Blogging for Change Agents

Are you driven to make a positive difference in the world?

An entrepreneur, social / environmental ethical enterprise, charity or other third sector organisation?

Do you see the internet as (perhaps) a powerful vehicle for making positive things happen in the world?

Do you want to make your mark in the world?

Have you ever wondered if blogging might help?

Then let’s talk.

We all hear about blogs a lot, but can they really make a difference? We say yes. As dedicated activists and change agents, we’ve looked very carefully at the world of blogging and social media before deciding to specialise in it.

“If I was running the biggest company in the world I would simply use a blog…let’s change the world one conversation at a time.” (Full thread here.)

Will McInnes, Founder – Nixon McInnes

Blogging offers an amazingly cost effective and growthful way to engage with your stakeholders and create online interest in what you do.

Plus search engines like Google rank blogs highly. One of our clients went from no web presence to a top online ranking in their sector within two weeks of starting.

Doing it authentically creates loyalty, connection and genuine relationships. It also helps you and your organisation learn, grow and pool together valuable creativity and intellectual property.

To find out more, read our free e-book on the Essence of Authentic Blogging.

We have a long association with “social / eco enterprise / ethical business” and founded the Sustainable Business Network in 1999. We have worked as activists and entrepreneurs, campaigning for issues from climate change to human rights and media literacy.

After generous feedback on our blogging courses and consultancy last year, we decided to make a commitment to your sector in 2008.

In the next month we want to hear what your sector wants from a blogging training package that is tailored to meet your needs, not just another off the shelf, one-size-fits-all scenario.

We will be talking with a range of people to refine our course outline.

We know people can make a difference. We know the internet has massive potential to connect. With our words, ideas and passion, in engaged dialogue with our key stakeholders – good things can happen.

Blogging is certainly in demand, and we think, rightly so. Web 2.0 is a very exciting space to be in… ripe with potential, especially for smaller organisations that want leverage.

So let’s hear from you!

The draft package outline (including outcomes, benefits, costs and structure) is here.

Sponsored Places

There will be a sliding scale from 20-100% course reduction to make it affordable for smaller enterprises, so get in touch if you would like to nominate for a sponsored place.

More resources for social/eco enterprises…. 

Can you unplug for 52 nights?

I’m going to move the main discussion about unplugging over to the wonderful (ironic) new community at 52 Nights Unplugged care of Ariel and Ning. She is one happening unplugger.

Come and join in.

You know you need to when…

• Your eyes/arms/body is aching from too much tapping / idiot boxing / talking
• You check your email as soon as you wake up and just before you go to bed
• There’s never enough time
• Your mental environment is smogged out with gumpf
• Computers/TV/Radio/Mobiles/Ipods/Games keep taking you away from the here and now

Many thanks to Leif Hansen from Spark NW for the 7 Step Programme to Unplugging. I’ll be referring all my clients/students/friends to it and the Unplug Challenge. Seems only right and proper when we are banging on about the wonders of the Internet on the one hand. Seems people might need a health warning to go with every new social network or application. Seems like we all need to take a break occasionally, or a lot.

No matter how good it all is, it ain’t sustainable.

Actually, we’ve just put together a 7 step e-workbook that takes people through the same process. The steps and exercises covered in the e-workbook are basically to:
(perhaps first identify what you like about your tech life)
1. Identifying your challenges with tech
2. Identify the needs trying to get met
3. Develop your vision/goals
4. Finding your focus
5. Finding solutions
6. Turning ideas into actions
7. Sticking with your plan (can be hardest)

See the full richness of Leif’s comment on the previous post here. Sounds like it could be hard work, but if you want some more reasons and to make it fun… go join 52 Nights. These guys just HAVE to present at LIFT09.

My what a helpful community we are. Sucking you in to more and more information on the one hand – then telling you to switch off with the other.

Reminds me of when we tried to buy airtime for “subvertisements” advertising TV Turn Off Week on major TV networks, only this time we (kind of) control the channel.

I’m off to bed. Now… do I take the laptop with me and catch up on the BBC programmes in iplayer, or not…. might be jut in time to read Bea (7) the last story before lights out.

We teach what we most need to learn…

Free tech resources for social/eco enterprise – and others

Social enterprises and non-profits need all the help they can get. These times require us to think smart and work together like never before.

