Driving CommunityDriving CommunityMichael CarnellMichael Carnell

Why Are We Here?

•Bring in more customers

•Spread our message to more people

•Help our target market with their needs

•Form connections with like minded folk

•Spend more time on the Important

In Other Words

It Is All About It Is All About Community!Community!

Why Listen To Me?

•I am standing at the front of the room

•Teacher for over 20 years

•Computer “geek” for almost 40 years

•Serial civic-entrepreneur

•History of community organization

•Early consultant in Social Media

Let’s Talk About Community

Let’s Talk About Community

Changing Community

•The old styles of community are still here

•Neighborhoods

•Churches

•Schools

•Towns

•Professional Organizations

But They Have Expanded!

•On-line Schools, Churches, Communities

•Shops market to people around the world.

•Small communities can become large.

•Large communities can topple governments.

•Sometimes it is hard to be heard amongst all the voices.

But They Have Also Contracted

•We know more about each other.

•Our families can be closer - and so can our customers.

•We can fill what were quiet hours with noise.

•A buyer can find what they want instead of what is merely available.

What Are We To Do?

What To Do

1. Clarify who our community really is...

Why are they our community?

What does this community need?

What can we offer them?

How can we lead and guide them?

What To Do

2. How Does This Community Communicate?

What are the demographics?

Do they respond to emotion, facts, art?

How do they deal with new information?

What is the best way for us to talk to them?

What To Do3. Listen!

Really listen. Shut up! Just listen.

Use any sort of feedback available.

The community is already talking....

Don’t we want to be part of the conversation?

What To Do

4. Acknowledge that this is a continual process

Keep listening and evaluating.

Seek feedback whenever possible.

Pay attention to all the new cool stuff.

But never forget your core value to your community.

But There Are Tools To Help!

It can seem a bit overwhelming...

Some of Today’s Tools ...

•Managing It All - BaseCamp and project management tools.

•Listening - Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools. (I will talk a lot more about this this afternoon!)

•Measuring - Google Analytics.

... Some of Today’s Tools

•Reaching Out - Websites and natural search engines and SEO.

•Reaching In - Email campaigns using ConstantContact and web advertisement.

•The ones listed and what we will hear about are just the beginning.

They key is to listen, ask and figure out what is best

for our communities.

Michael Carnell•Twitter: carnellm

•Email: Michael@DesignTechWeb.com

•Website: www.DesignTechWeb.com or www.MichaelCarnell.com or www.PalmettoTechnologyHub.org