In 1998, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) embarked on a ground-breaking research project: to study best practices in congressional websites with the goal of providing Congress with guidance on how to use this emerging technology to improve constituents’ communication with, and understanding of, the institution. Three years later the initiative was boosted by a two-year grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to create the Congress Online Project, in association with The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.

The project had an ambitious goal: develop a methodology for evaluating more than 600 congressional personal office, committee and leadership websites. CMF spent a year conducting focus groups with citizens, examining private sector research, and even polling reporters on their expectations when interacting with congressional websites. We then engaged in a thorough assessment process, assigning grades to every website on Capitol Hill. The strategy was: by highlighting the best practices, and playing to politicians’ natural competitiveness with a grading system, Congress would better utilize online communications tools, thereby better serving citizens.

The initial results were not promising: 10% of congressional websites received grades of A or B, and 90% received grades of C, D or F. The 2002 CMF report on congressional websites stated:

“(T)he large majority of congressional offices treat their Web sites as ancillary to their duties, rather than integral to them. They don’t see them a deserving priority attention and they devote minimal office time to them. They update them haphazardly or when time permits. They post content that highlights the activities and achievements of the Member rather than creating content specifically geared to meeting the needs of their audiences.”

What happened in the next 12 months was remarkable. CMF held more than 200 sessions with individual congressional offices, explaining the research and identifying deficiencies in their online communications. When CMF again assessed congressional websites and issued a report in 2003, the results were markedly different. Using the same criteria, the percentage of congressional websites receiving an A or B rose from 10% to 50%. Both as a result of CMF’s encouragement, and the innate intuition of Members and staff that the Internet offered significant political and communications potential, an era and culture of continual learning and improvement began.

Over the last decade, Congress experimented with content and features that had varying degrees of success. Blogs captured special attention five to six years ago – until staff and Members realized that it took a lot of effort to transcribe daily musings in an efficient and interesting way. Congressional podcasts were a fad – until Congress realized that its content was competing for audience attention on the same device (an iPod) on which the audience also had Ray Charles, NPR and Lady Gaga. These features and tools have been supplanted by newer innovations, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Now there are signs that Congress really does “get” technology and the value to individual Members, the institution of Congress, and constituents. IPads are common on the House floor, Members in the House and Senate display extraordinary creativity and transparency in their use of social media, and institutional offices continue to develop new methods to help Members use technology to enhance the relationship and communications between citizens and Congress.

Most notably, the 112th Congress Gold Mouse Awards: Best Practices in Online Communications on Capitol Hill documents the biggest leap forward in the vast majority of websites in the history of our research. In the past two years, the most common congressional website grade rose from an F to a B. CMF theorizes that this great leap could be a result of new attention on social media. With the shifting of resources to constituent communications (documented in CMF’s 2011 Communicating with Congress research), there appears to be greater emphasis on all online resources.

And yet, there continue to be noticeable and embarrassing laggards. More than one-third of congressional websites received a D or F grade. (To receive one of these substandard grades, the following is likely: the website design hasn’t been changed in the last three to five years, the content is woefully out of date and explanations of basic services – such as how to receive casework help from the office – is nonexistent.) This is not an abstract problem. When a constituent tries to get information from an office online, and gets no answers, the constituent’s thoughts could range from, “What are they hiding?” to “They don’t care about me.” Both emotional responses contribute to cynicism about government in America and Congress’ historically low approval ratings.

Fortunately, these cases are the minority. This report demonstrates the outstanding effort, contribution and transparency of the best websites on the Capitol Hill. The winners of the 112th Congress Gold Mouse Awards clearly have devoted substantial resources and creativity to building “virtual offices.” They have sought ways to ensure that their constituents and stakeholders experience convenient avenues and tools for accessing services and information related to government processes. Most important, these Members and staff have displayed a degree of transparency and efficiency that ultimately enhances the image of Congress and helps to improve confidence in our democratic institutions.

Are you currently using Mobile to reach your organization’s assets? Find out more and sign up here.

Date: Thursday, November 10, 2011, 6:00 p.m.

Location:
Adfero Group
1666 K Street NW, Suite 250
Washington, D.C.

