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	<title>Social Media Networking and Socializing through Media</title>
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	<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com</link>
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		<title>We&#8217;re Social Creatures: The Revolutionizing of the World Wide Web</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/11/03/social-creatures/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/11/03/social-creatures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:48:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web 2.0]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re going back to our roots of social interaction. Our online choices are driving the world wide web away from the use of stagnant websites and into offering interactive and personalized experiences. Since the explosion of the use of social networking sites and online communities, companies have seen the marketing potential of giving their online ]]></description>
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<p>We&#8217;re going back to our roots of social interaction. Our online choices are driving the world wide web away from the use of stagnant websites and into offering interactive and personalized experiences.<br />
Since the explosion of the use of social networking sites and online communities, companies have seen the marketing potential of giving their online customers the dynamic experience they are looking for.</p>
<p>What has changed most noticeably this past year?<br />
Conde Naste announced that Gourmet Magazine was ending  publication due to the increased popularity of online recipe sharing (<a href="http://tinyurl.com/yfcmvda" target="_blank">Boston Globe: The Mourning After</a>). <br />
As more consumers rely on blogs for unbaised information on products, the FTC introduces guidlines on the swank given to dedicated bloggers  (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/10/06/why-the-ftcs-truth-in-blogging-guidelines-are-truly-terrible/#" target="_blank">Why the FTC&#8217;s Truth in Blogging&#8230;</a>).</p>
<p>Still, there are some that are missing this new wave of web presence revitalization.  While major brands and major search engines offer almost every way of staying connected and personalizing web spaces from chat, personal settings and layout to notifications and specialized news alerts &#8211; aka <a href="http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/?sitesrc=uslp" target="_blank">Nike.com</a> - smaller businesses, nonprofits and even natural communities like schools and cities are missing the mark.  Even an up-to-date Facebook fan page or Ning free community website could add interactivity and direct communication to the target audience. </p>
<p>If you&#8217;re one of these organization &#8211; check out the <a href="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/19/tools-for-nonprofits/" target="_blank">Top 20 Free Online Tools</a> for ideas on how to make your web presence an interactive space for your audience and consumers.</p>
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		<title>Teaching through Blogs</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/29/teaching-through-blogs/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/29/teaching-through-blogs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:45:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web 2.0]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=122</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Blogs provide a way to share information that can reinforce what students are learning in the classroom or the advice that one is giving to his/her clients. Blogs can also provide an interactive experience, increasing the likelihood of learning and retention. Three common uses of blogs as learning tools are those of the student, teacher, ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">
<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px initial initial;"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-128" title="blogsteach" src="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/blogsteach-150x150.jpg" alt="blogsteach" width="150" height="150" />Blogs provide a way to share information that can reinforce what students are learning in the classroom or the advice that one is giving to his/her clients. Blogs can also provide an interactive experience, increasing the likelihood of learning and retention. Three common uses of blogs as learning tools are those of the student, teacher, and freelancer blog.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Types</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Student Blogs</span></strong><br />
Students blog on a topic and classmates can give feedback on each other’s blogs. By posting homework, reports and special assignments, blogs can be useful for ensuring students are reading an assigned novel or chapter and you can guide students on how to critically evaluate another’s thoughts. Blogs can be useful in a variety of subjects; History, English, Foreign Language Studies, and computer skills.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Teacher Blogs </span></strong><br />
Blogs can allow teachers to post assignments, information for parents, and offers extra advice on homework. A blog with video, photos or illustrations adds depth to the material a student is reading in a book, reinforcing the lesson. Parents are also able to see the curriculum and homework that their child is responsible for.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Freelancer Blogs </span></strong><br />
Blogging provides a space to quickly share information with your entire network, who can share the information with their network. Freelance blogs range from accountants educating others on how to manage personal finances to photographers explaining camera options.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Solution: Getting your blog started</span></strong></p>
<p><span id="more-122"></span>Step 1: Decide on the basic information that you want to share.  - Is it strictly paragraph style blog that would look similar to a Word document? Do you want to add interaction with a group and email followers, a calendar of events and forums for discussion? Or do you want a blog that is more photo or video based where your instruction is pre-recorded?</p>
