Nonprofit Commons (NPC) is a virtual space in Second Life that houses over 80 social benefit organizations. The document discusses NPC's use of social media and other communication tools to connect its diverse real and virtual communities. It analyzes NPC's audience and how to engage three levels of interaction from within Second Life to outside connections. The document provides examples of how NPC uses tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube and lessons learned about developing an integrated social media strategy.

1. Social Media in a Virtual World March 2010 A Communications Overview for Nonprofit Commons in Second Life

3. Integrate 2D and 3D communication tools as much as possible.

4. Deploy and efficiently maintain a steady social media communication stream about nonprofit activities.Professional Network Outside SL Second Life Community NPC & Techsoup Groups Active Tenants & Volunteers NPC Serves Virtual and Real World Communities

5. Page 3 NPC Community Interaction is Rich and Diverse

7. Facebook

8. LinkedIn

9. YouTube

10. Flickr

11. Avatars United

12. PlurkLimited Outworld Flow Expanding Inworld Flow NPC Community - Many Communication Options Increasing potential for reaching communities in both the virtual and physical world. Inworld and Outworld Tools Used

13. Page 5 From To Somewhat engaged Occasional Impersonal Short-term Passionately committed Constant Intimate Loyal Transform NPC Community - Communications Challenge Diverse Audience Inworld & Outworld How can the use of social media assist this transformation?

14. Page 6 Three Virtual World/Real World Levels of Interaction NPC community interacts on three levels: Within Second Life as NPC tenants, volunteers and NPC/Techsoup group members Across Second Life with other individuals and groups In our real world interactions with each other, our colleagues, interested friends and related organizations Advocacy & Outreach Community Professional Network Outside SL LEVEL 3 Real World Second Life Community LEVEL 2 Second Life NPC & Techsoup Groups Active Tenants & Volunteers LEVEL 1 NPC/Techsoup

15. Page 7 Many loose connections across broad audience (i.e. least likely to be real/virtual friends or colleagues); interactions are frequent but short. Most potential for viral sharing. Increasing numbers Decreasing Intimacy Advocacy & Outreach Community Large, Least Intimate Professional Network Outside SL Medium number of connections with people that often have a real world interest (i.e. are or have been friends or colleagues). Good for group information sharing and updates . Second Life Community Medium, Less Intimate NPC & Techsoup Groups Smallest number of core connections with people that have an active affiliation and meet real-time in virtual world (i.e. are avatar friends or colleagues). Provides most intimate level of interaction & collaboration. Active Tenants & Volunteers Small, Most Intimate Social Media Tools and How They Work for NPC

17. Can tweet messages, pictures and locations directly from Second Life using Blip.me application. NPC's Visit Avatars United page here

19. Interacts with Twitter and other social media applications. Visit NPC's Facebook page here Medium, Less Intimate

21. Can tweet into LinkedIn, start discussion, share news, resources and presentations. Visit NPC's LinkedIn page here

23. Can link to Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as website and blog. Visit NPC's Twitter page here

25. Videos easily linked to or embedded into other social sharing sites (e.g. Facebook) as well as topic-related blogs and websites. Visit NPC's (TechSoup) YouTube page here

27. Selectively search on your twitter address activity.

28. Selectively tweet or re-tweet information from several individual or organization accountsThird Party Applications Make Deployment & Tracking Easier

30. Event promotion requires a messaging and message timing strategy across all the communication channels you plan to use.

31. Define your metrics for success: is it event attendance, number of donations raised, more volunteer activity? Apply these metrics every time you run a new campaign.

32. Your community includes people with different levels of social media usage; make it easy for them to hear and respond to your messages on the platforms they are comfortable with.

33. Solicit feedback from your community on all your communication efforts in order to target your efforts on the right platforms and refine your messaging.

34. Using volunteers? Make sure they have the right skill-sets for social media -- and train them if they do not.

35. Social media is time consuming. Plan it out and determine which third-party applications will help you be more efficient.

37. Randi’s Second Life avatar, Dusty Artaud, is a tenant of Nonprofit Commons, representing Kidsbridge Tolerance Museum.

38. Dusty is also the volunteer communications coordinator for Nonprofit Commons, a role that she shares with her typist and many other wonderful volunteers.