Need your help: Read this social media plan and let me know what you think.

(Note from me: I'm a general PR person working for a nonprofit and social media is relatively new to me. So I really need your help. This is a proposal I plan to submit to our nonprofit to bring us into the social media realm. Please take a look -- it's unusually long -- and let me know what you think. Let me know what I can nix and what I'm missing. Thank you!)

Social Media Strategy: Why start? How do we get in the conversation? What’s the plan?

I. WHY START?

We’re on YouTube now and will soon have an athlete blogging. And there’s more we can do to draw in more participation and donations. Here are the numbers we can eventually reach: Blogs in general receive 77.7 million unique visitors in the United States (source: comScore MediaMetrix (August 2008); Facebook has 41 million viewers, YouTube gets 10 percent of all internet traffic (Ellacoya Networks). We’re always looking for new supporters – this would open up our access. We could even e-mail some after developing relationships and ask if we can have their e-mail addresses so they can receive our monthly e-newsletter and e-mails from us.

II. WHAT ARE WE STARTING?

The biggest sites we should target are Facebook, Twitter, and Flikr all of which are offered for sharing on the Good 2Gether program. We should also try a fundraising site called Chip In for one or several small fundraising goals throughout the year.

About Facebook www.facebook.com Launched in 2004, Facebook is the second largest social network on the Internet. Users have profiles, where it’s recommended that even for organizations, to post a photo of the actual user instead of the organization so people aren’t turned off. You can add friends. You can post updates to what you’re working on or what’s happening, post photos and comments on other people’s pages. Users also post events and invite friends online where friends can RSVP. We can also post comments on friends’ pages, answer and ask questions, and hopefully friends (or “advocates”) will post good comments on our page. Every time either you or a friend posts, all of their friends and yours see the post. Users can also download blog posts. And as we join groups with similar interests and make comments on pages, our name gets out there even more.

About Twitter www.twitter.com Social media observers estimate 3 million people use Twitter, which debuted in March 2006. Industry influencers, press, analysts, celebrities, authors, politicians, businesses, consumers, and professional communicators, are on Twitter.

Twitter users are asked “What are you doing?” when writing a 140-character message letting people know about an event, or reinforcing your brand, or links to tips for your audience, a relevant video or blog of interest. This taps you into the community you want to reach by providing helpful information and not just making an ask.

We can link back to articles in the local media or our supporters’ blogs, and introduce potential story ideas about new programs or an athlete’s achievement.

About Flikr www.flikr.com Flickr is a popular image and video host mostly free Web site. Users share photos. Bloggers can also use Flickr and post a stream of photos on their blogs and Web sites. We can even get a Flikr badge for our Web site where people can click on it and see our photos. It also has a friend aspect to Flikr where your Flikr friends have access to your photos and they can make comments.

About Chip In (from Beth Kanter’s ChipIn Widget Fundraising Case Study http://widgetfundraising.org)

This is a site where nonprofit groups, especially small ones, can set and broadcast fundraising goals to friends in its social network. We create an account, fill out an online form stating what we’re collecting for, how much we want to raise and state a deadline. Organizations are required to have a PayPal account. We can insert the html of donation forms in our Web site or create a ChipIn page at specialolympicsga.chipin.com. The idea is to set small goals. We could do this on our event pages for something specific or just post one fundraising goal at a time. This isn’t meant for huge donation campaigns but still can be profitable. (Maybe Susan can spearhead this part of the social media plan??)

III. HOW DO WE GET INTO THE CONVERSATION? (From Social Media kingpin Chris Brogan

1. Find the constituent: Assign two people to build listening queries, daily update pages and regularly measure social media efforts (explained in section V).

2. Announce the new rules for employees: Create a one page outline of SOGA guidelines (and insert it in the employee handbook) for building employee profiles on social platforms like Facebook. Work with IT on firewall concerns. Determine a fair use policy during work hours.

3. Empower the person making the social media updates: Write a one page blogging policy (no more strict than the e-mail policy). Create policies on comments (including how to handle negative comments). Build a strategy on the types of posts, ideas for outreach, promotion and finding similar blogs and people in the space.