<p>Here are some basic blog options for various needs:<br />
<a href="http://wordpress.com" target="_blank">WordPress</a> – Word document looking posts; video or picture uploading.<br />
<a href="http://www.ning.com/" target="_blank">Ning</a> – Group based blog; traditional posts and add members for direct emailing, a built-in calendar of events, and video and photo upload abilities.<br />
<a href="http://virb.com/" target="_blank">Virb </a>– Photo or portfolio based; excellent for art student blogs, photographers, or to post a collection of pre-recorded tutorials.</p>
<p>Step 2: Create account and add information  The basic process is to decide on a username and password, select (from a list of options) the look you want your site to have, and copy and paste or upload the content.</p>
<p>Step 3: Sharing the blog  Be sure to email everyone you know with the information for the blog and encourage them to share it with others. Print the blog address so that you can hand it to someone, parents, staff, etc. And always post updates on at least a few social sites – reach people where they are.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Tips</span></strong></p>
<p>Engage your blog visitors: If you keep the blog current – parents, teachers, community members and your network – are likely to go to your blog more often to see what’s new. Also, be sure to respond to comments and keep alert of what is being discussed in the forum.   Keep it interesting: Engage people with a variety of methods, from video to photos and interactive gadgets.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Tools</span></strong></p>
<p>Below are some tools that can be helpful for your blog.<br />
<a href="http://www.worldcrossing.com/" target="_blank">World Crossings</a>: add forums, message boards or chat rooms to your site  <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">Slideshare</a>: display presentations (PowerPoint) on blog<br />
<a href="http://bubbl.us/" target="_blank">Bubbl.us</a>: widget that builds brainstorming bubbles<br />
<a class="alignleft" href="http://mystudiyo.com/" target="_blank">MyStudio:</a> Create quizzes to place on blogs for free</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Further Reading</span></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://oedb.org/" target="_blank">Online Education Database</a>:  directory of online learning and articles on the subject <a href="http://www.academicinfo.net/blog" target="_blank"> Academic Info.Net:</a> list of established educators using blogs as learning tools  The <a href="http://ltt.nciwiki.com.au/file/view/Wikis_Blogs_Podcasts_Tools.pdf" target="_blank">eLearning Guild&#8217;s Learning Solutions</a>:  Newsletter of articles and tips</div>
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		<title>Public Profiles for Social Media</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/25/social-media-profiles/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/25/social-media-profiles/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:26:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=131</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pseudonym In my book, that will always be one of my favorite words, and I think it will increasingly become social media users favorite as well. Let&#8217;s face it &#8211; we&#8217;re all a little worried about potential business contacts seeing our score from mafia wars or those Saturday night &#8220;I only had one drink&#8221; photos. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><span style="color: #b13ac4;">Pseudonym</span></strong></p>
<p>In my book, that will always be one of my favorite words, and I think it will increasingly become social media users favorite as well.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s face it &#8211; we&#8217;re all a little worried about potential business contacts seeing our score from mafia wars or those Saturday night &#8220;I only had one drink&#8221; photos.</p>
<p><span style="color: #b13ac4;"><strong>The solution?  Pseudonym.</strong></span></p>
<p>If you already have a nickname, you&#8217;re halfway there.  Create public profiles under your nickname and friend only your friends.  The tough part will be un-friending your friends from your professional profile, but at this point they should already be part of your &#8220;exclusive&#8221; personal profile.  And if they&#8217;re not, well, maybe you&#8217;re not all that close afterall&#8230; Some friends you may want to keep in your professional profile as they can be your &#8220;personal brand ambassadors&#8221; (more on them below).</p>
<p>Now, you have two profiles and can relentlessly use them for their purpose.  You&#8217;ll find that you&#8217;re more likely to friend that geeky club, post the news article on your field of interest and best of all, when your friends tag you, they&#8217;ll be tagging your pseudonym.  When you play those internet games, fill out surveys on they type of person you&#8217;ll marry or do whatever else is thought up to entertain us through our work days, your activity will be under your personal profile, free from scrutiny of your nosy coworker.</p>
<p>Best of all, you can focus on using your professional profile for personal branding.  Updating your network on your activities, business ventures, related news, special offers, publications, and etc.  And, now that your friends in your professional profile are genuinely interested in your professional ventures, they will be all the more likely to share your posts, acting as your personal brand ambassadors.  Hello free marketing.</p>
<p>If all of this doesn&#8217;t motivate you, just think, having both personal and professional accounts can also be a public service action.  You could be aiding in decluttering your coworkers news stream all while maintaining privacy.</p>
<p>So go have fun finding your pseudonym and be sure to add me to your list of professional friends.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-132" title="disguise" src="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/disguise-300x222.jpg" alt="disguise" width="240" height="178" />-Nicole Hess</p>
