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Participatory Communication: A Practical Guide

Given its role in the destruction of local, independent economies around the world, it sometimes amazes me how much good material for organizers and communications is published by the World Bank. Participatory Communication: A Practical Guide (62 page PDF, not searchable), by Thomas Tufte and Paulo Mefalopulos, is a great example. I think we're seeing an eventual convergence of communications practices emerging from work in developing nations, which are increasingly emphasizing participation, and the practices that are being shaped in those parts of the world that are most affected by the participatory forces of social media. This will be very interesting. In the meantime, we need to have one foot in both worlds in order to truly understand what participation means. This guide is a valuable resource in that regard. It's my favorite recipe: a solid combination of theory and practice. The authors lay out a four phase model of communication, with a clearly developed role for the media, a multi-track framework of activities, and three well-developed case studies with lessons learned. Posted: 12/7/09; 5:43:33 PM #

Three Reasons Why Storytelling is the Key to Social Media Marketing Success

I enjoyed 2020Social's Three Reasons Why Storytelling is the Key to Social Media Marketing Success not so much for the three reasons, but because of the nicely selected resources on the topic at the end of the post. The three reasons are good ones, of course, and less shallow than they seem at first glance: (1) We like hearing stories, (2) We learn from stories, and (3) We like sharing stories. But follow the links to some of those resources: 50 web 2.0 ways to tell a story, a compilation of storytelling resources, a free ebook from 40 storytelling professionals, and more. Posted: 12/7/09; 5:28:44 PM #

Beware Social Media Snake Oil

As someone who is often regarded as an "expert" in my fields, I will confess some confusion as to exactly what that means. Is my expertise enhanced or diminished by the extent to which my ideas conform to conventional wisdom? If I pride myself on asking the right questions, does that fly in the face of the idea that experts are people with answers? What if I want to empower and help organize the often latent expertise of my clients? And what's the deal with all these "experts" whose ideas are nothing but endless tips, with no coherence at all? I'm not sure any of these questions are answered in Stephen Baker's Beware Social Media Snake Oil, but he does address how utterly baffled and discouraged I am by the sheer number of "social media" experts out there, who are coasting on the hype and anxiety of the field. Indeed, this is one of the major results of the "promotion-through-anxiety" that has permeated our sector with each successive wave of ICT innovation. Here's hoping for a little more caution. Posted: 12/7/09; 5:22:08 PM #