Getting Started and Making it Doable

Friending the Finish LineNovember 2011

Definition of “Expert” in Internet Age

• Someone who knows an ounce more information than you do!

Why am I up here?• Not afraid to experiment• I think in 140 characters!• My kids have left home• I don’t like to jump out of bed in am… I like to tweet and post.• I leave blogging to others thus creating a little time.

Why I love Social Media

• Best Advocacy Tools since Media began!• Gives everyone a megaphone in the public

square

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Goal

• Become influencer, organization/person of credibility• Drive them to your website • Influence decision makers• Create a majority among policy makers

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Twitter versus Facebook

• Not an either or, but BOTH• Facebook as friendly website that allows interaction

with your audience. More permanent• Twitter – short, quick, not as permanent BUT much

bigger audience.

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Stats

United Ways of California:• Started March 2009• 569 Followers• Following 479• Done 1300 tweets

Judy Darnell:• Started March 2009• 372 Followers • Follow 637• Done 1600 tweets

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No Time?

• Got 10 minutes a day? 20 even better, but 5 is doable.

• We all read for work – start by tweeting links to what you read…share informationEX: RT @Health_Affairs: Blog: Health Reform: The Individual

Mandate’s Role And Medicaid Enrollment http://t.co/9JFP4Kc8

Then just add a few word comment:EX: Block granting #Medicaid is a terrible idea, especially for kids.

firstfocus.net/library/report… via First Focus

EX: Everybody's got an opinion about health ins exchanges. http://t.co/RunRg6hA #aca #hcr

United Ways of California www.unitedwaysCA.org

Share your Expertise

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See how your CA county fares in latest Human Development Report www.unitedwaysca.org/humandevelopment #income #health #education

How to Manage Flow of Information

Follow Bruce Lesley!....no, seriously…FOLLOW BRUCE

Organize who you follow into LISTS Make a daily/weekly plan (we are just starting

this) But, don’t stress if you don’t do it religiously, just

do something.

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Making it easy

• Use software and devices that make it fun and easy–Smart Phone – DOWNLOAD TWITTER NOW–Tweetdeck, Hootsuite – Social Media Dashboards

• And it actually helps you manage favorite media–I’ve canceled subscriptions – I check Twitter over

breakfast, on breaks – it can be your major news source.

– @ NYT, @ WASHINGTON POST, @HUFFINGTON POST, @FOXNEWS, @MOTHERJONES, @LATIMES….etc

United Ways of California www.unitedwaysCA.org

Lists

• Assign those you follow to lists; check lists to find something to tweet about if you are busy

• Don’t make too many lists• Check out others’ lists• Electeds; Advocacy Orgs for Health; Media; Example:

http://twitter.com/#!/list/JudyDarnell/health-advocates

http://twitter.com/#!/list/JudyDarnell/us-congress-members

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Advocating for Community ImpactWho I Follow on Twitter

• Expert organizations and staff Ex: CBPP or CBP• Key Media outlets AND reporters Ex: Washington Post • Advocacy Organizations Ex: First Focus and Bruce

Lesley• Legislators at all levels Ex: @RepBecerra

@SenatorBoxer• Key Agencies involved with our issues Ex: @CMSgov, @usedgov

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Advocating for Community ImpactWho to Follow on Twitter

• Local United Ways and UWW Ex: @live_united, @Bay_Area_UW • UW Staff Ex: @pmanzo, @JudyDarnell• Board members / partners Ex: @RedCross @100percentCA• Foundations Ex: @CalEndow @rwjf • Key Consultants Ex: @Kanter @FullCourtPress

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REMEMBER

• RETWEET YOUR FRIENDS!• Like OWS - together we create a human sound system!• Bank charges were overturned, Netflix changed its plans…we

should be able to get all kids health coverage and care!• Until you have a couple hundred followers, never do original

tweet without # or @

United Ways of California www.unitedwaysCA.org

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United Ways of California

Judy Darnell, MPPDirector of Public PolicyUnited Ways of Californiajdarnell@unitedwaysCA.orgwww.unitedwaysCA.org831.246.3099Twitter: @JudyDarnell

@UnitedWaysCAFacebook: United Ways of California