Case Study - MYD New Media as a difference maker for your org – an online presence which not only represents informs, empowers, and leads to growth Website, Social Networks, Design, Next Gen Marketing Online Organizing A SERIES OF TUBES

New Media as a difference maker for your org – an online presence which not only represents informs, empowers, and leads to growth

Website, Social Networks, Design, Next Gen Marketing

Online Organizing

Figure Out Your Strategy New Media, Online Organizing, Good Design and Messaging are only effective in the context of a larger organizational plan for your org, but can also be a catalyst Looking at your org, what are your: Goals Market/Target Demographics Available Resources – People/Finances

New Media, Online Organizing, Good Design and Messaging are only effective in the context of a larger organizational plan for your org, but can also be a catalyst

Looking at your org, what are your:

Goals

Market/Target Demographics

Available Resources – People/Finances

Our Strategy In Jan/09 the Exec. Board decided to: Rebrand “Manhattan Young Dems” to better match the youth of NYC Take Advantage of Post-Obama Energy Grow Membership Educate, Inspire & Activate the Youth of NYC

In Jan/09 the Exec. Board decided to:

Rebrand “Manhattan Young Dems” to better match the youth of NYC

Take Advantage of Post-Obama Energy

Grow Membership

Educate, Inspire & Activate the Youth of NYC

Our Strategy – Cont. Market: Overactive/Overachieving, well educated, web savvy, on Facebook, watch YouTube, read blogs, low knowledge of local politics, recently inspired via… It’s NYC! Obama Effect in NY: Inspired but Tired Leadership/Action Vacuum Some exp. With MYBO Comfortable w/ Small Donations

Market:

Overactive/Overachieving, well educated, web savvy, on Facebook, watch YouTube, read blogs, low knowledge of local politics, recently inspired via…

It’s NYC!

Obama Effect in NY:

Inspired but Tired

Leadership/Action Vacuum

Some exp. With MYBO

Comfortable w/ Small Donations

Our Strategy – New Media REBRAND: “ MYD” Good Design Hip but Super Functional New Logo Website Concept Blog More Effective Newsletter Shorter, Better Language Facebook/Twitter/Flickr Intergration

REBRAND:

“ MYD”

Good Design

Hip but Super Functional

New Logo

Website Concept

Blog

More Effective Newsletter

Shorter, Better Language

Facebook/Twitter/Flickr Intergration

Design/Branding This is a Market. Your Org, Your Events, Your Action Items = a Product How do you sell a product? - Branding/Design/Marketing - You sell the way Coke does…

This is a Market.

Your Org, Your Events, Your Action Items = a Product

How do you sell a product?

- Branding/Design/Marketing

- You sell the way Coke does…

Design/Branding Everyone knows good design. Good Design will Fill Your Events Raise You Money Grow Your Org Impress Pols/Media

Everyone knows good design.

Good Design will

Fill Your Events

Raise You Money

Grow Your Org

Impress Pols/Media

Elements of Design/Branding Logo Web Design Flyers Messaging Tag Lines

Logo

Web Design

Flyers

Messaging

Tag Lines

Old… www.manhattanyoungdems.org (bad domain name) http://campaignwindow.com/myd/

www.manhattanyoungdems.org

(bad domain name)

http://campaignwindow.com/myd/

New.. http://gomyd.com (good domain name)

http://gomyd.com

(good domain name)

Field A Team The next question to ask is: How important is new media to your organization? New Media is surprisingly time-consuming, and requires a commitment of real resources. Before embarking on a new media plan, you need to what you have to work with.

The next question to ask is: How important is new media to your organization?

New Media is surprisingly time-consuming, and requires a commitment of real resources.

Before embarking on a new media plan, you need to what you have to work with.

Here’s a list of the people involved in MYD’s new media effort: Emmy – New Media Director Chas – Creative Director Julie – Social Media Strategist Beth – Communications Director Andrew – Communications Team Al – President/Blogger Taylor – Secretary/Calendar Shannon – Videographer Juan – Videographer Gloria – Photographer Jessica – Blogger Julia – Blogger Chris – Cartoonist Craig – Tech guru So it takes a lot of people to make the whole thing work. Great way to grow membership. Before you begin, build a team of people who commit to help.

Here’s a list of the people involved in MYD’s new media effort:

Emmy – New Media Director

Chas – Creative Director

Julie – Social Media Strategist

Beth – Communications Director

Andrew – Communications Team

Al – President/Blogger

Taylor – Secretary/Calendar

Shannon – Videographer

Juan – Videographer

Gloria – Photographer

Jessica – Blogger

Julia – Blogger

Chris – Cartoonist

Craig – Tech guru

So it takes a lot of people to make the whole thing work.

Great way to grow membership.

Before you begin, build a team of people who commit to help.

Select Your Platform There are a lot of website platforms out there. Each has its pros and cons: Blogging Platforms WordPress Bloggers ThinkPad Social Networking Platforms Ning Open Source Platforms Drupal MYD decided to go with WordPress because the blog was front-and-center on our website. Also has a great number of widgets that make customizing your website really simple, such as: Google Calendar embed Video embed Flickr slideshow cForms

There are a lot of website platforms out there. Each has its pros and cons:

Blogging Platforms

WordPress

Bloggers

ThinkPad

Social Networking Platforms

Ning

Open Source Platforms

Drupal

MYD decided to go with WordPress because the blog was front-and-center on our website.

