Isn’t it funny when two posts appear in your RSS Reader from two (I think?) unconnected people from different sectors, but both talking about the same subject. Well that happened this week as both Honey and Louise chose to blog about use of and access to content via the Mobile Web
Mobile access to websites and use of Smartphones continues to rise at a phenomenal rate. In workshops I delivered last year I used quotes such as “”By 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide”. (Gartner Key Predictions for IT Organisations and Users in 2010). However in India it is about to happen with 49% of users accessing the Internet via this route and according to Opera an increase of 308% in page views by users of their Opera Mobile browser in the last 12 months. In the UK figures show that 22% of mobile Internet users now infrequently or never use a fixed desktop computer (On Device Research - December 2010) and that Opera recorded a 74% growth in usage.
So as Honey says here - when developing a website one of the first questions you should ask is “will it work on a mobile?” and from Louise, that although apps have their place, it can often be better to have a well written adaptive mobile friendly version of your website rather than a custom built app.
(Added later - A very useful white paper written by Squiz about designing web sites for mobile access)
Finally, I was shopping for a new smartphone last week (on-line of course!) and in conversation with the salesperson(s) from “T-VodaO2range”, I was told “no-one asks about Texts or Minutes any more, all they want to know is how many MB is the data allowance”.
Sign of the times!
Depending on where you are in your journey through social media-land there are two workshops taking place in London on November 1st aimed at meeting a variety of needs.
At Voluntary Action Islington, NAVCA have a full day workshop setting out the basics of good communications and social media planning for local support organisations and volunteering groups followed on with a practical session to try out the toys ….
…. then just round the corner in the afternoon, Concrete Solutions CIC are running a half day session looking specifically at how social media can be used by voluntary and community groups to help them campaign more effectively.
The NAVCA workshops have been run around the country in partnership with Red Foundation since June and have helped almost 200 people see how planning communication and selecting the right social media platform can help them be so much more effective.
We both think Campaigning through well targeted use of social media sites can be very effective …. so, watch this space for future courses!
Liam and myself would be more than pleased to see you at either of these two workshops (or even come to both!), just let us know you are coming.
Email me / get me on Twitter (@watfordgap) or Email Liam / contact him on Twitter (@hackofalltrades).
Thanks
Have you ever worked for a project where monthly reports and quarterly returns are the driver, but where the case studies and living examples struggle to be heard?
Asking society for their big ideas, big ideas that will transform society through the work of communities is a major shift in emphasis, and one that is to be welcomed.
But I’d like to see ideas generated truly organically by individuals and groups of people who naturally come together in both communities of interest and geographical communities. These may be all made up of one type of person, a prescribed mix or (more likely) a random group with diverse interests, skin colour, gender, age, abilities ….. which will evolve and grow or shrink or change …. The beauty is neither you, I or anyone running the Big Society know what these groups will be like in advance so there can’t be any outputs or outcomes to live up to or targets to hit*.
People have big society ideas not central governance structures.
This could be really amazing and something we can all be proud to have helped build, if communities are given the capacity to solve their own problems rather than just measure indicators. Let us know how to help!
*Sorry - there is one target.
“… to create a new relationship between Citizens and Government in which both are genuine partners in getting things done: real democracy using all the human and technological tools we now have available. The Big Society Network is an organisation being set up by frustrated citizens for frustrated citizens, to help everyone achieve change in their local area.” (From The Big Society)
Couple of quick links to interesting resources for sharing (and before I foget them so I know where to find them!).
1, The IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) Charity Toolkit. This covers Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and illustrates how non-profit and charity campaigns can be enhanced by adjusting search marketing. In shows how it is possible to help generate donations and monitor results in real time.
2. Bit late in adding this one to the Tumblr library, but the Idealware Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide is a great resource and workbook packed with ideas for social media planning.
