Sometimes people come through for you in a big way. This is one of those times. As a celebration of 12 consecutive oversold events, SMC Seattle wanted to do something meaningful for our anniversary event. So, we decided to help out a local non profit, the Jolkona Foundation. 100% of the ticket sales will go to fund one year of specialized science, technology, engineering, and math training for kids (through a Jolkona project with Technology Access Foundation).

But that wasn’t enough. Local businesses began approaching us wanting to help out. They wanted to give some prizes out to the folks helping out Jolkona. This is why we’re adding on a raffle to the event. We’re hoping that those coming out to the event will be as generous as these sponsors:

• Seattle hotel Hotel Max stepped up to the plate and contributed a free night at its downtown boutique hotel.
• Kodak donated an HD video camera, the Kodak Zi8
• The Ultimate Ears Social Media Team wants you to rock out with two pairs of Ultimate Ears 700 headphones
• Cat’s Eye Design donated a three-hour WordPress consultation, including theme customization and implementation.
• If you’re marketing your business, a social media press release is a must. PRWeb is donating a free release.
• True Fabrications is contributing a Wine Lovers Party Pack, including wine glasses, corkscrews, aerators, wine charms, cheese knives and cocktail napkins.
• A one-hour massage from Seattle masseuse Clear Awakening.
• And of course, SMC Seattle is contributing three Golden Tickets, which entitles the winners free admission into SMC Seattle’s monthly events for a year.

Raffle tickets will be sold at the event for $5.00 each, so bring your cash! Again, thank you to all of the sponsors, and especially thank you to the Seattle community for supporting them and Jolkona.

In advance of his talk at Gnomedex, he talked to Jennifer Cabala about influencing people online, networking for the non-people person and how he created #followfriday.

When did you first start using social media and why?
I’ve been involved with social media (BBSes and other forms of “interaction” media since the mid-80s (yes, I am old). I dove deep into blogging, twitter, etc in mid-2007. I had just sold my interactive agency, and was interested in exploring what was available online, and where social media had grown. It started with a blog (http://learntoduck.com) and quickly expanded into Facebook (I was on facebook from 2003ish, but never really did anything), Twitter, etc.

Which tools do you use most and why?
My comedic answer is always the same: my fingers. I have a strong belief that the tool is always secondary to the connection and relationships, and any reliance on tools just muddies that reality.
I spend most of my time with Twitter and Facebook. Trying to learn how to do video, so I am beginning to spend more time on Youtube.

How did you come up with the idea for #followfriday?
I had two friends, @jeffrey and @dannynewman, who decided to have a bet as to who could get to 1,000 followers the fastest. They kept asking me to tweet out that my followers should follow them, but when I finally did, they lost followers. I jokingly called myself the “anti-christ” of twitter.

During that time, I began to think about what it was like when I started using twitter. I followed a ton of people on the public timeline, and then began to follow a ton of people that they followed. Over time, I realized that the recommendations of people I trusted went a long way towards whether I followed someone or not. (I’ve always kept my following number low. I don’t want a lot of noise and I wanted it to be people that I liked to, and would communicate with often.)
So, I figured why not have a day, where people could recommend a couple of people to their followers that were worthy of a follow.
Who knew it would become what it is: more than 250,000 #followfriday tweets are sent every Friday.

What are some ways you can increase your influence online?
Well, you are just going to have to come to Gnomedex to find out!
I have always expressed influence as a combination of audience, trust and expertise. In essence, if you are trusted and considered an expert, you can exert influence. Audience or reach allows you to extend that influence in terms of audience size, and dissemination of message.

We have a lot of non-profit members, are their some techniques you could share about online fundraising?
Wow, that brings me back to the beginning of my career. Online fundraising really is not much different than offline. Its all about the right offer to the right person at the right time. I think most non-profits view online fundraising as a question of numbers (If I send more email, I will get back a better response). A better course of action is finding better ways to target messaging and the ask so it gets in front of the right people.
I am a big fan of DonorsChoose.org, and I think they do a great job of allowing the potential funders to self-select the right offer and the right time.

You’ve said that you aren’t much of a people person, but isn’t social networking about people?  How do you manage that?  Is there something different about the online experience?
Well, not sure I have the answers. My therapist and I have been trying to work that one out for the last 3 years! Social networking is about the people, but its in a safe environment. You can walk away at any time. Its relatively easy to manage.

Any tips for people who don’t like networking in person?
In terms of events, the only advice I have is come armed with a couple of stories. Ask people more questions. People love to talk about themselves or their projects. Keep moving. There is really something about spending a few moments with many people vs. a lot of time with a single person. Less likelihood of saying something dumb!

Anything else you want to share?
I’m excited to speak at Gnomedex. Its one of my favorite conferences, and Chris is one of my favorite people.

You can see Micah at Gnomedex starting August 20th.  Online, you can find him on his blog “Learn To Duck”, on twitter, or at work at Lijit.

