The use of social networks continues to make inroads in Israel. The latest figures (December) show that 76% of Internet users had a personal profile on at least one social network, up from 68% a year earlier. 60% of Internet users over the age of 50 has a social network profile, up from 47% in December 2009. In terms of overall Internet use, 84% of people aged 18-29 use the Internet, compared with 48% of people over 65. Average time online among Israel's Jewish population is 3.3 hours per day. Internet users access the Internet from a variety of places. 98% surf from home and 52% of Internet users over 18 surf from work. Also growing is the number of people, especially those between the ages of 18-29, who access the Internet from their mobile phones. … Continue Reading
These Go To Eleven: Predictions for the Jewish World in 2011
It is exceedingly difficult to make predictions, particularly about the future. Niels Bohr, Jewish/Danish Physicist & Nobel Laureate The more one is engaged in the Jewish community the more one recognizes how the richness of its history, creativity and contradictions can inspire endeavors of investigation and understanding. In connection with the investigation of the past and the exhilaration of the present, we often are (or at least I am) drawn to the task of making predictions of the future, especially based on recent (or not so recent) experiences. We believe that what we know provides us a basis for what we might anticipate in the future. In some cases our insights lead to logical hypothesis, but in the absence of data, we sometimes make guesses based on 'gut instincts.' In any event, … Continue Reading
Facebook: The World’s Most Popular Website
In 2010, Facebook was the top-visited Website and accounted for 8.93 percent of all U.S. visits during the first eleven months of the year. Google.com ranked second with 7.19 percent of visits, followed by Yahoo! Mail (3.52 percent), Yahoo! (3.30 percent) and YouTube (2.65 percent). Here, with what this means to your nonprofit organization, is Katya Andresen: This news shows we are increasingly receiving content not only via algorithms but via our own friends and family members. The web is increasingly people-centered. This means you should spend some time thinking long and hard about your own community. Are you listening to all those influential conversations that exist beyond your official web presence and press releases? Are you participating in them? Are you stuck in an old-school broadcast … Continue Reading
Bubbie and Zaydie Enter the Social Media Cloud
by Rabbi Jason Miller When I first logged on to Facebook in 2004 none of my real life friends had accounts yet. At that stage in the social networking site's development, a Facebook account was only for university students (or at least anyone with a university email account). I was working at a campus Hillel and my .edu email address gave me access to Facebook so I could interface with the Jewish students on campus. At that time it was mostly undergrads who were poking each other, updating their status, and uploading photos to Facebook. As the years went by, Facebook welcomed young adults and then high school students. The non-student users seemed to get older and older until one Baby Boomer must have finally unlocked the Facebook door and told a few friends about it. Before you knew it - … Continue Reading
Why Do In-House Social Networks Matter?
from Philanthropy News Digest: Four Reasons Why You Need an In-House Social Network Humans were built to connect with others - to form communities. And online communities are a natural extension of our real-world lives. In an online community, your supporters are surrounded by, and consistently interact with, like-minded people with similar interests and passions. The result is a new level of energy, heightened communication, and a significantly greater exchange of opinions and knowledge. Facebook has its place, as do other public social networks. (By the way, I'm a huge fan of nonprofits using more public or third-party social networking sites such as Facebook...) On the other hand, as a nonprofit, don't you want to know as much as you can about the interaction, relationship building, … Continue Reading
Social Media Usage Surges for Those 50+
According to the latest findings from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, social networking use among internet users ages 50 and older has nearly doubled - from 22% to 42% over the past year. And while social media use has grown dramatically across all age groups, these older users have been especially enthusiastic about embracing new networking tools. Between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking use among internet users ages 50-64 grew by 88% - from 25% to 47%. During the same period, use among those ages 65 and older grew 100% - from 13% to 26%. By comparison, social networking use among users ages 18-29 grew by 13% - from 76% to 86%. “Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by … Continue Reading
Art of Immigrant Youth on Display at Ellis Island
For the first time, HIAS’ annual Poster Contest for Immigrant Youth is on display at Ellis Island, part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Ellis Island was the nation’s premiere federal immigration station and is now a museum of immigration. Since 1995, HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, has sponsored an annual immigrant art poster contest. Winning posters from the 2009 annual contest will be on display on the main floor of the Ellis Island Museum in the area behind the information desk through Labor Day. This year’s contest theme was My Family’s Story, which was based on myStory, HIAS’ social networking site that allows immigrants to share their migration stories with one another through the written word, art, and media. Poster … Continue Reading
Train ALL Staff in Welcoming Best-Practices
by Paul Golin There’s been a growing chorus in the Jewish community that our organizations must create more engaging websites and get better at using social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, in order to build “online communities.” This is certainly a good and noble suggestion; it is far too easy to find synagogue websites best-optimized for viewing with the 1998 version of Netscape Navigator. But perhaps part of the challenge in engaging new people online is simply a reflection of our community’s larger challenge of engaging new people in general. The way newcomers are welcomed and engaged will be the key determinant as to whether a Jewish organization thrives, survives, or dies in the 21st Century. That is why the Big Tent Judaism Coalition, a movement of Jewish communal … Continue Reading
Is Staffing the Answer to Social Media ROI?
from The NonProfit Times: Staffing Expected To Increase To Handle Social Networks Nonprofits that have two or more full-time employees managing online communities have the highest level of satisfaction from social networks, according to a new survey. Those organizations also are more likely to measure return on investment (ROI), describe the investment as “very valuable,” and believe the biggest barrier to doing better is not training or education, but more staff. … Continue Reading
Summertime and the Outreach is Easy
With Memorial Day behind us here in the US, in my book it is now officially summer. And for those of us who work in the Jewish philanthropic world, that means it's time to decamp to the summer spots where our major donors can be found relaxing, entertaining and open to more casual and personal engagements. Smart fundraisers know that these sweet months of sun, surf and fresh mountain air offer special opportunities to work with their supporters and build relationships with them and their summer friends that can reap benefits long after the season ends. One easy way to leverage the summer outreach effort is to use social media tools to let people know about your organization's programs and events that might be happening in that beach house down the road or to invite friends to meet up on a … Continue Reading
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