Tomorrow, InSites bloggers will be celebrating Social Good Day by contributing blog posts about the issues central to our work at Vanguard Communications.  According to Mashable and (RED), Social Good Day is an opportunity to provide solutions to the challenges facing our world:

We’re interested in unleashing fresh thinking about how social media can raise [...]]]>

Tomorrow, InSites bloggers will be celebrating Social Good Day by contributing blog posts about the issues central to our work at Vanguard Communications.  According to Mashable and (RED), Social Good Day is an opportunity to provide solutions to the challenges facing our world:

We’re interested in unleashing fresh thinking about how social media can raise awareness and create solutions for social issues around the world. It starts with each community coming together and contributing ideas and, more importantly, solutions. Whatever community you’ll be participating in we want to know, “What’s your solution?” Let the world hear your ideas through social media!

At Vanguard, our mission is communicating for social change and we incorporate social media strategies into all of our practice areas in some way, shape or form.  We’re excited about this event that merges two important communications areas into one opportunity to raise awareness. We are looking forward to joining this larger conversation and share our ideas for solutions to some of the issues that matter the most to us.

Tomorrow, we’ll release a blog post every hour touching on issues such as agriculture, energy, environment, health and mental health, and youth and families.  Please join us in the comments and on Twitter using the hashtag #socialgood to share your own insights into how to use social media for social good!

Update (9/29): We hope you got a chance to read all of our Social Good Day posts, including:

Reduce Stigma Surrounding Trauma-related Mental Health Issues Using Social Media

Family Farmers Can Help Diminish U.S. Health and Environment Crises

Common Core State Standards Can Help Solve the Nation’s Education Crisis

Taking Care of Mind and Body is Critical to U.S. Health Care Reform

Graduate the Electricity Grid into the 21st Century

Growing a Stronger Economy Through Family Farmers

Mad Men, Troubled Children

The decision to start up a blog is not one that should be taken lightly. At Vanguard Communications, we had to consider whether our insights and commentary on communications issues would benefit the already robust public relations blog community. Since you’re reading this post on our blog, you know which way we decided, and [...]]]>

The decision to start up a blog is not one that should be taken lightly. At Vanguard Communications, we had to consider whether our insights and commentary on communications issues would benefit the already robust public relations blog community. Since you’re reading this post on our blog, you know which way we decided, and you can read more in Maria Rodriguez’s post about why we chose to launch it. There are many reasons to start a blog and countless benefits to your brand when you do. Here are a few less obvious reasons to consider blogging as a tool to boost your online communications efforts.

1. Blogs are flexible. Blogging give you a platform that allows you to communicate positions, opinions and ideas that may not fit neatly into your existing website.  You can react to news and events with commentary that frames an important issue for your company or organization, while not interrupting the normal flow of information on your website
2. Blogs are personal. Blogs allow members of your organization to write on the topics that they know best and care the most about in a voice that is their own.  This gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s personal ties and investment in the issues that drive your day to day business.  What’s more, it can show that you’re following ongoing updates in your field.  Giving the public a window into the minds of your employees can ultimately help your messages resonate.
   

   http://www.flickr.com/photos/kpwerker/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

3. Blogging helps with search engine optimization efforts. Search engine optimization (SEO, for you acronym-lovers) is a big, tricky industry that is built entirely on trying to figure out how to maximize returns from the algorithms that drive search results for Google, Yahoo, Bing and others.  Blogging, however, is a simple way to help increase your search standing.  It is basic math – if you have more content related to the core concepts of your website, more people will be able to find your website using search engines.  This can help drive more traffic to your website – not only to your blog, but to your core web properties.
4. Blogging builds communities. Yes, yes, I know – blogging is so 2003.  Shouldn’t I be talking about Twitter or foursquare or Gowalla or Facebook or [insert your favorite social networking outlet here]?  Sure, social networking may be all the rage these days, but don’t underestimate the power of a blog.  If you’re supplying good content, you’re developing a community of loyal readers that will share your message, champion your causes, and react when you ask something of them.  If you’re using social networking platforms, your blog provides valuable content that can help keep conversations going.