Schedule:

6:00 – 6:30 Meet & Greet
6:30 – 6:40 Introductions
6:45 – 7:30 Sue Zoldak (Adfero Group) & John Craig (Purple Forge)
7:30 – 8:00 Q&A

More about Sue Zoldak (Adfero Group):

Sue Zoldak is a Vice President at Adfero Group. Sue provides strategic counsel for integrated issue advocacy and branding campaigns. She succeeds by combining message discipline with political insight while bringing together the right communications tools for each client.

Sue brings not only her expertise in issue advocacy and public affairs advertising, but also her ability to manage social media campaigns, build grassroots coalitions, provide the leading edge in digital communications tactics, and leverage a keen understanding of website design and usability.

More about John Craig (Purple Forge):

John Craig is the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing of Purple Forge.  Mr. Craig is an award winning market expert in the application of social media and mobile technologies for collaboration and communication for grassroots organizations, associations, politicians, governments and interactive marketing firms. 

Purple Forge has recently developed mobile applications for the American Petroleum Institute, Americans for Prosperity, and recent Royal Tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Canada.  Mr. Craig has over 19 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, with the last 11 years in the development and design of mobile applications.  Mr. Craig holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honors) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, an Ontario Professional Engineer and a member of the AAPC.

We’re living in a mobile age. You can’t walk down the street without bumping into someone on their smart phone. And now with the stunningly fast growth in sales for iPads, people are spending less and less time at their actual computers.

Wired magazine famously declared last year that “The Web is Dead.” In the article, Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff argue that we’re abandoning the web for sleeker, simpler services. They say that “these dedicated platforms often just work better or fit better into [people’s] lives (the screen comes to them, they don’t have to go to the screen).” People are no longer interested in seeking. They are interested in getting.

In today’s world, people are constantly on the go. And so naturally, staying connected and receiving information happens on the go as well. In fact, a recent study by Flurry found that people are now spending more time on mobile apps than they are on websites.  Consumers in June spent 74 minutes per day on websites compared with 81 minutes using applications. That’s a growth of 91 percent over the past year. The data speaks for itself: mobile apps are crucial in reaching audiences.

So what does this mean for advocacy? Web sites alone will no longer cut it. Sure, your online Grassroots Action Centers and the Web tools you employ for grassroots action (for example, providing the opportunity for your activists to send emails directly to Congress) should remain part of your overall advocacy strategy. But you have to look beyond the Web now.

Some advocacy organizations have begun to embrace this growing trend. In the beginning of June, the ONE campaign launched an iPhone app dedicated to encouraging activism in order to enact social change. In short, the app provides the user with relevant information about “various advocacy movements…then lets you call a senator, sign a petition or join up with a real life rally for causes in order to raise awareness.” The interest in the app has been tremendous. During its first two weeks, the free application recorded more than 20,000 downloads.*

Other grassroots groups have actually been taking advantage of this innovative tool for awhile. In June 2010, The Poker Players Alliance created an iPhone app that allows users to take a variety of actions. Directly from their iPhone, a user can get the latest PPA news and updates, connect with other PPA members, and actually donate via PayPal. Even better, it has a ‘click to call Congress’ feature, where users can simply click a button and be automatically connected via phone to their member of Congress’ office in Washington, D.C. For all of those poker enthusiasts on the go, it has never been easier, and less time-consuming, to take action.

Remember this: if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If you are asking your audience to take action, it only matters if you reach them where they are paying attention. Consider utilizing mobile apps in your next advocacy campaign. The results may astound you.

*Source: http://philanthropy.com/blogs/social-philanthropy/new-nonprofit-apps-advocacy-management-and-mission-get-attention/28766

Cross-posted from Adfero

Last week I gave a presentation at America’s Small Business Summit, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, about how small businesses and organizations can develop an effective — but manageable — social media strategy.

I deliberately stayed away from talking about the latest and greatest tactics, and the newest and coolest tools.  Why?  It has become far too easy to get caught up in looking at what’s new, interesting, or different.  In reality, what we should be focusing on is what will fundamentally help our organizations achieve their missions on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.

