K Street Cafe

Congress: Apple Founder Steve Jobs Changed Our Lives (The Hill)
An homage to one of modern technology’s greatest innovators: various members of congress share (via tweet) their sadness over the loss of Steve Jobs.

Will Your Brand Succeed in the New Facebook? (ClickZ)
Facebook’s recent makeover may mean you need to adapt your content. Find out how!

New Rules for Online Politics Could Be On the Horizon (TechPresident)
Google, Facebook, and Twitter are gearing up to capitalize on ad revenues from political campaigns in 2012; however, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) may put some rules in place to regulate political ads on the internet.

Single Voice Sinks Coast Guard’s Rule (Roll Call)
The Coast Guard recently reversed a rule on life jacket use solely because of a letter it received from a concerned citizen (who, incidentally, is not a lobbyist.)

Protest Closes Off Wall Street Roads (WSJ)
Once again, the masses have taken to social media to organize a protest; this time, Manhattan’s financial district is occupied by demonstrators who were mobilized via Facebook and Twitter.

Troy Davis’ Death Row Case in Georgia Goes Global (USA Today)
In a joint effort to prevent the execution of Troy Davis, the NAACP, Amnesty International and the grasroots organization Change.org “are flooding Twitter with several tweets a minute, signing online petitions and, starting today, planning to rally around the country.”

New Media Guru Urges Tweeting at Super Committee
(Roll Call)
Former Capitol Hill vet and communications agency president Patrick Hynes encourages citizens to utilize Twitter (along with Facebook and YouTube) to make sure the debt #supercommittee hears their ideas.

A Few Details About the Upcoming Twitter Analytics (MediaBistro)
Measuring your social media impact is more important now than ever: here are some tips on what to expect from Twitter’s new tool.

The Real Way That Twitter Can Change Society (New Statesman)
For better or for worse, Twitter was used to organize a civic response throughout the UK during the August riots. The real lesson learned? Governments can learn a lot by paying attention to their constituents on social networking sites.

6 Free Social Media Monitoring Tools (PR Daily)
Want to track your social media stats but don’t have much cash? PR Daily has some great solutions.

New Crowdfunding Site Promises to Be a Kickstarter for K Street (TechPresident)
Upcoming website YouLobby allows activists to pitch their campaign and accumulate donations. But will the idea sink or swim? You decide.

Gallup: Aim Social Media Marketing at Loyalists, Not Prospects (ClickZ)
According to Gallup analysts, “Since marketers are less likely to engage prospects directly through social media, they should encourage or guide their current customers to advocate on their behalf instead.”

This Is Why You Have No Friends (ClickZ)
We all know that quality is better than quantity when it comes to friends (and even Facebook fans.) But advocacy organizations still need to have a significant fan base in order to promote their messages and inspire people to act. Gary Stein explains how to become more popular on Facebook.

How Social Media Transformed a Nonprofit Medical Professional Society (The Nonprofit Quarterly)
How one organization successfully built a community of followers by shifting their media strategy.

Twitter Grows Public Policy Team With Former FCC Staffer Colin Crowell (techPresident)
Twitter and Facebook are both adding former Congress staffers and policy makers to strengthen their corporate team.

How to Create a Facebook Fan Base to Drive Social Advocacy (ClickZ)
Check out this free white paper from ClickZ, which will give you a better understanding of brand marketing and an approach for understanding the value of earned and paid impressions in a social context.

Six Myths of Social Media (CRM Magazine)
Saurabh Mittal debunks several common misconceptions of social media management and offers some tips for optimizing your organization’s online presence.

How to Participate in a Tweet Chat (PR Daily)
Themed hashtag conversations or ‘Twitter chats’ can be a valuable advocacy tool. Check out this article and learn how to host one of your own.

Lessons Learned From a Twitter Robot (Business 2 Community)
Are automated tweets really saving you time and effort? Andrew Hanelly discusses the pros and cons of creating a Twitter robot, and how you can optimize the tool for the maximum engagement with your audience.

6 Twitter Changes You Should Know About (PR Daily)
Speaking of Twitter, are you familiar with the ‘activity stream’ or the new ad platform? Check out this article for all the latest Twitter updates.