This document discusses how organizations can take a more personal approach to connecting with followers on social media. It recommends that organizations have employees engage informally as individuals, not just as formal representatives. Employees should connect personally as friends on Facebook, use private groups, and share personal blogs alongside any organizational blogs. By mixing the personal and professional this way, the organization can build stronger connections and create "tribes" of engaged followers online, as theorized by author Seth Godin.

1. The Personal Organization: Creating The New MixCreating action-ready tribes by getting personalDebra Askanase, Community Organizer 2.0Image by moriza, creative commons

2. “Lasting and substantive change can be best effected by a group of people connected to each other, to a leader and to an idea”Seth Godin, Tribes authorA logo does twice the work to create this kind of connectionhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/57038784@N00/2215481444/

3. Who would you rather tweet to?

4. The np techie-singing bartender or the leading domestic hunger-relief charity?

5. Really connecting as an entity means Be genuineBe honestReally engage in conversationInvest in developing relationshipsletting individuals shine toohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/4456978157/in/photostream/

6. Each social media platform offers many ways to be a personal organizationSelect ideas and practices that fithttp://www.flickr.com/photos/14228046@N03/4092794246/

7. Making the organization personal: ideas in practiceshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/38079717@N00/4441658222/

8. 1. Message enthusiastic fans personally

9. 2. Create a private Facebook group for highly engaged online followers

11. 3. Connect personally as a friend *I bet he divides his Facebook friends into lists

12. 4. Use groups to create connections and conversation around a topic

13. List your employerKnow how to use friend listsUnderstand and create appropriate privacy settingsYour personal account: tips for mixing the personal and professionalBe sensible about your public content

15. Making the organization personal:Ideas in practicehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/59077136@N00/5042764163/

16. 1. Create a personal organizational profileOfficial twitterEd’s personal twitter

17. 2. Create lists that recognize and reward

18. 3. Display who is tweeting for the organization

19. 4. Combine your personal/professional profile

20. Making the organization personal: some practices and exampleshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/38577737@N07/4305859251/

21. 1. Sign up employees to Linkedin

22. 2. Feed social media into company profile

23. 3. Join groups, be helpful

24. 4. Disclose affiliations when answering questions related to your agency

25. 5. Answer questions, ask questions

26. 6. Start a group

27. 7. Create Linkedin connections

28. Making the organization personal: practices and exampleshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/2493066577/

29. 1. Blogging Executive Directors

34. 2. Staff contribute to the organizational blog

37. 3. Staff have their own (sub) blogs

38. 4. Maintain an independent blog

39. Make your organization’s presence personal…and turn your connections into a Tribehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/4076104375/in/photostream/

40. How are you showing your many colors? http://www.flickr.com/photos/73207064@N00/404319562/

41. ResourcesInterview with Seth Godin about Tribes:http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/02/ted-seth-godin/Managing your personal and professional brand in social media: http://www.slideshare.net/farra/personal-professional-brand-in-social-media-trompeterResources on mixing personal and professional brand from Big Duck Communications:http://www.bigducknyc.com/find/personal

42. I build engagement strategies and create return on engagementWant to work with me?

43. Debra AskanaseDigital Strategist, Founderdebra@communityorganizer20.comTwitter: @askdebraLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/debraaskanaseSlideshare: www.slideshare.net/debask