Social Media Sweet Spot Recap

Every week I host the DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot where I like to share my favorite blog posts, articles, and news about upcoming association events. Interviews and my Follow Friday choices for association types. 

This week I had a few technical difficulties, although I finally managed to record using my iPhone. Because everything was thrown off schedule I wanted to recap some key blog posts, thoughts, and fun stuff from the show.

Meeting "Del Corian"

Maybe you are friends with Del on Facebook. Maybe you've seen his photos on one of our promotions for social media or witnessed his slick moves at Trans Am shows around the world. I finally had the chance to catch up with this international playboy about his thoughts on social media and he answered questions we received from his many fans.

You can watch the interview here:

Even MeetMeme staff were excited with Del

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Conferences and Events

• Recap of Florida Society of Associations Annual Meeting

Presented at FSAE for the 1st time ever!

• American Society of Association Executives Annual - August 6-9, 2011 (#ASAE11)

The YAP Party is always a blast...this year is no different. Dress (or accessorize) in red and meet the phenomenal Young Association Professionals in their natural habitat...the club. ;-)

• EventCamp Twin Cities - August 25-26, 2011

Event Camp Twin Cities is where I first saw the power of the hybrid meeting when it really works. Last year I attended virtually. This year I will be there in person to learn how they do it behind-the-scenes with my own eyes. I'll be speaking there and I am looking forward to meeting with other members of the #eventprofs community. Follow #ECTC11 for more details.

• National Summit on Innovation for Associations (WSAE)

The work that Eric Lanke and his colleagues involved with the innovation team for the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives not only inspires me, but also intrigues. Eric and his cohorts have been working on this project for a couple years now and this innovation summit is bound to stir the pot. We can follow along

• Texas Society of Association Executives New Ideas Conference

Dancing with a minimally dressed person in Miami for FSAE

Call for Session Proposals

• California Society of Association Executives ELEVATE Conference
• Association Forum of Chicagoland's Holiday Showcase
• NTEN's Nonprofit Technology Conference

Blogs and Stuff 

• Jeffrey Cufaude discusses the value of the conference
• John Ricco discusses stepping away from technology to prioritize

• Betsy Boyd Flynn shares her most difficult year in associations with us

• Shonali Burke tells us about the amazing Facebook Post app

• Checking out the ASAE Collaborate Beta Site looks good

• Jeff Hurt 's motivational post on Facebook

• Check out how you can Twitterize yourself...fun infographics we can all use!

• Twitter gives us new ways we can expect spam in our Twitter feeds

• Maddie shares a nifty social media job on Twitter  

Follow Friday for the Week: @socialmediabutt

         

Heart and Sole: Business Savvy I Learned at the Feet of My Mentors

Tweet Your Pants Off, #CalSAE11

[partially reposted from the DelCor Connections Blog]

We all need time to think, reflect on what we've learned, and take a brether sometimes in between learning...that is what the DelCor sponsored "White Space Time" is for. But lest you think we've lost our creative spirit, DelCor is using our "White Space Time" as an opportunity to win something almost everyone will want...an iPad2...for your Twitter prowess.

"White Space Time" – Sponsored by DelCor on Tuesday, March 29 from 12:45-1:30pm PT 
While I am at CalSAE, we will be collecting your tweets using the #CalSAE11 hashtag, posted in the comments on the DelCor blog or to my attention on Twitter, and we will decide on the BEST motivational tweet for all of CalSAE ELEVATE 2011! Submissions must come in before the end of the "White Space Time" sponsored by DelCor. The winner will receive an iPad2 to be mailed to his/her place of business following the meeting.(And yes, you must be an attendee at CalSAE's ELEVATE 2011 Conference to win.)

So...grab our attention! Make your tweet stand out! Post your friend's great idea on Twitter and let us know about it here...you could just win a nifty new device for your 140 character submission.

Best of luck and see everyone in California!