4. Shift Behavior: Demonstrate through case studies and pilot efforts how to empower employees to be helpful. Share examples and ideas on how these efforts can positively impact marketing/sales efforts.

5. Warm up the funnel: Build a way to report the multi-touch approach of using social tools to reach out and maintain relationships with prospects and customers.

6. Measurement: Improve current reporting to include the social elements such as comments, inbound links, search term value, etc. (Tools will be discussed in section V.)

IV. How much time will it take?

Recommended time it takes from Beth Kanter who helps nonprofits fundraise through social media. We can cut it down significantly and practice successful time management. J

- Listening to what is being said about Special Olympics Georgia, SO in general, pro sports and intellectual disabilities (through Twitter alerts, Technorati and others) 5 hours per week

- Participate and connecting with others online and communicating with bloggers first and then ask some of them to write about SOGA. 10 hours per week

- After we earn credibility and trust (by not making huge asks right off the bat) we can start spreading buzz. 10-15 hours per week.

More specifically:

Listening and updating Twitter 15 minutes per day

Facebook: Set up page 20 minutes; listening and updating 20 minutes per day.

V. How do we measure our efforts?

The results will be small at first but will grow over time with the more connections we make online. Every week we can listen to what people are saying about us through:

http://blogsearch.google.com

http://www.technorati.com

http://search.twitter.com

tweetbeep.com Alerts will be e-mailed when someone mentions our organization.

Twitscoop

(Tips for measurement come from Brian Solis and Chris Brogan.)

We’ll record findings monthly and report twice a year to CEO and possibly at staff meetings.

VI . What’s the plan?

(The action items listed each month isn’t everything. Also sprinkle in thank you’s during golf tournaments and tweet about check presentations and athlete stories that you hear about.)

December 2008: Announce social media rules to staff, give policy to comments and posts to social media updaters.

-Create Facebook page. Use your photo for the organization’s profile. May need to nix the Facebook profile page, and stick to creating and updating an organization fan page. Post photos of last year’s Winter Games and events, and start making friends.

-Create SOGA Twitter page. Mix in personal messages with work or issue related ones. Personal musings are good too, just remember you’re representing our company. Be mindful of tweets, updates and posts. For the profile photo, choose one from the person in charge of posting.

Stuff to Tweet about: personal thoughts or reflections that suit our brand, events, contests, reply to other people’s tweets, blog posts, also promote others’ blog posts (this is a good relationship building tool), announcements, funny things you overhear people say at the office, link to fun Internet games, and lyrics or quotes (This comes from the CEO of Zappos, who loves Twitter!)

-To find friends: Whoshouldifollow.com allows us to find friends based on keywords and certain networks

-Twubble http://crazybob.org/twubble/searches for people you know and recommends people you may want to follow.

-Ask CEO to create her own Twitter page. Comment a few times a week. She could post when she’s speaking at a conference or to a civic group, when she wants to thank a sponsor or company for anything or kudos to a company (sponsors) project or a headsup when she’ll be on the radio or TV.

Here’s what the CEO's Twitter page could look like:

zappos Following You follow zappos zappos's updates appear in your timeline. Device updates On Off Receive zappos's updates via SMS or IM (activate). Headed to Winter Park near Orlando because people keep telling me to check it out. Anyone have any restaurant or bar recommendations there? about 18 hours ago from txt Just got confirmation that Oprah will be airing the Zappos story next week on Thursday, October 23! Same episode as the Olsen twins. 5:20 PM Oct 17th from web Lunch at ANA conference with editorial page editor & various SVP's from New York Times. I'll be speaking after lunch to about 1000 people. 11:38 AM Oct 17th from txt Got into hotel late in Orlando so ordered room service. First time I've ever seen any place automatically add 21% for gratuity. 10:43 PM Oct 16th from web Spoke at @bif4 conference today, met lots of smart, passionate & interesting people! Now at Providence airport about to fly to Orlando. 3:38 PM Oct 16th from txt

January 2009: -Facebook and Twitter: Tweet about how great it is to be a fan in the stands at one of our events. Tweet about fundraising program for the month. On Facebook, invite people to the February event.

-Record company mentions and traffic.

-Tweet about athletes heading off to World Games. Tweet as a headsup of TV news stories, link to stories

February2009:- Create Flikr account and start inviting friends

- Post photos of Winter Games on Flikr, Facebook.

