Jcpsc conference globalizing the shtetl

Globalizing the Shtetl: A Jewish Overview of Social Media

JCPSC ConferenceEsther D. Kustanowitz

October 27, 2010

How Can Social Media Help Jewish Professionals?

1) Social media can help support outreach byJewish projects, programs or organizations

2) Social media can help create stronger, more valuable relationships

with the people we already serve

3) Social media can help court engagement from “younger” people

Information & Relationship Management

• You don’t have to become: – An IT specialist– “tech-savvy” / “a tech geek”

• Acquire tools that help:– Manage, organize & access information– Manage, increase & deepen relationships– Provide multiple points of entry– Reach people where they are– Express authenticity

Name & Reputation

“You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the easiest possible definitions.”

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/the-breakfast-club/images/73765/title/breakfast-club-photo

What’s in a name?

Each Man Has a Name

Each man has a name, given him by God and given him by his father and mother

Each man has a name, given him by his stature and his way of smiling, and given him by his clothes

Each man has a name, given him by the mountains and given him by his walls

Each man has a name, given him by the planets (stars) and given him by his neighbors

Each man has a name, given him by his sins and given him by his longing

Each man has a name, given him by his enemies, and given him by his love

Each man has a name, given him by his feast days and given him by his craft

Each man has a name, given him by the seasons of the year and given him by his blindness

Each man has a name, given him by the sea, and given him by his death.

-Zelda (b. 1914)

The Microcommunity: Our “Little Town”

– כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה– )Jewish geography( אל תפרוש מן הציבור

– Boundaries: reign in/unite:but this shtetl has no walls – what unites us?

IMAGE: http://chicagotheaterblog.com/2009/06/12/review-topol-in-fiddler-on-the-roof/

My Global Shtetl: The Jewish Internet

– 10 years Jewish non-profit in NYC– Self-taught tech– Micro-communities – local and global -25 countries– Social media – PR on autopilot– Social media + Jewish community L.A.

That’s me, speaking at a GA plenary in 2007.

You’re Nobody Till Somebody “Likes” You: The “Social Web”

• Jewish geography = “2.0”– “Social web”– personal recommendations

trusted (e.g. Amazon.com)

• Cocktail party: Small talk follow-up

• Informational swap meet information community

IMAGE: http://blog.researchworks.com/the-socially-enabled-search-war-facebook-vs-g

Fear Not:Surrendering to “Viral”

• Goal: Get the message out, far and wide• Fear: Loss of control over the information

http://www.concepttshirts.com/viral-marketing.php

How to Fight the Fear of Viral

• If information about your organization goes viral, fight the fear: – Realize that control is an illusion – you start

the message, but it changes (“Telephone”)– Embrace the risk, use it as a chance to build

trust and relationships – Release “official information”– Interact with fans/critics – establish authority– You are their “inside source”/they are VIPs

Effective Social Media Interactions Contain…

• CommunityOrganizer 2.0 blog– “A report by Lightspeed Research about what US consumers want

from brands online - top demand is “to improve their knowledge.” - Deb Askenase (@askdebra)

• Commitment to relationship-building• Collaborative spirit• Involvement in public infostream• Initiating & participating in conversations• Authentic voice• Adding value to public discourse, online & off (self-

promotion is secondary)• Intentionality - kavanah

A Little Help From Our Friends:Social Media & Fundraising

http://boards.ign.com/teh_vestibule/b5296/185879570/r185879765/

Social Media Aid

Aid to Haiti• Red Cross texting $10 at a time to Haiti raised

over $10M (as of 1/15/10)• Wireless & Mobile News reported the total raised

by text-to-aid programs was $30 million (1/22/10)

Digitales Por Chile• A Jewish iPhone app developer in Chile mobilized

techies to create an information network after a major quake

DIY Fundraising

• Independent funding platforms for crowdfunding (or “friendraising”):– Indiegogo– Kickstarter– Pledgie

• People reward the emotionally resonant, personally meaningful or entertaining

• When people feel a relationship to the person who’s asking, online fundraising is collaborative and effective

Crowdsourcing: Esther’s Computer

Immerse Yourself

• Research (Recon)

• Understanding (Analysis)

• Actions (Moving Ahead)

Research

• Develop “ambient awareness” • Learn the language • Schedule “surveillance time”• Follow links, explore tools that increase

social media’s accessibility (Mashable, Inside Facebook, FB Connect, LinkedIn (#in),Tweetdeck, mobile apps)

• Who’s doing it right? Visit social media of other organizations: what can you “borrow”?