Recipe for a Solid Social Media Program, Association-Style

[Disclosure: This is a post telling you to attend Progress U...basically a commercial, since it is a DelCor event and I'm speaking at it. Just wanted to be up front about it...]

I'm a terrible cook. I love good food, but unless it is comfort food, I am probably not the person who should be making it. Ask my boss at DelCor and he'll say, "just keep her away from the salt" (he was able to see my awful cooking in action at a "Cooking with DelCor client event).

But.

Even I know the secret to success is a good recipe. I am good at creating a solid social media program for associations and the secret is in THREE KEY INGREDIENTS.

Social Media Sweet Spot Web Show Fans

They get bonus points for writing the show's Twitter alias on the forehead, no? 

Follow @SweetSpotWeb on Twitter for show updates! ;-)

Cooking With DelCor Synopsis

An Interview: My Answers to a Video Interview I Gave Today

Maybe only 2 or 3 minutes of my answers will be used for the final product, but I thought I'd share the text version of my interview (more or less) talking about what I do and what I think about associations and social media...

1. What is your role at DelCor?
I represent the social media and group collaboration component of what DelCor offers to clients. If there is a question about how to make the most of the social components of their AMS, training staff on social media use for business, development of a social media policy, strategy, or even if they need a social media manager or community manager, I am experienced in those areas. I can also work with special event social media campaigns and in development of online member communities. All of that and I can even do speaking for association events on topics like those I just mentioned. I stay busy.

2. What is the value of social media to associations?
Well, it is important to remember the whole purpose for most, if not all associations, to even exist is to bring specific groups of people together. This is a golden age for associations because the world has given us the technology to do what associations have always done in uniting people, but to do it even better than they have before. We have the resources around these industries, sciences, or topics that association members need…associations have the experience and knowledge to make this desire to work together as a community a successful venture. The carpenters have just been handed a nail gun instead of a hammer and three nails. Now what?

3. Why did you create the Social Media Sweet Spot?
The Social Media Sweet Spot was the result of my anguish over reading so many quality blogs and attending so many valuable events in the social media association realm and not being able to share them with everyone. I could link to something from a blog on Twitter or write a review of a blog post, but there is such a huge amount of material coming out on a daily basis, that I wanted to have a way to point out the *NOT TO MISS* pieces to association professionals. I also wanted a way to connect to people in the association world in a way that was helpful, but also fun. I come from years and years of working for several associations and I love the community. I love going to ASAE Annual, for instance, and being able to be a part of this association world and I wanted to capture that fun, informal (but informative – because we’re all wearing so many hats) – sort of feel for a regular online experience.

4. What’s the role of IT in social media and community engagement?
IT’s role in social media is vital and often misunderstood. The important thing to realize is that there is so much that falls within the scope of the IT domain, that we can’t expect all IT department heads to enmesh themselves with something so amorphous as social media. They have to make sure data is safe. They have to make sure the website stays up. They provide the infrastructure so that an association can use tools like those involved with social media and community engagement, but IT and your social media director need to be able to communicate about security issues and potential technical problems so that the association is safe – that the data stays secure and supports the ongoing mission.

5. How do you stay on top of social media trends?
Staying on top of social media trends is like following sports…every day is a new game and players can change rapidly. I use tools like Google Reader to capture blogs that regularly update me with fresh, intelligent information. I also track keywords and specific chats on Twitter and I read just about every book that gets published on the subject. We’re at the point in social media when it isn’t enough to say “Golly, how neat! Let’s try this Facebook thing!” and executives are looking for real numbers and data to back up social media plans…and that’s a really good thing because it narrows the playing field and helps single out the voices of those who are diligently and honestly passionate about the enormous potential an association, business, publication, or service has with using social media.

6. Is social media a fad?
Maybe the use of the phrase, “social media” is a fad, but the technology behind it isn’t. People did not stop using the telephone in favor of telegrams or courier pigeons and they aren’t going to sacrifice the ease and convenience of instantaneous communication to the masses when it is available to them.