This year we plan to give this sector even more leverage. Thank goodness hyperlinks subvert heirarchy and web 2.0 allows smaller or less resourced organisations to take on the Goliath of global warming and social justice.

Larger organisations within the sector like Greenpeace and Oxfam are already doing good stuff with blogging. (I wonder if they are aggregating and editing together blog posts coming from around their stakeholder blogosophere? Might be nice for bloggers to see their posts featured on the “mother ship” and get some cred, hits and feedback that way…)

To start the ball rolling, here is a solid list of technology-based resources to help you take action, no matter what your budget is.

Conduct research

• Survey Monkey - is our preferred tool so far. Lets you design, collate and analyse up to 10 questions for zip. Any other recommendations, just leave us a comment and we can update this post.

Fundraising

• eBay – Giving Works
• eBay – MissionFish (not entirely sure what the difference but let us know how you go)
• PayPal Donations
• Network for Good (partnered with Yahoo!) Charity Badges (widgets you can drop on your site)
• Global Giving (works for international)
• Charity.com

Build & host a blog/website

• Wordpress.com. Free blogging software alone can meet the needs of most organisations’ online presence.
• There are many other blogging platforms (blogger, typepad etc). We primarily work with and recommend Wordpress but sometimes use others and can support you in these in needs be.

With a wide range of templates to chose from and inbuild content management, you can build, host and maintain your website with a £0 budget. If you need training or support, we can offer it, specially designed for you in dialogue with your sector. Apply for a free or subsided place on our tailored training programme if you are a micro enterprise poised to make a big difference. Just drop me a line.

Even with training included, your total outlay over the first two years might be half the cost of a simple custom built website, with nearly no ongoing costs. Whenever you want to change the site, you have the power to do it. In an instant. In your own way, in your own time.

Web 2.0 tools built to fit your ideas

• Internet Artizans – Social Innovation Camp - Be quick. First event is 4-6 April and call for ideas has already opened. Let the team solve it for you.
• £5 app – ongoing project to build simple software tools.
• More to come… the world is buzzing with talent ready to support what you are doing. Don’t be shy. Engage partners wherever and whenever you can.

Understanding Social Media

E-books, blogs, events

• Authentic Blogging – search around this website to find out about blogging and other social media stuff. Our e-book on The Essence of Authentic Blogging is a good place to start. We will be doing a range of speaking engagements within social & environmental enterprise networks this year, so let me know if you want to go on the mailing list (website upgrade coming soon with subscribe for newsletter) or feel free to invite me to speak at your event.
• Nixon McInnes - e-books on social media, RSS, etc plus their blog and regular speaking engagements.
• Geek Habits for Non Geeks – will be veery useful. First one is on 13 March in Brighton, but register on upcoming to be kept in touch.
• Video Blogging – a monthly free event (in Brighton) to find out all about the wonderment of video blogging. If you want to get started right now, check out Free Vlog.
• Loads more around and regular, often free, events to support your learning and networking. Go along and see what budding talent you can find to help realise your dreams. Key word search Upcoming no matter where you live or just keep your ears and ears open. Getting an RSS feed from this blog will help you keep in touch too.

Online (dialogue) marketing

• You Tube – Broadcast Your Cause – Connect, create dialogue, network and “partner up”.

• Video blogging – If you haven’t yet got the equipment or skills to produce simple, short video clips (and even a mobile phone camera might do), then get in touch with Beth Tilson and find out all about Video Blogging while you are at it. Beth’s sessions will be monthly, so get in touch and ignore the dates on upcoming.

• Facebook Causes – love it or hate, it’s hard to deny the ongoing power of Facebook. Many causes have been fought and won with the help of Facebook. Decide for yourself.
  

• Google Adword Grants – can take them a while to get back to you (we’ve heard 6 months!) but if you are planning a campaign in advance there’s no harm in trying.

Note re: blogs vs adwords and search engine optimisation – We still think an effective blog that optimises for the key words that matter to you is better than adwords, but that can take time to build up. Although one recent Authentic Blogging “graduate” reached No. 1 for her search in a few weeks with only a few posts! All depends on what your niche is.

All ’round good guys to know

• Tactical Tech is an international NGO working at the intersection of advocacy and technology. They use their technical expertise to increase the impact of campaigns in social justice and human rights, but their resources are widely applicable. Lots on their website to explore. Work with Internet Artizans.