Organizations too often develop a social media strategy that is not properly integrated into its overarching goals.  So rather than spending time on the latest Twitter app or discussing the merits of Facebook’s latest design changes, I encouraged attendees not to get bogged down in the tactics.  Instead, I urged them to develop their social media strategies in the context of their organization’s key goals.

If your organization is looking to develop or refine your social media strategy, here are six steps to guide you along the way.

1. Clarifying the Organization’s Priorities. Even if you “get” social media, you can’t jump right in to creating a tactical plan.  First and foremost, it is critical to identify your organization’s goals.  For a business, it might be trying to win more customers, to recruit top talent, or increase revenue by a certain percentage.  For an association, a goal might be to recruit and retain members, to increase attendance at a tradeshow, or to achieve a certain policy objective.  Before you even think about tactics, you need to start by understanding what is driving your organization as a whole.  Otherwise, you will be implementing a plan that lacks any real purpose.
2. Setting Social Media Goals. With these key goals in mind, you should move on to develop specific goals for your organization’s social media efforts.  One example: increase your Facebook page’s monthly views by 50%.  Although traditional PR campaigns focus heavily on setting goals for media coverage, we often skip this step for social media efforts because we have no idea what to expect.  But even if social media represents unchartered territory for your organization, forming goals does two important things.  First, it focuses your social media team on what is really important.  Second, it gives your team an idea of what to work towards, even if that goal turns out to be unrealistic.  A corporation would never launch a new product without giving its sales force target revenue goals.  That’s true even if the company is completely unsure of how the product will perform.  Setting social media goals, even if they are somewhat arbitrary, provides direction for your team and sets expectations.
3. Choosing Social Media Tactics. Perhaps the most overwhelming step in this process in deciding where and how to spend your social media resources.  Over the past few years, there has been an explosion in social media sites, especially those designed to facilitate sharing.  But in the past year or two, the dust has settled.  Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have emerged as the three most widely used social media sites and the most important sites for your organization to consider using.  Picking among these sites requires knowing your audience.  Each social media outlet has pro’s and con’s for individual audiences. Facebook, for example, is best for appealing to a broad-based, mainstream audience.  In contrast, Twitter users – although far fewer in number than Facebook – represent a highly engaged segment of the online population and are much more likely to create (rather than just share) content.  Finally, LinkedIn is a professional site that might be right if your organization is hoping to impact the business community or to use working groups.  Choose the right vehicle (or vehicles) for engaging your target audience.
4. Developing an Operational Plan. The next step is taking your goals and your selected tactics to form a comprehensive plan that breaks down what your organization should be doing on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.  This operational plan should lay out each activity and assign each one to a specific person in the organization (in some cases, that may be the same person).  Your operational plan should also detail how you will monitor responses to your online activity and what your approach to engagement will be (for example, it should detail your comment policies).  Finally, your plan should include a process for reporting and evaluating your progress. You might wonder if such a detailed approach will stifle creativity.  It shouldn’t, as long as your plan allows for opportunities to be creative along the way.  The key is to set specific times to reevaluate and refine your tactics and goals
5. Getting Organizational Buy-In. Your strategy will only be successful if it has organization-wide support.  One way to get buy-in is to involve as many people as you can in the planning process itself, which will create a sense of ownership in the employees who participate.  Once you have your plan, be sure to educate other employees who may not have been part of the planning.  You should emphasize that social media success will translate into broader success for the organization as a whole, ultimately benefiting every employee.  Finally, to the extent that is possible, delegate responsibility for the social media strategy to as many employees as possible.
6. Implementing the Strategy. The last step involves executing the strategy you have created.  At this stage, it is best to think of classifying each of the activities listed above into the following categories: research, design (organizational priorities, social media goals, and tactics), implementation (getting buy in), administration (operational plan), and optimization.  As I noted above, implementation will work best if you have carved out time to refine and optimize your strategy as you move forward.  These opportunities will ensure your strategy remains effective and manageable.

Darell published a book called KaBOOM! How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play last month, coinciding with the organization’s 15th anniversary. it has reached the #4 spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Darell says the book is a platform to excite the organization’s base, open itself up to new audiences, and convince them that play is not a luxury but a necessity. He hopes to turn people into advocates for play, so that if recess is being eliminated in their schools, they will show up at school board or city council meetings and write op-eds. KaBOOM! has also created an online tool that allows people to input and find information about local parks and playgrounds and organize events there. The tool will become available on a mobile app in three weeks. By mapping out parks, KaBOOM! can also overlay race, health, and crime statistics and get a better understanding of where the deficit really exists.

