THINK OUT LOUD Community Outreach Project July-August 2008

Overview Project Approach Activities Findings Recommendations Next Steps

Project

Approach

Activities

Findings

Recommendations

Next Steps

Overview of the Project 6 week time frame due to grant requirements To raise the visibility of the Think Out Loud site in the geographic area served by OPB Increase traffic to the discussion area of the site And develop best practices for ongoing online outreach activities

6 week time frame due to grant requirements

To raise the visibility of the Think Out Loud site in the geographic area served by OPB

Increase traffic to the discussion area of the site

And develop best practices for ongoing online outreach activities

Approach A Blend of Traditional Marketing and PR Community Outreach and Involvement Methods New, Interactive and Social Media Approaches and Techniques

A Blend of Traditional Marketing and PR

Community Outreach and Involvement Methods

New, Interactive and Social Media Approaches and Techniques

Why? OPB is a public non-profit. Based on members and “community” Some targets difficult to reach and involve with traditional PR and marketing and new technologies Social Networking and Interactive requires community building

OPB is a public non-profit. Based on members and “community”

Some targets difficult to reach and involve with traditional PR and marketing and new technologies

Social Networking and Interactive requires community building

A Note on Social Media Social Media Explained in Plain English

Social Media Explained in Plain English

Social Media Is an approach to marketing and outreach as much as it is about Internet tools Allows others to spread the word for you Connects to existing communities and builds new communities Is efficient and low cost Not always effective for “difficult to reach communities”

Is an approach to marketing and outreach as much as it is about Internet tools

Allows others to spread the word for you

Connects to existing communities and builds new communities

Is efficient and low cost

Not always effective for “difficult to reach communities”

Social Media

Activities Add TOL to websites like Outside-in, OrBlogs, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, etc Daily posts on blogs,etc. about shows Identification of Influencers and provide outreach to these influencers In-Person Meet-Ups Phone Calls, direct emails to individuals and groups Database of websites, blogs, listserves, groups and individuals

Add TOL to websites like Outside-in, OrBlogs, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, etc

Daily posts on blogs,etc. about shows

Identification of Influencers and provide outreach to these influencers

In-Person Meet-Ups

Phone Calls, direct emails to individuals and groups

Database of websites, blogs, listserves, groups and individuals

Critical Activities Ask Certain Guests if They Wouldn’t Mind Posting on Their Blogs and Letting Their Communities Know That They Will Be on TOL Provide Outreach to PIN Members. Not Marketing. Asking them for their Leadership and Expertise in Their Communities This is the Idea of Community Connectors SOCIAL NETWORKING BEST PRACTICE

Ask Certain Guests if They Wouldn’t Mind Posting on Their Blogs and Letting Their Communities Know That They Will Be on TOL

Provide Outreach to PIN Members. Not Marketing. Asking them for their Leadership and Expertise in Their Communities

Case Study Open Source City July, 25th

Open Source City July, 25th

What We Did Identify Influencers Ask Influencers to be guests on show Ask Guests to Post about Show on their Websites/Blogs, tell their communities Post about Show on Blogs, Websites Lizzy Caston, others announces it on Twitter

Identify Influencers

Ask Influencers to be guests on show

Ask Guests to Post about Show on their Websites/Blogs, tell their communities

Post about Show on Blogs, Websites

Lizzy Caston, others announces it on Twitter

What’s an Influencer? A person with influence, leadership, trust in their communities Large social networks Large online presence – They are connected They write, people notice and write about them writing – This is Viral Marketing Allows TOL access to new communities Creates strong community around TOL Influencers help spread word about TOL