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		<title>From Dell to JetBlue, get results by social networking with airlines</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/14/social-media-airlines/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/14/social-media-airlines/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:26:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Information Sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/14/from-dell-to-jetblue-get-results-by-social-networking-with-airline/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I saw this on CNN and wanted to bookmark this for myself and anyone who likes travel deals. Find it at http://bit.ly/g9Yi8 #cnn The text is copied below (CNN) &#8212; You&#8217;re delayed at the airport. It&#8217;s going to be hours before the airline can get you on another flight. You log onto your computer and ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I saw this on CNN and wanted to bookmark this for myself and anyone who likes travel deals.  Find it at http://bit.ly/g9Yi8 #cnn<br />
The text is copied below</p>
<p>(CNN) &#8212; You&#8217;re delayed at the airport. It&#8217;s going to be hours before the airline can get you on another flight. You log onto your computer and answer your e-mails. You surf the Web for a while. You&#8217;re still waiting. This is taking way too long.<br />
Might as well tweet about it.</p>
<p>And if you do, the chances are ever increasing that someone at the airline will see what you have written. They may even respond to it.</p>
<p>Airlines are ramping up their use of social networking sites. Several have one employee in the communications department whose primary job is to monitor what is being said about them and to create a presence in the world of Twitter and Facebook. Other staff members also watch the sites in search of opportunities to improve relationships with customers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Promotions clearly work well, but there is also an opportunity for airlines to improve customer service and brand perception,&#8221; Adam Ostrow, editor-in-chief of social media guide Mashable.com and a commentator on social networking sites, wrote in an e-mail interview. &#8220;If you&#8217;re stuck at an airport, and it&#8217;s the airline&#8217;s fault, you&#8217;re going to tweet about it. If the airline responds to those tweets in a positive fashion, it at least shows they care, even if they can&#8217;t immediately remedy the issue.&#8221;</p>
<p><span id="more-112"></span>JetBlue has embraced Twitter as both a medium to update the public on its latest news and a sounding board for how the airline is doing.</p>
<p>The airline has more than 1 million followers on Twitter and it also follows about 120,000 of those tweeters.</p>
<p>&#8220;The tricky thing with following people is that you don&#8217;t want to creep anyone out,&#8221; said Alex Headrick, senior analyst of corporate communications at JetBlue. &#8220;You don&#8217;t want to look like you are stalking them just because they are talking about us.&#8221;<br />
The trick is to watch them and see if the tweeter is trying to actively engage the airline in conversation, he said. Often when that happens, someone from the company will send a private message to that person.</p>
<p>The main goal for JetBlue is to &#8220;humanize the brand,&#8221; Headrick said.</p>
<p>Like other airlines, JetBlue approached social networking sites by slowly scaling up its presence.</p>
<p>American Airlines also took its time. Billy Sanez, director of customer communications, said the airline has been watching the growth of social media for several years.</p>
<p>The interactive team brought up the idea of using Facebook about a year ago, Sanez said, and the airline added its fan page about four months ago. It has been increasing its use of the site by adding modules, including a yet-to-be-named feature that helps users find fares.</p>
<p>&#8220;We still have a lot to learn from customers and from how customers interact in these mediums,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But it has worked because we have been able to do targeted promotions to consumers, and because we have been able to get feedback from consumers, and in a very easy way.&#8221;</p>
<p>Not to mention an inexpensive way. Mashable&#8217;s Ostrow said social media is still a small part of most marketing budgets (not only for airlines but for many companies) but it is attractive because the costs are minimal.</p>
<p>&#8220;It also can be essentially cost-free to get started, since all one needs to do is open a Facebook, Twitter or YouTube account and get creative,&#8221; Ostrow said. &#8220;In a down economy, the low cost of entry certainly makes social media even more attractive than it might have already been otherwise.&#8221;</p>
<p>As for the unfavorable comments people post, American Airlines&#8217; Sanez says it can be a chance to turn a negative experience into something positive. He thinks it can be good for customers to use the forum to get something off their chest.</p>
<p>The airline looks for opportunities to interact with users. If people want to express something, let them express it, he said. If they are frustrated, they should be able to complain.</p>
<p>&#8220;If they want a resolution, we want to engage them and come up with options and get them to the right people with the right information,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Twitter followers and Facebook fans can also get the scoop on fare sales. JetBlue has a Twitter feed called JetBlueCheeps, where travelers can get some last-minute deals. For instance, on Monday, September 7, the airline posted on its Twitter feed that there were 25 seats available on a flight from New York&#8217;s LaGuardia to Orlando, Florida, for $39. Tickets for the Saturday flight had to be purchased by 6 p.m. Monday evening.</p>
<p>Headrick said that JetBlue times Twitter updates to coincide with releases to the media.</p>
<p>While airlines appear to be happy so far with the results they are getting from their social media ventures, some are still not ready to expand dramatically just yet. Headrick said JetBlue was studying how to use Facebook.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines has established its social media presence with more than 600,000 followers on Twitter and more than 76,000 fans on Facebook.</p>
<p>Other major carriers also have thousands of followers on Twitter. Delta Air Lines, for instance, has about 11,000 followers, while United Airlines has more than 33,000 watchers.</p>
