How and Why Rockland County Nonprofits are Tweeting
In this blogpost, Stephanie (aka @RocklandBizBuzz) takes a look at how some Rockland County nonprofits are utilizing Twitter today.
The last two RocklandBizBuzz blogposts examined how a variety of Rockland County area businesses are using Twitter; by design, the posts didn't focus on any one type of business or organization. For this blogpost, I elected to focus specifically on Rockland County area nonprofits who are utilizing Twitter. In general, I have been noticing recently, both here in Rockland and beyond, that an increasing number of nonprofits are now tweeting. So, I conducted interviews with several of our area's nonprofits' representatives who commented on how and why their organizations are using Twitter today here in Rockland County.
Jawonio (aka @Jawonio on Twitter) writes tweets often in an effort to raise community awareness about the services and support Jawonio offers for individuals with disabilities and special needs. Jawonio communications director Diana Hess explains: "As a non-profit, we must approach our outreach efforts in an efficient way. If we tweet about our hearing aid dispensary, our health center and women's gynecology center, [or] our new adult mental health services, you may say, I thought I knew Jawonio, but in that 30 seconds or so it took me to [read that] tweet, I learned something." Ms. Hess also explained that Jawonio not only sees value in being 'followed' on Twitter but also sees great value and possibilities for connections in 'following' others, in that Twitter is a two-way street of sorts: "We think that it's also critical that people who are following us, may look for ways to help us too. I think that 'helping tweets' work both ways and [in] many ways. For instance, Jawonio is following governmental organizations and private organizations that either have research money or grant money available."
Different organizations and agencies are using Twitter in different ways, and not all nonprofits in Rockland are both 'followed' and 'following'. For example, the JCC of Rockland (aka @JCCRockland on Twitter), an organization that offers recreational, physical, educational, social, and cultural programs, currently does not follow others on Twitter but does have followers. This organization currently finds far more value and community presence in Facebook, but also sees the possibilities in educating other organizations on Twitter about what JCC Rockland has to offer. Joshua Krakoff, Chief Operating Officer of JCC Rockland, explains: "Facebook....is a more reliable source for outreach for our organization than Twitter - a lot more of our members use Facebook [and] our community is more likely to be on Facebook than on Twitter. Nonprofits are still figuring out how best to make use of Twitter. We use it largely to publicize big events, but I find that the majority of our members are not on Twitter yet, [so] I think the biggest benefit to us has been in linking us with other organizations doing similar work. Mostly it has provided access to a network of other professional and communal organizations both in Rockland and beyond."
The Palisades Federal Credit Union (aka @Palisades_FCU on Twitter), a not-for-profit credit union serving Rockland County, also acknowledges that their audience may be more likely to be on Facebook than on Twitter at this time, but "it [Twitter] seems to be gaining momentum everyday", according to Michelle Hopkins, PFCU Marketing Manager. Palisades Federal Credit Union has recently been very active on Twitter, especially when promoting a low-priced gas promotion at a local gas station in Rockland, but the organization's tweets are not limited to promotions. Ms. Hopkins explains: "It [Twitter] is a great way to communicate directly with our current members, other organizations and potential members for free....We want to be current. We want to be where our members are and be relevant to others. We hope to get more exposure to the community but we also want a direct line of communication to our members and vice versa."
It will be interesting to see, three months from now, six months from now, a year from now, etc., how the level of engagement changes in Rockland County with regard to social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and others, and if and when only one social media service will emerge as the favorite, or will instead enjoy sharing the spotlight together.
Posted by Stephanie on October 22, 2009 at 1:22pm ET
Questions/Comments/Feedback?
Contact Stephanie on Twitter @RocklandBizBuzz, "Rockland BizBuzz" on Facebook or by email at RocklandBizBuzz@gmail.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Rockland County Businesses Put the Twitter Bluebird to Work (Part 2 of 2)
Rockland County Businesses Put the Twitter Bluebird to Work (Part 2 of 2)
In this blogpost (Part 2 of 2), Stephanie (aka @RocklandBizBuzz) takes another look at how some Rockland County businesses are utilizing Twitter today.
Part 1 of this blogpost took a look at how some businesses in Rockland County are utilizing Twitter today. We heard from a family-owned lumber business, a Rockland County website for women/moms, a motor skill development/gymnastics center, and a local music entrepreneur. With a variety of businesses specialties comes a variety of perspectives, so in this blogpost (Part 2 of 2), I interviewed more of our Rockland neighbors who represent other types of businesses, in order to gain additional perspectives on how Rockland County businesses are using Twitter.