SMC is excited to be a Gnomedex 9.0 partner and SMC members get a 10% discount!!

Here’s where you register: http://gnomedex.eventbrite.com/?discount=smcseattle10

That’s just the first paragraph of a great post by Ethan Yarbrough. He talks about his three biggest takeaways from the “Social Media for Social Good” Education session, plus adds in analysis and examples of his own. A terrific read even if you were there! Read more:

In this interview with SMC’s Jennifer Cabala, Horvath describes how he manages to grow Invisiblepeople.tv and raise awareness about poverty using social media, by himself, with zero budget.   He also explains how fans can come from some very unexpected places, and his key to using social media successfully.

When did you first start using social media and why?
In 2003, I accepted a job in Ohio and drove by myself from Los Angeles to Ohio. I said I would never drive cross-country ever again. I also said I would never twitter. Last year I was living in St. Louis, and I was interviewing for a job in Los Angeles. My prospective new boss twittered, and was twittering about the interview process, so of course, I looked, and looked, and looked! Yup, I started an account! I also drove to back Los Angeles!

Being a TV producer by trade, I started a twitter experiment. As I drove to Los Angeles, I told the story and used a few tricks to engage people. To my shock it worked. People started to email me, “where you going?” The light bulb started to glow and I saw the worth of twitter as a storytelling tool. Good marketing is simply telling a good story.

When I started Invisiblepeople.tv, I never ever said, “I’m going to use social media because….” I used twitter because – IT’S FREE! I’m your typical front page USA Today recession story. I’ve lost everything. Layoff, after layoff, after layoff, house lost to foreclosure. I did not, and still do not, have an operating budget. I use what I can afford and will give me real-time storytelling ability.

Which social media tools do you use?
I’m a twitter addict. @hardlynormal is my primary. I call @invisiblepeople “hardly normal light” if @hardlynormal is too whacked for you just follow @invisiblepeople.

Of course, the nature of social media demands I be where YOU are. I wish I could pick where I am. Unlike a normal brand who has a specific demographic to reach I am after everyone’s perceptions of homelessness and poverty. I said I would never be on Myspace. MySpace Impact Channel approached me so next thing you know I’m creating a profile. I like Vimeo over YouTube but ignoring Youtube would be dumb. I fought uploading the videos to the Facebook page as long as I could. Last thing I needed was more video upload time. But people want it their way, so if I am going to have any real affect I need to not do it my way! I’m everywhere I can be, which is not easy for a one man band!

Which social media tools are most effective for you and why?
Hard to measure for what I do.  One day, I looked at the stats and I was getting serious traffic from America’s Next Top Model forum. You don’t have to be an SEO expert to know models and homelessness don’t usually connect. I followed the link to this post – I don’t know how she connected with Invisiblepeople.tv. But I can tell you this is exactly why I do what I do, and why I need to be everywhere!

I use twitter the most. It fits my storytelling style. When I am actually on the front lines of poverty doing my thing I have a bag of socks, a camera and iPhone all working hard while keeping an eye on my surroundings for safety. I still don’t know how I do what I do! So much all going down all at once in a very unpredictable and often volatile environment. Yes, I question my sanity often

Twitter is great at helping to engage new connections! The InvisiblePeople.tv Road Trip is almost 100% the result of connections made via twitter.

What social media lessons have you learned that you could share?
Tell a good story and the rest will take care of itself.
Be yourself – always!
No twitter drama! NONE! EVER!

If a non-profit or advocacy group came to you about the best way to get their message out there what would you recommend?
A complete marketing and media strategy. Social media without strategy is a toy, not a tool. I may differ with many opinions, but some brands may not benefit from social media, so they should not buy into the hype. It all depends on who you are, your story, your audience and desired result!

Mark will be presenting “A Conversation about Social Change through Social Media” at Gnomedex 9.0- Beginning July 15th, 2009, Mark is taking the show on the road using social media and bringing us along for the ride as he visits the homeless throughout the nation. Formerly homeless himself, Mark brings personal experience and compassion as he aims to bring understanding and knowledge to the growing homeless crisis. He will visit 25 cities across the nation including rural areas, larger cities, shelters and youth facilities.

SMC is excited to be a Gnomedex 9.0 partner and SMC members get a 10% discount!!

Here’s where you register: http://gnomedex.eventbrite.com/?discount=smcseattle10

When did you first start using social media and why?
I used to work at Digital City Philly (AOL) back in the day.   I loved chatrooms and congregating with folks who had similar interests and tastes…or lived in my area.   It was awesome and instant and powerful.   I love people.

Which social media tools do you use most and why?
Twitter is my lifeline.  Its my voicemail, its my email.  My mom knows when I land from a flight ok, my fiancee knows when I go to sleep at night, and now a bunch of great supportive folks know when I have chemo, feel like crap, or when we get a new donation for LIVESTRONG!  I don’t use a twitter client, I’m web all the way.  My brain just doesn’t wrap around apps.   I use tweetie on the iPhone though.

