A while back I told you about the Nonprofit Millennial Blogger Alliance, the brainchild of the fabulous Allison Jones. Now, we’re kicking it up a notch with a brand new website: NonprofitMillennials.org!
The Nonprofit Millennial Blogger Alliance is made up of young writers collectively bringing important issues about the nonprofit sector to the forefront. While each of us looks at the sector from a different perspective we share the view that millennials offer something valuable to nonprofits.
By sharing our knowledge and experiences from within Generation Y we can help prepare the next generation—and engage current generations—in addressing the pressing issues that continue to shape the nonprofit sector and the world
The website aggregates posts from all members of the alliance in one place, making it easy to find a fresh article, subscribe to everyone’s RSS feed all in one place. Much love to Ben Sheldon for leading the technical development and design on the website. I think it looks awesome!
Follow Us on Twitter @npmillennials
Of course, we’re on Twitter! We’re Millennials 
You can find us on Twitter @npmillennials where all the new articles from blogger alliance members are posted as they are published. Follow us!
Are You a Millennial Nonprofit Blogger? Join Us!
If you’re a millennial blogger writing about social change or the nonprofit sector, please consider joining us. And don’t forget that “millennial” has 2 Ns! Please help us spread the word. About the blogger alliance. Also, the Ns.
Last week, I presented a session at the YNPNdc 2nd Annual Social Media Summit. It’s always fun when I can spend a hour talking about social media and how nonprofits can use it better. This time, my focus was on how to use blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr to build excitement, attendance and engagement for your next event or conference. With all the nonprofit events out there for people to choose from, how do you make yours stand out?
I was going to share some of my main points here, but other bloggers have done such a great job covering my session already, I’ll just share their highlights instead!
A Doodler’s Notes on Social Media by @giveit2lloyd
- Use attendees as marketing by letting them share on social media that they have registered for your conference.
- Take your conference to the blogosphere! Dole out comp registrations for contributors and/or request recaps from panelists.
- Buy a flip cam and don’t worry so much about editing – capture your conference in the moment.
- Aggregate the conference experience with a Twitter list of attendees.
- Characters are precious. Create a hash tag that people won’t hate.
- Truth: People like looking at pictures of themselves.
SPECIAL EVENT RECAP: YNPNdc Social Media Summit by @msrasberryinc
Rosetta focused on four tools to utilize to promote events: Blogs, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. When asked why she hadn’t included Facebook, she replied that she hadn’t seen it used often or effectively by nonprofits as a way to promote events. Rosetta spoke to the point that you have to build momentum around an event well in advance and that use of the aforementioned tools is a great way to do that. Additionally, you must engage with your audience before, during and after an event to gain a sense of their expectations, as well as to drive registration. Rosetta suggested using Eventbrite as a registration tool because it makes it easy for registrants to share the event with their networks via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
“Events that incorporate live-blogging and live-tweeting have a different vibe. They’re more interesting.” – Rosetta Thurman
You can check out my presentation from the conference below (which you can also find on slideshare).
Other presentations from the YNPNdc Social Media Summit are also available online: http://www.slideshare.net/ynpndc.
What are some other strategies your organization has used to leverage social media for events?
Last month, I went on a week long vacay in Jamaica, mon. I went with my sister and we had an absolutely amazing time on the island. Every day there was sun and dancing and beautiful men on the beach. (Sad face: I’m still having rum and jerk chicken withdrawal.) We stayed at a great resort with lots of other friendly Americans and folks from the UK. What’s funny is that we couldn’t get away from social media even on vacation. Some of our new friends wanted to keep in touch on Facebook. I told them I’d try to look them up. I said “try,” because I knew I wasn’t going to. Not now. Not anymore. No longer will I accept people I’ve only met once as a “friend” on Facebook.
The Phone’s Off the Hook
When I first got on Facebook, I added and accepted everyone as a “friend.” I was just a little more discerning than I was on Myspace. But just a little. I ended up at a point where I had over 800 friends and I couldn’t remember who most of them were. Which kinda defeats the whole point of social networking, right? I mean, think about it. If I can’t remember who you are, where we met, or what we have in common, I can’t possibly help you in your career or care about what you’re doing with your life. And to be honest, it doesn’t do anything for me to hear about what a bunch of strangers did over the weekend. Which led me to rethink how I could and should be using social networks differently and better.
