CoolPeopleCare®

Just like Christopher Walken's fever is only cured by cowbell, you want the masses' infectious desire for information about your nonprofit to only be cured by your viral marketing initiatives. Sure, there are YouTube clips that get viewed by millions, and there are bloggers whose posts have thousands of comments, but the chances of that happening with your YouTube channel or blog are...well...one in a million (or at least a thousand). **Take a look at our handy guide to online communication below. You'll see exactly what tools will help you communicate what message to what audience and how much time you can expect it to take.** ####Listen######## Good communication starts with **listening**. And you can do just that online. * [Google](http://www.google.com) - Ever Googled your nonprofit or your issue area? See what the experts are saying. Sign up for [Google Alerts](http://www.google.com/alerts) so you know when someone says something about you. * [Technorati](http://technorati.com/) – Use this blogging hub to see what any blog is saying (or has said) about your world. See who's popular and find out what matters. Think of Google, but just for blogs. * [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/) – In less than 140 characters (the length of a text message) millions are breaking news and having a conversation. Instant and quick feedback right to your cell phone. * RSS Feeds – If you've found blogs to read, have them come to you. Subscribe to a feed so you know when a new post or comment is available for consumption. Like TiVo for blogs. ####Participate######## Heard enough? Then it's time to weigh in on the conversation and **say a few things yourself**. You can comment on someone else's thoughts and tell the world what it's like to do what you do. And there's a lot of ways you can say it. * [Pownce](http://www.pownce.com) – Send stuff to your friends. Like anything – files, messages, events, links. Whatever you want to tell someone, you can do it and they'll tell you what they think. * [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com) – You mean I can say stuff on Twitter, too? You got it. Tell your followers the latest news or needs of your nonprofit. Interrupt their day and see what they say. * [Tumblr](http://www.tumblr.com) – If Twitter were a blog, it would be Tumblr. It's an effortless way to share the short and important. And it's all housed at one url so anyone can catch up. ####Generate Buzz######## You've heard it, you've said it…now get other people hearing it and repeating it. **The key here is to make your info found by the masses.** So you need to get what you're saying out there. Here are some tools for that. * [Digg](http://www.digg.com) – The most popular stories in the world are all in one place. Digg what you've written and see if it catches on. Search by category to stay on top of the latest. * [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com) – Twitter again? That's right. Start accumulating followers and they'll tell their followers and they'll tell their followers – you get the picture. * [StumbleUpon](http://www.stumbleupon.com) – Get people to 'stumble upon' your Web site or blog. See what other people have stumbled upon. Make the random not-so-random in an oh-so-relevant way. * [FriendFeed](http://www.friendfeed.com) – See what your friends like. And tell them about what you like (like on YouTube or Flickr). If it's on the Web and your friend likes it, you should be aware of it, right? * [CoolPeopleCare](http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/) – You can build your own profile and say whatever you want in front of thousands of caring people all around the world who are looking to make a difference. ####Share Content######## It's time to commit. Finding things and reading things and sending out 140-character memos is fine if time is of the essence. But you need more. So, **it's time to be the content you wish to find on the Web**. * [Blogger](http://www.blogger.com) – You can set up a blog in less than five minutes. Say something great on a regular basis and you'll be your own media hub. Watch the comments fly and the subscribers rise. * [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com) – Start shooting and sharing video of your events, volunteer opportunities or just the basics about your work. Forget buying a commercial. Just YouTube it. * [Flickr](http://www.flickr.com) – Take a picture; it'll last longer. Then, share it on Flickr and tag it and soon, everyone can see it. It's your online photo journal and will last longer than a scrapbook. ####Community Building and Social Networking######## Now for the big one – the one that takes the most time and concentrated effort. If you want to make it easy for other people to talk about you, **then you've got to build a network of supporters and watch a community of digital advocates grow**. * [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com) – Start a group of people who support you. List your events and see who's coming. Raise money. Send messages to a lot of people. And, make new friends. * [MySpace](http://www.myspace.com) – A lot of people say it's better than Facebook. So, just imagine Facebook, but with a lot more bands and spam, but the same features for a slightly different audience. * [Ning](http://www.ning.com) – If you want to build your own social network, it's easy and free. Get your biggest supporters connected to one another and talking about you in front of your face. * [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com) – Designed for the business set, you can connect with and ask questions to individuals all over the world. Get introduced to future employees and experts in any field. So, how much time does it all take, exactly? The handy image below will give you an estimate on the amount of time it takes to **maintain** each of these tools. So, whether you've got an hour a day or 20 hours per week, you can make it all work for you. And, **we'll leave you with these three reminders:** * The quicker you can say it the better. Think something meaningful can't be said quickly? **None of our site descriptions above was longer than 140 characters** (not including spaces). * Commit to it. **It may take six months before you see a return on any of these efforts.** * **Ask for help.** Find those who know this area to lend a hand. [You can ask us, if you want.](http://www.coolpeoplecare.org/contact/) **See you online...**