Check Out Your Friends

• @SixthandI• @daroff• @Leahjones• @Kvetchingeditor• @BJPArchive *• @ROICommunity *• @IKAR-LA *• @AWP_Jcommunity*• @BI_NEXT• JTA’s Top Twitterers * indicates past or current client

http://nickbaines.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/with-friends-like-these/friends/

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue

Sixth & I Historic SynagogueWashington, DC

Dynamic, multi-tiered presence:• FB fan pages for the synagogue, and for

“Sixth in the City” (young professionals)• Events, graphics, pictures, social media

widgets• Using social media, contributing to

conversations (& promoting events)

Social Media StrategyCrash Course

Facing Facebook: Strategy

• Group or Fan Page?– Groups foster group discussion around a topic– Pages allow information to be sent, but not via FB

• Read FB FAQs – official responses/user responses• Ask a friend• Questions for your organization:

– Who will post content? How often?– What will the tone be?– Will you link FB with other social media (blog or

Twitter)?– Will you link to people/organizations/events on FB?

Facebook: Being Professional

• Don’t clutter official FB pages (strange photos, Farmville, zombies etc)

• Tone consistent with the organization’s (or have a reason why it’s not)

• Do follow your instincts and personal experience– Use what you like (discussing stuff on your friends’

walls, Scramble)– Don’t use what annoys you or others (Farmville)– Use what resonates or inspires you to action

(reaching out to friends in need, Causes)

Twittertalk: Strategy

• Creates transparency• Allows immediate customer service response• Solving problems publicly shows customers you’re

handling things• “Listening” to conversations already in progress provides

valuable insight into

Organizational chatter (you’re the CIA)

“the market” / instant focus group (you’re the marketing wiz)

World and community news and trends (you’re CNN)

Twittertech: Setup

Goal: Listening, sharing, asking & responding

• Listening & touring the site, becoming familiar with terms– Replies/@/Mentions; DM; RT, HT, #hashtags

• Choosing your handle– Your name (@estherk)– Your org’s name (@JCPSC)– A project’s name (@g_dcast)

• Finding followers (address book, other people’s accounts, twitterator.org, lists)

• Continuing to listen more than you respond

Social Media Immersion

Twittertech: Posting

Conquering 140

• Brevity, poetry, strength, mission, value

• Sharing = Link to and RT others

• Abbreviate URLs with tinyurl, bit.ly, j.mp

• Use # to categorize (~ tab in a file cabinet)

• Use a viewer for a cleaner look (Tweetdeck, Ubertwitter, Tweetie)

Blogging 101

• Blog = weblog = CMS for easy, online publishing• You may have or read blogs without even

knowing it (Gawker, TMZ, HuffPo, Salon, Slate, even MSM have blogs on their websites)

• Writing, reading & commenting on blogs – promote your organization – start new conversations – adding value to existing conversations

Organizational Blogging: Strategy

Does your org need/could it benefit from/is it ready for a blog:

• Reading blogs, seeing what’s out there• Blog will need regular content (staff time)• Comments should be open, but can be

moderated (staff time)• Blog should reflect org’s goals, but also add

value to larger conversations

Research Understanding

• Social media regimen/cultural immersion– Find the time (coffee breaks, lunchtime, etc)– Check Twitter/Facebook page at least once a day

• Read the Tweetstream or Status Feed of people and orgs you’re following – begin to participate in conversations

• Upload address books to identify your contacts who are using FB and Twitter

• Share a FB group or event with friends who are “hubs”

– Visit Jewishblogging.com or JRants.com• click on a few headlines• monitor/join a conversation

• Ask questions (professionals/civilians)

Actions for Your Organization

• Determine your institutional voice/s• Identify person/people to update Twitter and

Facebook (daily)• Identify newsy angles for programs, use as hook

to promote org in online conversations• Consider starting a blog, so you can host

conversations• Find “mavens”/hubs in your community, invite

their feedback & partnership• Consider inviting personal assessment by a

social media trainer

Resources Available

• “In Plain English” series• Mashable.com and Inside Facebook e-mail• Google Alerts - articles of interest (~ Burrelle’s)• Online articles:

– http://fundraisingcoach.com/articles/twitter-for-nonprofits-and-fundraising/

– NYTimes technology columnist David Pogue on Twitter: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/twitter/

– Manifesto: Social Media for Jewish Organizations: http://estherkustanowitz.typepad.com/myurbankvetch2005/2009/11/manifesto.html

• Request Social Media planning worksheet, YouTube social media video playlist from me via email

How to Find Me

• NextGen Engagement Initiative at Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles: [email protected]

• Not exactly everything else:– [email protected]– http://twitter.com/estherk– http://facebook.com/estherkustanowitz– http://youtube.com/EstherK– http://estherk.com