7. What is the next big thing in this area?
I don’t know about the next big thing, but the huge for the present and immediate future is mobile. Are your publications interactive and available on mobile devices? Whether it be the iPad or another tablet, just looking at Wired magazine on the iPad shows you what the possibilities are with publication and how exciting that world is becoming.

Can your members do most of what they need to do from their smartphones or other mobile devices? Have you considered ways to incorporate geo-location applications to make your member experience better, maybe help them identify other chapter leaders within the same city or identify similar interests when roaming an expo floor?

Mobile is a big area for development as far as associations and social media go, but many associations need to revisit the basics first…maybe even starting with a new comprehensive look at their database to see what is or isn’t fully being used and what it will take to start collecting the information they need. Data is valuable and most associations don’t take the time to properly and efficiently collect that information which leads to an amazing amount of inefficiency and even lowers staff morale.

8. How does your work integrate into other IT projects?
You have to know the databases and member relations systems in use today are always changing. An association’s AMS or CMS is going to have updates or new features relating to social media because the industry is asking for it. I work with other DelCor consultants on projects like AMS selection or ways to improve webinars because what my expertise is in now overlaps with these systems and I can help identify ways to maximize a system already in use or evaluate a potential new database for it’s social features.

9. What’s your favorite tech gadget?
My iPhone is my Swiss Army knife for my life. It helps me choose a restaurant, make the reservation, find it while driving, locate parking garages nearby, save my parking spot location, check in so I can maybe get a discount for being a regular visitor of that location and keep my daughter occupied with tot games while we wait for the bread basket that I am already calculating my calories from using a diet application. :)  I sleep with my iPhone.

Censorship in the Digital Age

Last week Acronym Blog, produced by the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE), added a thought-provoking post titled, "Consultant Wasteland," with the first sentence reading, "Why Consultants Suck."

The content of the post wasn’t scandalous, but the dramatic title and first sentence struck some people as offensive and the post was quickly removed -- but not before several regular association bloggers had already read and commented on the post (and not before the post arrived in various feed readers, which saved the post in spite of it no longer being available on the main website).

ASAE eventually responded in the mounting list of comments to their replacement post explaining the deletion, but that did not seem to quell the conversation's hungry spirit. Association bloggers and ASAE members connected by social media networks continue to debate and discuss the reasons behind the retraction of the article. To be honest, there hasn’t been much of a debate as most of the people talking seem to agree matters were handled poorly in this case.

But what should ASAE have done? Several suggestions have been made, some of which include:
1. The post should have been reviewed before it was posted so that a phrase like, "Why Consultants Suck" wouldn't have been released in the first place.
2. The post should have been edited after discovering the parts that angered people, and had those parts removed.
3. The post should have remained "as is" and ASAE's official response been made in the comments or as a follow-up post.

In reading up about other blog censoring issues, I ran across the Washington Post case from earlier this year involving a controversial stance and some pointed phrases being eliminated from a piece about DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee. http://blog.coreknowledge.org/2010/01/28/who-censored-the-washington-posts-rhee-item/

What the Washington Post example showed me was that even if the article had been altered to have “watered down” language, the response would have remained the same. 

People are having issues with not being allowed the chance to review and comment on the post and with the very real possibility that this instance may cause people to self-censor potentially important controversial subjects that need to be discussed in open with other association professionals.

Many voices from the ether seem to be saying, “We are adults. Allow us to deal with these subjects on our own.”

Times have a'changed, folks.  We can't make something like a controversial blog post just disappear, so we have to approach it in another fashion. We have to smartly address issues head on and in public (gasp!) and not be afraid to anger the people who rather shut uncomfortable conversations down than see unpleasant words on their association blog.

There are two sides to every story. Ultimately, we need to recognize that from this particular situation there is obviously a need to discuss consultant-client relationships and expectations AND a need to identify procedures for controversial public blog posts in an age when nothing disappears.  


What do you think?