How did you come up with the idea for #blamedrewscancer?
I knew I had cancer before I was diagnosed.   I just had a sinking feeling.   So I started blaming random things on my cancer to cope and to ready myself to be able to hear “You have cancer” and to say “I have cancer”.   It helped.   Next step was to create a website to let others do the same thing.   Its an awareness thing, its an unwiring of a once taboo subject.   Taboo kills as much as cancer does.  There’s no place for it.  Openness and honesty and facing things head on wins.

What impact has #blamedrewscancer, and the people who respond to it had on you?
It’s the only reason why I can respond to this email without crying.    I have NEVER said or asked “Why” or “Why me?”  And I never will.   The people who support me and what our team is doing is the reason why.  The calls, the emails, the tweets.   It’s amazing.

What is the most surprising thing that’s come out of it?
People have told me that they went to the doctor to get lumps checked out because of how I found out about my Hodgkins Lymphoma.   That was surprising, and very powerful.   People understand that fear is dangerous.

What social media lessons have you learned that you could share?
Share.   Share often, share as much as you’re comfortable with.   Real connections come out of real communications.   If you’re fake, and you tweet or blog about stuff that is just to get your career further…you have lost.   And you will continue to lose until you’re real.

If a non-profit or advocacy group came to you about the best way to get their message out there what would you recommend?
Set yourself up everywhere you can be.   There’s no site that doesn’t have a group of people who are willing to support you or are interested in spreading the word.   It’s not about numbers.  It’s about people.   People are quality, numbers mean nothing.

Drew Olanoff will be presenting “My Cancer is Social” at Gnomedex 9.0. – He’ll discuss foundations usage of social media, tools, and platforms to spread the word TO PEOPLE about what they’re passionate about and what they’re doing. Widgets, Facebook Cause pages, and original ideas such as #BlameDrewsCancer utilizing the powerful Twitter platform.
You can find Drew at http://www.drewolanoff.com and http://www.blamedrewscancer.com or on Twitter or Facebook.

SMC is excited to be a Gnomedex 9.0 partner and SMC members get a 10% discount!!

Here’s where you register: http://gnomedex.eventbrite.com/?discount=smcseattle10

This event is limited to just 35 people, so register soon!

Did you know non-profit organizations are the fastest adopting market segment for social media? Do you know about how non-profits in the Puget Sound Region have been using social media? Do you want to learn about how you can take these lessons and apply them to your organization?

Come and  learn from a great set of people who have been immersed in the world of non-profits and social media.

We are excited to present an introductory talk by Jeris JC Miller (aka @dakini_3).  She’ll cover the latest study on social media usage by charities and talk about best practices from NPO social media thought leaders.  The talk will be followed by a panel of interesting and very experienced people from various backgrounds in Social Media and non-profit work. In keeping with the Seattle social media community’s “Summer of Love and Social Good” theme, the education program on August 10th will focus on social media for social good.  It will showcase Commerce-Cojoining-Compassion initiatives (#3Cs), NPO foundations, and businesses that actively incorporate new media, Web 2.0, and social media channels into their organizations.

Special thanks to The EDGE Group for sponsoring the space for the event!

Here is a quick introduction to the experts that will lead the discussion and the panel on August 10th.

Jeris JC Miller‘s background includes working with Dr. Jerome Kagan, a developmental psychology pioneer and Principal Investigator of the Harvard Infant Study & Director of the New England Node of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Network on Human Development. Her technology background includes work at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN Technologies; BBN Communications Group) which installed the first network node between UCLA , UC Santa Cruz and the University of Utah (DARPA, ARPANET project); acting as a Program Manager for Rapid Deployment Web Development projects at Intel, and as a Business Analyst for Microsoft.  She writes the Heart of Matter Blog for Seattle Social Media Profiles which focuses on NPO initiatives with ties to the Seattle and Puget Sound Region.

Shauna Causey Shauna Causey is as the Communications Director for Social Media Club Seattle (SMC Seattle) and Comcast. She also serves on four non-profit boards and started Voluntweetup events where social media enthusiasts organize events to train non-profits on effective uses of social media. In her spare time, she interviews Seattle-area startups for Seattle 2.0 TV and is helping to plan Gnomedex and Twestival Seattle.

Adnan Azfar Mahmud is the founder of Jolkona Foundation. Jolkona Foundation uses social media to effectively reach out to its supporters and to keep them abreast of what’s happening in the organization. As a non-profit startup, Jolkona Foundation has scarce “advertising” dollars. Instead they extensively use social media to engage their user base.

We will also have a number of non-profits and consultants from companies represented at the event. Come prepared with your thoughts and questions!

If you want to send questions for the panel in advance, please do so in the comments section below or email them to education@smcseattle.com

Register early, this event is limited to just 35 people.

Please park on the street. The facility closes before the event ends!