To read the entire article on BisNow, click here.

Danny tells us there’s a trend in documentary making to build a community engagement campaign surrounding the film. Funders don’t just want to see their names in the credits, they want to see impact. That’s what first led him to working with non-profits and his current role as executive producer for See3 Communications, an interactive media and marketing firm for non-profits and social causes. Danny tells us he starts every project by asking three questions: What are you trying to say? Who are you trying to reach? What do you want them to do? Just because it’s a fundraising video doesn’t mean it has to be about the solicitation. Sometimes the solicitation needs to be more direct than video. A fundraising video may be most effective in the cultivation and stewardship of donors.

To read the entire article on BisNow, click here.

Ownership of TV Sets Falls in U.S. (NY Times)
As more consumers go online to fulfill their entertainment needs, television ownership drops for the first time in twenty years.

One year ago today the Congressional Management Foundation launched its new venture, the Partnership for a More Perfect Union. For those of you that have been following the Partnership, you know that this represents a broadening of CMF’s core mission, which has always been to support the Member, committee, and leadership offices of the U.S. Congress. Now, through the Partnership, CMF is seeking to improve the communication, understanding, and relationship between Members of Congress and the citizens they represent.

Here’s a little bit about what we’ve been up to in the last year:

• On April 21, 2010, CMF launched the Partnership for a More Perfect Union with the help of our Founding Partners: Fleishman-Hillard, AT&T, Convio, and the Hansan Family Foundation.
• CMF and the Partnership released the results of the 111th Congress Gold Mouse Project that seeks to improve the quality of congressional websites to meet constituents’ needs and expectations. We reviewed all 620 Member, committee, and leadership office websites of the House and Senate, presenting the best 135 websites in Congress with the coveted Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Mouse awards.
• On January 26, 2011, we released the report, Communicating with Congress: Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill, the results of a survey of 260 congressional staff on both sides of the Hill and aisle about how they perceive and manage constituent “mail.” That same day, CMF’s President and CEO, Brad Fitch, delivered the key note address on the key findings from the report at the Public Affairs Council’s National Grassroots Conference in Key West, Florida.
• To date, we have provided webinar training for 192 grassroots advocacy practitioners through our Partnership with groups such as the National Conference on Citizenship, Women in Government Relations, and Independent Sector, and delivered speeches to groups including the American Optometric Association, Convio’s 2010 Summit, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the American League of Lobbyists, Society for Human Resource Management, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and the American Traffic Safety Services Association.
• Earlier this year we launched the Partnership’s free bi-weekly email newsletter that not only captures our work, but provides subscribers with a summary of what is happening in the worlds of Congress, advocacy, citizen engagement, technology, and the social web.
• We also provide those organizations and individuals that join the Partnership with extra content, such as unpublished data, that they can repurpose for their efforts to educate their advocates and members.
• As of today, 18 organizations have joined the Partnership and we are grateful to them for their support, involvement, and belief in our mission: American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Network of Community Options and Resources, American Optometric Association, ASAE, Bayer Corporation, Clovis Point Solutions, Express Scripts, Independent Sector, National Conference on Citizenship, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, National Write Your Congressman, Public Affairs Council, American Dental Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Traffic Safety Services Association, Open Forum Foundation, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, and our first of hopefully many Citizen–Advocate Partners, Beverly E. Bell.

Finally, one year out we continue to be grateful to our friends and partners at Fleishman-Hillard for having the foresight and determination to help us in this important endeavor. They are not only a Founding Partner, but they also helped us develop the Partnership brand, create the Partnership’s website and the “Inside the Hill” video series, and continue to provide valuable guidance to us on a regular basis. We are probably most grateful that they were the first Partner to fully understand and get behind our vision to enrich the relationship between citizens and Members of Congress and we are thankful for their continuing support.

Happy 1st anniversary, Partnership! Again, thank you to all of the individuals and organizations that have helped us become one year closer to perfecting our union!