Before starting a blog, think strategically.  Like any other communications platform, decide who your audience is and develop materials accordingly.  You’ll need to provide regularly updated content that is valuable and interesting – but if you’re able to make this commitment, blogging can become an important asset in advancing your organization’s online efforts.

Marvin Gaye: Anti-War Performer

May 2010 Marvin Gaye Anti-War Performer

“In 1969 or 1970, I began to re-evaluate my whole concept of what I wanted my music to say. I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that [...]]]>

Marvin Gaye: Anti-War Performer

May 2010
Marvin Gaye
Anti-War Performer

“In 1969 or 1970, I began to re-evaluate my whole concept of what I wanted my music to say. I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that I had to put my own fantasies behind me if I wanted to write songs that would reach the souls of people. I wanted them to take a look at what was happening in the world.” – Marvin Gaye

Though propelled to fame by hits like “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Marvin Gaye’s later musical endeavors made him the social justice advocate we honor today. As his fame grew in the late ‘60s, Gaye increasingly felt his songs lacked relevance in the face of the dramatic social changes occurring in the United States. After a period of self-imposed seclusion, Gaye returned with What’s Going On in 1971. The album redefined what popular music could be: thoughtful, progressive and activist, What’s Going On tackled issues of environment, police brutality and racism head on. But the album’s primary focus was the war in Vietnam, conveying a powerful anti-war message from the perspective of Gaye’s brother Frankie – a soldier who had recently returned from combat. Despite prolonged objections from his recording company, Gaye insisted the album be released as it was intended, with social messages intact. The result – the first concept recording in the United States focusing on social issues – was an enormous commercial and critical success. Today, What’s Going On continues to influence musicians and activists alike, with Rolling Stone Magazine ranking the album sixth in their 2003 cover story, “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Gaye’s courage, commitment and passion for communicating the important issues of his day ultimately enabled other artists to follow him in crafting socially motivated music.

This guest blog post is by Leah Holmes-Bonilla, a Senior Account Supervisor and the Multicultural Services Manager at Vanguard Communications.

Have you ever mused about wanting to live in a world with a generation of self-assured, enthusiastic, forward-thinking and culturally diverse young people? Think no more because they are here. Fifty million 18-to-29-year-olds make up [...]]]>

This guest blog post is by Leah Holmes-Bonilla, a Senior Account Supervisor and the Multicultural Services Manager at Vanguard Communications.

Have you ever mused about wanting to live in a world with a generation of self-assured, enthusiastic, forward-thinking and culturally diverse young people? Think no more because they are here. Fifty million 18-to-29-year-olds make up a major portion of this new and exciting generation: the Millennials.

The Pew Research Center‘s recent publication, Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next, provides a window into the world of Millennials and what makes them tick. This generation is the most culturally diverse in the history of the nation, college-focused and more tolerant than any before them. They believe that good parenting, successful marriage and helping others are among the most important things in their lives. They view their values and beliefs as in sync with those of their parents more so than any previous generation.

Millenials are well attuned to their world and to its ever-changing landscape. They seek news and information in real-time. They embrace new technologies, information sharing, are astute networkers and incredibly hopeful about the here-and-now, as well as about the future.

So, as present day communicators, what does this tell us? Our communications efforts need to understand and resonate with Generation Nexters. Is the message direct and clear as well as hopeful? Does it reflect the diversity of the audience it hopes to reach? Are the avenues for disseminating the message in tune with the tech-savvy of this audience?

As veteran communicators this is an exciting time for both learning about and communicating with Millennials. If diversity, real-time content and hope are the lens through which we need view and reach out, then we should consider ourselves fortunate.

After you rejoice in the knowledge of who the Millennials are, remember a few simple cues in your communications efforts: be credible, relevant and real. Understand that constant communication and flexibility in communicating are also important. And finally, never be afraid to learn from your audience.