The list goes on and on. Many thanks to Jill for many of these. Just goes to show that posting a useful comment can really help grow a conversation.

More here at the ever wonderful Skoll Foundation… You have to subscribe to the Skoll newsletter. It is always helpful and let’s you see you are SO not alone in wanting to make a positive difference.

More resources for social/eco enterprises on Authentic Blogging…

Newbies Guide to Blogging

Nice simple, practical guide to getting you blogging right from Dustin Wax at the very useful lifehack.org. Mainly for individuals but the principles are the same for enterprises and others.

Follow the links to explore your own context and see the list at the end to extend your learning.

Highly recommended!

Check it out. 

Blogs – here to stay

Blogs – love them or hate them, they’re here to stay.

Let the cream rise to the top.

A review of the blogosphere and it’s implications for enterprise – from the current Business Week, Feb 20, 2008.

A bit of a hyped-up piece, but relevant all the same. I offer it with a word or two of caution:

1.    Enterprises should not be jumping into the blogosphere until they have a pretty clear idea of why, where, what, who, when.

2.    If you haven’t got anything interesting /useful to say, don’t blog, or at least, don’t expect anyone to read it.

Of course individuals can just go for it and play and why not! You are the first audience for your blog afterall (see free e-book on Authentic Blogging), and internal blogging for organisations can have a huge impact. What’s going to be of interest varies a lot depending on where you are sitting. But that’s another story…

“Look past the yakkers, hobbyists, and political mobs. Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out. Our advice: Catch up…or catch you later.

“by Stephen Baker and Heather Green

“Go ahead and bellyache about blogs. But you cannot afford to close your eyes to them, because they’re simply the most explosive outbreak in the information world since the Internet itself. And they’re going to shake up just about every business—including yours.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re shipping paper clips, pork bellies, or videos of Britney in a bikini, blogs are a phenomenon that you cannot ignore, postpone, or delegate. Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They’re a prerequisite. (And yes, that goes for us, too.)”

Cont…

Feedback from Fresh Writing classes

Thanks again to folk from our Fresh Writing classes for bloggers and non-bloggers alike. But watch out, we might have you all blogging soon. In the meantime, it’s an honour to be helping you get your words and ideas flowing. Really impressed with what you are all coming up with and the impact this is having in your lives.

Games, exercises, tips to make writing easier and more fun, strategic thinking on audience and the writers/bloggers life. Even nice biscuits and a game you’ll all love called Two Bob (or a Pebble) Up Your ‘Ort Sport. (No photos taken fortunately… you had to be there).

More about the writing classes here…

“Fun, interesting and worthwhile – personally and professionally. I’m glad I took time out of a lousy schedule to do this class. Now I can rite reel good.”

“It’s been easier to write. I’m jotting down ideas again and having more of them. It’s the creative convalescence, soon I’ll be back at full strength.”

“Did first workshop on the Tuesday. Signed up as a co-worker at The Werks to give me a place to go write. Wrote a 10 minute play that Thursday & Friday & submitted it to a competition on the Monday. First thing I’ld written in years. All good.”

“I’ve been flying since the first session. A real release.”

Flexible, affordable, easy transport, what’s stopping you? We all need to express ourselves better in life… and be seen and heard.

Register on Upcoming and see who else is watching/coming, get in touch with Libby if you want to know anything, or just turn up on the day.

Look forward to sharing the magic of your words with you. The techniques we use are so immediate and such fun that you will surprise even yourself with what you are capable of, and how this can translate into your daily life and work expression.

No need to be afraid. Everyone is equal in these sessions and you do not have to read what you have written unless you want to. The inner critic or ferocious editor (find out more in the e-book here) takes a break during most sessions, infact, it is only welcome when being constructive. If none of this makes sense or you are in any doubt, call for a gentle chat with me. It is a very natural thing to have some fear about writing. It is wonderful to overcome it.

Bestest – Libby

More posts on writing to help get your words flowing…

Survey results & comments from Autumn courses

Find out how we rated and what clients think of our courses with an update on the Testimonial page.

“Helped me to just jump on the blogging train and get moving… The course got me into action and increased my learning and Libby was a lot of fun to be with. Met some nice people too.”

“You helped motivate me to enter the new world.”

“I benefited from the course by learning what’s possible through blogging and considering the different things I’d want to share in this medium. I also learn’t how easy it is to start and develop a blog and how much interesting material is available in the blogosphere.”

