10 Blips On Your Radar for 2010: #1 MOBILE

In the coming days and weeks we’ll be sharing 10 things you should have on your radar screen for 2010. If you’re already on top of them – mazel tov. Share with us what you’re doing in the comments. If not, time to get hip to the new decade. Don’t put it off. This isn’t the future, it’s the present, so pay attention.

To kick us off, mobile mobile mobile. Everybody’s got a phone in their pocket, and increasingly it’s a pretty intelligent one. The iPhone, Blackberry, Android and others are taking over the market, and shaking up the status quo. Assume that people are looking for and engaging with you while on the go, not just while sitting at their desk.

Some things to know:

  1. Compose your emails for easy reading on a mobile device. Send a test and check it out on a Blackberry and iPhone. Some Blackberry users are reporting a lack of patience with graphic emails because it takes too much time to wade through. “Give me the bullet points and important information straight up and in brief” seems to be the attitude.
  2. Start learning about fundraising via mobile. I just made my first donation by text message to a radio show I love, This American Life, when I saw a tweet. $5 went on my AT&T bill. So easy! Check out http://www.mobilegiving.org/ to see how they do it. Sophist Productions has been hosting events (a UJA Young Leadership cocktail party, for example) where people “text to pledge” their donation, and pledges are projected on the wall. Yes, it is a new world. And it works. Read more here on text-to-give programs.
  3. Redesigning or tuning up your website? Make sure you’ve got a mobile friendly version. Check out a Google tool here to see what your web site can look like on a mobile browser. Beth Kanter iPhone-ized her blog with an easy $200 IPhone app tool. Learn about it here.
  4. Twitter was conceived of, and largely used as a mobile tool. Thus, don’t neglect this community when you are putting together a mobile strategy.

Want to learn more?

http://mobileactive.org/ is a great org with useful resources and a discussion list on how nonprofits are using mobile in their work.

http://www.mobilecommons.com/ offers services for marketing, advocacy and fundraising via mobile (and thanks to Mobile Commons for donating their services for our Boot Camps)

http://www.mobilecitizen.org/ has excellent resources for mobile use in education and nonprofits.

Great resources from Wild Apricot: Is Your Nonprofit Website Mobile-Friendly?

Examples of cool, mission-centric mobile uses from nonprofits, on Beth Kanter’s Blog

Twelcome to Twebrew School

What would Eliezer Ben Yehuda Tweet? Well, from what we know of the eccentric father of modern Hebrew, he probably would have found the technology (let alone the prospect of naming it) overwhelming. But that doesn’t mean we have to…

The latest initiative from NJOP (National Jewish Outreach Project) is a Hebrew literacy initiative, with Twitter and social media as its hook.

The project is an outgrowth of NJOPs popular Read Hebrew America program, said NJOP publicist Ilya Welfeld, founded with the idea of reaching people who arent inclined to join a community class the Jewish Tweets social media brand was a perfect background, providing a little kitsch and allowing people to learn Hebrew in bite-sized pieces.

Right away, almost 200 people officially registered, Welfeld said, noting that these are just the people who proactively want to be receiving everything directly to them. But on a daily basis, several hundred people are participating however theywant. The intent was to create learning that was atyour own pace, in your own space.

TwebrewSchoolprovides three free learning options: Tweetups, video lessons, and newsletter signup; and if you already know Hebrew, you cansign up to be a Twebrew School teacher . Check out your Twebrew twoptions at this twebsite http://www.twebrewschool.org.

Have you joined the ranks of Twebrew School teachers? Do you know someone who’s using NJOP’s Twebrew School program in their local community? Share your experiences and feedback with us here.

Haven’t seen the Twebrew School videos yet? Begin your education with Lessons 1 & 2.

This post is an expanded version of the original, which appeared on Esther’s blog, My Urban Kvetch.

The Social Sermon: An Innovative Approach to Community Building, Engagement and Torah Study

Picture 7Social media, like other major communication revolutions before it (think: printing press) have radically changed the way we learn, connect and organize. The impact on culture and behavior is significant – we have new ways to connect with our communities, find meaning, express ourselves and engage. The new ease of organizing is fundamentally changing the role that organizations play for their constituents. This is great news for the Jewish community, if we are able to take advantage of it.

We invite you to try a new approach to Torah study, community building, and perhaps even sermon writing in your congregation, The Social Sermon, an idea comes from acknowledging three things:

1) That many people can’t get to the synagogue for a lunch or evening Torah study class, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t interested;
2) That people want the social experience of learning, not just passive reading or listening to a lecture, and that connection through learning enriches a local community; and
3) Social technologies can be a wonderful tool to enrich and augment Torah learning in local communities.