I know, not everyone is Bill Gates. Very few people on the planet can gain 100,000 followers on Twitter eight hours after launching their Twitter profile.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndevil/ / CC BY 2.0

But perhaps we should start thinking like Bill.

Using his newly formed Twitter community, Gates recently launched his newest endeavor, The Gates Notes, where he [...]]]>

I know, not everyone is Bill Gates. Very few people on the planet can gain 100,000 followers on Twitter eight hours after launching their Twitter profile.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndevil/ / CC BY 2.0

But perhaps we should start thinking like Bill.

Using his newly formed Twitter community, Gates recently launched his newest endeavor, The Gates Notes, where he will personally document his thoughts, travels and work with his nonprofit organization, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

It’s not uncommon for CEOs and executive directors of NGOs to share updates and information with supporters through blogging and/or e-newsletter columns. But Gates’s new Web site takes it a step further and other nonprofit leaders should take note.

This interactive Web site gives visitors an inside look at global issues from Gates’s personal perspective. Even his first post on Gates Notes feels like a diary entry:

It often feels like I’m back in school, as I spend a lot of my time learning about issues I’m passionate about. I’m fortunate because the people I’m working with and learning from are true experts in their fields. I take a lot of notes, , and often share them and my own thoughts on the subject with others through email, so I can learn from them and expand the conversation.

I thought it would be interesting to share these conversations more widely with a Website, in the hope of getting more people thinking and learning about the issues I think are interesting and important.

With the thousands of charitable and advocacy organizations competing for the public’s attention, Gates Notes shows how a personal touch can set an organization apart and build a larger community. Whether through blogs, e-newsletters,  social networking profiles or more traditional communication channels, readers will appreciate and respond to candor, honesty and passion for a cause when shared through a real human voice. Think of it as persuasive storytelling 2.0, using technology to share personal testimonies and insights.

Are there limits? Absolutely. Often, organizational leaders do not have the time and/or expertise to communicate via social media and rely on their communication staff to do it on their behalf. This can pose quite an ethical dilemma. In such a personal medium, can people  share messages through social media pretending to be (or on behalf of) someone else? Are we misleading readers? As a profession, we are still trying to figure it out. PR pro Todd Defren’s blog PR-Squared is exploring those very ethical issues.

The bottom line is that whenever possible, leaders should write their own posts for authenticity and transparency. If this is not an option for an organization, then leaders and communicators should consider creating social media presences under their organization’s name or profile, instead of tying it to a specific individual. Then, anyone affiliated with the organization can communicate on their behalf, eliminating ethical challenges.

Honesty and transparency when communicating online are the best policy. And if we take a tip from Bill, the personal touch can be a winning strategy.

With the rise of Web sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, we constantly hear concerns about privacy.  From worries over college students posting career-impeding photos to concerns over unfettered access to addresses or phone numbers, users of social networks have to be careful what information they make available about themselves and their organizations.

Now, an [...]]]>

With the rise of Web sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, we constantly hear concerns about privacy.  From worries over college students posting career-impeding photos to concerns over unfettered access to addresses or phone numbers, users of social networks have to be careful what information they make available about themselves and their organizations.

Now, an interview with an anonymous Facebook employee written up for online magazine the Rumpus gives us new insights into just how much information Facebook has about you – and it is a lot.  These revelations allow us to provide some recommendations for organizations using Facebook for outreach efforts.   Select quotes from the interview:

Employee: See, the thing is — and I don’t know how much you know about it — it’s all stored in a database on the backend. Literally everything. Your messages are stored in a database, whether deleted or not. So we can just query the database, and easily look at it without every logging into your account. That’s what most people don’t understand.

This statement can be summed up pretty easily: everything you do on Facebook is stored on a server, and can be pulled up through some simple keystrokes.  Further clarification from the interview:

The Rumpus: On your servers, do you save everything ever entered into Facebook at any time, whether or not it’s been deleted, untagged, and so forth?

