Twitter Unveils Lists Feature:
Twitter has rolled out their new beta “lists” feature that allows users to create lists of people and nonprofits to follow. For example, Frogloop just started a list to follow nonprofits.
This “lists” feature is long over-due and should help users organize their twitter followers plus helps promote the people and nonprofits users value the most. Prior to this feature, Twitter users had to use apps such as TweetDeck to segment different groups of people they wanted to follow on Twitter.
Care to know what lists include you or your nonrprofit? Login to your twitter account. Then look next to your “follower” and “following” count and you will see the “lists” count. Click on the “listed” link. In the event that you end up on a list you don't feel comfortable being affiliated with, block that user and Twitter will automatically unlist you. If you would like to continue to follow that user, click on the their name and "follow" them back.
So what kind of impact will the “lists” have on nonprofits? Will everyone just start following lists instead of their usual twitter stream? Personally, I find the “lists” feature a little clunky at the moment. From a usability perspective, I would also like to see the “lists” stand out in a slightly bigger typeface and different color. Robert Scoble recently wrote a great post about the benefits and limitations of the lists. As Twitter fleshes out the usability issues on this new feature, it could prove to be quite powerful.
What’s a Follower Really Worth on Twitter?
In early October, Twitter added over a dozen new nonprofits and social change makers to their “Suggested User” list. Beth Kanter was one of the social change makers who made Twitter’s list and since then has been tracking the impact of her rapid growth on Twitter (now at over 125K followers). Geoff Livingston was curious too, so he conducted a simple click-through rate test on a tweet and link that Beth sent out to her 120,000+ followers and Geoff sent to his 7500+ followers. The results? Beth’s link generated a 0.2% CTR and Geoff’s generated .7% CTR. Why? “Generally speaking, with more casual followers you lose engagement and influence power,” said Livingston.
Three Questions Every NonProfit Must Ask Themselves Before they Launch a Campaign
Shayna Englin who just did a great write up on Winning Campaigns: Integrating Offline and Online Strategies is Key sparked a great discussion on a nonprofit list about the importance of linking policy change to online and offline campaigns. Shayna suggests that nonprofits ask themselves three questions before launching a campaign:
1) How do we devise campaigns that link action to policy change in the immediate term?
2) How do we devise campaigns that link action to cultural/societal change in the short, medium, and long term (which we think helps with policy change in the future)?
3) How do we devise campaigns that inspire action and change beyond the too-small circle of the already convinced?
"These are important questions no matter what the issue or campaign strategy, tactics, and tools," said Englin.
The Social Change Project
Vancouver's Centre for Digital Media recently launched the Social Change Project and will be awarding $50,000 for in-kind digital media services to support projects with a large social impact. They are accepting proposals through November 13th from nonprofits as well as artists, inventors, educators, health care professionals, and academic/research institutions.
The prize includes a team of multidisciplinary graduate students, currently in the Masters of Digital Media Program in Vancouver, who will work with the chosen applicant(s) to define and execute a final project, and help realize social and cultural goals of the proposal within a 13 week period, starting January 4th, 2010.
For more info and to download an application click here.
You should follow Frogloop on Twitter.
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