Listening+and+Engaging

=Listening and Engaging=

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[|Actionable listening] on social media channels means transforming a “river of noise” into insights that allow you to take action. That is, you gain insight, can make a decision, or do something. Listening can help your organization craft conversation starters, figure out how to best start engaging, identify social content that you can incorporate into your content strategy, identify influencers who you can transform into brand ambassadors, or address a potential crisis early in the game. The session will cover tools and techniques for listening and engaging.

Setting up an organizational listening post and responding system is the very first step your organization should take. Your listening post can be comprehensive or simple. Here's an easy six-step process:

=**1. Brainstorm Keywords**=

The basic keywords you'll want to monitor are:
 * Other NGO names in your space
 * Program, services, and event names
 * CEO or well-known personalities associated with your organization
 * Other nonprofits with similar program names
 * Your brand or tagline
 * URLs for your blog, website, online community
 * Industry terms or other phrases that illustrate need

Get creative! Involve other people in your organization.

Beth Kanter, [|Listening Literacy Skills] Ashkan, [|Keyword Research 101]

=**2. Set Up Your iGoogle Dashboard**=

You'll be creating a listening "dashboard" in your reader. Here's how Carie Lewis of the Humane Society uses [|iGoogle as her dashboard]. Set one up by following [|some simple steps].


 * Good RSS Habits**
 * Set aside a small block of time to read your feeds everyday.
 * Clean house often, RSS subscriptions tend to pile up.
 * Don't feel like you have to read every post on every blog, use the "Mark Read" option.

[|Wrangling your RSS Feeds] by Amy Sample Ward

=3. Set Up Your Search Feeds=


 * Process**
 * Do search at site for the first time.
 * Add an RSS feed to your reader.
 * Monitor in your reader, engage when needed.


 * Tools**
 * [|Google Alerts]
 * [|Social Mention]
 * [|Twitter Search]

You'll want to identify and follow key bloggers in your NGO or CSO space, especially if you are planning to blog or are doing any blogger-relations programs.
 * Define your niche.
 * Find bridge bloggers [|alltop.com]
 * Add them to your RSS reader.

You can also use [|OpenBook] to search on Facebook.

Finding Bridge Bloggers by Beth Kanter Social Media Listening Wiki by Beth Kanter

=4. Start Listening and Refine=

Your initial listening might seem overwhelming, but you should be able to quickly home in on these tasks after 2-3 weeks:
 * Identify the dozen or so best keywords or phrases to monitor related to your marketing and communications objectives.
 * Summarize where conversations are occurring and the main topics that are resonating within targeted communities related to your marketing and communications objectives.
 * Develop a list of 15-20 thought leaders discussing key issues/topics related to your marketing and communications objectives.

=5. The Art of Responding= = =

What if no one is talking about your organization? That means it is time to start engaging. Once you have a policy around who will respond, you will get down to commenting and engaging in conversation. Here are some tips:
 * [|The Art of Commenting] by Beth Kanter
 * [|How to Comment like a Queen] by Vicky Davis
 * [|Social Media Anger Management Tips: Interview with Carie Lewis] by Beth Kanter

=**6. Reporting, Pattern Analysis and Seeing Trends Over Time**=

[|listening report template(2).pdf]