<p>Continental is also looking at Facebook and other sites where a presence makes sense, according to airline spokeswoman Mary Clark. Continental is focusing on Twitter, where it has about 3,000 followers, and FlyerTalk.com, a Web site devoted to frequent flyers, she said.</p>
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		<title>You&#8217;re Organization is Communicating Online &#8211; Even if You aren&#8217;t Directing it</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/08/organization-online/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/09/08/organization-online/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:31:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Information Sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You’re organization has an online statement – even if its not online.  How, you ask, is it making this statement? When someone mentions your organization (or business) to someone else, that person is going to search for you online.  Whatever appears is the beginning of your organization’s online communication.  If the searcher cannot find anything, ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-105" title="Mac-serving-screens" src="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Mac-serving-screens-300x226.jpg" alt="Mac-serving-screens" width="300" height="226" />You’re organization has an online statement – even if its not online.  How, you ask, is it making this statement?</p>
<p>When someone mentions your organization (or business) to someone else, that person is going to search for you online.  Whatever appears is the beginning of your organization’s online communication.  If the searcher cannot find anything, you’re organization has just made a very bold online statement.</p>
<p>Even if you have a website, if it doesn’t have current information, isn’t easily accessible or viewable on a mobile device, your online presence is still making a statement about your organization.</p>
<p>So why should you care about your online statement?  How do you take hold and direct the conversation of your online presence?  Here are some basic insights to get you started.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">I can’t adapt to the technology</span></strong></p>
<p>Some of you may embrace your anachronistic ways in the technology driven world.  You use a phonograph to listen to your favorite albums and ice cream just isn’t as good as when you churn it yourself.  Yet you know that some people just don’t appreciate your time-honored traditions.</p>
<p>Its just the same when you’re not using online media.</p>
<p>Except it is not only a personal statement as using a phonograph would be, but it is a statement about your capabilities, your organization or your businesses capabilities as well.</p>
<p>Saying, “I’m not online.”  Is saying “I’m not adapting to the globally used means of communication and I have nothing to share online.”  Probably not what you want potential clients or members to think.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">You are excluding anyone under the age of 30</span></strong></p>
<p>With all the online marketing that is focused to the young members of society, these young people think that if your services are geared to them, then they will be able to find out about them online.</p>
<p>For this age group it is also important to have some engagement beyond a stagnant website.  Again, age specific online marketing has developed complex interactive online experiences, this age group expects that you have a calendar of events so they can share the information and invite their friends, and see if what you have been doing is of any interest to them.</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000000;">I can’t afford any online support</span></strong></p>
<p>Whether this is true or false, it is better that this is not an immediate assumption of potential online visitors.  You want them to think that you are successful and stable with enough money to have a basic online presence.</p>
<p>For example, Chevy and Ford have recently developed complex online microsites and interactive tools, despite the troubles of the car companies, they understand the importance of investing in an online experience.</p>
<p>See Chevy’s microsite for Latin America “<a href="http://www.ontheroadagain.la/" target="_blank">On the Road Again</a>” <a href="http://www.ontheroadagain.la/"><br />
</a>This also reiterates why its important to <a href="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/03/tweet-in-espanol/" target="_blank">Tweet en Espanol</a></p>
<p>While you may not be the owner of a billion-dollar company, there are small steps that say “I can afford to be online.”  All it takes is a little creativity.  For instance, there are free calendars that can be added to your website so that visitors can see upcoming or previous events.  How about adding the organization’s twitter feed?  That’s free as well.  Or spend a little money and have a nicely done video collage of presentations, product demonstrations, etc.</p>
<p><em>And always remember that quality beats quantity.</em></p>
<p>-Nicole Hess<br />
Online Media Consultant</p>
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		<title>Top 20 (FREE) Online Tools for Nonprofits</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/19/tools-for-nonprofits/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/19/tools-for-nonprofits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:45:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online tools]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=68</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are many tools online geared towards managing the operations of your nonprofit. Accounting software, website building programs, email marketing and contact managing, but finding tools that live up to their promise of usability, effectiveness and price (free or nearly free) can be a daunting and time consuming task. I’ve put together this list of ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are many tools online geared towards managing the operations of your nonprofit. Accounting software, website building programs, email marketing and contact managing, but finding tools that live up to their promise of usability, effectiveness and price (free or nearly free) can be a daunting and time consuming task.</p>
