Facebook Groups Done Right Comments

We’ve discussed the idea of creating Facebook groups and pages promoting discussion about clients and their industries. I don’t know about you, but I’m not very active in most of the Facebook groups I belong to. I have a feeling that is the case for most Facebook users so I want to dig deeper into this particular tactic with a relevant case study to see if we could develop it into an effective approach.

Case Study: The Social Mobile Group
The Social Mobile Group serves as a good example of groups done right. Below are the methods they are applying to make this a continuously active and growing community:

1. Rotating Group Officers: Involving people in the content creation and sharing process is essential for a group’s success. The creator of the Social Mobile Group applied a rotating system for group officers in which every three months or so he asks the community for volunteers to help develop the group. These rotating group officers are in charge of posting links for relevant news and articles, inviting friends and interested colleagues, suggesting new ways to push the group forward and generally helping to keep things moving. Since the last change, the group has gained 150 members and it is currently pushing 1,200.

1. Relevant Discussion Topics: Their most recent discussion topic asks members to list good mobile sites and blogs. This topic is a great example of a useful resource for outreach and learning.

1. External Site: I always find groups with external sites to be more legitimate. In this group, they created http://socialmobilegroup.kiwanja.net/, a site that mirrors the Facebook group (a snapshot of the group’s public profile) and provides links to the group on Facebook as well as an external members’ directory.

1. External Member Directory: http://socialmobilegroup.kiwanja.net/members.htm the members’ directory also mirrors the Facebook group and it provides a brief bio, link to Facebook profile, and links to blogs or company sites for all the members who choose to be featured in the directory.

Applying the same social methodology used in the Social Mobile Group for your clients or causes would be an effective tactic to begin positioning them as thought leaders in their space. My first instinct is to go with a Facebook group and, once the conversation is going, explore creating a branded page for a more product or service (or cause) specific conversation. Brainstorm ideas for Facebook group names, editorial process, images and copy when talking about creating a blog for your clients. The external sites for the Facebook group would be a community building supplement of a client’s blog.

About the group: The Social Mobile Group was created by Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, developer of low-cost, sustainable ICT solutions for local, national, and international non-profit organizations. Kiwanja.net developed FrontlineSMS, a free, text messaging application available for download by non-profits through his FrontlineSMS website. His new Facebook group is an attempt to bring together those interested in exploring the potential of mobile for non-profits. He has succeeded in raising awareness for his cause through the group, but what’s most significant in this case is the formation of a growing community discussing all sorts of trends and news. Ken Banks is promoting his site within an ongoing conversation, making his push seem as valuable content within a relevant conversation.

Below is an insightful response from Facebook in regards to groups and fan pages:

Hi Yianni,

Thanks for your email. You may, however, wish to consider creating a Page, since we no longer offer Sponsored Groups. A musical artist, business, or brand can create Facebook Pages to share information, interact with their fans, and create a highly engaging presence plugged into Facebook’s social graph. These Pages are distinct presences, separate from users’ profiles, and optimized for these presences’ needs to communicate, distribute information/content, engage their fans, and capture new audiences virally through their fans’ recommendations to their friends. Facebook Pages are designed to be a media rich, valuable presence solution for any artist, business, or brand that can be integrated seamlessly into the user experience with socially-relevant applications.

To create a Page, please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php or simply click on the ‘Create a page for your business’ link at the bottom of any Page. You can send the fans of your Page updates about changes you have made to the Page, but they will not see information in their News Feed. We do not provide app or Page design services.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Ryann
Customer Operations
Facebook

YouTube Celeb of the Week: Bo Burnham (not for kids) Comments

Bo Fo’ Sho’
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=2LzgYWCgkZk]

Facebook Rallies Millions for Peace in Colombia Comments

In the wake of Super Tuesday, I should be talking about how Facebook has mobilized young voters or perhaps how social media helped raised record numbers for Obama in January. This Monday, however, Facebook contributed to a much more pressing and global political phenomenon:

“BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Colombians wearing white T-shirts marched in their homeland and abroad Monday to demand the country’s largest rebel group stop kidnapping people and release those it holds.

The idea of the protests against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, was born less than a month ago on the social networking Web site Facebook, and nearly 100,000 people in 165 cities around the world confirmed their participation.” Click here for the full article

I became the 276,882 member of the influential Facebook Group, Un Millon De Voces Contra La FARC | A Million Voices Against FARC.

Facebook, and the social web at large, has democratized media, empowering millions to mobilize against injustice. What started as a Facebook Group evolved into a global demonstration: 500,000 to 2 million marches in Bogota, 2,000 people in marched in Venezuela’s capital wearing white T-Shirts, hundreds of demonstrators marched with anti FARC slogans in Mexico City, Panama and Argentina. “In Stockholm, protesters bowed their heads for a minute of silence, while a couple dozen people in Hungary protested for an hour outside parliament. Television images showed Colombians and Americans at rallies in Washington, New York and Miami. Others joined events in Paris and Madrid.”

“Colombia’s government says the FARC is holding more than 700 hostages, including three U.S. military contractors and former French-Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt”

Imagine the effect YOU could have. If you are passionate about a cause and you want some advice with leveraging social media to raise awareness, leave a comment and I’ll connect with you with some ideas.

Celebs Unite to Support Obama with “Yes We Can” Music Video Comments

In the wake of Super Tuesday and the Massachusetts primary, it is my pleasure to bring you this video produced by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas with appearances from Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Adam Rodriquez, Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon.

The video was inspired by Obama’s speech following the New Hampshire primary. Click here for a video of his speech in New Hampshire.