Imagine a Saturday morning sermon that’s the work of not only your rabbi, but you as well. Lets take it a step further: what if it weren’t just you and your rabbi, but also your fellow congregants, young and old, those new to the community and the stalwarts of your city? By the time your rabbi delivers his Shabbat remarks, he or she could be drawing inspiration from, or even representing the discussion of, hundreds of his congregants!

What does The Social Sermon look like? At the beginning of the week a Rabbi posts a question on his or her blog, or on Twitter with a particular hashtag (e.g. #CBSSS for Congregation Beth Shalom Social Sermon), or as a Facebook post on the congregation’s Page. The first post would describe a theme of the parasha, or link to some text, and at the end, pose a question.

As comments and responses start to be posted, the Rabbi then facilitates an ongoing conversation through the week — responding regularly with insight, text, links, answers to questions, and more questions to guide the discussion.

By the end of the week, several things will have happened:

  • New people are engaged in Torah study. Likely a portion of the online participants are a demographic that doesn’t often come to mid-day or evenig adult education classes. (On-site classes – adult and youth – can also participate);
  • Participants will have formed new relationships through the online discussion, perhaps following each other on Twitter, friending each other on Facebook, etc. which leads to ambient awareness, thus strengthening your community;
  • The Rabbi will have a better understand of what aspects of the parasha resonate with the community, and be able to design a Shabbat sermon that is the most relevant for the congregation, and will have ideas, quotes, context to make the sermon even more rich; and
  • More people may show up for Shabbat services, feeling more educated, connected and like they have some ownership over the sermon that week.

And for those that missed the service, they could read it the next day when the rabbi posts the sermon back on the blog or web site, with a link on Twitter and/or Facebook.

Interested? Use the SocialSermon tag on this blog to find posts about the Social Sermon, and for case studies and guest posts from Rabbis and educators who are doing it. Follow #socialsermon on Twitter for updates, links to these blog posts, and to connect with others who are doing it. Join us on Facebook to be connected others who are doing Social Sermons and get important news.

Feel free to adapt the concept — a confirmation class could do this throughout the week between class meetings, a youth group could do it with their adviser or a parent facilitator. Please report back and let us know how it’s going, and what you’re doing. Please let us know if we can help you at any stage – leave a comment here, or any other space mentioned above.

Want more “hand holding”? Darim offers hourly consulting, and we are working with interested Social Sermoners to find funding from a donor or Federation small grants program to work with a group of Rabbis in your local community. Holler if you’d like more information.

Ready, Set…. Social Sermon!

Get Over Your Fear of Critics, and Learn To Appreciate Them

For some, social media is a bit scary because it empowers the public to voice their thoughts. While hopefully in the vast majority of circumstances this means engaging in more meaningful conversations, learning about new supports, and amplifying your message through valuable networks, it also means that critics can make their rants public. This is scary, and threatening. Partially because of the potential content of those rants, and largely because it represents a loss of control.

I often remind those concerned that control is largely an illusion — those rants and conversations happen in the parking lot, the dinner table, via email and on Facebook. The companies that have done a great job of turning around their brands (Comcast, Dell) have done so not be trying to shut down the conversation or ignoring it, but by listening, acknowledging, and learning from it. (For stories about what they’ve done, read Twitterville.)

Chris Brogan, a widely known and well respects new media marketing specialist, writes a very prolific (and insightful) blog and weekly e-newsletter. This week he talks about critics, and offers some advice :

If you are fortunate enough to have critics, you’re doing something right … I want to share with you how I deal with critics, and what you might learn from the gifts they give you.

Thank them. No matter what a critic says, say “Thanks for your thoughts,” or a variation. They have taken the time to offer their opinions, however invalid or unhelpful, with you. Say thanks. It’s the only good response to a criticism.
Don’t defend yourself. The person giving you the opinion probably doesn’t care what you have to say about it. They just wanted to share their take. You can reply and reflect back what they’ve said, but try not to defend. It only comes off as making you look defensive and it just goes nowhere fast.
Decide for yourself, in private, if you agree. You don’t have to take every critic’s opinion, but listen to whether there’s any grain of truth in what they say. I learn when my critics are my friends, but I learn LOTS when they are people who don’t much like me. Sometimes, I’m able to adapt their mean words into something of great value to myself.
Don’t just throw it out, is my point. Criticism can be helpful, even non-constructive criticism, if you are willing to hear a bit of it and throw away the junk. Thing is, don’t necessarily run around seeking it, either. It can build up like toxin in our veins, and if we’re only hearing a stream of icky things, that doesn’t help us at all.