“I’ve wanted to set up an online site for a long time. This was a relatively cheap way to do it and that was my initial goal. However, the extra benefits I’ve gained have been great, and a little unexpected.”

Thanks to all for your feedback and suggestions of the top priority screencasts you want to use to embed your learning and clarify what you missed. As you can see, we are already moving ahead with making the improvements you suggested. Get in touch if you are really stuck with anything in the meantime. Soon, we will start linking to your new blogs!

More… 

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

We have so much to learn from children. We have such a need to protect their natural risk taking and creativity.

Sir Ken Robinson’s beautiful TED talk. If you haven’t seen it yet, you simply must. Creativity, education, the meaning of life… there’s something for everyone in this profound, short, very funny presentation.

Key points (of agreement)

- Creativity is as important as literacy (duh!…round of applause)

- We are educating children OUT of their creativity (so true). Clearly, we need to change this.

- Schools are still Victorian and basically work as very protracted preparation for university entrance.

- Professors, being the highest in the educational system, both lead and role model the system.

- They are heads on bodies, disconnected from the whole.

- We need to cultivate a fuller picture of what education is and can be.

- This must include the head and the heart and the body, even the spirit.

- The effective cultivation of creativity “adding value with original thinking” is essential to being human, at work, at play.

Three cheers for Ken. You are quite lovely and spot on with how you see things.

Social media is dying. Long live social media!

So social media has truly hit the mainstream. It even has it’s own comic strip. Are we all onboard and up-to-steam? Thing is, this new way is meant to be real. It’s meant to come from a genuine desire to connect with others (customers, stakeholders… fill in the blank).

I’m starting to cringe about the whole thing. The hype. The hyperbole. Sure, Google’s algorythms (currently) love blogs. Sure we can optimise search and get “seen”. But who’s actually going to be listening?

Some emerging thoughts here about how the cream is going to rise to the top.

Many early adopters are already screaming for the off switch.

We are reaching a new point in the adoption of social media. Something’s gotta give (she says joining Dopplr). There is another tipping point approaching.

Time for some great editing and aggregation. Time for some trusted sources to filter it all for us, and I don’t mean the USA Today Bloggers & Podcasters Guide (even if we do keep ranking 1). Or even cool geek individuals like Scobelizer. I’m looking for something all about my interests, the blogs I want to follow, but more visual. Definitely NOT Google’s Blog Reader.

What do we think Gra… time for a chinwag. Oh look, there’s my husband blogging in the room above me. Time to STOP all this and go find him.

Blogging at LIFT08

Next week I will be dedicating some time to a few long lost passions.

1. Eating fondue.

2. Inviting time, space, stimulation, reflection, dialogue to motivate my curiosity for how we learn and create

3. Learning, creating (well, not so long lost)

4. Blogging at the level we encourage others to.

Actually, they gave me a free ticket to attend, so I really HAVE to blog it. Do unto others and all that.

Since things took off for Authentic Blogging last year, I have to admit to feeling a bit of a fraud. Every week we talked with people about the potential of reflective blogging – and barely found time to walk the talk. No excuses now. Time to put down some real stuff for the Authentic Blogging book.
From 6-9 Feb I will be at LIFT08 in Geneva, then taking a train around the alps to just kind of be in the world, gaze in awe, maybe stop somewhere and yodel. Write. Breathe. Write.

It’s a rawther special happening by all accounts, gathering together the likes of speakers Andy Reisinger (Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore), Naked Scoble, Bruce Sterling, Cory Doctorow and many other lovelies besides. In so many ways the LIFT folk model the way we want to see people coming together in the shared, co-construction of higher thinking, feeling and creating. Hyperlinks subverting hierarchy all the way… I cringe as I name drop the big guys we all respond to (or not), as I espouse the more egalitarian wisdom of the crowd.

Sure it will get a bit techy at times and I will wish my uber-geek Gra was sitting in my ear like a babelfish from time to time. It will be strange being away from my little family, Gra, Bea and Maxi the Cat. But I am guessing that the people, the novelty, the conversations, giggling at the Svizz-ness of it all will keep the baying wolf of homesickness at the door for a few days at least.

There are still some tickets available if you want to join up. It’s going to be amazing.

More to come…

Any offers of somewhere to stay in Geneva or advice on which train journey to take are most welcome indeed!

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