With each Facebook “friend” comes a certain level of noise, most of it useless without context. If I can’t remember whether I met you at a conference or a party or a class in college, how can I really listen to you or “like” your updates? Right. I can’t. You talk, I’m not listening. I talk, you’re not listening. The phone has effectively come off the hook. And it’s been that way for a while. But all of that is about to change.
Because here’s how I’ve decided to leverage my Facebook connections a bit differently going forward.
My “Personal” Facebook Page is Personal
Y’all know how I feel about the personal/professional divide on social networks: it doesn’t really exist. But. There are some things you can choose to share on one network that you wouldn’t necessarily share on another depending on who your audience/followers are. So my personal page will be for my family, friends and people I’ve actually hung out with IRL (in real life). My family (and many of my friends) doesn’t really care about my nonprofit blog posts or what I’m doing with my business. So I post a lot less on my personal page about that stuff and instead push that content over to my fan page.
My Facebook Fan Page is a More Pure, “Professional” Content Stream
You won’t hear about my dating adventures on my Facebook fan page. Sorry. But then that’s not what you came there for, is it? I used to accept every reader of my blog as a friend because that’s where they could get all my blog updates on Facebook. But that was before I started a fan page. So if I’ve defriended you (and by now, I probably have or will within the next 48 hours), it’s not because I hate you (because I absolutely don’t). You should just go here and hit the “like” button and we’ll be all connected again. That is, if you want us to be.
Yeah mon.
You can also connect with me at these other places that are not as complicated as Facebook.
Have you been rethinking how you use Facebook? Or any other social network for that matter?
It’s summer. It’s hot. It’s lazy. It’s all vacation everything. People are blogging less, maybe working less, too. Which means that it’s the perfect time to invest in your personal brand. Specifically, I want to explore blogging as a tool to improve your life and career.
That’s the concept behind my new blog, Blogging for Branding. I’ve designed it as an experiment for me to see how best to help people learn how to use blogging to build their personal brand.
To kick off this new project, I invite you to join me during the entire month of August for a fun learning series. Think of it as a cool challenge to beat the heat and build your brand…
31 Days to a Brand New Blog
Inspired by Darren Rowse at ProBlogger, I will post a new tip each day in August to help you use your blog to build a better personal brand that will enhance your life and career.
Wanna join in the fun? It’s FREE and it’s gonna be a blast to learn with other people who are starting a blog or want to use the challenge to spruce up the one they already have. Sign up for the challenge so we can follow your progress throughout the month! More details here.
Wait, You Don’t Have a Blog Yet?
For shame Well, from now through August 31, I’m offering to help you set up a professional-looking blog with my Blog Starter Kit. Learn more here and let me know if you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity. I’d love to help you get started with a blog so you can participate in next month’s learning challenge! There are also options for those who just want a few tweaks here and there.
Now if blogging’s just not your thing, not to worry. This blog will still be focused on nonprofits, leadership and social change. All day, (almost) every day. The content here won’t change, but if you want to stay updated on all my Blogging for Branding posts, you can subscribe to my new blog here.
P.S. Check back here at about noon EST for a new post about young nonprofit leaders and why no one knows who we are. And don’t forget to tune in to today’s radio show about board service for young nonprofit professionals!
Young people are known for being more proficient with social media than our older colleagues, and it definitely shows up in the blogosphere. Recent research shows that 53% of the total blogging population is 21-35 years old. Cool, right? What I wonder about that statistic though, is whether we are blogging simply for personal reasons or if we’re really using blogging as a strategy to enhance our careers.
As a personal branding tool, blogging really serves so many different purposes that I’m surprised more of us are not doing it. Thankfully, networks like Brazen Careerist are out there to connect young people who are using blogging as a tool to advance and even shape their careers. The possibilities are endless.
So I asked my blogging friends on Twitter:
What’s the biggest benefit you’ve experienced with professional blogging?
This is what they said.
Blogging Helps You Become a Better Writer
Blogging Helps You Stay on Top of What’s Happening in Your Niche
Blogging Helps You Build Credibility in Your Field
Blogging Can Help You Get a Job
Blogging Can Help You Make Extra Money
Blogging Expands Your Network
Blogging Allows You to Share Your Expertise
Blogging Helps Spread the Word About Causes You Care About
Here are two more significant benefits I’ve observed in the blogosphere.
Blogging Can Help You Position Yourself as a Thought Leader
- Andre Blackman has been using his blog, Pulse + Signal to market himself as an expert in the field of public health and technology.