… It took me a long while to believe in myself enough to not believe in critics. There’s a great bit from an interview (and I forget who the subject was), where she said something about really loving her positive reviews, but then her agent said, if you believe all the positive reviews, you have to believe all the negative critics. That’s stuck with me.

Personally, I’ve found most of the criticism we receive on the JewPoint0.org blog is really helpful — it teaches me where I can improve, adds value to the conversation, and often helps me identify knowledgeable folks who are invested in our mission.

How do you think about critics and criticism, whether it be on or offline? How do you use it as a productive feedback loop? How to you respond to critics? What have you learned?

Recent Facebook Demographic Data Shows Fast Growth in 45

Check out this table recently published by insidefacebook.com: (found through Scott Monty’s blog)

“Overall, nearly 50% of Facebook users in the US today are over 35, and nearly one-fifth of all US Facebook users are over 45. Most of Americas biggest brand advertisers are working with Facebook now, and its clear that theyre reaching users across the age spectrum.”

While the total number of users still shows that 18-44 is the greatest population on Facebook, these growth rates clearly show that we’re past the point of making any age-generalizations about users.

It’s important to remember that people allocate their time based on received value. Whether 55-65 year old users are connecting with old friends, getting updates on their grandkids, or using it for work, clearly they are finding real value, and we can expect their style of participation to expand as they discover new features, applications and utility there.

As Clay Shirky says, “these social tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.” With these growth rates, the technology is getting boring (meaning it’s not complex, frustrating, or an obstacle) quickly, and we can expect to see even more interesting social uses of Facebook for these demographics very soon.

Any observations about how the 45-65 demographic is participating on Facebook in your world? How are you using Facebook to reach this segment of your community?

Mobile Mobile Mobile

I know mobile is the future. To some degree I experience it and participate, for example through Twitter. I use Twitter both personally (@LisaColton) and professionally (@DarimOnline), and use Twitter clients on my iphone to read and post and connect all over the place. The last 48 hours at NTEN have perhaps been the most prolific to date – there’s so many excellent nuggets of wisdom here. (Check out my twitter stream, and the #09NTC steam from all participants).

But as I think about mobile fundraising campaigns, etc. I remain somewhat skeptical. Let me revise that: I feel that the technology is still “in the way”, and as Clay Shirky said this morning, “the tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring.” Mobile technology just isn’t boring yet, but it is moving from awkward to interesting.

My conference session evaluation via SMS, on my iPhone
My conference session evaluation via SMS, on my iPhone

NTEN has engaged Mobile Commons to set up a text message based evaluation system for this conference. That’s right, you TEXT your rating and comments, rather than writing it on paper. Less paper, easier to compile the data, super convenient. I was at first confused how it would work, but then I just went for it — texted the session number NTC189 to the short code they gave us 68966. Half a second later the first questions popped up. I entered my rating and hit send. The next question. IT WAS SO SIMPLE and satisfying. Success. I do expect that it will take some time before the masses are comfortable with such uses of mobile, but the future will be here shortly, and thus it’s useful for us to learn what the early adopters are doing, and start to dip our toes in the water.

Other examples shared here have been integrated with video, advocacy campaigns, fundraising and more. What’s the lesson? Though you may not be using mobile campaigns now, it is the future, and thus you should be collecting your constituents cell phone numbers now. They will come in handy a few months or years down the road.

Webinar Part 3: Developing A Media Library

In our last few postings, we’ve been looking at ways to tell our organizations’ stories through the use of online video. Today, we will explore the basics of creating a media library. This post is based on notes from the Darim Online Learning Network for Synagogues webinar with See3 Communications CEO, Michael Hoffman.

Develop a media library for your congregation. This library should include video, photos, and audio. It is important to organize and annotate materials so that they can be reused and repurposed into many different pieces.

  • Determine what to collect for your media library. As previously suggested, review your program calendar with an eye toward collecting material. Document interesting and important things your institution does; capture what it means to be a member of your community. Collect video, photos, and audio.
  • Ask videographers for the raw footage as well as the edited product. When you hire a vendor, stipulate in the contract that your organizaiton owns the footage.
  • Invest time in watching video footage and logging what is on the tapes. This is a good project for a volunteer or intern.
  • Be aware of privacy issues and implement policies. Ask people for their permission to be included in any video or photographs. Institutions are increasingly including photography/video releases into their membership forms. Allow people to opt out/ opt in. Parents need to provide permission for the filming of children. Be sure to have your legal ducks in a row.