Last week, event registration site Eventbrite released data indicating that an individual Facebook “Like” is capable of driving more sales than a single tweet.  The study used in-house social analytics tools to track ticket sales, finding that the average tweet drove $0.80 in sales as compared to the average Facebook Like, which drove $1.34.

It may very well be that Facebook is a better tool for direct marketing to the general population.  But Eventbrite’s findings – and the media coverage that followed – miss the point about Twitter’s value.

Because Eventbrite’s findings were focused on how often the general population signs up for event, it’s not surprising that Facebook would win the head-to-head battle with Twitter.  As I have written before, the Twitter-Facebook divide can be explained by an analogy to two important but very different Inside-the-Beltway publications.  Facebook is best compared to Politico: both appeal to the general population and have a high volume of users/readers.

Twitter, in contrast, is about influencing the influencers.  Twitter is more like the National Journal of the social media world: it has a smaller user base, but the users themselves are more media-savvy and connected.

A study performed by ExactTarget last fall shows the influence of Twitter users.   The email marketing company found that active Twitter users’ reach goes far beyond Twitter: 72% of Twitter users publish blog posts at least monthly, 70% comment on blogs, 61% comment on news sites, and 61% write at least one product review monthly.

Morgan Stewart, the principal of ExactTarget’s research and education group, commented that the study’s findings showed “that even though the number of active Twitter users is less than Facebook or email, the concentration of highly engaged and influential content creators is unrivaled.”

If your goal is to sell tickets to a particular event, Facebook may be the right place to focus your efforts.  But ignoring Twitter altogether is a mistake – it is the best place to engage with content creators whose influence and connections extend far beyond the site itself.

It’s happening on the GOP’s Pledge to America Facebook page. The action begins at noon ET and includes the swearing-in ceremony and remarks by Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio).

With an increased emphasis on digital media, Boehner is setting the tone for the 112th Congress. New rules emphasize transparency and employ technology to make the House more open and accessible to the American people.

Among the other things you’ll see change today, according to Don Seymour, Boehner’s deputy communications director:

• On Twitter: @SpeakerBoehner – Of course Boehner isn’t the only Republican in Congress to have a new Twitter handle. Majority Leader-elect Eric Cantor (R-VA) will take over the @GOPLeader account and his press team will Tweet from @CantorPress. Majority Whip-elect Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will use @GOPWhip. You can find and follow more Republicans on Twitter via TweetCongress.org.

• On the Web: Speaker.gov – Please excuse our dust – and broken links – as we transition to this new URL. And remember that if you live in Boehner’s Ohio district, you can visit JohnBoehner.House.gov for constituent services and other helpful information.

• On Facebook: Facebook.com/OfficeofSpeaker Boehner – This is a new addition to Boehner’s government office and will serve as a landing page for the Speaker and staff to connect with Facebook users. But while this page is new, Boehner’s use of Facebook is not. For example, tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. ET the opening session of Congress will be live streamed on the Pledge to America Facebook Page.

• On Flickr: Flickr.com/SpeakerBoehner – The best way to get an inside look at Congress is to see it for yourself, and the Speaker’s Flickr page will be updated regularly with shots of the goings-on inside the Capitol on a daily basis.

• On YouTube: YouTube.com/SpeakerBoehner – Whether it’s video of Ellie Mae – the job-sniffing GOP bloodhound – Boehner’s family reunion, responses to questions from constituents, or one of the Speaker’s speeches or interviews, you’ll find it all here.

For those who want an inside look at what’s happening on Capitol Hill, you can follow a handful of Boehner’s aides for updates via their personal Twitter accounts. They include: Dave Schnittger (@OhSchnitt), Kevin Smith (@KG_Smith), Michael Steel (@michael_steel), Brendan Buck (@Brendan_Buck), Nick Schaper (@NickSchaper), Mike Ricci (@riccimike), Katie Boyd (@KEBoyd), Cory Fritz (@corymfritz), and Don Seymour (@DonSeymour).

Boehner assumes the gavel today with a Republican majority far more knowledgeable and eager to employ digital media as a way to improve communication. It’s refreshing to see him encourage its use by setting a positive example himself.