So you think you can’t blog?

Delaney Marra is a blogger. She blogs about kids’ softball, the books she’s reading, her dog Shortstop, and her family. She’s attractive and articulate. Delaney is 6 years old.

Fortunately for Delaney, her mom is Danielle Smith, a well-known blogger in her own right. Danielle’s family not only participated in Parents as Teachers, she was also a panelist at a recent Parents as Teachers Conference, helping parent educators understand that social media can be a safe, efficient and effective communication tool.

(If the idea of a 6-year-old blogger concerns you, read how to keep the Internet safe for your kids and home.)

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Are nonprofits using social media?

The Duke Endowment recently asked its stakeholders about their use of social media. They were exploring new ways to conect to their constituent base. They found that more than 82% of the 5,700 grantees, nonprofits, and foundations surveyed have a social media presence. Most are comfortable with Facebook, but only 25% of them felt comfortable with Twitter and LinkedIn.

So how are they using social media? Take a look.

The bigger (and unasked) question might be, do you have a social media strategy?

FULL DISCLOSURE: Parents as Teachers is an active voice on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, building relationships with like-minded constituents who support children, families and early learning. Join us there!

Social is as social does

I sat in on an early morning workshop today about engaging employees through social media (aka Web 2.0). It was a session for human resources and internal communications folks to learn how to convert employees into brand ambassadors through the conversational power of social media.

Now this is not a new concept. Professional communicators know we need to be in this space. We know conversations are happening, with or without us. But most of us have two big challenges: getting senior management buy-in and grappling with company policies and guidelines around employees and social media.

How did you convince your company leaders to embrace social media?

Does your company have rules about employees and social media? Should it?

(Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/NatlPAT and Facebook )

It’s the conversation, stupid.

Back in 1992, Bill Clinton’s campaign team coined a sticky little phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid!” Today, while the topic may still be the economy, what everyone’s talking about is the conversation.

I sat in on a conference call today with some folks from Pew who are sponsoring business leader summits on early childhood around the country. The focus of the call was on how to convey the economic message of business support for early childhood.

Diane Neighbors, Tennessee’s business leader summit organizer, has been keeping the conversation going in her state, touting business leader advocacy and urging more of it.

Likewise, Timothy Bartik, a labor economist in Kalamazoo who writes on early childhood economics, responded in a very measured tone to an angry anti-pre-k media piece, in the process drawing reader support.

I was describing to a friend a Twitter conversation I had recently with someone whose views are quite strong and opposed to mine. I don’t know this person; she lives in another state and I likely will never meet her. My friend found it hard to imagine having an emotionally charged conversation with someone she didn’t know. But it happens all the time…on talk radio. In letters to the editor. In comments on blogs.

People like to talk! In fact, some might call it “conversation.”

Living social online: who’s in and who’s out?

Social networking can be addictive. I know because I’ve just recently dipped my toe into Twitter only to find there’s no shallow end: it’s either all or nothing! After all, the whole premise behind social networking is…well, being social. I’ve just whittled away a perfectly good Saturday scurrying around Twitter and Facebook meeting some really interesting and highly entertaining folks.

Just as I was beginning to wonder who isn’t online, Twittermoms connected me with this: Motherhood and Social Media Go Together: Report. According to new research from BabyCenter, one of the Internet’s most well-known parenting communities, two-thirds of moms use social media regularly. Now they’re not all using it for socializing, mind you. It’s often a resource for finding recos on products, services and recipes.

What I’m wondering about, though, is the other third. Are they not “social” because they don’t want to be or is it lack of skills, knowledge or access that keeps them away from the Internet? How are they finding what they need? Where is their parenting community?

Social media’s a great tool, but it doesn’t have all the answers. Share your thoughts here or with me on Twitter @psimpso.