<p>I’ve put together this list of online tools that I think are the easiest to use, most comprehensive for their service and cheapest (free or nearly free). This way you’ll spend less time learning how to use the software and more time getting things done.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Website Solutions</span></strong></h3>
<p>1. <strong><a href="http://exchange.causes.com" target="_blank">Facebook Cause</a></strong>: A Facebook page for your nonprofit is a quick solution to a website and a “Cause” page through Facebook had added benefits like being displayed on your supporters’ pages to video sharing and the ability for visitors to donate at the click of a button.<br />
Best part, it’s free.</p>
<p>2.  <a href="http://www.ning.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Ning</strong></a>: Similar to Facebook, but more specialized for your network of followers. Has multiple pages built-in for more of a “website” feel. Ning allows for forum posting and interactive calendar.<br />
Free.</p>
<p><span id="more-68"></span></p>
<p>3.  <a href="http://www.yola.com" target="_blank"><strong>Yola</strong></a>: Build and host your website completely free. It makes creating a website as easy as clicking and dragging.  You can also add popular social media widgets, PayPal, chatroom, and your fundraising badges.<br />
Free.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Website Monitoring</span></strong></h3>
<p>4.  <a href="http://www.google.com/analytics/" target="_blank"><strong>Google Analytics</strong></a><strong> + </strong><a href="http://www.google.com/webmasters/" target="_blank"><strong>Webmaster Central</strong></a>: These two Google services are a perfect pair for analyzing the effectiveness of your website. The detailed reports of Google Analytics show you who your website visitors are, where they come from, and how they interact with your website. Webmaster Central gives you access to tips on making your site more search engine friendly as well as a message board to ask questions to qualified webmasters.<br />
Free.</p>
<p>5.  <a href="http://mon.itor.us/" target="_blank"><strong>Mon.itor.us</strong></a>: Powerful tool to monitor the activity of you server to make sure your website is loading and responding properly. Also gives easy to read graphics of website traffic and interactivity. Proactively informs you of potential problems.<br />
“Forever free.”</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Contact Management</span><br />
</strong></h3>
<p>6.  <a href="http://www.batchblue.com/" target="_blank"><strong>BatchBook by BatchBlue</strong></a>: This tool is much like its more expensive counterparts, like Common Ground by Convio, in that it helps you keep track of your contacts and their activity. Intuitively fills in contact information and easily integrates with Google, MailChimp and Shoebox. It follows their activity on social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, automatically.  Also, follows your email correspondence when you BCC your account when you send emails from anywhere.<br />
Paid plans from $9.95 to $99.95 per month</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Email Marketing</span></strong></h3>
<p>7.  <a href="http://www.aweber.com/" target="_blank"><strong>AWeber</strong></a>: AWeber email marketing software offers email newsletters, autoresponders, RSS to Email, website sign-up forms, email web analytics tools, and a good reputation for deliverability.<br />
Nonprofts get 3 months free service, then prices start at $19 per month.</p>
<p>8.  <a href="http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp" target="_blank"><strong>Constant Contact</strong></a>: Constant Contact gives you the tools to create professional-looking emails with no technical expertise, manage your contact lists and measure results. More than 400 templates, a step-by step Email Wizard, and point-and-click interface. You can also create free online surveys.<br />
Free 60-day trial. Plans start at $15/month.</p>
<p>9. <a href="http://www.mailchimp.com/" target="_blank"> <strong>MailChimp</strong></a>: User friendly design studio to create custom emails and email templates. Easily integrates with Excel, BatchBlue, Salesforce, Paypal, Google analytics and others to import contacts and track your email marketing, all the way to the dollar amount raised.<br />
Free for email lists of less than 100.  Monthly plans start at $10 per month.</p>
<p>10.  <a href="http://www.verticalresponse.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Vertical Response</strong></a>: Easy way to build, target, send and track email marketing newsletters, online surveys and direct mail postcards. Nonprofits can send 10,000 email messages per month FREE plus nonprofits are eligible to receive 15% off on all emails over 10,000.<br />
Basically free.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Event and Volunteer Organizing</span></strong></h3>
<p>11.  <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/l/non-profit" target="_blank"><strong>Eventbrite</strong></a>: Set up an online registration page for your nonprofit event in minutes, then take advantage of Eventbrite&#8217;s promotional tools to send up to 2,000 email invitations per day or publicize your event on social networks (Facebook, Twitter).<br />
Free for free events.</p>
<p>12.  <a href="http://www.volunteerspot.com/" target="_blank"><strong>VolunteerSpot</strong></a>: Doing Good gets easier with this scheduler for coordinating volunteers. Simple volunteer management software that any volunteer leader, committee chair or board member can use to schedule, coordinate and send reminders about events.<br />
Free.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Interactivity</span></strong></h3>
<p>13.  <a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Starting_and_Running_a_Wiki_Website" target="_blank"><strong>Wikis</strong></a>: You’ve probably read many wiki’s yourself, but how about creating one about your organization? This will allow searchers to read up on your organization and link back to your site. A well developed wiki increases your organization’s level of professionalism in the mind of searchers.<br />
Free.</p>
