Everyone wants to increase their followers to spread their message or to connect with their customers. We’ve talked about posting a photo in your blog or on Facebook or Twitter and how it increases engagement, the result being you are more likely to have your content shared with others.  Be careful when you post a photo, even if you give credit to the source, you still might find yourself infringing on a copyright.  We recommend that you follow the guidelines posted here.

Recently I attended a free webinar from Idealware and Techsoup entitled: “Create Dynamic Online Training.”  Here are my top three takeaways from the webinar:

In the past, I’ve blogged about using Twitter during your next event. Now I’m going to recommend Twitter tools and applications that will help you incorporate an interactive Twitter screen into your next conference that a learned about during a free NTEN Webinar presented by Avi Kaplan form Rad Campaign .  Before your event begins, setup a twitter hashtag for your next conference.  For example, #ntc12 is one that NTEN uses for their annual conference.   Don’t forget to use it prior to the event and publish it in your confirmation and reminder emails. 

Measuring your data may seem like daunting task.  There are stages of measurement acceptance, and we move form denial, fear, confusion, to the ultimate goal of being data informed.  We eventually want to get to the point where we discuss and have weekly updates about what are data is telling us.

SXSW is currently underway, and techies are wondering what startup or app will breakout as the hit of the event.  While I’m not a conference attendee in Austin, and I don’t have a crystal ball,  I’ve found two items that I’ve put on my watch list that have the potential to benefit both conference organizers and attendees. 

Nonprofit Webinars recently offered a free webinar entitled “Bootstrapping Your Social Media Engagement, “ which was hosted by Debra Askanse.  I’ve attended NTEN conference seminars that she has presented, so I immediately signed up for this webinar when I saw that she was the host.  She’s has a wealth of social media knowledge, and she’s always willing to answer everyone’s questions.

 Kiss your paper sign-up lists and your endless email strings goodbye!  I’m sure your nonprofit has a sign up list of some kind, and I’ve found a tool to help you organize and follow through with those lovely lists!

After attending a fabulous MeetingsFocus webinar on “The Latest Tech Tools,” I couldn’t wait to check out all links that they provided. Jim Spellos, a MS Office Specialist and New York University Professor, was the presenter. If you don’t read any further, please do yourself a favor and follow him on Twitter @jspellos.

 What are your plans on St. Patrick’s Day?  If you’re in the DC area, I hope you can help us out.
John and I looking forward to volunteering through NTC’s Day of Service at the WildTech CCNV 1st Annual eCycle DC!

New smart phone apps are constantly being released. Recommending apps to your event attendees is a great way to enhance their conference experience, and it’s another way for you and your staff to increase your level of customer service. Recently I’ve been writing smart phone app articles for Meeting Planners International of Greater New York's Metroline publication. I’d like to share my findings with you, and I think you’ll discover that they’ll help you become more efficient and greener.