Social Networking
Social media is a new and innovative way to connect with more current and potential volunteers. Many people use blogs and other online devices like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, NING, LinkedIn, and YouTube daily. See below for examples of how various groups are using some of these tools.
- Blog posts - St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay has a website featuring blogs and tweets. A recent blog post encouraged Martin Luther King Jr. Day volunteering.
- Tweets - During a snowstorm, a woman contacted Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker via Twitter and asked for help with snow removal for her dad with shoveling. The mayor collected shovels, salt, and volunteers and helped remove the snow himself. See the story here.
- Facebook - The White House uses Facebook and other social media to communicate. Check out the White House Facebook page. What ideas could be useful for getting the word out about your city initiative?
- NING - The Service Connection Online can easily be used as a community for sharing questions, comments, and concerns. For example, one Service Connection member asked for input on using twitter. See the question and responses here.
Social Media and Networking Resources
- Article from the National Services Resource Center, “My Space and YouTube and blogs, Oh My!”
- Videos from Common Craft on Technology. Relevant technology videos cover blogs, social media, social networking, and Twitter.