<p>14.  <a href="http://www.worldcrossing.com" target="_blank"><strong>World Crossings</strong></a>: Fast, easy, and free way to add forums, message boards or chat rooms to your Web site, customized to match the look of your site. Interactivity keeps visitors on your site and engaged in your nonprofit.<br />
Free.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Fundraising</span></strong></h3>
<p>15. <strong> </strong><a href="http://www.chipin.com/" target="_blank"><strong>ChipIn</strong></a>: The ChipIn widget is an application that shows the details of fundraising goals, how much money has been raised, and when your drive ends. The best part is that the ChipIn widget can be embedded almost everywhere, MySpace, Typepad, Blogger or websites.<br />
Free.</p>
<p>16.  <a href="www.donorperfect.com" target="_blank"><strong>Donor Perfect</strong></a>: This is comprehensive fundraising management software. Manages and grows your relationships with donors, volunteers, foundations, and other constituents. It track and manage your campaigns and results and can produce targeted mailings and email.<br />
$31 per month for smaller nonprofits.</p>
<p>17.  <a href="www.mgive.com" target="_blank"><strong>mGive</strong></a>: Takes fundraising to the mobile world. Allows users to text their donation and are charged automatically to their cell phone bill, no need to input credit card information.<br />
Free for nonprofits.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Advertising</span></strong></h3>
<p>18.  <a href="http://www.google.com/grants/" target="_blank"><strong>Google AdWords with Google Grants</strong></a>: In-kind advertising for nonprofits. It’s as simple as filling out a Google grants application and opening and AdWords account. Google AdWords ads appear when users search on Google and when you click on one of the ads, you are brought to the website being advertised.<br />
Free for nonprofits.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000000;">Billing</span></strong></h3>
<p>19.  <a href="http://curdbee.com/" target="_blank"><strong>CurdBee</strong></a>: QuickBooks beware, online billing and invoicing software Curdbee is a free solution to adding unlimited clients and creating unlimited invoices, accepting payments online through Paypal and Google Checkout and importing or exporting to other software.<br />
Basic version is free.</p>
<p>20.  <a href="https://billingmanager.intuit.com" target="_blank"><strong>Billing Manager</strong></a>: So, QuickBooks doesn’t make the list because of its cost, but another Intuit product does, Billing Manager. Billing Manager is an online invoicing tool that tracks invoices and payments for you. Log in anywhere and see who owes what, email invoices and send reminders. Let’s you customize the invoices as well.<br />
Free.</p>
<p>I hope these are helpful.  If you use one that you think is fabulous and don’t see it here, please <em>feel free to leave a comment with your recommendation</em>.</p>
<p>And of course, Vektor Studio is available to assist your organization in getting you started in these new programs and your data transferred to them.</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p>Posted by Nicole Hess<br />
Social Media Consultant at Vektor Studio<br />
<a href="http://www.vektorstudio.com/">www.vektorstudio.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/200x32_red.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-101 alignleft" title="Mozilla Service Week" src="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/200x32_red.png" alt="Mozilla Service Week" width="200" height="32" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nonprofits can sign up to receive free help in other areas, graphic design, etc through Mozilla.<br />
If you can donate your tech knowledge go to <a href="http://bit.ly/152UBz">http://bit.ly/152UBz</a></p>
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		<title>Coffee Dance on the Crosstown Express</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/13/coffee-dance-on-the-crosstown-express/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/13/coffee-dance-on-the-crosstown-express/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:26:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vignettes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=60</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The crosstown express offers a sordid dance floor.  Its design was to be a skid-proof, slip-minimizing, easy-washing masterpiece.  It was the marvel of other less-adept vehicle flooring, but it offered little splendor for the cortadito salsa. ¡Oye! The  liquid swishes; it must have latin hips. My hands become the leading partner, a very responsive leading ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The crosstown express offers a sordid dance floor.  Its design was to be a skid-proof, slip-minimizing, easy-washing masterpiece.  It was the marvel of other less-adept vehicle flooring, but it offered little splendor for the cortadito salsa.<span id="more-60"></span></p>
<p>¡Oye!</p>
<p>The  liquid swishes; it must have latin hips.</p>
<p>My hands become the leading partner, a very responsive leading partner.</p>
<p>Por aqui&#8230;</p>
<p>Drops of savoriness, I don&#8217;t want to loose your smooth hazelnut essence.</p>
<p>Suddenly the street changes tempo to see how fast my cup and I can cha cha cha to its pothole taps.  But I&#8217;m a veteran liquid dancer and have choreographed difficult streets before.</p>
<p>Oh yes, I have choreographed the dirt road soda can drink and highway cereal milk slurp.  This city street has nothing over me.</p>
<p>¡Aye!</p>
<p>May have to think twice as the warm liquid flirts dangerously with my hand.  Don&#8217;t be a tease; its our stop and now you&#8217;re all mine.</p>
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		<title>The Joys of Anger</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/12/the-joys-of-anger/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/12/the-joys-of-anger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:11:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Vignettes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=38</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not a word is said as the car jumps and sputters away from first to second and third gear until we reach the corner and stop and go without stalling…”gee you’re doing pretty well with this.”