-Tweet updates of athletes’ competitions at World Games. Share photos.

-Group Tweet http://grouptweet.com/ allows us to broadcast and share tweets (messages) to a specific group. And it’s free. Group tweet about the statewide March event or link to Flikr photos from Winter Games.

-Remember to monitor organization mentions in blogs and on Twitter.

March 2009-Post a badge of Flikr linking to our photos on the company Web site. Also post a stream of photos on our Web site, possibly replacing the photo gallery

-Tweet and Facebook about the March fundraiser, post event photos on Flikr and Facebook.

- Wendy needs to visit Twittertise http://twittertise.com/ and see how we can advertise on Twitter and track the success of branded communications with our constituents. The platform helps us track technology to measure the effectiveness of our traffic driving ability.

-Post event on Facebook about the bocce fundraiser. Post a quiz on Twitter where the winner wins a free ticket to the event.

April 2009 – Follow-up with Facebook on possibly having a $1 free gift a duck or medal where a portion of the amount collected goes back to our company.

- Check into Chip In and create an account, also with Paypal. Consider either creating a fundraising goal for one event or for each event during the year. It might be better to run a pilot in one fundraiser in 2009. Possibly, post a fundraising goal for State Summer Games and link from several locations on our Web site. Also can post link or embedded donation form through Chip In for events for the remainder of 2009.

- Make an announcement about the Chip In campaign on blog, or note in Facebook and Tweet about it.

- If we choose to have a Chip In campaign for each event, the event’s organizer should e-mail contacts, letting them know about the new campaign.

- Remember to monitor and measure social media efforts with the sites listed in section V.

- Remember to add friends in Facebook and Twitter.

- Link video from last summer games to Flikr and Facebook.

May 2009-Continue to build relationships on Twitter, Facebook and invite more friends into Flikr. Post photos of Summer Games 2009 on Facebook and Flikr.

-Tweet links of Summer Games news stories

-Link to Dutch Walters site of Summer Games photos.

-Start tweeting, writing about Duck Derby in Facebook. Invite people to Duck Derby on Facebook.

-E-mail 10 people in each event (not the same people) to donate $10 each to help complete the Chip In campaign.

-Send e-mail thank you’s to people who donated through Chip In. Include photos in the thank yous.

-Remember to thank everyone in a blog and Facebook note when a campaign ends.

June 2009-Post Master Bowling event on events, tweet about it.

-Prepare a social media status six months report for CEO. Invite SOGA friends on FB to DSA.

-Invite people to Duck Derby again on Facebook. Tweet updates on duck sales, or where we’re selling ducks.

July 2009- Post photos of Masters Bowling on Flikr and Facebook; tweet about Masters Bowling.

-Tweet links of athlete news stories.

August 2009-Post some photos of DSA winners on FB and Flikr, tweet some of the sweetest moments.

- Post an event about the Duluth Tournament, maybe Tweet about how we’re doing on golfer numbers.

-Record results of media efforts.

September 2009-Post event about the DinoDash, tweet about a sponsor and or/product, post event about State Fall Games. Invite people to volunteer on Facebook.

- Post a note about the October golf tournament a Georgia golfer’s group page on Facebook.

October 2009-Post photos of Fall Games on Flikr, Facebook.

-Tweet some of the athlete’s accomplishments at State Fall Games in Statesboro, say something nice about Statesboro.

-Record results from social media measurements.

-Tweet about athletes preparing for the State Horse Show, Sailing Regatta and Powerlifting

November 2009- Post photos of athletes from the Horse Show, Sailing, and Powerlifting

-Prepare report to CEO on the year’s efforts in Social Media.

-Tweet some inspiring athlete stories.

-Write a status update letting people know they can make a donation in memory or in honor of someone.

December 2009

-Present the year’s report of our efforts with social media.

In 2010 check out BrightKite. It’s kind of a new type of social media like Facebook and Friendfeed. But is expected to be very useful later on.

You want this puppy, yes, you do. Michael Vick, I don't mean you.

I know, I knowI don't like to hear about homeless puppies either. But animal people, when you hear of a little one needing help, you have to at least pass the info along . . .
My childhood friend Sarah found this seven-week old American Pitbull Terrier in the Atlanta-area without her mama.

