by , Hand’s on Network

I’m in Las Vegas today with of VolunteerSpot, of KaBOOM and of Crowdrise. We’re presenters in the Cause Track at the Blogworld New Media Expo talking about how to use the social we to drive real world social action.

In other words, how can anyone mobilize friends, fans and followers to take real actions that make a difference?

As we planned the session, it occurred to the four of us that that people are still inspired and motivated in traditional ways – even if it’s happening through a new medium.

In our session today, we hope to gather the collective wisdom of those in the room to create a more complete list, but as we head in to our workshop, I’ve outlined a few of our ideas for applying the best practices of traditional volunteer management to distributed action in the social space.

We’d love to know what ideas you have and what you would add to this list. 

Leave us a comment with your ideas, won’t you?

Here are some of our initial thoughts…

Make a personal appeal - the number one reason people volunteer is because they were asked.  This doesn’t mean they were asked via a mass e-mail, a generic tweet or a mass Facebook event invitation.  Someone they knew asked them personally.  Keep this in mind when recruiting within social networks.

Tell a compelling story - never underestimate the power of story!  Tell your story.  Why is the cause important to you?  How and why did you get involved?  What kind of change do you believe is possible if others get involved?  If you speak personally and from your heart, your friends will respond.

Make folks feel part of something larger than themselves – all of us want to find meaning in our lives.  You’re not just asking for help, you’re offering people an opportunity to contribute, to participate in making a difference.   Let this help you overcome your fear that you’re burdening folks with your request.

Make your ask relevant – think about the needs/concerns of your social media networks and how what you’re asking of them speaks to their needs and concerns.  Let them know what they’ll get out of it.  Don’t be shy about this one.  The truth is that all of us end up getting more than we give when we volunteer.  We’re transformed for the better by the experience!

Think creatively- How can you spread your ask beyond your immediate network? Brainstorm ways to create incentives for your network to pass it on. Can you make a game out of it? Might you offer a prize to the person who recruits the most people to join the effort or raises the most money for your cause?

Make it easy – remember volunteers have to be eased into a commitment. Make it quick and easy to take immediate action, ask for specific actions and small commitments first and work up to larger commitments.

Don’t waste volunteer’s time, be organized.  (Enough said?)

Invite volunteers to get involved in planning and shaping the next project.  (First you ask the mom to make cookies for the bake sale and the next thing she knows she’s President of the PTA!)

Report back – let people know the larger impact they’ve made possible.  Share the results of your team’s collective action.  How many students were tutored?  How many houses renovated?  How much money was raised?

Don’t skimp on the thanks & recognition.  Always thank and recognize your volunteers and donors.  You can send them an e-mail, call them, write on their Facebook wall, send a tweet out about them… just don’t forget to thank them.

What would you add?

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