-KiKi

NOTE: Somewhere in the thick of the conversation, someone asserted that this wasn't a case of censorship...so just to be clear - 

Definition:

Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material, which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor.

Censorship. (2010, April 2).

In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:44, April 2, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Censorship&oldid=353475013

Design Thinking for Associations

Have you heard of "design thinking?" Here is Wikipedia's view:

Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result. It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success. Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the "building up" of ideas. There are no judgments early on in design thinking. This eliminates the fear of failure and encourages maximum input and participation in the ideation and prototype phases. Outside the box thinking is encouraged in these earlier processes since this can often lead to creative solutions.

Design thinking. (2010, February 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:29, March 18, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Design_thinking&oldid=346501047

In the world of associations, there is a need for busting through the "we've always done it that way" mentality and envisioning new possibilities. But we are the only ones who can do it - those of us working in the association industry. Those of us who care about our organizations and the way we spend our days and those of us who are willing to think of new ways, new questions, and new answers.

That's why I am hyper-excited about the upcoming "No More Talk" event Jeff De Cagna (Principled Innovation) and I (DelCor) are facilitating on April 22 in Washington, DC. If you have ever wanted to try something truly different using design thinking to approach association issues, this is your chance! Actually, I am really excited because I've never even heard of anyone doing something like this and it seems full of possibility.

No More Talk is about turning words into action to innovate the association community. You can bring your idea to the table or come up with a good one there and work with a team of similarly passionate association professionals to develop that idea. Winning ideas can potentially receive $1,000 seed grants to make action possible after the event ends. But the point is not about the money - the point is about bringing together a group of people with a pioneering spirit to do something new.

This event was inspired by the active online conversation surrounding Acronym Blog's month-long focus on "big ideas" at the end of 2009. You can read some of those posts here, here, and here for more background. I guess I figured that if I was willing to voice my opinion about big ideas as a blogger, I owed the community (and myself) to follow it up with action.

Who's invited? Advocacy professionals, association folks, consultants... anyone working in the non-profit realm who want to challenge themselves to breaking new ground. This is our think tank - this is our playground - this is our chance to be unpredictable by nature.

Don't be scared. Be excited and join us for this special event! Registration is open now and limited to the first 50 people. The cost is $30 (for meals) and we can't wait to see you there!

View the commercial here: http://delcor.typepad.com/delcor-blog/2010/02/animotocom.html

The DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot

Today is the first webcast for the DelCor Social Media Sweet Spot - a quick online discussion about the week's best and worst in association social media. We'll discuss new blogs, associations who are doing neat things with social media, and I'll be giving away the Sweet Spot prize to an association that is finding the "sweet spot" in social media.

The tone is irreverent and I will be looking at the online discussion and answering your questions. This is not a show focused on production style...this is a way to chat together and laugh together each week while we talk about the latest happenings in the association world.

Join me every Friday starting today on our USTREAM Channel at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/3832751 at 12 ET. Hashtag: #sweetspot.

Going to the Dark Side? Hardly.

Thanks to my talented group of friends who continue to mentor and teach me new things along the way, I am finally getting around to writing this post about the decision I made to go into consulting and what I represent to the association community now.

This is important because I spent many years at three separate associations and thought I might always work for a non-profit. Many of my closest friends today have come from my involvement with associations and only know me as "KiKi Who's Koo-Koo for Chapters!"

It was from that love for building relationships and from that passion for watching member communities grow that I found my passion for working with groups using new forms of media to reach out to members. I watched as the members in each organization struggled with many of the same processes. I learned from each instance a tough situation landed at my feet due to a lack of communication between members and national. I made really great decisions that had awesome results for my organization. Shock of all shocks, I also made mistakes. Through it all, I began to find a warm, comfortable place for myself in the association community, making friends at ASAE & The Center events and learning, always learning, from those around me.