Also has a great number of widgets that make customizing your website really simple, such as:

Google Calendar embed

Video embed

Flickr slideshow

cForms

Content, Content, Content “ Content is king” Focus: Don’t try to be everything to everyone Be provocative to drive traffic – no one will read if its boring Use rich media extensively Use the same palette of icons, fonts, colors, and tone across all media Quality over quantity And make sure to edit and proofread everything! MYD’s tone: Approachable and unpretentious Brief and to-the-point A touch rebellious Tech-savvy

“ Content is king”

Focus: Don’t try to be everything to everyone

Be provocative to drive traffic – no one will read if its boring

Use rich media extensively

Use the same palette of icons, fonts, colors, and tone across all media

Quality over quantity

And make sure to edit and proofread everything!

MYD’s tone:

Approachable and unpretentious

Brief and to-the-point

A touch rebellious

Tech-savvy

And Don’t Forget To Track It Install Google Analytics for free on your website Data will be valuable in finding out who is visiting, and what they are looking for when they find you Track your progress and use these figures for fundraising

Install Google Analytics for free on your website

Data will be valuable in finding out who is visiting, and what they are looking for when they find you

Track your progress and use these figures for fundraising

Blogging Basics Be brief – blog posts shouldn’t require too much scrolling Make titles pop Use tags effectively Link to older posts and other parts of the site frequently

Be brief – blog posts shouldn’t require too much scrolling

Make titles pop

Use tags effectively

Link to older posts and other parts of the site frequently

Facebook Basics If you have a page, encourage your fans to “suggest to friends” so you grow faster. Be careful not to over-use Facebook. Create events, send invites, send message reminders. What goes in the status updates on your page? Unique URLs like http://facebook.com/gomyd

If you have a page, encourage your fans to “suggest to friends” so you grow faster.

Be careful not to over-use Facebook.

Create events, send invites, send message reminders.

What goes in the status updates on your page?

Unique URLs like http://facebook.com/gomyd

Facebook Basics contd Page “updates” are not seen by many users. What gets email notifications for some users: event invites, event messages, messages to all group members. Want to know more? We’ll be posting our Facebook guide to gomyd.com next week!

Page “updates” are not seen by many users.

What gets email notifications for some users: event invites, event messages, messages to all group members.

Want to know more? We’ll be posting our Facebook guide to gomyd.com next week!

Twitter Basics Never used Twitter? See Deanna Zandt’s guide: http://www.deannazandt.com/2009/02/26/a-non-fanatical-beginners-guide-to-twitter/ Use HootSuite for stats and collaboration Always follow back Reply!! Be sure to “join the conversation” Post more than your blog feed, be a HUMAN voice.

Never used Twitter? See Deanna Zandt’s guide: http://www.deannazandt.com/2009/02/26/a-non-fanatical-beginners-guide-to-twitter/

Use HootSuite for stats and collaboration

Always follow back

Reply!! Be sure to “join the conversation”

Post more than your blog feed, be a HUMAN voice.

Twitter Basics contd Use Twitter search to find more people to follow Follow local bloggers, MSM, electeds & activists Follow members of your chapter Want to know more? We’ll be posting our Twitter guide to gomyd.com next week!

Use Twitter search to find more people to follow

Follow local bloggers, MSM, electeds & activists

Follow members of your chapter

Want to know more? We’ll be posting our Twitter guide to gomyd.com next week!

Cross-pollinate Link frequently from your social media and email newsletter back to the website to drive traffic Prominently display icons to “Join Us On Facebook” etc on your landing page and newsletter Create events to RSVP to on Facebook from the website, which will show up in user feeds Create original videos and photos so people can discover your org via multiple channels Link to and from stand-alone initiatives frequently (nyequality.com)

Link frequently from your social media and email newsletter back to the website to drive traffic

Prominently display icons to “Join Us On Facebook” etc on your landing page and newsletter

Create events to RSVP to on Facebook from the website, which will show up in user feeds

Create original videos and photos so people can discover your org via multiple channels

Link to and from stand-alone initiatives frequently (nyequality.com)

Reach Out To Other Sites The golden rule of to follow is that no one will link to you unless you are willing to link to them (and thereby prove you’re paying attention!) Pay attention to blogs who cover local politics in your geography, but also to state and national blogs Add new media components to your Communications efforts – it’s not just about trad med anymore MYD’s blogroll includes prominent NYC and New York State blogs with a progressive bent MYD’s “Don’t Vote for Pedro” t-shirt, picked up by Daily Politics and The Albany Project MYD’s newyorkequality campaign picked up by Ben Smith, Daily Kos, and others

The golden rule of to follow is that no one will link to you unless you are willing to link to them (and thereby prove you’re paying attention!)

Pay attention to blogs who cover local politics in your geography, but also to state and national blogs

Add new media components to your Communications efforts – it’s not just about trad med anymore

MYD’s blogroll includes prominent NYC and New York State blogs with a progressive bent

MYD’s “Don’t Vote for Pedro” t-shirt, picked up by Daily Politics and The Albany Project

MYD’s newyorkequality campaign picked up by Ben Smith, Daily Kos, and others

And Don’t Forget To Measure It Website Check Analytics frequently to figure out what’s working and not Where is your website audience coming from? What time do they come to the website? Facebook fans / group members Twitter followers Email newsletter subscribe / unsubscribe Use this information to tweak your strategy

Website

Check Analytics frequently to figure out what’s working and not

Where is your website audience coming from?

What time do they come to the website?

Facebook fans / group members

Twitter followers

Email newsletter subscribe / unsubscribe

Use this information to tweak your strategy

Thanks! Questions? Al: [email_address] Chas: [email_address] Emmy: [email_address] Julie: [email_address] Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gomyd

Questions?

Al: [email_address]

Chas: [email_address]

Emmy: [email_address]

Julie: [email_address]

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gomyd