Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange

Top Social Networks for Connecting with Donors, Volunteers and Those Who Want to Quit

 Social media is incredibly integrated into our daily lives.

People who want to quit smoking can find help and support at BecomeAnEx, or they can find others on social networks who can offer localized assistance through county health departments or nonprofits. 

Organizations that offer help can use networks to connect with smokers, and also donors, potential donors, volunteers, workers, grant givers and more.

Last month, Website Magazine listed the top 50 social media resources used today. The top 10 include:

1. Facebook
2. YouTube
3. MySpace
4. Twitter
5. flickr
6. Photobucket
7. LinkedIn
8. Digg
9. Ning
10. Yelp

Which of these networks are you on personally? Is your group or health department also active on these networks? If not, what are your top questions on how to get involved?

TFF Contest Highlights Facebook Promotions

Tobacco Free Florida has an amazing social media presence.

Today in my Facebook stream, I discovered their new contest:

Tobacco Free Florida has an incredible social media presence. They use it to touch base with the public - their target audience - with outreach messages. This contest is a terrific way to get them even more involved in TFF's Facebook page.

Check out the full contest details here:

http://www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida?v=app_28134323652 

This is just one example of how groups can reach Missourians with a smoke-free message, details about pending legislation, quit resources and more. 

Join Us on Facebook!

If you haven't already, be sure to join Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange on Facebook! 

You can post photos from events and participate in discussions on tobacco issues- plus, you will receive updates from the blog in your Facebook stream.

For more information, email motobaccocontrol@gmail.com.

We Are on Facebook!

Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange is now on Facebook! Be sure to join our Fan Page to show support for clean  air throughout the Show-Me State.

Why Online Comments Are Important

KRCG TV reports that Missouri tobacco farmers are having a rough year since Philip Morris said it would no longer purchase their products.

Check out the comments on this article, as well as in this August story at Student Life, the newspaper of Washington University, and in response to a letter in support of a Kansas smoking ban at Kansan.com.

The pro-tobacco lobby is out there, just waiting for the next pro clean air story to appear. Using public comment sections, those behind these efforts can spread their message that nearly anything negative about cigarettes and tobacco is a lie.

This strategy is to discredit all agencies that promote smoke-free living by making secondhand smoke and other scientifically-proven facts conspiracies. Sometimes you will find these comments verbatim at other sites. Many times, the same handles appear at various sites. If you are a site administrator, you can see the email or IP address is the same for those who may use different names.

This is why it is incredibly important to comment at blogs and Web sites that talk about tobacco issues - especially in your local area. Be polite, be factual, but BE THERE. If you can, don't use the same comment over and over again. Rewrite it different ways so it is unique - and so other users don't think you are spamming.

Find more details about commenting at How to Leave Comments on Blogs and Web sites. Also, ProBlogger.net offers an interesting post about comments. The comments from readers are especially interesting and offer good tips.

How to Leave Comments on Blogs and Web sites

Comments are a terrific way to get involved in online discussions. They also help promote your own blog or Web site.

The pro-tobacco lobby utilizes comments to the extreme. When you visit stories about clean air acts, secondhand smoke and the like, many times you will find comments about how the data is flawed, civil rights are being violated, etc. Sometimes, you will find different users posting the exact same comments - which means their network creates a list of approved comments for all users to post everywhere.

Advocates for clean air can be much more creative about it. When you leave a comment, make sure it has meaning. Offer something new to the discussion, ask follow up questions of the author, respond to someone else's comment. The possibilities are endless. Be creative - and do NOT leave a "canned" response - those are considered spam by many online users.

Sites have different requirements for leaving comments. Sometimes, you will need to sign up for a site-exclusive account - particularly on newspaper Web sites. Many blogs allow you to use your blog account, or Open ID, so you don't have to create anything new. Other sites allow you to post comments anonymously or allow you to simply insert your name, email (never published) and Web site and comment without any fuss.

Caroline Middlebrook has a good post about the proper ways to leave comments - with a list of comments that don't work. Be sure to read some of the comments at the end of the post. ProBlogger has a terrific post about how comments can benefit your online presence. 

For more information on New Media, check out our free eBook, Social Media 101, A quick guide to Web sites, blogs and social networks for smoke-free advocates. (PDF)

Video: Using Facebook to Grow Your Business

Though this presentation focuses on businesses, the principles apply to nonprofits and advocates as well. One thing I truly appreciate in this presentation is on slide No. 22, where the author, Fluid Studio, tells businesses that using Facebook allows them to manage their reputation.

Using Facebook to Grow Your Business

View more documents from Fluid Studio.

How to Write Great Blog Copy

For some in the nonprofit world, it is difficult to translate facts, figures and news releases into blog posts.

Dan Kauffman offers up five quick and easy tips on how to write sizzling blog copy at ProBlogger.

For more information on how to use the Internet for free publicity and to develop a donor and volunteer base, check out the Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange New Media Matters posts.

Also, download this free, 18-page guide on social media, which offers quick tips on social media, using audio and video for outreach, how to create emailed newsletters and more.

Protect Your Health... When You Blog

At Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange, we talk a lot about the importance of using social networks and blogs to build your audience.

Sometimes, this can lead to several extra hours in front of the computer - which isn't exactly good for your health.

ProBlogger offers an incredible guest post about staying healthy while working online. The article from health expert Adam Steer offers advice on how to avoid carpal tunnel, poor posture and more. Be sure to view the videos embedded in the entry.

Ping Your Blog

Once you create a blog, it is important to be sure search engines know when you update. You can Ping your blog automatically in several services. Pinging a blog means, quite simply, your blog taps search engines on their virtual shoulders to let them know it has new content.

Below is a video that shows how to ping in a Wordpress.com blog. You can also ping Blogger and Typepad blogs; just visit the Help sections for more details. Visit this link for a comprehensive list of sites to ping.

If you haven't started a blog, be sure to check out these Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange posts:

Blogs: Promote Your Cessation Message Easily to Thousands

Blogging Part II: Practical Aspects of Blogging