Allyson Kapin, founder of Women Who Tech, principal at the Rad Campaign and lead blogger at Frogloop, shares tips about how to become a social media/nonprofit rockstar through the lens of becoming a kick ass punk band. She shares tips to becoming a sought after expert on social media, online organizing, digital strategy, online fundraising and general nonprofit tech geekery.

1. Becoming A Kick Ass Punk Band:
AKA Social Media/Nonprofit Star
Presented by:
Allyson Kapin, Rad Campaign and Women Who Tech
501 Tech Club NYC and Organizing 2.0
November 17, 2010
www.radcampaign.com

2. What Instrument Do You Want to
Play? Find Your Niche
What’s Your Expertise?
 Web design
 Web development
 Online marketing
 Online fundraising
 Social media
Start to own it! But don’t be the cocky
bastard in the space. There’s a fine line
between confidence and arrogance.

3. Play Solo or Find a Band:
Consultant or Firm?
Consultant:
 You call the shots
 Pick and choose clients and issues
 You do all the work - both consulting and admin
 You profit – no partners/staff to pay
 Create your own schedule
 Tip: Hire a Virtual Assistant
Firm:
 More collaborative and structured
 Business and financial decisions are made
jointly.
 Bring more resources and expertise to the table.
 Work on diverse issues – but money – aka
paying staff can be more of a motivating factor in
taking on clients.
 Red tape – office politics, egos!

4. Be An Opening Act: Do An Open
Mic: Start Small to Build Portfolio
 Reach out to your personal network
 Team up and partner with colleagues in
the space on consulting projects.
 Subcontract for firms in the space
 Don’t go for the big projects until you have
built up your rep and have the staff capacity
to deliver!
 Consider doing probono work for your
favorite local charity if you need to build up
your portfolio

5. Develop Your Sound: The One
Page Business Plan
Why a Business Plan?
 Clarity: Helps clarify your vision and how you
plan to get there.
 Sense of Mission: Helps you determine what’s
in it for you and your clients.
 Outlines REALISTIC objectives.
 Defines target market and competitors. What
will you offer them that is unique?
 What does success look like?
 Financial projections. Be conservative.
3 Tips to Remember:
 Start small, be realistic.
 Your business plan does not need to be a novel.
 It should be a living document that you adapt.

6. Build Your Image: Promote Yourself
You’re an “Expert” - Now What?
 Build a website showcasing your rawk starness.
 Start a good blog. Share your knowledge a few times a
week.
Blog Tips:
 Provide value to target audiences based on what they
want to know/learn.
 Provide fresh and relevant content. Promote good posts
via multiple channels.
 Foster discussions and commentary.
 Be thought-provoking.
 Don’t think of blogging as a chore and giving away your
advice for free. It’s part of marketing and brand building.

7. Build Your Image: Promote Yourself
Join Listservs. My Favorites Are:
 Progressive Exchange
 NTEN and 501 Tech Clubs
 WIPT – Women In Politics and Technology
 PCDC: Progressive Communicators of DC

8. Build Your Image: Promote Yourself
Attend Conferences, Submit Panel
Ideas, Network!
My Favorites Are:
 Women Who Tech TeleSummit
 NTC (Nonprofit Technology Conference)
 PDF: (Personal Democracy Forum)
 Camps: NOI Roots Camp, Nonprofit 2.0, Organizing 2.0
 User Conferences: Democracy in Action, Convio,
Blackbaud
 SXSWi – Good for innovations in tech space, small track
for nonprofits.

9. Build Your Image: Promote Yourself
Social Media Tips:
 Search for your crew on the social networks where they
hang out – Facebook, Twitter, etc?
 Engage in two-way conversations. Practice jumping in
and out of “social time” in 15 minute intervals.
 Listen to what your crew has to say.
 Tell stories around issues, ask questions.
 Share links and resources by others. Don’t be a social
media hog. It’s not all about YOU!
 It’s ok to be a bit controversial and speak your mind!

