NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? NASBLA is involved in numerous Social Media that all serve a distinct purpose. So, what are they all for?

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? Twitter: 140-character messaging. Usually status updates, link sharing, or short announcements.

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? Facebook : Connects social contacts, also provides video and photo sharing as well as status updates.

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? Flickr: Photo sharing.

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? YouTube: Video sharing.

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? SlideShare: Sharing PowerPoint or slide show presentations.

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? Linkedin: Connects professional contacts.

NASBLA Social Media: What is it for? BaseCamp: a web-based project management and collaboration tool. Features: To-dos, files, messages, schedules and milestones.

NASBLA Connect does all this and more! The Connected Community features everything all of the aforementioned Social Media do, except it is NASBLA- focused and is all relevant to boating education, safety, and any other content that NASBLA members care about.

But WHAT IS IT? NASBLA Connect “enables nonprofits, charities and associations to effectively capitalize on technology to deliver new value to their constituency by providing easy- to-use collaboration and communication tools. Connected Community™ is the only software suite of social networking, collaboration, and community tools built exclusively to meet the unique needs of the not-for-profit market.”

Being a “NASBLA-focused” social medium, NASBLA Connect focuses only on content that is relevant to NASBLA and its members. By engaging in the Connected Community, you will be able to: Share ideas among colleagues in an open discussion forum that will generate helpful feedback. Build specific communities that members may join and participate in by uploading documents and starting conversations. Reference and participate in organized libraries that feature documents uploaded by members from a variety of organizations. Read blogs by other members or write your own. Promote your organization’s message to other boating safety professionals. Subscribe to RSS feeds about topics that are relevant to you. Search the directory for a specific member as well as connect to and directly message that member. And much more! The NASBLA Connect Difference

A link to NASBLA Connect is available on or you may access it through a direct address: community.nasbla.org How to get to NASBLA Connect

The NASBLA Connect Homepage includes helpful quick links that users will engage with the most: Latest discussions Quick Links to Communities, Egroups, & Members Recent Blogs Popular Search Terms Most Active Members Recently Uploaded Documents Links to NASBLA Social Media The Homepage

To log in, click the login link in the top right corner of community.nasbla.org. Your login information will be the same the login you use for the NASBLA website. For instance, if you’ve ever registered for a conference, etc. through NASBLA.org, use the same information. Logging In

If you don’t have a NASBLA login, you will need to create one. To do this, go to the public login link through the NASBLA site. That link is: Logging In

Once you are logged in, click “Profile” in the top right corner Building Your Profile

Once you click Profile in the top right corner, you will be taken to a page that will allow you to edit your profile. Use your profile to tell other members about yourself: Upload a picture. Provide a bio. List past work history and education. List your certifications and interests. Add other social media contact information (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) The profile will also show what communities and networks you are a part of as well as your contacts and recent postings. You can provide as much or as little information about yourself as you like. Building Your Profile

Sample Profile Page

After you have completed your profile, it is time to engage in some communities! To find which member created communities you would like to join, click the Directory pull- down menu on the homepage and click View All Communities. Communities

You will then be taken to this screen where you can view your communities, view your contacts’ communities, search communities, view communities by type, or create a community. You will already be added to communities that you are in on the NASBLA website. For example, if you are on a committee or have taken a boating safety course in the past, you will be in this community. You can request to join member-created communities that are not populated by nasbla.org as well. Joining Communities

Next, it is time to start a discussion. You can do this two different ways. The first is through the homepage. On the homepage, you will see a box labeled latest discussions, and in the bottom right corner there is a link labeled Post. Starting a Discussion

The second way to get to post a discussion is to click the drop-down menu Discussions and click the option Post a Message. Starting a Discussion

After clicking Post on the homepage or the drop-down menu, you will be taken to a screen where you can then type your message. Next, you will be asked to which Egroup within a Community you would like to post your message. Starting a Discussion

The final posted message will then look like this:

NASBLA Connect is a great place to share ideas. As opposed to starting a discussion, you can also write a blog, which serves as a longer, more formulated opinion page that can be updated regularly and is linked to your profile. Writing a Blog

Writing a blog can be done two ways (much like starting a discussion). The first is through the homepage. After logging in, you will see the most recent blogs on the homepage. In the corner of the recent blogs there is a link that says Post. This will allow you to post your own blog. Writing a Blog

The second way to write a blog is to access the drop-down menu labeled Blogs and then click the Create a New Blog option. Writing a Blog

You will then be taken to a screen that will allow you to write and publish your blog. You can also add HTML to the blog, and select privacy options for the post. Writing a Blog

The final posted blog will look like this:

The libraries within the NASBLA Connect serve as a reference tool for members. By uploading documents into specific libraries, information then becomes organized and readily available for members of the boating community that participate in NASBLA Connect but may be from different organizations. When a high volume of members begin making a habit of uploading these types of files, NASBLA Connect will become a knowledge management tool that is unprecedented in the boating community! Libraries

Members can upload any kind of files that they want to share. Documents that members may want to make available include: Press releases Public service announcements Annual reports Strategic plans Boating education materials and handbooks Copies of legislation Surveys and testimonials

Much like starting a discussion or writing a blog, adding a file to a library can be done two ways. The first is through the homepage. On the homepage there is a box titled Recently Shared Files. In the right corner there is a link titled Add Document. Click that link. Adding a File to a Library

The second way to add a document is by clicking the pull-down menu on the homepage labeled Libraries and clicking Add a New Entry. Adding a File to a Library

You will then be taken to a page where you will be asked the title of your document, a brief description of the document, and library in which it should be listed. After choosing these options, click Next. Adding a File to a Library

You will then be asked to chose the file you would like to upload. After choosing the file, click Upload Files. Then click Next. Adding a File to a Library

Once your file is uploaded, click next.

You will then be able to view your document in the library. Other members will have the option to rate or comment on your document. Adding a File to a Library

Just like other social media outlets, you can directly connect to other members and add them to your Contact. By adding other members as Contacts, you will then be able to direct message them. Connecting to Other Members

To find a member, click the pull-down menu labeled Directory on the homepage and select the option Find a Member. Connecting to Other Members

You will then be taken to a screen that will allow you to search for the member you are looking for. Connecting to Other Members

Once you find the member you are looking for, you can then add that person as a contact. Connecting to Other Members

Now that you have had a short tutorial on some of the features of NASBLA Connect, go explore the site to see how it can work best for you and your organization. The best way to understand NASBLA Connect is the trial and error that comes from exploring the site yourself. Engage!

If you still have questions about NASBLA Connect, would like to set up a Go-To meeting live demo, or discuss how your organization can best benefit from its use, please contact: Ron Sarver Deputy Director NASBLA Questions?