Everybody's talking about it. Are you on Facebook? Do you Twitter? Did you see the latest viral video on You Tube? And now CADCA asks have you seen Connected Communities? The choices are endless and just when you think you're getting a handle on what's out there--BANG!--a dozen new tools have been introduced. So how do you navigate in a Web 2.0 world when you feel like you're just mastering e-mail?
First, remember that Web 2.0 is not about technology!
This probably seems like a crazy statement, but, in fact, Web 2.0 is a set of tools that may help you communicate in a quicker, less expensive, more efficient way. Think of social media applications (such as a blog) like the pots and pans of communication. These tools use the Internet to move your messages and when used as dissemination vehicles, they hold little difference to the tools you likely use now--press releases, public service advertisements, posters and billboards. Web 2.0 tools, also know as social media, simply help you distribute your messages farther and faster.
Remember also that Web 2.0 is about conversation and sharing!
This is great news for digital immigrants (those of us who did learned typing on a typewriter or word processor) and digital natives alike. We've all been involved in conversations and it's likely that we were taught to share before heading off to kindergarten or even pre-school. Social media tools help us to communicate and share our opinions with others, whether they're in the next cubicle or thousands of miles away. Tools like social networks (e.g., Connected Communities) offer opportunities to collaborate with other coalitions without the expense or time needed to get everyone in the same room.
Now that you're feeling a little better about social media, you'll want to know how and where to start. That's the easy part. Start on the Technology/Social Media page of the Institute's Web site or by reading the social media section of Telling the Coalition Story: Comprehensive Communication Strategies. Then give one or two applications a try. Take the time to experiment by developing a blog that you don't make public. Set up a profile on Facebook and then create a page for your coalition. Post your holiday photos on Flickr and share them with family members.
You also can participate in the Connect…Communicate...Collaborate: How Community Coalitions Are Making Social Media Work workshop at CADCA's Mid-Year Training Camp in Louisville, Ky., in July. Or respond to this blog with a comment or question. That's how we can get the conversation started and moving in the right direction for your coalition.
This post was written by Sue Stine, Sr. Manager for Dissemination and Coalition Realtions for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may reach Sue by sending an e-mail to sstine@cadca.org.