She likes dogs, even if they are bigger than her.

She can live indoors and likes to explore.

Sarah said the following about the puppy:
"She's your typical puppy in that she falls all over herself when running. She follows my big dog around all the time and is quite willing to be carried around by Emma [Sarah's two-year-old]. She's very respectful of my older girls [older puppies :)] and listens when they tell her to back off. She likes to cuddle and gets in between the couch cushions to sleep."

She's a curious little puppy and appreciates nature.

There's a lot of info about these dogs and they require space to run and supervision with animals and with the right socialization they're sweeter than most. Check out these links. Dog owner's guide. A-Z info about the animal.

Shoot me an e-mail if you're interested in the puppy. I'll pass along your info to my friend. There may be an interview.

One edit recommendation WebMD: Please bold the disclaimer on symptoms

Note to possible hypochondriacs or slightly imaginative obsessive folks: just call a doctor or a pharmacist when you're sick. WebMd might be a slippery slope to panic for you (and me.) Please also note that WebMD is very useful and has been around for a long time because it provides a much needed service. Sometimes a doctor is a long time away and you need to know if something sounds kinda serious.

It'll be about 24 hours before I get my official diagnosis from the doctor.

WebMD: make it clear that just because folks have a symptom or two, doesn't mean they have the worst.

I would love it if WebMd bolded the title of the column they already have, "Conditions Associated with Selected Symptoms" below the list your symptoms or bold the word "associated." Or maybe add one of those pop-up notes: Please see your doctor for diagnosis. This is a list of diseases, scary and not, from our database that match certain symptoms. One symptom doesn't mean you've got the worst disease on our list.

I had a scary list of possible ailments.

According to WebMd, some of the conditions associated with how I'm feeling have spooked me over the last few days. The short list: mono, epidermal cyst, Scarlet Fever (haven't really heard of that one since one of my favorite movies Ann of Avonlea), tuberculosis, and the PLAGUE. Of course, there are some less serious issues like allergies and muscle strain also listed. Thank goodness one of my symptoms isn't my head involuntarily turning or thrashing about. That is a symptom listed on WebMd.

Here are two other sets of symptoms and the conditions associated with them:

1. Symptoms: headache, drowsiness, fever

Some conditions associated with those signs: aseptic meningitis, acute sinusitis, Cryptococcosis, the flu, bacterial pneumonia, mono, lupus, dementia in head injury and more.

2. Symptoms: anxiety, difficulty falling asleep, easily distracted, impulsive behavior

Some conditions associated with those symptoms: excessive caffeine use, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, depression, Bipolar Disorder, cocaine use, agoraphobia and other things.

Now, on to more positive thoughts. When I drag myself to the office again I'm going to research different kinds of social media releases (and on my off-time, dear boss :) ). I'm trying to figure out a style for our organization.

Update: R-word on Project 96.1

I wrote McDonald's and asked them to pull their advertising from 96.1 because the station made fun of people with intellectual disabilities who can't always defend themselves. Unfortunately, I got a canned response from McDonald's saying they were sorry I was offended by their commerical (it wasn't even their commerical) and they base their decision to advertise on a particular station because of it's listener demographics. But for the last week, I haven't heard the "Retard Alert" on Project 96.1. It's usually on during the Giant Show in the morning. And I haven't been able to find it on their Web site.

Has anyone heard the "Retard Alert" on the show in the last week?

Special Olympics is campaigning against the use of the R-word. Check out the Web site here: http://www.r-word.org/.

Advertisers should listen to the stations they use

Before buying radio ads for your company try to listen to the station first, instead of signing off after studying listener demographics.

96.1 in Atlanta has a "Retard Alert" segment.
Here in Atlanta, Project 96.1 has a morning radio show called Retard Alert where they blast obnoxious warning sounds and "Retard Alert" "Retard Alert." One morning, callers told the morning personalities about when they felt like a "R-word."

And after all the national protests of the movie Tropic Thunder, of how the movie portrays actors portraying people with mental and intellectual disabilities, 96.1 blatantly makes fun of people with intellectual disabilities. It seems that people with intellectual disabilities are among the last group to continue to be made fun of without repercussions.