As any "news junkie" will tell you (I 'resemble that remark' by the way!), it is notable that one of the first industry areas who saw, and continues to see, great value in Twitter was/is the media industry. Richard Gandon (aka @RamapoTimes on Twitter) is the publisher of Ramapo Times, an online-only news portal with over 25,000 email subscribers. During our interview, he described Ramapo Times as “community news, by the community, for the community” that aims to “keep the Ramapo community and its neighbors informed and engaged”. According to Gandon, Twitter “gives Ramapo Times the ability to inform the public quickly in a non-intrusive way”. This may be seen daily, as @RamapoTimes' tweets often state a news headline in the tweet, then provide a clickable link back to the news website so readers can get the full story. Gandon also commented on the importance of not only broadcasting, but also listening on Twitter. He explains, “Listening (on Twitter) allows us (Ramapo Times) to get a pulse for what the community is talking about.”
Gloria Collins, owner of GBCstyle, also sees great value in Twitter, and sometimes directly addresses this fact with enthusiastic tweets about how Twitter is helping bring together the local Rockland community when she tweets as @GBCstyle. Collins, who said the emphasis of her tweets is often about "sustainable designs, organic produce, eco-friendly goods, and especially support for local farmers" also likes the immediacy and connectivity created not only locally, but beyond as well. During our interview, Collins expressed her excitement at how she enjoys listening to, and tweeting with, thought leaders in her field that live/work beyond Rockland, and how she can then bring back helpful information to share with her Rockland County neighbors. She delights in her newfound access to tweet back and forth with leaders in her field who share her passions of healthy living, respecting the environment, and supporting local community, and local farmers in particular.
In general on Twitter, tweets can often inform or entertain, but one Rockland County business owner is setting herself apart by writing tweets that are tantalizing! Eileen Hughes, co-owner of Lanie Lou's cafe in Blauvelt (aka @LanieLousCafe), who describes herself as "interested in social media", often writes tweets that whet the appetite. (For example, one of her recent tweets described food items just out of the oven with delicious adjectives!). Her tweets also serve double-duty in that they inform her customers about the specials of the day, whether it be the soup specials, or which varieties of pies are featured on Friday "pie days". Hughes sees the customer service application of tweeting. She explained that her decision to add a Twitter widget to her cafe's website was somewhat based on the customer calls she would receive at the cafe, which very often are inquiries about daily specials.
There are also differences not only in how Rockland area businesses are utilizing Twitter, but also in how they are making choices about Twitter names. Some owners of businesses that serve Rockland County make the decision to tweet under their company names, while others have decided to tweet under their personal names. Dr. Jill Greenbaum, owner of www.majorinyou.com is one such example; she tweets as @JillGreenbaum. With regard to her decision to tweet under her personal name, she explains "in my business-coaching-it's all about developing personal relationships." Greenbaum describes her role as "to coach overwhelmed/anxious teens to engage in their college searches w/ confidence & excitement" and "finding colleges (for them) that are the right fit". She explains the success she has experienced using her personal Twitter handle for business: "I have used Twitter to successfully network and further relationships with existing colleagues, discover new colleagues, do research/solicit information and resources for a few of my projects, and to be more connected with people I will want to work with in the future." Greenbaum also explains that she appreciates the efficiency and speed of Twitter as compared with some other social media, "I follow several of my coaches and mentors and love to stay up to date on what they're talking about, learning, and doing (and) Twitter gets me to resources faster and more frequently than Facebook."
Whether Rockland County business owners and leaders are tweeting under their company's brand, or their personal names, whether they are using Twitter to inform, entertain, encourage local support, tantalize, or help, one overall trend seems clear- Rockland County is quickly becoming (bad pun alert, here it comes:) "all a-Twitter" with excitement. Still, it is important to point out that most interviews I conducted for both Part 1 and Part 2 of this blogpost indicated that at this time business owners believe that more Rockland customers are active on social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn than on Twitter. Will this change? Will it change soon? Only time will tell. You can be sure that I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for changing trends and new developments and will continue to share with you what I observe and discover, here on RocklandBizBuzz.blogspot.com, via @RocklandBizBuzz on Twitter, and on Facebook at Rockland BizBuzz.
-Posted by Stephanie 12:35pm ET Friday October 9, 2009
Questions/Comments/Feedback?
Stephanie may be reached via social media or via email at RocklandBizBuzz@gmail.com
In this blogpost (Part 2 of 2), Stephanie (aka @RocklandBizBuzz) takes another look at how some Rockland County businesses are utilizing Twitter today.
