Four Ways to Harness the Power of Web 2.0
©2008 Timpano Group
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Social media. You hear about it all the time. While it sounds promising for your nonprofit, you may have no idea where to begin. You're not alone. Nonprofits everywhere are exploring the possibilities of Web 2.0. This interactive new Internet is a community of millions that push and pull the norms of communication as they connect through blogs, wikis, shared content and social networks. Let's talk about a few ways your nonprofit can dip its toes into the tempting waters of Web 2.0.

Google Alerts

Google is a wonderchild, and Google Alerts is one of its most helpful features. The concept is simple: You get an alert when content hits the Web about issues that matter to you. Use it to monitor news stories, stay on top of issues and keep track of conversations about your organization.

Sign up on the Google Alerts homepage (google.com/alerts). Choose your keywords carefully, use quotation marks to indicate phrases, select your category (e.g., blogs and articles) and sign up for e-mail updates on the latest Google results.

Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds

RSS feeds are the hot items of Web communication. And they aren't as technical as they sound. Imagine your favorite blog. Wouldn't it be great if you could automatically receive its new content? With RSS feeds, you can! By subscribing to a blog's feed, you get the updates. Use Google Reader (an aggregator) to keep your feeds in one convenient place.

Sign up for a Google account to access the Reader. Once signed in, click "Add Subscription," and search to find your favorite sites. Find the right selection and subscribe!

Social bookmarking

Web 2.0 is all about sharing. Social bookmarking tools like Del.ici.ous let you bookmark the Web content you like and share it with others. Use Del.ici.ous to distribute your blog or Web site to a wider audience. Or, use it to read about topics in your industry. You don't have time to surf the Web all day, so let other people do it for you.

Sign up for an account. If you want to add bookmarks, look for a "Share this" button by the content on each Web page. Or, if you want to read about a certain issue (e.g., technology) click that tag on the homepage to display recently tagged items.

Flickr

Flickr is an easy photo management system that lets you share media with others. Imagine the options: Share photos of your nonprofitís work with people across the world. Or, use Flickr as a central image database for staff at your organization. Route images to your blog. Make a slideshow. The possibilities are endless.

Sign up for an account, and then upload your images. Make sure to tag, title and organize. Explore the Flickr community to get a sense of where your media might fit.

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