Friday Inspirations, Episode 7 :)
Mar 02, 2018
Wish you were here with us in sunny San Diego for Social Media Marketing World 2018 - the conference.
True confession: we came here a little grudgingly. Two years ago, Jenna and I weren't even on Facebook - and we didn't want to be. We thought social media was mostly a waste of time. We. Were. Wrong.
This conference has absolutely wowed us. Every single talk has focused on community, connection, trust, service. Is that all that happens on social media? Of course not. But it's the best of what can happen on social media - and it's exactly what nonprofits do best.
We've also learned endless tools and approaches that can help nonprofits maximize their reach, build their following and boost fundraising.
We are listening to, watching and reading these amazing social media gurus:
- Brian Solis, author, analyst and "digital anthropologist." He was there at the beginning of social media and remains a "hopeless optimist" about it. He reminded 3,000 people here at #SMMW18 that influence is about trust (not popularity) and social media is about community at its core. Today, everyone is an influencer - a person like you is as credible as a corporation, the government. So...let's use our power for good!
Solis shared a Rumi quote we loved:
"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
- Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva. Guy gains 900 new connections on LinkedIn every day. How? He takes a stand - on politics and everything else. He believes that standing up and standing for something matters, in life and on the internet.
Kawasaki shared this quote from Elie Wiesel:
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
- Pat Flynn, our podcast mentor, stood out here for his focus on philanthropy. He's a supporter of Pencils of Promise and creating new projects to inject entrepreneurship into K - 7 education. On his podcast, Smart Passive Income, Pat interviews hundreds of successful entrepreneurs. His secret to great interviews: genuine curiosity. He had no idea he was quoting a Generous Change Essential!
We've heard these words (words so familiar to the nonprofit world!) in almost every single session over these last 3 days:
- trust
- human
- heart
- belonging
- community
- vulnerability
- connection
Social media, just like fundraising, is all about genuine, authentic human connection.
Our challenge to you next week:
- Look at one of the following: your org's website, Facebook page, Twitter account or acknowledgement letters - and ask, "Am I genuinely, authentically connecting to a human with this headline, post, tweet, these words?"
- If not - change it. Talk to one human. Tell them in the most concrete, heartfelt words what you do to change the world.
That's #generouschange.
-Nancy & Jenna
