Web 2.0 and Social Networking Survey

Reprinted from TechSoup.

[Earlier this month], Citizen Schools and the Public Learning Media Laboratory launched a survey to gather details about specific Web 2.0 and social networking technologies that nonprofits are using.

This follows a survey the groups published in March, called Web 2.0 & Social Networking Nonprofit Survey. That survey found:

* Respondents were optimistic about the value of social networking technologies to “organize an event” and “spread news” about the organization.

* Respondents were less optimistic about the prospects of social networking technologies to help raise significant monetary or goods donations for their organization.

* Respondents indicated that “web traffic” was the most prominent value they have gained through use of various technologies. Other specific gains were harder to quantify.

* Respondents indicated that a successful social networking technology integration strategy would include the following elements:

1. Know your options, get informed, learn from others

2. Identify:

a. What you want to accomplish, and why you should use technologies

b. An appropriate fit between the strengths of a particular technology and your organization’s mission

3. Indicate reasonable, realistic metrics and measures for success

4. Develop organizational support and personnel

5. Launch, evaluate, reiterate, repeat.

Check out the full 20-page report from the first survey and take a few minutes to contribute the thoughts for your nonprofit in their new survey today.