A person with influence, leadership, trust in their communities

Large social networks

Large online presence – They are connected

They write, people notice and write about them writing – This is Viral Marketing

Allows TOL access to new communities

Creates strong community around TOL

Influencers help spread word about TOL

What Happened 1. Rick from Silicon Florist posts about it on his site

1. Rick from Silicon Florist posts about it on his site

What Happened Rick’s Post Goes Out to Thousands of Readers Some of Those Readers Blog about the show, getting picked up by 1000s of other readers OregonLive writes about Rick being on TOL and links to TOL site “ Twitterers” Read Lizzy’s Post, Other Twitterers start writing about it and linking to TOL Other guests write about it, link to TOL, spread word. Audrey, another guest spreads word in her community, online, twitter, etc. VIRAL MARKETING AT WORK SOCIAL NETWORKING AT WORK

Rick’s Post Goes Out to Thousands of Readers

Some of Those Readers Blog about the show, getting picked up by 1000s of other readers

OregonLive writes about Rick being on TOL and links to TOL site

“ Twitterers” Read Lizzy’s Post, Other Twitterers start writing about it and linking to TOL

Other guests write about it, link to TOL, spread word. Audrey, another guest spreads word in her community, online, twitter, etc.

Results 64 referrals from www.OregonLive.com after they wrote about the guest's appearance on TOL 10 referrals from the Silicon Florist, a popular blog run by one of the guests on the show: http://siliconflorist.com/2008/07/24/think-out-loud-about-open-source 5 referrals from Reed University News Several mentions in other blogs and websites and on Twitter (at least 5) Large amount of comments, Increase in traffic to TOL site

64 referrals from www.OregonLive.com after they wrote about the guest's appearance on TOL

10 referrals from the Silicon Florist, a popular blog run by one of the guests on the show: http://siliconflorist.com/2008/07/24/think-out-loud-about-open-source

5 referrals from Reed University News

Several mentions in other blogs and websites and on Twitter (at least 5)

Large amount of comments, Increase in traffic to TOL site

Examples

Examples

Other Case Studies Hodge-Podge of Methods Do What Works for Each Situation and Show Rural Communities, Ethnicity, Race, Language, Age Can Affect Outreach Methods Some Communities More Online Than Others. Some Communities Easier to Find and Connect With Creating Strong Relationships with Community Connectors Key

Hodge-Podge of Methods

Do What Works for Each Situation and Show

Keys for Success Identify Influencers and Community Connectors Organized Information – Can make updates, posting, connecting streamlined and reduce duplication of efforts Create and Nurture Relationships to help with ongoing Outreach

Identify Influencers and Community Connectors

Organized Information – Can make updates, posting, connecting streamlined and reduce duplication of efforts

Create and Nurture Relationships to help with ongoing Outreach

Analytics No Hard and Fast Patterns Per Show Hard to pin down Activity = Result, Patterns Too Many Variables Per Show Overall Patterns Emerged Statistical Results Evident

No Hard and Fast Patterns Per Show Hard to pin down Activity = Result, Patterns

Too Many Variables Per Show

Overall Patterns Emerged

Statistical Results Evident

Analytics 26% Increase in Traffic, Activity on Site in August Largest Increase any month since Launch User Registrations Steady Increase in activity from “Difficult to Reach Communities”

26% Increase in Traffic, Activity on Site in August

Largest Increase any month since Launch

User Registrations Steady

Increase in activity from “Difficult to Reach Communities”

Analytics Monthly Averages vs. Month of July and Month of August 555 430 568 New User Registrations 977 858 813 User Comments 9,581 7,470 7,705 Visitors per Month 20,822 15,810 16,933 Page Views per Month August July Jan- August

Lessons Learned: Meet-Ups A More Traditional Approach The More Outreach, the More People Direct Outreach Time Consuming Creates Face to Face Relationships, the Best Kind Planning, Enough Time Crucial to Success PIN Members Very Excited and Active to Meet-Up People want activities at Meet-ups People need help engaging with others at Meet-ups

