It is now clear that the many parts of what can be described as Social Media are not merely the fantasies of an elite group of nerds but are a set of excellent tools can help the very small organization - business or NGO or artist etc - to do so much more for less.
An artist of musician can break out more easily - she/he can attract a core of supporters who can act as both an amplifier for their work and also as a sense maker for the scene keeping the artist in context.
A small business can have the marketing and power of a very large one - it can use video online to show what it does, who are the people involved, answer questions - it can use Twitter to follow trends, pick up problems and opportunities - to have the kind of research that a major corporation would die to get. It can use powerful tools to write, present, handle numbers, keep the group in touch that the larger organizations would envy. It can attach it self to a wide range of resources and help.
A small NGO can get its message out, build a powerful support group - it can tell stories that help stimulate change - be more effective for much less money.
The very small can use these tools to have the power of the very large - for almost no extra cost.
But there is a catch.
Where do you learn this? There are no courses run by the usual institutions.
How also do you get over the fear of the really new?
The place could be the Queen Street Commons and we can get over our fears of the new by helping each other as well as having some experts.
Here is a link to the Queen Street Commons Blog where you can see what kind of place this is.
We will host a series of lunchtime meetings where we will have conversations about how to do many of the things that will enable you to become good at using these tools. Each meeting will have a few people who know a lot but the meeting will also be designed as a conversation. You too will have a lot to offer.
Outside the meeting we will set up a supporting online community where you can try stuff and seek help from the people that you have met face to face.
Our intent is to have not only "teachers" but also people like you who have already put their toe in the water - fellow explorers who have not got it all solved - people like you who don't have all the answers yet.
With luck you will find an ongoing resource in this group - "go to" experts that can answer a question or solve a problem - confidants - suppliers - new customers - friends.
Some of the topics that we are thinking about might be:
- How to make and use video online
- Leading to how to tell a good story
- How to use Twitter to listen and to influence
- How to use the web - community building - blogging etc
- How to use a wide range of free or close to free tools on the web - from Word Processing to Blogging
- How to create your own "Place" on the web - your TV/radio station - Your Community etc
- Setting up and running networks
We plan to offer these during the lunch hour. The price will be affordable by any individual or small organization.
I have not talked about the details yet because I still have some work to do in staffing and scheduling.
What do you think? Will this help you? Would you like to help.