And then, one day, I looked around and realized I had a pretty accomplished group of friends. Moreover, I had even done quite a bit myself to increase my knowledge and get "out there" to start sharing what I had learned. I tried to take the things I learned and apply them to my own job where some big and some small changes happened fairly quickly. I reviewed studies before they were published and I helped out on courses before they were announced. My participation in my professional organization was paramount to these accomplishments and opportunities and I could relate better to my own members as a result.

With all of that, I figured I would stay in the non-profit world for life. Truth is, I loved it! Of course there were the occasional personality conflicts and sticky situations, but all-in-all I had found my niche. *peaceful, happy sigh*

There was just one problem. I didn't have anywhere to go.

I couldn't see any changes for growth coming my way, which was odd to me because I felt so much attachment to the association world and to my job. Was I to be in the same position forever? I felt a little claustrophobic.

I was also concerned because I wanted to stay involved in my professional association duties, but there was less and less support for those types of activities (much less, for any additional types of professional development) due to the economy and I was taking on more and more expenses personally.

Then I began to hear from a variety of people about changes...mostly working for other organizations, but also to do this thing called "consulting"...which I dismissed at first. Sometimes after presentations people would come up to me and ask if I did consulting work on the side and I would take their cards and say, "No. But if you ever want to talk about [whatever subject I had just talked about] let me know!"

Who knew? Wish I'd kept their cards. ;-)

So here I am...a technology management consultant for DelCor. And what does that mean, exactly? Well, everyone told me it meant I was "going to the Dark Side" which is kind of a joke, but actually it feels like the world has opened up again. It means I can help the associations who are our clients leverage their use of social media successfully with their members. Not just one organization, but many! You can read more about my actual work here, but that is the gist of it.

So, association world, who is KiKi today and what does she stand for?

I help members connect and communities thrive online.

It has been over a month since I started at DelCor and I love it. The work I've done with the blog, presentations, and clients has been amazing. Within the past month I have given three presentations, written a lot of blog posts (I'm not pausing to count here), studied for and taken the CAE Exam (still waiting for the results!), and worked with a few clients. What I love about my job is there is an emphasis on learning and being a part of the community that I have grown so fond of. I'm also able to work on helping many different types of organizations solve the same types of problems I've worked on before.

So, have I gone to "the Dark Side?"  I've always looked good in black. ;-)

Poem:

Will Change Change? by Ifedayo Oshin

1.
What will happen to change?
Will change change as all things?
Or will it develop immunity
And embrace hypocrisy?
Will change resist change
And go against its doctrinaire?
Why, will change change not
Should nothing be permanent, even change?
Since change is also a thing.

2.
Our world changes daily by seconds
Our lives in the roller-coaster of time
The noon gives way to the moon
The dawn turns dusk
At intersections of these:
One enters, another exits
One moans, another mourns
One rejoices, one regrets
In the spate and space of time;
A jungle becomes a haven
The oblivious became renowned
Riches become ruins
All on the altar of change

ifedayo oshin

More Event Hype: Have You Signed Up For My Talk Yet?

Next Thursday (Dec. 10) I am joining forces with smart-guy Sean Bordner to talk about "Private Social Networks vs Publicly Available Tools" at the Grand Hyatt Washington. 

I'm pretty excited about this presentation topic because it is a question a lot of association people ask me and one that I faced previously in my career. How does one know if it is enough to have a presence on Facebook and interact with members from there as opposed to using a private network built to work with a database?

Not every association has the same goals or needs. We'll get to talk about that during the session (I'll be giving examples of associations who have successfully stayed with a public social networking tool) and it should be a good time.

The event is free, but you need to register to attend. It starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 11 a.m.

If you have any suggestions about association examples I should use or if you have any questions about the event, please let me know by commenting here or emailing me at klitalien [at] delcor [dot] com.

Here's what we're scheduled to go over:

• How are associations utilizing publicly available tools?
• What is the process to follow when making the decision?
• What should you look for in a public or private solution?
• Can both options peacefully coexist within the same organization?
• How do you measure ROI for a community?
• How can you make sure that whatever you choose integrates with your overall strategy?

Hope to see you there!