Part 1 of this blogpost took a look at how some businesses in Rockland County are utilizing Twitter today. We heard from a family-owned lumber business, a Rockland County website for women/moms, a motor skill development/gymnastics center, and a local music entrepreneur. With a variety of businesses specialties comes a variety of perspectives, so in this blogpost (Part 2 of 2), I interviewed more of our Rockland neighbors who represent other types of businesses, in order to gain additional perspectives on how Rockland County businesses are using Twitter.
As any "news junkie" will tell you (I 'resemble that remark' by the way!), it is notable that one of the first industry areas who saw, and continues to see, great value in Twitter was/is the media industry. Richard Gandon (aka @RamapoTimes on Twitter) is the publisher of Ramapo Times, an online-only news portal with over 25,000 email subscribers. During our interview, he described Ramapo Times as “community news, by the community, for the community” that aims to “keep the Ramapo community and its neighbors informed and engaged”. According to Gandon, Twitter “gives Ramapo Times the ability to inform the public quickly in a non-intrusive way”. This may be seen daily, as @RamapoTimes' tweets often state a news headline in the tweet, then provide a clickable link back to the news website so readers can get the full story. Gandon also commented on the importance of not only broadcasting, but also listening on Twitter. He explains, “Listening (on Twitter) allows us (Ramapo Times) to get a pulse for what the community is talking about.”
Gloria Collins, owner of GBCstyle, also sees great value in Twitter, and sometimes directly addresses this fact with enthusiastic tweets about how Twitter is helping bring together the local Rockland community when she tweets as @GBCstyle. Collins, who said the emphasis of her tweets is often about "sustainable designs, organic produce, eco-friendly goods, and especially support for local farmers" also likes the immediacy and connectivity created not only locally, but beyond as well. During our interview, Collins expressed her excitement at how she enjoys listening to, and tweeting with, thought leaders in her field that live/work beyond Rockland, and how she can then bring back helpful information to share with her Rockland County neighbors. She delights in her newfound access to tweet back and forth with leaders in her field who share her passions of healthy living, respecting the environment, and supporting local community, and local farmers in particular.
In general on Twitter, tweets can often inform or entertain, but one Rockland County business owner is setting herself apart by writing tweets that are tantalizing! Eileen Hughes, co-owner of Lanie Lou's cafe in Blauvelt (aka @LanieLousCafe), who describes herself as "interested in social media", often writes tweets that whet the appetite. (For example, one of her recent tweets described food items just out of the oven with delicious adjectives!). Her tweets also serve double-duty in that they inform her customers about the specials of the day, whether it be the soup specials, or which varieties of pies are featured on Friday "pie days". Hughes sees the customer service application of tweeting. She explained that her decision to add a Twitter widget to her cafe's website was somewhat based on the customer calls she would receive at the cafe, which very often are inquiries about daily specials.
There are also differences not only in how Rockland area businesses are utilizing Twitter, but also in how they are making choices about Twitter names. Some owners of businesses that serve Rockland County make the decision to tweet under their company names, while others have decided to tweet under their personal names. Dr. Jill Greenbaum, owner of www.majorinyou.com is one such example; she tweets as @JillGreenbaum. With regard to her decision to tweet under her personal name, she explains "in my business-coaching-it's all about developing personal relationships." Greenbaum describes her role as "to coach overwhelmed/anxious teens to engage in their college searches w/ confidence & excitement" and "finding colleges (for them) that are the right fit". She explains the success she has experienced using her personal Twitter handle for business: "I have used Twitter to successfully network and further relationships with existing colleagues, discover new colleagues, do research/solicit information and resources for a few of my projects, and to be more connected with people I will want to work with in the future." Greenbaum also explains that she appreciates the efficiency and speed of Twitter as compared with some other social media, "I follow several of my coaches and mentors and love to stay up to date on what they're talking about, learning, and doing (and) Twitter gets me to resources faster and more frequently than Facebook."
Whether Rockland County business owners and leaders are tweeting under their company's brand, or their personal names, whether they are using Twitter to inform, entertain, encourage local support, tantalize, or help, one overall trend seems clear- Rockland County is quickly becoming (bad pun alert, here it comes:) "all a-Twitter" with excitement. Still, it is important to point out that most interviews I conducted for both Part 1 and Part 2 of this blogpost indicated that at this time business owners believe that more Rockland customers are active on social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn than on Twitter. Will this change? Will it change soon? Only time will tell. You can be sure that I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for changing trends and new developments and will continue to share with you what I observe and discover, here on RocklandBizBuzz.blogspot.com, via @RocklandBizBuzz on Twitter, and on Facebook at Rockland BizBuzz.
-Posted by Stephanie 12:35pm ET Friday October 9, 2009
Questions/Comments/Feedback?