A More Traditional Approach

The More Outreach, the More People

Direct Outreach

Time Consuming

Creates Face to Face Relationships, the Best Kind

Planning, Enough Time Crucial to Success

PIN Members Very Excited and Active to Meet-Up

People want activities at Meet-ups

People need help engaging with others at Meet-ups

Strengths of TOL Steady and Growing Online Presence and Community Commenting and moderation policies and practices are important and effective There is very good synergy between the on-air and online content Staff Very Good at Connections and Finding Key People TOL is providing unique and high quality content TOL is very good at "leading" the conversation TOL graphics are clear, iconic and memorable TOL is very good about crediting and linking to other online sources

Steady and Growing Online Presence and Community

Commenting and moderation policies and practices are important and effective

There is very good synergy between the on-air and online content

Staff Very Good at Connections and Finding Key People

TOL is providing unique and high quality content

TOL is very good at "leading" the conversation

TOL graphics are clear, iconic and memorable

TOL is very good about crediting and linking to other online sources

Risks and Barriers Website Functionality is a Huge Problem Barrier to Participation by Staff and Readers, too time consuming to post Need a Blog, Current Site Being Asked to Function Like a Blog but is Not Structured to Be a Blog Risk of Presenting Inaccurate Information – No Preview or Draft Feature Analytics do Not Allow Details, Tracking over Time User Feedback and Site Organization Can Be Better

Website Functionality is a Huge Problem

Other Issues: The Biggies Lack of Activity in Comments Sections Lack of Systems to Easily Find and Do Outreach Underutilization of PIN Members for Expertise, Involvement Lack of Presence in Other Communities Give People a Reason to Come to Site Lack of Time, Staff Resources

Lack of Activity in Comments Sections

Lack of Systems to Easily Find and Do Outreach

Underutilization of PIN Members for Expertise, Involvement

Lack of Presence in Other Communities

Give People a Reason to Come to Site

Lack of Time, Staff Resources

Recommendations Need a New Website WORDPRESS. Industry standard in Professional Business Blogs Customizable, Easy to Maintain, Efficient, Cost Effective and Secure Cut Staff Time Posting in Half (or more) TOL can Make Simple Changes – Frees Up Web Staff for More Important Work Simple Design Changes Will Increase Activity and Participation

Need a New Website

Recommendations More activity on the TOL site by Staff More activity in “Webosphere” by Staff More Presence at Community Events Better Utilization of PIN Members – More Structured Community Connectors One Database, Not Several Continue with High Level of Outreach Give Incentives for Activity and Participation on Site

More activity on the TOL site by Staff

More activity in “Webosphere” by Staff

More Presence at Community Events

Better Utilization of PIN Members – More Structured Community Connectors

One Database, Not Several

Continue with High Level of Outreach

Give Incentives for Activity and Participation on Site

Outreach/Social Media and Networking Expertise Successful outreach and involvement is strategic and ongoing, not a one time deal Interns can do some tasks, but should be guided and mentored Systems, such as databases can decrease risk of lost information and duplication of efforts Some activities are not appropriate for marketing dept. due to journalism breach of ethics Some activities, like event planning, better off in marketing department

Successful outreach and involvement is strategic and ongoing, not a one time deal

Interns can do some tasks, but should be guided and mentored

Systems, such as databases can decrease risk of lost information and duplication of efforts

Some activities are not appropriate for marketing dept. due to journalism breach of ethics

Some activities, like event planning, better off in marketing department

NEXT STEPS Web Needs Analysis, Feasibility and Planning Determine Staff Capacity, Resources Potential Job Function Continue with Analytics Procedures for Outreach, 12 Month Plan Formalized Way to Better Engage PIN

Web Needs Analysis, Feasibility and Planning

Determine Staff Capacity, Resources

Potential Job Function

Continue with Analytics

Procedures for Outreach, 12 Month Plan

Formalized Way to Better Engage PIN

THANK YOU! Lizzy Caston Lizzy.caston ({at}) gmail.com 503-803-3326 THINK OUT LOUD