10. The Mosh Pit: Develop A Thick Skin
Dealing with the Critics:
 Listen to constructive feedback.
 Ignore gossipy trash talk.
 Blow off trolls
 Stand up for yourself and your beliefs,
but don’t be a jerk.
 Recognize that YOU will never be
perfect and neither will your team or
clients.
 You win some. You lose some! Learn
from the losses.

11. Your Next Record: Fail Fast
Learn from Failure:
 8 out of 10 new startups fail.
 Embrace failure. It’s how you
learn.
 Take what you learned and
apply it to your next venture or
client.

12. Rawk Stars Come and Go
Everyone is Replaceable
Check Your Ego!

13. Women Who Tech Case Study
What’s Wrong
With This Picture?

14. Women Who Tech Case Study

15. Women Who Tech Case Study
Identified the Problem: Tech conference circuit and mainstream media coverage
focused on promoting men and ignored contributions by women in tech
and their perspectives.
Why is it a Problem? We create technology for the masses not for men. Technology
must be discussed from diverse perspectives and leaders.
The Solution: Create a virtual TeleSummit that showcases women breaking new
ground in technology who use their tech savvy skills to transform the world
and inspire change.

16. Why a TeleSummit?
Movement Building Event: Build a movement around women in tech & social media
who want to change the status quo.
It’s Virtual: Prominent tech leaders and participants can be a part of the TeleSummit
from anywhere in the world.
Cost Savings: Less expensive to produce then a conference.
News Hook: First TeleSummit that focused on women in technology featuring
accomplished women ranging from Arianna Huffington to Rashmi Sinha of
Co-Founder of SlideShare & more.
Women Who Tech Case Study

17. Women Who Tech Case Study
How Did I Market it for $0?
Built a Website Aimed at Niche Audiences: Women in tech and social media who felt
alienated in the conference circuit.
Built an Email List: Marketed WWT mostly through online channels such as:
 niche listservs
 active presence on Twitter.
 Facebook Group
 LinkedIn Group
 Delicious - repository of articles focusing on women in technology and the VC world.
 Networked and built publicity partnerships with other like-minded organizations such as
BlogHer and She’s Geeky.

18. Women Who Tech Case Study
Additional Tactics and Tools
Used
Earned Media:
 Built list of reporters and bloggers writing
about tech, social media and innovation.
 Networked and built relationships at
events, commented on articles, talked with
media on Twitter.
 Used my own influence as a blogger for
Fast Company and other outlets to write
about the issues and events.
 Leveraged speakers connections to the
media to help with outreach and pitching.

19. Women Who Tech Case Study
Provided Good Content that
Resonated with Target
Audiences:
 Appeal to audiences emotions
and their discontent around this
issue. No one likes to be
alienated or discounted.
 Not Afraid of Controversy:
 Great caliber of speakers –
ranging from established women
to up and coming rawk stars in
the space!

20. Women Who Tech Case Study
The Results:
 Mobilized base of thousands of women who in
tech and social media.
 Sold out TeleSummit for the past three years!
 Increase of news coverage around women in
tech, social media and startups in NYT,
ForbesWomen, TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb,
BlogHer, Wall Street Journal, and tons of blogs.
 More conferences connecting to women in tech
groups to help them recruit women speakers.
 Increased collaboration among women in tech
organizations.
 Personal Note: Helped me professionally –
Named One of the Most Influential Women in
Tech by Fast Company and one of the top women
to follow on Twitter by Forbes!

21. Contact Info:
Allyson Kapin: Rad Campaign, Women Who Tech
Email: Allyson@radcampaign.com
Twitter: @womenwhotech and @radcampaign @care2frogloop
Blog: Care2’s Frogloop: www.frogloop.com
Rad Website: http://www.radcampaign.com
Women Who Tech Website: http://www.womenwhotech.com
www.radcampaign.com