Here are a few things the radio station should think about:
- People with intellectual disabilities also listen their music and station. Already many of 96.1 listeners were picked on in school and elsewhere, also in their adult lives with the word retard or hearing the word whispered behind their backs, and it's not over. There's still a popular radio station covering several counties surrounding Atlanta saying it again and making fun of them again. It's hurtful and not funny at all.
- People with intellectual disabilities are productive citizens in the Atlanta community that offer help to other groups and many work full-time jobs.
- They also go to restaurants, shops and malls and spend money that help build our economy. And they deserve to be treated with respect or dignity, just like you do.

Radio Shack, McDonald's and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
So far, I've found that Radio Shack, McDonald's and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse advertise on 96.1. I'll listen for more advertisers and will give you updates. They have aligned themselves with a radio station who indirectly attacks a group of people that can't always defend themselves. Do those companies feel the same way 96.1 does?

Show you care about your community and people with intellectual disabilities and don't frequent those places. And let the companies know and ask them to stop advertising on 96.1.

Make a guest comment to Ruth Chris's Steakhouse here.
Ask the marketing people by e-mailing: media.relations@RadioShack.com
Let McDonald's know here.

From me to you: Try Seasons 52

Warning: Business promotion follows: Where have I been? After so many fast food lunches of Taco Bell, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Subway, Jersey Mikes etc., I saw the answer to my guilty hunger today: Seasons 52. This restaurant uses fresh ingredients and cooks in a way where nutrients aren't lost and just about each meal is under 435 calories. There is one outside of Atlanta near my work, in Buckhead, Orlando and probably other places. (The photo above is the one in Orlando, but looks similar to the one I visited today for a going away lunch for a great co-worker and friend Jasmine McGinnis.) Hours after lunch I'm still excited I know where this place is now.

These places are going to be everywhere.

I predict these restaurants are going to pop up everywhere. How often do you go to a restaurant where you don't have to worry about what you get, just pick something that looks good! You don't have to do the pros and cons unless you're allergic.

This place is awesome.

From looking at their awards page, they've already had great publicity by winning awards most recently for Best Business in Buckhead to Best New Restaurant. They say the word of mouth and peer to peer communication about a particular subject is the most powerful. And I liked this place so much I'd be tempted to take their brochures with me to places like Arden's Garden, REI, my Hot Atlanta Yoga Studio, my general practitioner's office -- anywhere people want to be healthy. Maybe they could send them coupons for free dinners there. (Taking a lesson from Brand Hijack.)They may not need the business though. (We had to make a reservation for lunch on a Tuesday.)

You've gotta read Brand Hijack.

I need to read it a few more times to really get the complex marketing discussion in Brand Hijack marketing without marketing (2005) by Alex Wipperfurt. But it'll be worth it. The book is a meaty explanation full of examples that explains how companies let the consumer define the brand and also how you can be successful if you take risks. It's complicated but Wipperfurt's style is humorous and easy to read. (And there's a great notes section in the back marked by chapters for reference.) Plus, Publishers Weekly, Wired News and Fast Company liked it too.


Here are a few interesting things I gleaned from the book:

• Red Bull creators used a boycott and rumors (don't know if they were the squealers) of it being legal speed, from Bull's testicles and a magazine article calling it "liquid cocaine." And lucky for them, people talked to one another about the mystery and how it was a quick energy boost. Plus, at sometime or another everyone needs a pick-me-up, so it doesn't have a small audience.


• P&G geniuses recruited dentists to sell the whitening kits in their offices. It also gave gift boxes to the Academy Award nominees. They marketed various groups especially the largest group of consumers: gay men, brides, teenage girls -- so they put up posters, and print ads with the "Smile Team"-- hunky men with beautiful teeth in predominantly gay neighborhoods. It sponsored film festivals and Pride Parades.


• Find a social tribe and a narrow one to tap into your product. Those folks start trends. Dr. Martens marketed toward roadies, bouncers, working class people. Lots of things happened including the movie A Clockwork Orange featured a shoe that resembled Dr. Marten's and soon rebel types were wearing them and soon the ugly shoe became a star.

Here's a review of the book.