Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins is back with us - this time in Indianapolis - sharing her insight about how to engage next audiences with current and emerging technology. Here’s the Intelli-Report:
What is Web 2.0? The big difference between 2.0 and its predecessor is that 2.0 is interactive, a two-way conversation rather than a one-way monologue. Web 2.0 includes ”Push” technology, ”Pull” technology, and ”Connect” technology. Here are ideas to use each.
“Push” technology - as its name implies - pushes your message out to the world. You dictate what gets said to the web-world, how it’s said and when it’s said. Your website, your blog, and your email campaigns are Push technology. If you’re still not in control of when things show up on your website, Robbins warns you’re a half-step behind. Any website can be developed using CMS (Content Management System) technology, which puts the ability to change, delete, or update your website in your hands. For starters, free blogging sites like Wordpress and Blogger use CMS and give users a healthy stable of web publishing and editing tools. SMS (Short Messaging Service, whose most popular form is text messaging) also allows you to “push” your information to patrons. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is using this currently SMS for promotion. Robbins likes SMS because it’s personal; it delivers your message right to the pocket of the person you want to reach. Intellagirl warns that SMS technology has a short shelf life; text messages will go away as more people buy smart phones. Mark Newman, Vice President of Marketing at the ISO suggests that all arts organizations make their website WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) enabled, so that patrons can buy tickets from your website using any device. Other push technologies include Flickr for images, YouTube for videos, and Google Sites.
Intellagirl
suggested that blogging is the best way for you to optimize your
search terms, because search engines only review your website when
there’s new content. The more frequently you blog using your key
words, the more frequently the search engines will index your pages,
and deliver the key word search terms you’re targeting.
”Pull” technology is used by patrons to gather the information they want, when they want, in the channels they want. Examples include RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds like those offered by most blogs.
”Connect” technology allows your patrons and guests to share their voice, with you and each other.
Blogs that allow reader comments are a simple example. This is where
Web 2.0 gets interesting: when people who aren’t on your payroll can
talk with each other about your organization and its offerings.
Intellagirl also recommends these technologies, and their uses:
- Use Delicious
to keep all your bookmarks online (rather than on your personal
computer), and to see how your organization is tagged. Great if you
want to find out how others are describing your organization online.
- Use Ning
to create your own social network. Great when you want a “closed”
group to collaborate or connect, e.g. “30th Anniversary Planning
Committee.” Not so great when you want to attract the most eyeballs;
Facebook may still be better for this.
- Use Facebook
to find groups closely aligned with yours, or create a Facebook group
to create an online community for your organization. Important to post
to these groups for the technology to be effective for you.
- Use Polleverywhere
like American Idol to gather votes through SMS technology. Embed your
poll into a PowerPoint presentation, your blog or your website.
- Use Google Docs to collaborate on documents in real time on the web, and stop the madness of emailing a document back and forth.
- Use Twitter to leave short messages for those interested in what you’re doing. Great to drive interest and participation around an event or organization.
- Use PBWikis to collaborate in real time online.
- Sarah’s slides.
I asked Sarah at the end of her presentation, “How can an arts organization make the best use of these technologies?” She offered a three-point plan:
- What demographic are your trying to reach, and which technologies are they already using?
- What’s the conversion you’re aiming for, e.g. ticket sales, getting their mobile number, etc.?
- What’s your timeline? Social networks like Facebook are best when used early in the process; Twitter and SMS technology are used well in urgent, or just-in-time situations.