For additional resources, see See3’s Guide to Online Video, especially this segment on “Building a Media Library:”


3. Building A Media Library from See3 Communications on Vimeo.

A huge thank you to Michael Hoffman and to the synagogues who participated in these webinars!

Does your synagogue have a media library? What are other tips and techniques do you have to share?

Archives of the recent webinars, “The Age of YouTube: An Introduction to Online Video for Congregations,” as well as previous webinars are available to members of the Darim Online Learning Network. Access to the archives and other webinar-related material can be found on the Darim Online website in Dirah, under “Learning Network Info.”

Not yet a member of the Darim Online Learning Network? Click here for membership information for your organization and to register.

Navigating the Personal/Professional Line Online

The New York Times’ assistant managing editor, Craig Whitney, is responsible for overseeing the paper’s journalistic standards. As Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools have changed the face of communications, he recently issued policies for New York Times reporters governing their personal use of social networks. As Patrico Robles writes on econsultancy.com:

“Employees have more influence on the image of the companies they work for than ever before. And with social media and online PR being so important these days, that trend is likely to continue.”

Whitney from the Times believes that these services “can be remarkably useful reporting tools“, but clearly also recognizes their potential impact on how the public views the quality or impartiality of the professional reporting.

I am often asked how these concerns apply to Jewish organizations. One Rabbi told me, for example, that he is often “befriended” by teens in his congregation on Facebook. Thank G-d! Our teens want to be Facebook friends with the Rabbi? Wonderful. But, he told me, he has a personal and professional obligation to take action if he sees inappropriate things on that teen’s Facebook profile, for example, a photo of a 16 year old with a beer bottle in his hand.

This particular Rabbi has developed an informal but consistent policy, which goes something like this: I would love to be your Facebook friend, but I have a responsibility to say something if I see inapprorpiate things you’re doing. Thus, I’ll leave it up to you if you want to give me full access to your profile, limited access, or withdraw your invitation. He reports many give limited access, and some withdraw their invite, but the conversation itself builds stronger relationships, gives an opportunity to talk about ethics and responsibility, and also gives him the chance to extend an invitation for the teens to talk to him privately about more serious things.

Another congregation I’m working with is investing energy in developing their Facebook Page. The staff person who manages the page wanted to provide transparency — including some personal information to make her “real” and not “institutional”, but didn’t want to have to edit her personal life on Facebook because of the professional transparency. Thus, she created a separate profile for her synagogue role, and manages all her synagogue relationships with the casualness of Facebook, but without impinging on her personal life.

Personally, I’ve recently split my personal and professional lives on Twitter, for many reasons. I’ve established @DarimOnline for my professional self (other Darim staff also contribute), where we share tips and news and links. I encourage people I know professionally to follow this both for the content and to see how an organization can use Twitter to further its work. Many people I know professionally also follow me @LisaColton on Twitter, which I welcome, and think is useful to see how people use it on a personal level. However, they know to expect updates about my social life, children and commentary on my lunch, among other things!

What issues have arisen for you in managing the line between your personal and professional lives online? What are you comfortable with, and not comfortable with? What policies or strategies have you developed (informally or formally) to navigate this new territory?

Webinar Part 2: Community Strategies for Integrating Online Video

Welcome to the second in a series of posts based on the Darim Online Learning Network for Synagogues webinar with video guru, Michael Hoffman of See3 Communications.

Think of your organization’s online presence as your channel. As such, consider how to integrate online video into your overall organizational strategy. Online video can be an effective means to strengthen connections among your community’s members. Remember, people relate best to other people, less so to institutions. As you think about this, determine where your community members – and potential members – “reside” online and meet them there.

  • Be strategic when program planning. Think in terms of telling your community’s story and use your organizations program calendar as a guide. Determine: what do we need to capture? What do we need have professionally filmed and what can be documented by staff and or volunteers? What types of footage would be good for recruitment, for community building, for fundraising?
  • Go deep rather than wide. Effective marketing involves repetition, creating conversation, portraying real human relationships, and providing real engagement.
  • Meet the parents. And congregants. And staff. And lay leadership. Ask community members who they are, what they do, and why they care about the community – on video. This is a terrific way of creating transparency with the community at large, by showing them who are the people in your neighborhood. These types of videos also foster people-people connections which in turn create connections to your institution.
  • Map your community online. Focus on places your community and potential community live online – social networks, Facebook, discussion lists, etc. Conduct a survey to see what online spaces your people inhabit. This is a great marketing exercise in general!
  • Capitalize on influencers and supporters. Tap into the people who are already your constituents and empower them to share videos and other resources with their friends; be viral to the right audiences.
  • Grab attention outside of your current membership. Reach out to potential members by alerting them to special activities in which your community is engaged. For example, a program on Judaism and the environment could be marketed to groups outside of your immediate membership… bring your community to them.
  • Push and pull. For example, send out an email to your congregation’s discussion list that includes a note from the Rabbi with a link to a video clip on your website. Highlight special clips in your newsletter. Share “how to videos” on Jewish life on your website – and ask members for recommendations for additional resources.
  • Reach your peeps. Use Groundswells social profile technology profile tool to help determine how to prioritize efforts. Who and where is your target audience and what kinds of relationships do you want to build with them?
  • And… “Action.” Provide video training sessions for staff and volunteers. Invest in a good video camera with an external microphone. People are more likely to watch bad quality video with good sound, than good quality video with bad sound. A low-cost video camera, like the Flip, is good to have handy. It does not, however, take the place of a better quality camera. In general, the Flip does well at close range, with someone speaking directly to the camera in a quiet place, but it is not great for covering large events.

