It's Your Turn!

We had a fun (and harrowing!) webinar tonight in which we shared some of our favorite web tools. (Harrowing because the three of us were passing control of the presentation back and forth --- and showing live websites. Never did either of those things before. Ahh!) Anyhoo...it was a pretty awesome evening. And we're following it up (as promised) with a quick summary, a link to the sites we talked about, and an invitation to YOU to share your favorite web tools.

Tana talked about Wikipedia and the way it has blazed the path for open source, totally participative processes. It is shaping the way people interact with each other - and what they expect from the organizations they work with. She also showed us her Facebook page and talked about the way this online social networking site can help you communicate with and express care and concern for all the people in your life - friends, family, coworkers, clients, volunteers in your organization, potential customers, etc. Plus, Facebook (or My Space) is the primary way many youth and young adults communicate; email is almost obsolete!

Dave talked about creating "private" online social networking sites and showed us how to use a Ning site. This kind of site is great if you have a group of people with a common interest, need, question, etc. You can control who gets invited in, which provides a layer of safety for participants. We're using Ning sites to help our clients from across the U.S. and Canada get to know each other; they have the opportunity to share ideas, questions, best practices, etc. Dave also shared his enthusiasm for Letter Me Later, which can be used to schedule and send emails and newsletters. Both Ning and Letter Me Later are absolutely free to use. 

Kelly showed us two blogging platforms. Typepad is the more powerful program; in fact, you can even build a website using it (and she has!). Typepad has multiple pricing plans; the lowest is just $4.95 per month. Blogger is a platform that is totally free and it's so simple to use that we actually created a blog while we were on line together! It's a great option for people who are new to blogging. Kelly said blogging is a great tool to use because, unlike a public or private social network (that you have to join), a blog is accessible to anyone. Adding a blog to your website can prevent your site from becoming a static "billboard"; it is an easy way to keep your site fresh. As you communicate new opportunities, ideas, and resources, you give people a reason to come back to it again and again. It's also a way to be in actual conversation with people; they can add their comments and thoughts to yours. A couple of basic rules for "work-related" blogging:

• Try to make sure your blog is well-written!
• Keep your readers' needs a first priority - put yourself in their shoes and try to be as helpful, relevant, interesting, and informative as you can be. 
• Don't be afraid to be a little edgy - this is a place to float new ideas, see what others are thinking, make people think. Plus, it's way more interesting that way! 
• Use your own voice - let your readers hear a real person! 

Finally, we began the evening with a special guest: Elaine Sauer, bishop of the Manitoba-Northernwestern Ontario Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, talked about participating in one of our webinars awhile back and thinking, "Hey, we could use that technology in OUR context!" She and her team have signed up with Go To Webinar, the service we use here at A.R.E., and has been hosting webinars for congregational leaders across her vast geographic territory. They're doing a book study together on what it means to be a healthy congregation. She said, "If I can do this, anybody can!" 

Thanks to everyone who participated in this webinar - there were so many good questions and helpful comments. 

What are YOUR favorite web tools? What are you using them for? What advice or questions do you have about using online technology in your work?

Comments

[Jane]

I like doodle.com to set a poll for finding common meeting dates, etc.

[kelly fryer]

What a great lead, Jane. Thanks!