“Well, yes I am, good that you noticed.”]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’ve had few chances in life to really experience the joys of anger, but perhaps a trip to another continent gives one a reason for rare experiences.</p>
<p>At least that’s my rationale.</p>
<p><span id="more-38"></span></p>
<p>So what sparked this exuberant outpouring?  I’m glad you asked.</p>
<p>It was the satisfaction in knowing I could displease and anger someone else without them being able to retaliate.  In essence, I won the argument before it could even begin.</p>
<p>How did I win?</p>
<p>With the perils of German road and drivers zipping by the end of the blind driveway my clever grandmother decided to try to stand in the driveway and signal to me when the coast was clear for my escape, unscathed hopefully.</p>
<p><strong>There were three trials and errors, which resulted in my grandmother’s mad tapping on the trunk of the car to “oops! go back in the driveway, there are cars coming.”</strong></p>
<p>I can’t resist to mention that this is my first time driving this rudimentary device known as a manual transmission and each time there is a false clearing of the roadway I have to maneuver from reverse to first gear without stalling or chance scathing my still perfect record.</p>
<p>Well, on the fourth start I assume that when a signal is given for “the coast is clear”, by golly it better be clear.</p>
<p>Yet again it’s a false start, another mad tapping on the trunk, however I react unexpectantly.  I stay in the street, I mean, these cars will just have to stop for crying out loud.  Now, me being in the street, it might behoove my grandmother to get in the car herself, but she keeps insisting that I go back into the driveway.</p>
<p>I “loose it”</p>
<p>Get in the car now…nothing…get in the car…still nothing…Get in the F&#8217;IN car!</p>
<p>In she comes.</p>
<p>Not a word is said as the car jumps and sputters away from first to second and third gear until we reach the corner and stop and go without stalling…”gee you’re doing pretty well with this.”</p>
<p>“Well, yes I am, good that you noticed.”</p>
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		<title>Tweet in Español</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/03/tweet-in-espanol/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/08/03/tweet-in-espanol/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:11:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spanish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=12</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As marketing agencies learned how to market to women, teenagers and techies, soon enough the Hispanic community will be recognized for its purchasing power. But why hasn’t it begun already? Let’s begin with some numbers. According to the 2007 US Census, at least 34 million in the US speak Spanish and another 16 million of ]]></description>
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<dl id="attachment_21" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 213px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img class="size-full wp-image-21  " src="http://blog.vektorstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/tweetpic1.gif" alt="bienvenido pic" width="203" height="174" /></dt>
</dl>
</div>
<p><strong>As marketing agencies learned how to market to women, teenagers and techies, soon enough the Hispanic community will be recognized for its purchasing power.</strong></div>
<p>But why hasn’t it begun already? Let’s begin with some numbers.</p>
<p>According to the 2007 US Census, at least 34 million in the US speak Spanish and another 16 million of these speak English “less than very well”.</p>
<p>So where are all the tweets in Español? Dell may have made an unbelievable amount of money tweeting its deals in English but what company wouldn’t want to earn even more money with a 140-character advertisement in Spanish? (<a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/dell-has-earned-3">Dell Says It Has Earned $3 Million From Twitter</a>) With the rising purchasing power of Hispanics in America, who would opt to ignore this potential client base?</p>
<p>Here are a few tired arguments that may give some insight to why an entire demographic is being ignored in the social media scene.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">• Hispanics are not online.</span></p>
<p>This is an argument of circular logic error. If a Spanish speaking Hispanic has nothing to read or view in their language, why would they be online? Think about it personally. If tomorrow you awoke to find that many popular Internet sites were in Tagalog, everything from tweets to Youtube videos to product websites, how often would you go online?</p>
<p>Another part of this argument is the “getting online.” Gone are they days when you needed an expensive computer to get online, which was a barrier for many low-earning Hispanics. <span id="more-12"></span></p>
<p>Today there are many options for getting online, from eMachines costing under $300 to using a cell phone.</p>
<p>Hispanics have the tools to be online, but aren’t been drawn by anything, which leads us to argument two.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">• Marketing to Hispanics is complicated.</span></p>
<p>While there are many dialects and regional differences among Hispanics, there is a common thread of basic life values, appreciation of life, family and friends that unites the Hispanic community. Many advertising companies understand this and have created commercials that feature family happiness instead of the products great price or incredible features.</p>
<p>Watch about an hour of Unvisión, one of the top Spanish TV networks, and you’ll get a general sense of the life values that tie most Hispanics together, whether they speak Spanish or English. Thus, when you’re thinking of creating online videos featuring your product or services, think of creating one targeting the Hispanic community.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">• My business (non-profit or organization) does not offer services in Spanish so I don&#8217;t need to advertise in Spanish.</span></p>
<p>First, are you sure that you don’t have an employee or two that can aid customers who speak Spanish? I don’t mean a full conversation about the embargo or immigration policy, but basic communication. Secondly, Spanish speaking individuals need services just like everyone else, from tire changes to coffee and clothing, whether you advertise your services in Spanish or not, you may already have customers who don’t speak much English – because “two coffees to go” may be all that you hear from them (as well as 50% of your clients).</p>
<p>How does this apply? When you post events on Facebook and Twitter about your bakery offering discounts on blueberry pies, post it in Spanish too.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">• My competition isn’t doing anything in Spanish.</span></p>