- Ian David Moss is widely respected as a go-to person on all things arts policy, in large part due to his popular industry blog Createquity.
Blogging is the Ultimate Marketing Tool for Jobseekers
- Jessica Journey used her blog to build her brand while she was still in grad school as a way to make herself more attractive to employers.
- Elizabeth Campbell is new to the nonprofit scene, but her blog, Will Work for Free, makes it very clear that she wants to work in nonprofit administration after graduating.
If you’re already blogging, how has blogging helped you in your career? If you’re not blogging yet but want to, what’s holding you back?
Ever since I was acknowledged as one of the Top 25 Online Influencers in Leadership, I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership, personal branding and online influence as it relates to Generation Y, Generation X, and young professionals in general. One of my dear readers emailed me over the weekend to say it was wonderful “to not only see a person of color, but a young person of color” on the list. I’m glad she said it because I was thinking the same thing. I was thinking about how the web levels the playing field in any niche, regardless of age.
Especially on Twitter.
Here I am again, #14 on this list of the 25 most influential nonprofit tweeters, ranked by WeFollow. And while it’s great to be able to measure online influence in these two very concrete ways, my focus is on a different kind of ROI.
The return on online impact. Sure, the more visible I am, the more opportunities I have to get hired and make money. More important to me, though is that I’m better able to use my voice to bring attention to issues that I care about, like racial justice and career empowerment for young people. Best of all, I’m able to showcase the stories of so many other unsung leaders working for social change.
While I may be one of the most visible in the online space, there are many other young nonprofit leaders and social change agents out there on the Internetz that are not only leading the way to make the world a better place, but influencing others to do the same. They are the rockstars of today and tomorrow. Follow them. Follow us. We’re going places. And trust me, you want to come with.
50 Young Nonprofit Influencers You Should Be Following on Twitter
Here’s the full list in a handy dandy format that you can auto-follow simply by clicking “select all” at the top and then entering your Twitter name at the bottom.
P.S. I spent a lot of time compiling this list, so please do me a favor and spread it far and wide. Thank you. And you’re welcome.
Like this post? Please subscribe by email or subscribe via RSS so you never miss an update! And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rosettathurman!
HR Examiner has just published a ranked list of the Top 25 Online Influencers in Leadership. The list ranks the Top 25 voices in leadership based on their online footprint. They used a tool called Traackr to discover which 25 people are the most influential on the subject of leadership. And lo and behold, yours truly was ranked #10 on the list! But what’s even more exciting than the fact that I actually made this list is how I made this list.
Dr. Todd Dewett, a professor at Wright State University who specializes in leadership and organizational effectiveness, helped tailor the algorithm HR Examiner used to crawl the web to figure out who matters on the topic of leadership. Here’s the process they used.
First, they build a set of relevant keywords. Then, Traackr scavenges the web to capture all of the results of searches featuring those terms. Then, they mine the data to determine the names that reoccur most often. Those names are then evaluated to determine a score across three different variables:
- Reach: An estimate of the size of the person’s audience. Website traffic, connections and friends on social media and other factors are weighed and calculated.
- Resonance: A measure of inbound links, mentions in other peoples’ content and other proxies for credibility.
- Relevance: A measure of the way that the person’s content maps against the original key words. A score of 100 indicates a perfect correlation.
Then they combine the three measures together into a single score which is the foundation of ranking. Here’s how they computed my online influence.
As you can see, my highest score was on the “resonance” measure, which means that I have a ton of inbound links as well as mentions in other peoples’ content that gives me credibility online. Apparently, my content is relevant enough to people for them to share it with others. Which is great news for other young people who want to build their personal brands in any given niche: focus on sharing useful information, and people will spread it far and wide.
But wait just a minute. How is this possible? How was I able to get ranked #10 on a list of influencers like business guru Tom Peters? He’s published more than a dozen books, while I’ve yet to publish even one.
Here’s one explanation from Guy Kawasaki who explains this phenomenon quite succinctly in his remarks about Fast Company’s new Influence Project:
“…nobodies are the new somebodies.”
The old landscape of only having a few influential people at the top of any industry – the CEOs, the authors, the PhDs, the gazillionaires – is over. As HR Examiner found in this project, the implications that social media has on influence are enormous. Specifically:
- Established authors and thinkers are losing ground to newer voices.
- Older and more established voices need to learn new communications channels in order to stay relevant.