What are some of your strategies? Do you have a few tips to share? What is your favorite use of online video to promote your community? Post your ideas and links in the comments below!

Take a look at See3’s Guide to Online Video for more tips and techniques.

Additional Resources:

Educause: 7 Things You Should Know About Flip Camcorders

Synagogue Examples:

Chizuk Amuno Congregation, Torah Dedication, Baltimore, Maryland
Chizuk Amuno Congregation – Rosenbloom Religious School
, Baltimore, Maryland (see YouTube links)
Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, New York
North Shore Congregation Israel, Glencoe, Illinois (see link to Building for the Generations campaign video on home page)
Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, Chappaqua, New York (capital campaign video)

Archives of the recent webinars, “The Age of YouTube: An Introduction to Online Video for Congregations,” as well as previous webinars are available to members of the Darim Online Learning Network. Access to the archives and other webinar-related material can be found on the Darim Online website in Dirah, under “Learning Network Info.”

Not yet a member of the Darim Online Learning Network? Click here for membership information for your organization and to register.

Coming up… Developing a Media Library

Darim Online Webinar Recap: Online Video with Michael Hoffman, See3

Video is not an organizational goal – but it can help you achieve your goals.
– Michael Hoffman, CEO, See3 Communications

We had the pleasure of hosting Michael Hoffman, CEO, of See3 Communications for a series of excitng webinars with the Darim Online Learning Network for Synagogues. Nearly 40 participants from 28 organizations participated in “The Age of YouTube: An Introduction to Online Video.”

What Weve Been Hearing
Synagogues are expressing an increased interest in using online videos in various aspects of their work, including fundraising, community building, documenting community moments, and project-based learning. Some of our organizations are just beginning to explore the potential of video, others are in the midst of experimenting, while several congregations are already actively integrating video into their communitys strategic plans.

  • There is a growing awareness of the power of the medium to communicate community values and events.
  • Video can be used to tell a synagogues story in a powerful, visual style.
  • Synagogues are interested in employing multiple media to connect with members and potential members.

What Weve Been Learning
Congregations are looking at more comprehensive strategies for communicating and fostering community online. There are many reasons for including online video in your organizations work and strategic plan. These include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Video is portable its online, downloadable, shareable; members can help market your community by sharing with their other social networks.
  • It can help broaden a communitys reach and audience.
  • Video delivers your communitys message and helps build relationships.
  • Video captures significant moments in your communitys history.
  • Online video makes your community accessible by bringing community to members who can access activities, events, and services that they might not otherwise be able to attend
  • Video can be used to augment synagogue websites and blogs
  • Video can highlight targeted campaigns
  • Learners – students, youth groups, adults – can develop video projects to showcase their work

Be sure to check out See3’s Guide to Online Video for more tips and techniques.

Additional resources:

Beth Kanter’s Blog post: A Look at Nonprofits and Vlogging
Mashable’s 150 Online Video Tools and Resources
Video in the Classroom: Digital Storytelling

Examples of Video Hosting Sites:

BlipTV hosting service for online video
TeacherTube video hosting service for teachers and students
UStreamTV hosting service for livestreaming
Vimeo hosting service
YouTube
YouTube: Nonprofit Program

Darim Online Resources: How Do I Add Video to My Site? for Darim Online members

Archives of the recent webinars, “The Age of YouTube: An Introduction to Online Video for Congregations,” as well as previous webinars are available to members of the Darim Online Learning Network. Access to the archives and other webinar-related material can be found on the Darim Online website in Dirah, under “Learning Network Info.”

Not yet a member of the Darim Online Learning Network? Click here for membership information for your organization and to register.

Coming up… Community Strategies for Integrating Online Video