This post is about how you might use the internet’s big social networks towards engaging people around your mission.  While I recognize there is value in using niche networks like Ning and Change.org, I feel, especially with organizations that have limited budgets and manpower, you’re better off going where the people are.  Critical mass is, well, a critical aspect of whether the communication technology will stand on its own feet.

The value for having a social networking presence, at the moment, is two-fold.  One, it offers a way to connect with constituents in a non-traditional format (with the traditional format being email newsletters) and let them connect with one another.  You’re meeting people where they’re at, instead of trying to force them to only use your desired mode of interaction.  This is one reason why most of the self-branded social networks have been a waste of effort.  Two, a social network presence helps build a spirit of community and sharing around your campaign, enabling continual conversation, and press, about what you’re trying to do.

One of the hottest networks as of mid-2008 is Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service that focuses around posting short, 140-character messages.  If you haven’t a clue what Twitter is, or have only heard about it briefly, CommonCraft covers it well in a short video.  In regards to using Twitter, most people innovate quickly enough to figure out how to use the tool to best fit their purpose.  For organizations, however, it is more difficult, largely because they don’t know how they should use it to advance their mission.  Some, if they’re not feeling entirely creative, just pump their RSS feed into their organizational account.  Unfortunately, I think most people on Twitter already know how to subscribe to RSS, giving this type of account low value add.

On the bright side, there are examples of organizations using Twitter to effectively engage audience around their brand.  In my opinion, @MarsPhoenix for NASA’s Mars Phoenix mission is likely the best example.  Thanks to Twitter, I received messages on my mobile about the first discoveries of water ice on Mars, as well as the finding of perchlorate in the soil.  I’m interested in following because I receive valuable, relevant content that includes a certain degree of interactivity.  With Twitter, the delivery mechanisms are diverse, allowing me to receive that content when and where I want, let it be through SMS, Twhirl or the web.  Two other examples I think are better than the rest are @ComcastCares and @PickensPlan, although the Pickens Plan appears to be largely about self promotion, and little interactivity, and I just feel plain sorry for Frank, the customer service representative at Comcast behind the Twitter account.  Sticking up for Comcast, and its questionable business practices, without losing your cool has to be one tough job.  Twitter, in summary, is about short, interesting, and relevant updates which your community can respond to and interact with.

Everyone, and I’m generalizing, wants to get money out of Facebook. From my point of view, the desired immediate use is for fundraising and, in my opinion, that’s not what it’s there for.  Once Facebook itself actually starts making money, then you should go in for fundraising.  Until then, Facebook Pages, Groups, and Events are the most, uh, accessible methods of connecting with and leveraging the power of your audience.  I would list them as Events, Groups, and Pages in order of usefulness, too.  Events and Groups have the capability to invite friends directly, as well as to message attendees or members, where as you can only “share” a Page with a friend.  Pages, as far as I’m concerned, are a bit like badges and offer minimal functionality.  Any update you send with a Page has low, ignorable visibility on the login screen.  Additionally, if your campaign is event-based, with Events and Groups you can send reminders for actions closer and closer to the day.

Yesterday, I learned about the ColaLife project from an article on WorldChanging.  The goal of the project seems simple enough, to urge Coca-Cola to use part of its global supply chain to help deliver medical supplies.  In many parts of the world where Coca-Cola has market penetration and a mature distribution mechanism, it is apparently still quite difficult for non-profits to ship rehydration salts, etc.  Wanting to help raise awareness, and get Coca-Cola to do something beneficial for once, I joined ColaLife’s Facebook Group and invited all of my friends to do so as well.  Granted, it’s up to Simon Berry and the organizers to use their expanding power base towards an achievable objective, but I think can happen a lot quicker on Facebook and other social networks than traditional email.  Viral may be overhyped, but that’s exactly what’s happening.

MySpace still has a huge active userbase, but I don’t have a clue how to use it effectively.

Flickr is for photography. If your campaign, or whatever you’re up to, has a visual component, this is the platform to conduct it on.  It has huge potential  I see an example like The Nature Conservancy, which is currently running their 2008 Photo Contest by having people add images to the TNC Flickr group and tag them with “PhotoContest-TNC08,” as an excellent way to build community.  Furthermore, if you’re asking people to submit images to a Flickr group, why not highlight good ones on your blog once a week?  It’s an easy way to produce content and you’re showing your audience that you do care about their efforts.

As one final lesson, simply placing a “ShareThis” widget should not take the place of your efforts in building online community.  It doesn’t work.

The hidden ninja in all of this social networking buzz, of course, is delicious.  Think non-profit search.  More on that later.

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