been taken with this briefing, you should seek advice before taking any actions or incurring costs.