Facebook Employee: That is essentially correct at this moment. The only reason we’re changing that is for performance reasons. When you make any sort of interaction on Facebook — upload a photo, click on somebody’s profile, update your status, change your profile information —

Rumpus: When you say “click on somebody’s profile,” you mean you save our viewing history?

Employee: That’s right…[cont.]

***

Rumpus: So this is every viewable screen?

Employee: It’s way more than that: it’s every viewable screen, with all the data behind every screen…[cont.]

As the employee says – literally everything.  Indeed, it is right there in the Facebook privacy policy:

Information we collect when you interact with Facebook:

Site activity information. We keep track of the actions you take on Facebook, such as adding a friend, becoming a fan of a Facebook Page, joining a group or an event, creating a photo album, sending a gift, poking another user, indicating you “like” a post, attending an event, or authorizing an application. In some cases you are also taking an action when you provide information or content to us. For example, if you share a video, in addition to storing the actual content you uploaded, we might log the fact you shared it.

What’s more, the privacy policy also outlines the content that Facebook views as “information you provide to us,” which includes private messages, and seems in line with the other content the company admittedly stores about its users:

Content. One of the primary reasons people use Facebook is to share content with others. Examples include when you update your status, upload or take a photo, upload or record a video, share a link, create an event or a group, make a comment, write something on someone’s Wall, write a note, or send someone a message. If you do not want us to store metadata associated with content you share on Facebook (such as photos), please remove the metadata before uploading the content.

The interview goes on to reveal some other interesting facts about Facebook.  For example: did you know Facebook performs psychological analysis on users?  It is well worth reading in its entirety (P.S.: go here for instructions on how to remove metadata from photos).

To some, this is will be somewhat alarming news.  After all, if Facebook can view everything you or your organization does, what prevents them from sharing that information with outside parties, or even your competitors?  For those organizations that may share sensitive information on Facebook to what they believe is a closed network, how can you be sure that information won’t get out to larger audiences?  Is this information truly private, or only private until the right price point is reached?  While these scenarios may be unlikely for a given individual or organization, the reality is that we simply do not know how Facebook uses their database.

Indeed, these are serious questions.  So what should you do?  Close up your Facebook shop and run for the hills?  Well, no – this isn’t necessarily a reason to panic.  After all, you’ve likely been using Facebook for quite awhile and haven’t seen any confidential information leak out from your account.  But the revelations in this interview do give cause to provide some basic reminders about Facebook usage:

1. Recognize that everything you say and do on Facebook can be accessed by somebody else. While there is no explicit reason to believe that anybody will be accessing your account, the possibility always exists.  As such, be cautious in your emails, uploads, wall postings and so forth – you have no way of knowing who else has access to them.
2. Deleting something from Facebook does not erase it entirely. As mentioned in this interview, Facebook keeps backups of everything by the hour.  If you put it up, it stays in their server until they decide they don’t want it anymore.
3. Don’t put anything on Facebook that you’re not comfortable with everyone seeing. Going beyond the information storage that Facebook has admitted to in this interview, this is just good, basic social networking advice.  You can’t control what people do with the information you put on Facebook – so if you don’t want something republished or re-purposed, Facebook may not be the best place for it.
4. Understand that Facebook is running a business, where the information you provide them is their number one commodity. While Facebook is a great service that allows you to stay connected to friends, family, and fans of your organization, like any other company, Facebook is ultimately about its own bottom line.  The Facebook privacy policy would seem to support this.  It is summed up in this line: “We share your information with third parties when we believe the sharing is permitted by you, reasonably necessary to offer our services, or when legally required to do so.”  In essence: if you don’t tell us otherwise, we can share your information with anybody that we want, for whatever purpose we want.  While updating your privacy settings can eliminate some of this potential, it seems as though it can’t control if Facebook is accessing your messages, pages you view, and so forth.  If you don’t want Facebook to be able to use certain information for their own purposes, don’t put it on Facebook.

This revelation is no reason to run away from Facebook.  The platform can still be used to great effect to build networks, reach supporters, and expand your message.  This knowledge simply reminds us to exercise care in working with the service.

