Plagued by the lack of funds, non-profits like associations and societies often have to employ shoe-string marketing strategies. With its relatively low cost compared to traditional advertising, social media marketing can be an attractive option. However, the devil as they say is in the details.
Speaking at the Association Management Seminar (courtesy of MCI Singapore), Martin Ross of mediamind shared that non-profits first need to understand the digital landscape and the plethora of social platforms available.
With close to 900 million users and an upcoming IPO, Facebook is ruling the web as the social network of choice. Following close behind is Twitter, the 140 character king of microblogging also known as the “SMS of the Internet”. LinkedIn, Youtube, Flickr, Foursquare, blogs, and tonnes of other social networks make up the other players of the social web.
Collectively, these social technologies and platforms rule a disproportionate part of our lives as consumers. This is why companies need to get into the digital act and be “likeable”.
How does one leverage on the power of social communities? What does it mean to build a “Social Nation”?
I found out the answers to these and more after reading Barry Libert’s breezy volume Social Nation. The CEO of Mzinga, Libert declares in his book that organisational success lies with tapping on the collective power of employees, stakeholders, partners, and customers – both online and offline. To do so, one needs to develop social skills to complement one’s other strengths (physical, informational, and emotional).
This is going to sound hypocritical for a business blogger like me, but I am going to say it anyway.
It’s better to get something REAL done than to spend too much time reading my blog. Or, for that matter, the hundreds of other business, PR and marketing blogs offering an endless buffet of secrets, strategies, tips, theories and models.
As my wife and I were having our breakfast and purchasing fresh groceries recently at the Redhill Market, I spotted this interesting signboard from a fish monger in the market. Apparently Pan’s Fish offers fresh fish for sale (the kind you can cook) on its website and you can actually order them via e-commerce.
I believe they must be one of the first wet market stalls to be so proactive in encouraging online ordering. The cool thing is that if you can’t make it during the unearthly wet market opening hours, you can always get your catch of ikan kurau, salmon, mackerel, prawns and more online, 24 by 7.
Now all they need is a blog, a Facebook fan page, and a Twitter account….
Want to play a part in shaping how government can better serve you through social technologies? Got a burning desire to change the delivery of essential services? Why not participate in the first ever Singapore GovCamp?
Taking place on 19th Jan (Wed) on NUS Campus, Singapore GovCamp hopes to “connect the Government with the general public and private sector to communicate, collaborate and co-create government citizen services, improving and expanding citizen engagement and empowerment.” Its the first time that such a platform has been mooted so I guess it should be pretty interesting.
One of the advantages/disadvantages of being an obsessive-compulsive blogger is that I not only dig the various theories of Influence 2.0, but live them on a daily basis too. While not all bloggers are alike – just as not all mothers, students, pastors or criminals are – there are certain traits which make us hardcore content producers who we are.
To make it easier for you to remember, let us term them the five Os of social media content producers.