- Communicating in the new media is critical to being heard.
While the online influencers will certainly keep evolving as new people enter the space, one thing is pretty clear. The web belongs to the little people now. Hey, I’m living proof.
Now, this is interesting. A recent Fast Company article examines research by neuroeconomist Paul Zak that suggests social networking triggers the release of the generosity-trust chemical in our brains: oxytocin. Zak’s research combines economics with biology, neuroscience, and psychology as well as the relationship between empathy and generosity. Adam Penenberg, the author of the article, set out to investigate whether Zak’s research on oxytocin could be applied to social media.
More specifically, he wondered:
What explains the need of our BlackBerry-bearing, Twitter-tweeting Facebook friends for constant connectivity? Are we biologically hardwired to do it? Do our brains react to tweeting just as they do to our physical engagement with people we trust and enjoy?
As it turns out, they do. Penenberg participates in a Twitter experiment in Zak’s lab that tests his oxytocin levels while he tweets. The results are astounding. In just 10 minutes of tweeting, Penenberg’s oxytocin levels spiked 13.2%, equivalent to the hormonal spike experienced by a groom at a wedding! Penenberg’s stress hormones cortisol and ACTH also went down: 10.8% and 14.9%, respectively.
In short, Zak explains:
“Your brain interpreted tweeting as if you were directly interacting with people you cared about or had empathy for,” Zak says. “E-connection is processed in the brain like an in-person connection.”
Wowzers. Now I get why I trust people like Hildy Gottlieb and Andre Blackman, people who I’ve never met in person, but would recommend not only because of their expertise, but because of the online relationship I have with them.
So here’s the thing. If Zak’s research is conclusive, then businesses have even more of a reason to invest in social media. Nonprofits have even more incentive to become networked. Given the emotional effects of social networking, organizations can leverage their efforts to build trust among their Twitter followers and Facebook friends in a way that makes them more likely to donate, volunteer and advocate on their behalf.
As Penenberg concludes,
As Zak and others deepen their study of oxytocin, we may better understand why people with friends live longer and get sick less, and why we are compelled to be social animals online and off. If these changes apply in the world of social media, the implications for business — for every brand, company, and marketer trying to understand the now intimately networked world — could be significant.
How can nonprofits use social media for social change?
Beth Kanter and Allison Fine’s new book, The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change provides the answer to this question and much more. Through useful examples, the book makes a strong case for using social media in a way that staff of all ages can understand. Most importantly, it gives us the language and the tools to address all the possible questions, concerns, and roadblocks for organizations who are quite literally afraid to try social media.
Here’s my video review of the book.
Pretty much every nonprofit professional should own a copy of Beth Kanter & Allison Fine’s new book, The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change
The NAACP turns 101 years old this year, and its hoping that this year’s convention, being held this year in Kansas City, Missouri will spark new energy and new action on issues like education and the economy. Speakers will include First Lady Michelle Obama, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton.
One way they’re celebrating this 101st anniversary is by updating their web presence, which may be a signal that the century-old organization is moving in a new direction. You can tell that the folks over at the NAACP are finally getting hip to social media, with a snazzy new website that shows their Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr links prominently displayed.
NAACP President Benjamin Jealous outlines the different ways that the organization has improved their site:
- Navigation: People come to naacp.org for a variety of reasons-to keep up with our national campaigns, to get involved with our local units, to share information about their local units with headquarters. We have a created a structure that puts you a click away from the information you are looking for.
- Action: Our new Take Action center gives members and new visitors alike a hub sign up for email alerts, donate, become a member, spread the word, or take action on any number of timely campaigns.
- Advocacy: Each of our Advocacy program pages is a hub of information about what we are doing to create change, and how you can get involved at the national and local levels.
- Field: The heart and soul of the NAACP are the volunteers that run our 2,000 local units from coast to coast. Our new Field pages make it easier for our volunteers to access the tools they need to manage their work, and to share their activities with the rest of the NAACP.
- Membership: At the NAACP, membership goes far beyond paying an annual fee. We want you to become a part of the NAACP family. That’s why we’ve put our “Find Your Local Unit” information front and center.
Their new website looks great and has much more of a “community” feel to it than their old, static one did. And how incredibly smart of them to time the launch of their new site with their 101st Convention. Well played, NAACP. Well, played.
You can watch the live webcast of the convention here starting today. (View the streaming schedule for specific sessions and air times.)
Cozality on 
bsaunders on 