It remains to be seen how the privacy ramifications for Facebook and other internet giants – like Google, for example – shake out in the end.  These companies do have a stake in protecting our privacy; after all, if none of us trust them, they lose their user base.  But should there be a greater obligation for providers to inform their customers exactly what information is being collected?  Or does the responsibility lie with us, the consumers, to be informed as to just how our information is shared and sold?  Is there ultimately a government interest in protecting privacy by regulating the way our information can be stored and shared online?  These are just some of the new questions of the digital age that are still being answered.  In the meantime, we as consumers must demand greater transparency to understand exactly how our information is being used.

Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office

The Washington Post reports that 20 percent of people may not participate in the 2010 census, even though they are legally obligated to do so. According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, many respondents said they are too busy or uninterested to fill [...]]]>

Photo Credit: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office

The Washington Post reports that 20 percent of people may not participate in the 2010 census, even though they are legally obligated to do so. According to a new poll from the Pew Research Center, many respondents said they are too busy or uninterested to fill out the 10 question form, while many others simply distrust the government or worry about privacy.

In response to concerns from national civil rights groups, the Census Bureau has been touting a $133 million advertising campaign, which includes television spots in 28 different languages. The Bureau estimates it will reach the average person 42 times with slogans such as the “2010 census – it’s in our hands.”

Key to the Bureau’s success will not only be its ability to offer ads in-language, but also to provide messages that respond to cultural concerns and barriers to filling out the form. The Census Bureau reports that the emphasis in the message varies with the audience, with objects, backgrounds, and other props changing in some TV ads to reach different groups.

The question is, will that be enough? With the Census launching in March, two months of positive, culturally considerate messaging might not be adequate to mitigate years, even decades, of misinformation and distrust.

Census officials say that each percentage point of nonresponse to the initial survey costs $80-90 million to hire people to knock on doors. In preparing for the 2020 census, it might be wise to consider investing that money over the next decade in long-term, culturally competent messaging that increases dialogue and understanding about the need for and benefits of this critical decennial count.

It’s the start of a new year and a time to try new things. With that in mind, I’ve been asked by Vanguard staff to kick off the year with a blog about social change communications.  Hmmm…

For me it’s easy to think about how a social media tactic, such as blogging, can help our [...]]]>

It’s the start of a new year and a time to try new things. With that in mind, I’ve been asked by Vanguard staff to kick off the year with a blog about social change communications.  Hmmm…

For me it’s easy to think about how a social media tactic, such as blogging, can help our clients advance their causes, yet it’s much harder to embrace the tactic for myself and our firm. Partially, it’s because I’m used to being “behind the curtain” helping make Vanguard’s clients and their issues be the stars of the show. And, partially, it’s because it’s a little intimidating to have the pressure of a regular blog post. That’s why I’ve decided that the only way I’d do this is if I had partners to share the load, so I’ve recruited Vanguard staff members to put themselves “out there” along with me!

It’s really exciting for me to have this opportunity to introduce some of Vanguard’s staff to you because they are truly amazing individuals with extraordinary talents. They come from all over the U.S. and several foreign countries, plus a few of us are native Washington, D.C.-born (yes, we do exist). In our more than 20 years in this business, we’ve been fortunate to partner with many exceptional individuals and organizations to address some of society’s most pressing issues. Through our InSites blog, we will share our insights (a little play on words just for fun!) about these issues and how communications and marketing can support social change. Our hope is that you’ll check in with us when you can and be inspired to adopt a new or old communications and marketing strategy to address an issue that’s important to you.

I should mention that this blog is an evolution of Vanguard’s monthly InSites e-newsletter and podcast, which we’ve been producing since 2006.  If you already subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, you’ll continue to receive monthly e-mails featuring our best blog posts of each month. And, you’ll still be able to listen to the InSites podcast, which will now expand upon blog content as the issues demand it.  You can subscribe to both of them using the sign up field on the left.

Welcome to the new home of InSites and wish me luck with being on this side of the curtain!