<p>This is actually one of the greatest mistaken ideas and the rationale behind this argument can apply to the three aforementioned arguments. That is to say, one thinks they don’t need to take action because nobody is out there to receive the action. Well, even if you don’t believe Hispanics are online (even Spanish speaking Hispanics) someone is going to figure out how to draw them there.</p>
<p>Someone, perhaps your competition, is going to start tweeting away in Español, keeping their website functioning in Spanish, and having marketing that speaks to the Hispanic community, both in language and values. Hopefully you are there when they arrive.</p>
<p>-Nicole Hess<br />
Online Media Consultant</p>
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		<title>Social Diversity</title>
		<link>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/07/27/social-diversity/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.vektorstudio.com/2009/07/27/social-diversity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:41:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Information Sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.vektorstudio.com/?p=3</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With all the users on Facebook, it should be difficult to trump its rate of sharing, yet other social sites are gaining quickly on Facebook’s hold.  As Silicon Alley Insider reports, Twitter is already about half as popular with only about one-tenth as many users. Thus, as its user numbers begin to rise it has ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With all the users on Facebook, it should be difficult to trump its rate of sharing, yet other social sites are gaining quickly on Facebook’s hold.  As </span></span><em><a class="wpgallery" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-social-networking-sites-dominate-sharing-2009-7" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Silicon Alley Insider</span></span></a><span style="color: #e0e0e0;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">reports,</span></span></h3>
<blockquote><p>Twitter is already about half as popular with only about one-tenth as many users.</p></blockquote>
<div class="mceTemp">
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 352px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><span style="color: #e0e0e0;"><img class=" " title="Facebook Leads Sharing" src="http://static.businessinsider.com/~~/f?id=4a66226414b9b98a00db2471" alt="Chart of sharing on social media sites" width="342" height="252" /></span></dt>
</dl>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000000;">Thus, as its user numbers begin to rise it has the potential to surpass Facebook for sharing information.  Not to say that twitter will be more popular, Facebook has significantly more uses than twitter, from picture sharing to mafia wars playing.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="color: #000000;">In the Silicon Alley Insider’s chart of sharing, one thing to note is that this chart represents those who used the website or publisher’s method to share, specifically using the widgets made by </span><a class="wpgallery" href="http://www.addtoany.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #000000;">AddToAny</span></a><span style="color: #000000;">.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="color: #000000;">Using the publisher’s widget for sharing is also important for considering its only 11.1% share in sharing.  Personally, I much rather send a link through my own email by the ol’ cut &amp; paste method, so I don’t have to type in my friends’ email address by hand.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="color: #000000;">This article seems to be part of a larger argument that says email is no longer a preferred way to share information.  Recently, I’ve heard way too many experts discuss email as a dying method of exchange, not only in sharing, but in marketing as well.  While I do understand there have been recent abuses of the email blast function – sorry MoveOn.org but I haven’t opened an email since the election last year – and Facebook allows for easier ways to see what’s up with your friends, email is still incredibly useful.  <span id="more-3"></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="color: #000000;">It’s just that email blasts have earned the reputation of being like a needy ex-girlfriend/boyfriend.  People don’t want to be bombarded by weekly requests for action or hear the same story yet again.  But when the email offers something truly new or interesting (and not tweaking of the old) say an event centered on my favorite activity, I’m not only reading the email, but I’m going to the event and taking friends.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Still, in regards to information sharing, email still scores highly, especially in the professional world.  While AdToAny widgets may not be used, people are emailing links every day to coworkers, clients, old clients to remind them you’re still interested, and so on.  In many companies there are actually staff personnel relegated to creating weekly or sometimes daily email blasts of links for client, based on the clients request or particular field.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Also, let us not ignore the role of instant message services.  I’ve done projects with a few companies that were significantly less than tech-friendly and yet one of the standard means of communication between employees was through instant messaging.  Whether it was finding the boss’ interview with the Wall Street Journal or developments on a project in Peru, if we found it online – we shared it through messenger.  Again, just like tracking information sharing through email, tracking the rate of information sharing through instant messaging is difficult, if not impossible due to laws protecting privacy.  All we can say for now is that in sharing information, social sites are proving to be a recognized medium and growing in popularity.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">What will the future of social sites look like?  My guess would be that social sites which appeal or center around specific interests or needs, Emily’s list for recommendations, delicious for bookmarking, will grow in popularity and use, but not necessarily compete with Facebook for staying in touch with friends or twitter for sharing information.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #333300;"><span style="color: #000000;">Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: </span><a class="wpgallery" href="https://twitter.com/chartoftheday" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e0e0e0;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">https://twitter.com/chartoftheday</span>.</span></a></span></p>
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