Listening to the Groundswell

Probably the best book I've read on how the Internet has changed our world is Groundswell, Similar to my posting last week on how donors are bypassing traditional nonprofits to make direct contributions, authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff define groundswell as a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations.

The main idea is how organizations can use tools such as blogs, social networks, wikis,  forums and other web 2.0 technologies to listen and to communicate with customers.  Many examples are offered such as Salesforce's IdeaExchange and Dell's IdeaStorm where customers participate in an online community to help develop products.  This is a very different approach to how communication and branding have traditionally been handled since no longer is the organization controlling the messaging vehicle and the content.

How can we apply these ideas to nonprofits?  By engaging with our constituents all year, not only when we are seeking a donation.  By having a presence on social networking sites.  By communicating through blogs and paying attention to what others are blogging about our cause.  By rewarding constituents who not only support our organizations, but also spread the word to others.

It's not so important that we figure out which tools we should use, but instead utilize whatever technologies are available to connect with our audience.  As the authors point out, Even though you may have a clear vision of what the company needs to do, getting the company to embrace the groundswell will take a lot of small steps and a lot of time.  The first step is to find others in your organization who already understand the value of these strategies and can help win management support, which is essential for successful implementation.

See the Groundswell blog for more ideas on how to get started. .