1. Utilizing Web 2.0 Technologies For Community Communications Rob Ferrari Director, IT/Operations Michigan Municipal League rferrari@mml.org

2. What is Web 2.0? enhance creativityinformation sharing collaboration among users  Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users.

3. Communications Shift Fundamental Shift of Power

4. Communications Shift How does this apply?  Citizens expect to interact with you differently  Other industries are adapting based on these changes  You should too

5. What is Out There?  Social Networking  Facebook  Twitter  Videos/Pictures  YouTube  Flickr  Blogs

6. Facebook  A free-access social networking website.  Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school and region.  Statistics  More than 300 million active users  6 billion minutes are spent on FB each day  More than 65 million active users access FB via their mobile devices

7. Twitter  A free social networking and micro-blogging service  Users send and read messages known as “tweets”  Tweets are up to 140 characters  Statistics  More than 21 million users  Largest demographic – 45 – 54 year olds

8. YouTube  A video sharing website on which users can upload and share video clips.  Most of the content is user-generated and uploaded  One of the most powerful marketing platforms  Statistics  100 million U.S. viewers (March 2009)  Viewed 14.8 billion online videos (January 2009)

9. Flickr  An photo and video hosting website.  Photo management and sharing application.  Social Networking via photos  Statistics  Hosting more than 3 billion images

10. Blogs  A contraction of the term “weblog”  A type of website with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or other material such as images and video.  Inside 208  Free Blog Sites  Blogger.com  Wordpress.com  LiveJournal

11. Mashable  The Social Media Guide  The world’s largest blog focused on Web 2.0 and Social Media news.

12. What’s in YOUR Community?  Flickr  YouTube  Facebook  Twitter  Blogs  Technorati

13. Opportunities  A website is not enough  No more information dumps  Create a conversation Bi-directional communication  Location, Location, Location

14. Communication Strategies  Multi-layered Approach E-mail – Blogs – Audio - Video Start Slow Be Consistent

15. Effective Communication  Provide Value  Regular  Real (honest, authentic, feels like communication)  Transparent  Action-oriented

16. Get Started Now  Tools are less expensive  Facebook, YouTube, Flickr = Free  Technology flattens communities  Events are easily organized and publicized