Survey the Room Who is online? What tools are we using?
Identify the problem first, develop a plan and then acquire the appropriate tools
Don’t go to the hardware store first – ending up spending unnecessary time acquiring the wrong or inefficient tools
Shifting Media Landscape Why Social Media Why Social Media is simply another tool, not a replacement for other forms of communications or news
We have access now to reach newer audiences and engage with them directly
Introduction to communicating online – thinking strategically and acting tactically
Establishing a basic foundation for why and what we communicate to audiences
To inform is to provide specific data or information for an audience who already supports you. They need information and data to perform and action. If your audience already wants to donate money to you or would like to attend your event, what information is needed to do so?
Communicating to educate speaks specifically to audiences who are not yet prepared to act and follow through with an action but prefers to build a knowledge base about you. They are the second layer or on the periphery of your target audience. Example: Who are they? They are the sons and daughters of seniors citizens who stumble upon your senior center website and become educated about your programs. They do not need you services, but they use the knowledge gained to inform their parents who ultimately make a decision and follow through on an action.
Communicating to persuade speaks specifically to an audience who do not support you or who have not formulated an opinion of you. They are the 6% of voters who have not decided yet which political candidate to vote for. They are the family that heads out to the movie theater not knowing what to watch but needs to make a decision. This goal is critical to expanding your audience and reach. You must make an argument why people should support you through the use of data, facts, the color of your language and more.
Communicating to entertain speaks specifically to a wide audience if not all or your intended audiences. You are appealing to people emotionally. Communicating in this sense encompasses not only the temperature or tone of your voice but is intended to build and over-all positive experience for your audience while engaging them online. You can have all the necessary information they need to do an action or to share with others but if they can’t navigate through your site and they become frustrated, or if they feel bad guilty for donating, it is most likely they will try to avoid the experience the next time. Appealing to people emotionally should provide also an empowering experience for them, technology or the tools should be transparent and note get in the way.
Focus on tools
Web 1.0, static web pages where people just read information.
Dynamic websites allowed content creators to broadcast and share across multiple platform. Users can also participate, add comments to content, generate discussions and host other people’s content on their own websites or proffered platforms.
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