In our wired world, everything that happens offline, happens online and vice versa. People write a reviews about movies, electronics, restaurants and apartment complexes. Doesn’t it make sense that when a person considers volunteering precious time for a nonprofit organization, that they’ll turn to their friends and rely on the old word-of-mouth for recommendations?

A nonprofit’s volunteers are your organization’s ambassadors in the community. A million dollar marketing campaign is worthless if your volunteers aren’t speaking favorably of you. In the world of social media, every relationship counts. This makes volunteer management crucial to your organization.

Volunteer management is a popular topic. There are conferences, organizations, books and consultants dedicated to running good programs. I’m by no means an expert but below are some of the top mistakes that have personally happened to me, family or friends.

Volunteers should be empowered not ordered.

In recent years, there’s been a change in the way volunteers approach an organization. It’s no longer “tell me what I can do to help,” but rather “Here are my skills. These are the ways that I can strategically aid your organization. Let’s discuss what I can do.”

(more…)

Someone saw a blog post about you or your organization. What do you do?

In a digital era with web accessibility everywhere, it’s possible to instantly blast someone on the web. Videos, cameras, blog posts, Twitter, Facebook, and the wonderful Google search all affect your overall brand and online identity. Occassionally, people are nice. But face it, in an era of over-worked stressed out people paying nearly $4 a gallon at the pump, bloggers will take every opportunity to let their complaints be known.

Unfortunately, many nonprofits (and individuals) are unaware of what to do. Many times, they don’t even know that people are talking about them on the web.

1. Set up Google alerts. While you will need a Google account, Google alerts are invaluable. You can set up a search for any word or phrase. By all means, set up multiple searches. A Google alert sends an email to your account anytime the search engine encounters the specific phrase that you entered. Since I work at an organization with a national office, I search for national and local mentions of our name. You can choose to get the alerts as they come in or daily.

2. Google yourself. Regularly Google your own name or organization’s name. This is the best way to keep tabs on what’s out there. This is especially important if you’re job hunting. Make sure your virtual paper trail is clean.

3. Regularly check Blogpulse.com and Technorati. Blogpulse is one of my favorite sites. It tracks blog conservation by keyword. To borrow a PR 101 phrase, this is the easiest way to conduct an environmental scan. If it’s on the blogs, it’s being talked about.

4. Blogger Relations. Chances are, your organization reaches out to the media, why not bloggers? Some bloggers even get more hits than respected newspapers. If you’re a popular mom blog, you’ll get pitched for lots of things. Bloggers are people. Blog readers develop a relationship with the blogs they regularly read. They trust that person. If that blogger gives a bad review, it’s like having a close friend give you a bad review. Use Bloglines.com, Google Blog Search, Technorati and Blogpulse to find bloggers that will cover your topic. Woo them. (Blog pitching is an art and requires another post).

Ideally, you should have a list of trusted bloggers next to that list of trusted reporters. When an emergency strikes, many times it’s more effective to set up a spur-of-the-moment conference call with bloggers to get your story out. Print and broadcast media still have publication deadlines and air dates. They also have gatekeepers. Bloggers are their own gatekeepers. Blog posts are also immediate. Not only do media read blogs, but elected officials also keep tabs. Most press officers on the Hill read blogs back in their state. It covers what people are thinking more than the traditional press.

If a blogger writes something negative or inaccurate about you, reach out to that person. Blogs can facilitate 2-way conversations. That’s what comments are for. If there’s an email address, courteously contact that person. Reach out to them and politely correct them. Remember that bloggers are people too. Most people aren’t malicious. If you offer constructive criticism, respectable bloggers will offer corrections.

5. Be accessible. When your own reputation is already established on the web, one bad blog post isn’t going to hurt you. Go ahead and set up a Facebook page. Join LinkedIn. Start an organizational blog. If you don’t create your own reputation on the web, someone else will. Be proactive and stay ahead.

Social media is all about relationships. It’s a digital representation of word-of-mouth. The web acts like a small town. Everyone knows each other and everyone is connected. Behind every computer is a person. As a communicator, it’s your job to determine who you need to contact and then build a relationship with that person.

Yesterday, I was saddened to hear about the passing of Meet the Press‘ Tim Russert.

Nearly every blog, tweet or media outlet has commented on Russert. This goes to show how much influence an honorable journalist can make on society.

Those of us in the communication fields could learn a lot from Russert’s life. He took the time to get to know people. He was generous and fair. In our busy professional lives, it’s often hard to take the time to do the little things.

Since watching Frontline’s Persuaders episode, I’ve been intrigued by cool hunters. Those are people employed by large companies to predict the next big thing.

Yesterday at McKay’s, I stumbled up on The Trendmaster’s Guide by Robyn Waters. Apparently Robyn Waters is the person responsible for turning Target into Tarzhay.

It’s a good resource to get the creative juices flowing. If you work in politics, marketing or PR, I highly recommend it. It’s an A to Z guide on how to predict trends and capitalize on them. At only 113 pages, it’s fast read.

What’s a trendmaster?

A trend tracker looks at the signs to help his or her business stay up to the minute. A Trendmaster, however, uses the trend information to determine where that minute is going. Trendmasters start out by observing the trend, but then they translate that trend information into a direction that makes sense for their companies and their customers.

My favorite piece of advice:

Trend tracking isn’t about hunting for the one right answer; it’s about revealing a multitude of possibilities and then finding a way to get others excited about those possibilities. You have to fight mediocrity with possibilities that inspire passion.