Stephanie may be reached via social media or via email at RocklandBizBuzz@gmail.com
Monday, October 5, 2009
Rockland County Businesses Put the Twitter Bluebird to Work (Part 1 of 2)
Rockland County Businesses Put the Twitter Bluebird to Work (Part 1 of 2)
In this blogpost (Part 1 of 2), Stephanie (aka @RocklandBizBuzz) takes a look at how some Rockland County businesses are utilizing Twitter today.*
If you’re a business owner tweeting in Rockland County, you’re not alone! After noticing an increase recently in the number of @RocklandBizBuzz followers on Twitter who represent and/or are affiliated with Rockland County businesses, I decided to seek out more information directly from some business leaders themselves to find out how they’re using Twitter today, and if, how, and why they see value and possibility in this real-time short messaging service. The business owners/leaders I spoke and emailed with, knowing I had a set deadline, were kind enough to indulge me by responding to most of my questions in just about 'tweet-length' answers of around 140 characters, which gives me yet ANOTHER reason to love Rocklanders!
So what do Rockland business owners see in Twitter? Here's what they had to say:
Stephen Beckerle of the family-owned Beckerle Lumber with locations in Spring Valley, Congers, Orangeburg, and Haverstraw can be found on Twitter using the handle @BeckerleLumber. He is using Twitter to help get the message out that Beckerle Lumber is more than just lumber, in that his business also helps address home improvement needs such as windows, doors, kitchens, paint, and hardware. He sees value in tweeting because it is "instantaneous and free to access via cellphone or computer." With a keen business eye on the future, he envisions the possibilities of Twitter being used in a manner that is "like IMing (instant messaging) our customers".
Arleen Goldenberg (aka @SuzySaidRckland), principal of www.SuzySaid.com/Rockland says she has already seen her website traffic increase due to Twitter. It becomes clear from the business description she provided-"The County's website for women/moms dedicated to the best of everything local - things to do, restaurants and more"- why this communication tool would be very important for her business and why driving additional traffic to the website would be desirable. She explains, "in the short time we have been using Twitter, it has raised awareness of SuzySaid as a resource for local residents and increased our website traffic. Twitter allows you to meet business contacts and exchange information with them in a real-time format (and) is a way to reach new people, spread the word about the site and gather insight from County residents to share with our readers."
Brandy Seltzer (aka @TLGRockland), owner of The Little Gym of Rockland County, a motor skill development/gymnastics center in Spring Valley, also is enthusiastic about tweeting. She says Twitter is a "fun and useful" communication tool to stay in touch with the families of the children who visit her gym. Ms. Seltzer explains, "I feel that Twitter has allowed my business to reach more families and to have a constant communication with the families that come to the gym. We also use it to send out discounts and announcements." She not only likes the immediacy of tweeting, but also appreciates the "buzz" factor: "They (families) can respond to tweets that have been posted and create a buzz immediately for us."
For one Rockland County music entrepreneur, the sound of each business tweet is sweet music! Arnaldo T Cepeda, CEO of Almighty Music Enterprises LLC in Spring Valley, who describes his business as "A Music and Media Enterprise with divisions in Music Production, Publishing, Artist Development and Management, along with Marketing and Recording Services", tweets under the handle @AlmightyMusic. He explains,"Twitter has helped my business by exposing my services and generating client leads. For my business, Twitter is a new and effective way to market my services and music. It serves as a digital quick response platform to network and relate with new clients, fan, and colleagues." When asked if tweeting has different advantages than using other social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, etc., Mr. Cepeda sees a critical difference. "The difference with Twitter versus all other social networking is that it is more personable. Most artists in my industry have PR and marketing firms that run their MySpace and Facebook pages; with Twitter it's an instant response and so easy to manage that people do it themselves. Twitter has become the new technology handshake in a sense that a Retweet (RT) has become a dignified way to relate and connect with people."
Rockland County birdwatchers take note. You may be seeing and hearing that Twitter bluebird more often around town, tweeting in 140 characters or less from your neighborhood store or perhaps your favorite local website. Whether it's because Rockland businesses perceive that Twitter offers immediacy, value, a sense of on-line intimacy, facilitated business networking, or a newfound ability to find, connect, and stay in touch more readily with customers, some of our Rockland businesses are making fast friends with the Twitter bluebird.
Comments/Questions/Feedback? Feel free to comment below, or via Twitter/Facebook/email:
Twitter: @RocklandBizBuzz /Facebook: Rockland BizBuzz/ Email: RocklandBizBuzz@gmail.com
(Stephanie's note: *This is blogpost Part 1 of 2 of "Rockland County Businesses Put the Twitter Bluebird to Work". Part 2 to appear later this week on this blog, with additional perspectives and interview responses).
In this blogpost (Part 1 of 2), Stephanie (aka @RocklandBizBuzz) takes a look at how some Rockland County businesses are utilizing Twitter today.*
If you’re a business owner tweeting in Rockland County, you’re not alone! After noticing an increase recently in the number of @RocklandBizBuzz followers on Twitter who represent and/or are affiliated with Rockland County businesses, I decided to seek out more information directly from some business leaders themselves to find out how they’re using Twitter today, and if, how, and why they see value and possibility in this real-time short messaging service. The business owners/leaders I spoke and emailed with, knowing I had a set deadline, were kind enough to indulge me by responding to most of my questions in just about 'tweet-length' answers of around 140 characters, which gives me yet ANOTHER reason to love Rocklanders!
So what do Rockland business owners see in Twitter? Here's what they had to say:
Stephen Beckerle of the family-owned Beckerle Lumber with locations in Spring Valley, Congers, Orangeburg, and Haverstraw can be found on Twitter using the handle @BeckerleLumber. He is using Twitter to help get the message out that Beckerle Lumber is more than just lumber, in that his business also helps address home improvement needs such as windows, doors, kitchens, paint, and hardware. He sees value in tweeting because it is "instantaneous and free to access via cellphone or computer." With a keen business eye on the future, he envisions the possibilities of Twitter being used in a manner that is "like IMing (instant messaging) our customers".
Arleen Goldenberg (aka @SuzySaidRckland), principal of www.SuzySaid.com/Rockland says she has already seen her website traffic increase due to Twitter. It becomes clear from the business description she provided-"The County's website for women/moms dedicated to the best of everything local - things to do, restaurants and more"- why this communication tool would be very important for her business and why driving additional traffic to the website would be desirable. She explains, "in the short time we have been using Twitter, it has raised awareness of SuzySaid as a resource for local residents and increased our website traffic. Twitter allows you to meet business contacts and exchange information with them in a real-time format (and) is a way to reach new people, spread the word about the site and gather insight from County residents to share with our readers."
Brandy Seltzer (aka @TLGRockland), owner of The Little Gym of Rockland County, a motor skill development/gymnastics center in Spring Valley, also is enthusiastic about tweeting. She says Twitter is a "fun and useful" communication tool to stay in touch with the families of the children who visit her gym. Ms. Seltzer explains, "I feel that Twitter has allowed my business to reach more families and to have a constant communication with the families that come to the gym. We also use it to send out discounts and announcements." She not only likes the immediacy of tweeting, but also appreciates the "buzz" factor: "They (families) can respond to tweets that have been posted and create a buzz immediately for us."
For one Rockland County music entrepreneur, the sound of each business tweet is sweet music! Arnaldo T Cepeda, CEO of Almighty Music Enterprises LLC in Spring Valley, who describes his business as "A Music and Media Enterprise with divisions in Music Production, Publishing, Artist Development and Management, along with Marketing and Recording Services", tweets under the handle @AlmightyMusic. He explains,"Twitter has helped my business by exposing my services and generating client leads. For my business, Twitter is a new and effective way to market my services and music. It serves as a digital quick response platform to network and relate with new clients, fan, and colleagues." When asked if tweeting has different advantages than using other social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, etc., Mr. Cepeda sees a critical difference. "The difference with Twitter versus all other social networking is that it is more personable. Most artists in my industry have PR and marketing firms that run their MySpace and Facebook pages; with Twitter it's an instant response and so easy to manage that people do it themselves. Twitter has become the new technology handshake in a sense that a Retweet (RT) has become a dignified way to relate and connect with people."
Rockland County birdwatchers take note. You may be seeing and hearing that Twitter bluebird more often around town, tweeting in 140 characters or less from your neighborhood store or perhaps your favorite local website. Whether it's because Rockland businesses perceive that Twitter offers immediacy, value, a sense of on-line intimacy, facilitated business networking, or a newfound ability to find, connect, and stay in touch more readily with customers, some of our Rockland businesses are making fast friends with the Twitter bluebird.
Comments/Questions/Feedback? Feel free to comment below, or via Twitter/Facebook/email:
Twitter: @RocklandBizBuzz /Facebook: Rockland BizBuzz/ Email: RocklandBizBuzz@gmail.com
(Stephanie's note: *This is blogpost Part 1 of 2 of "Rockland County Businesses Put the Twitter Bluebird to Work". Part 2 to appear later this week on this blog, with additional perspectives and interview responses).
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