Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman checks out the Delaware Social Media Scene

Sometimes we really need to have someone from outside our community to offer a fresh perspective on what we're doing in Delaware.

This week we got that perspective from none other than Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman.

Ms. Goodman and her team came to see what Constant Contact Regional Development Director David Yunghans has been up to here in the First State.

We had more than 200 people come to our social media training/showcase/best practices session on March 11 - where more than a dozen business owners, non-profit managers, and others shared their social media success stories (it was incredible!)

After the event, Ms. Goodman had this observation about the Delaware Social Media Scene:

We look forward to MS. Goodman and her team coming back to spend some more time getting to know us.

More Evidence - this time from Men's Health

Once again - let's grab a little perspective - the state of Delaware still has fewer than 1 million people - and yet the city of Wilmington is listed as the 22nd most socially networked cities in the United States!

I cannot tell you how proud I am of the way this state is connecting and using social media to connect better in person! You are doing awesome stuff and the world is sitting up and taking notice!

Keep up the awesome work!

Oh, here's the link to the Men's Health article

OK, About the Article...

So, in the past week I've been fortunate enough to get morepositive press than should be allowed (sorry, I don't know how else to say it). First, there was Thursday's News Journal article, then there was WDEL's Rick Jensen leading an on-air "Ken Grant fest" - and more e-mails, facebook posts, and tweets than I can count. I humbly accept the kind words and affirmations from all, BUT, I hope you will indulge me with just a few extra moments of your time to expand on a couple of ideas. Several years ago, a friend pointed out to me that cynics are actually great romantics - they see how the possibilities of what the world *could* be compared to how the world *is* - and I could relate.

Let the Battle Begin I realized that I had a decision to make - would I live from an attitude of cynicism, or would I try to make the world a better place, that place of possibility? This is a decision I find myselffacing every day - and it is what I see in this community that keeps me choosing, time after time, to work a little harder, to try a little more, to believe that we can - and do - make a difference. When I see people who are unemployed (and employed) come together every week to help support each other in their job searches (Community Matters Networking Group), When I see thousands of people volunteer to help homeless families in multiple ways (Family Promise, Sunday Breakfast Mission, Ministry of Caring, etc.), When I see a growing network of people connecting both electronically and in person to work on projects that help build community (Network Delaware, Greater Newark Network, etc.), When I see organizations dedicated to providing our youth with mentors, direction, and the tools needed to grow into adults who will make a difference in the world around them (Urban Promise, Jewish Family Services of Delaware, Delaware Youth for Christ, Junior Achievement, etc.), and When I know that the list of examples I have here represents only a small fraction of the individuals and organizations that should be recognized, Then I know that I cannot hide behind the cowardice of cynicism and must do my part in creating a better future.

What Can We Do? I'll never forget seeing a great poster a few years ago, it reads: There's three kinds of people in the world: - Those who make things happen - Those who watch things happen - Those who look around and ask, What just happened? I ask that every time you get the urge to complain about something you consider to be wrong in society that you stop and think about what YOU can do to improve the situation - andplease, be creative - a protest or letter-writing campaign might bring some awareness to a situation, but what then? What can you do to make a difference - please don't wait for a state agency to step in, or for someone else to do something - if you see a problem, an issue, an opportunity, then YOU have what it takes to change it.

Basic principles Anyone who has been to more than a couple of weddings (or seen the movie "Wedding Crashers") is probably familiar with the famous writing from a Rabbi named Paul about how "Love is patient, love is kind..." I'd like to direct your attention to one of his other writings that I would argue offers some very basic, practical guidelines for life in community: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves... Share with people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you...Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Seriously, thanks so much to all of you who set an incredible example - thank you for all of the joy, hope, and inspiration you bring - thank you for demonstrating true kindness. Now, let's continue to work together to make our corner of the world a little better! With much appreciation, Ken

Too much fun!

A friend of mine really enjoys playing with Photoshop - I am proud, humbled, amused, and inspired by this - thanks Gene!

Egypt, social media, and the human spirit unleashed

It was as far back as May 4, 2010, when a room full of people at the University of Delaware's Mitchell Hall got an inkling that there may be a major change coming to Egypt.

That was the evening that the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication held a discussion about Political Communication and Social Networking featuring:

• David Plouffe - Barack Obama's 2008 campaign manager
• Steven Schmidt - John McCain's 2008 chief campaign strategist
• Jacqueline Ann Surin - writer from Southeast Asia
• Mona Eltahawy - writer from Egypt

Fortunately, the good people of C-SPAN were also in the room and captured the evening for all of us to see how prophetic Mona Eltahawy was nearly a year ago - Click Here to watch Mona Eltahawy's comments about social media in Egypt.

What Every Power Structure Needs to Learn From Egypt:

Here's what we need to understand - Every organization must understand the new world in which we live, let me be explicit on this - if you work for, work with, or are the embodiment of a:

• Business
• Corporation
• Religious Organization
• Charity
• Government (local and national)

- then this applies to you.


You see, the same tools that enabled the people of Egypt to stand up to a 30-year-old power structure and succeed are available and being used by your customers, contributors, collaborators, and constituents.

The political revolutions we're seeing in various part of the world are only the beginning - we are seeing a real societal revolution taking place - a revolution where authenticity is rewarded and an old-school, authoritarian "because we are the power and we say so" mentality gets ignored at best, and utterly destroyed if it doesn't take the hint.

The choice has never been more obvious - if you desire to have your business, government, or organization to be relevant in the coming years, you must engage with those you wish to be relevant to. This means listening, sharing ideas, admitting mis-steps, and celebrating community.

PLEASE NOTE: What is written here is neither new nor original - and for more comprehensive and insightful material, I highly recommend the following:

1. Lee Mikles and Patrick Callahan discussing Egypt and Social Media in their What's now, What's Next Podcast (episode 52) 

2. Dave Burris' always relevant post about how in social media, You Can't Fake the Funk

3. Erin Guttenplan's Edge of Seven post about the Women of Egypt

4. This great video from Clay Shirky:

Groundhog Day Event Re-Cap

Wow!

I will never look at Groundhog Day the same way again!

I won a drawing for a free happy hour at the new Catherine Rooney's in Newark - throughout the evening, about 70 people came and joined in the fun - this was truly an awesome night of community!

These videos should give you an idea of what the evening was like - I am truly grateful for all who made this evening possible - and please, continue to be the awesome, incredible, inspiring people you all are!

Rodney Jordan - Sir Galahad incarnate

Last Friday evening many, many people from all walks came together to celebrate Rodney Jordan's birthday - and raise more than $500 for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.

During the celebration, I asked one of my typical birthday questions, "What's the most significant event for you this past year?"

Rodney's response: "This night, having all of these people here, this community."

Wow.

I believe that tells you exactly what kind of person Rodney is - he is all about the community - at our roundtable, Rodney jordan is Sir Galahad - pure of heart and ever galant (fyi, I'm labeling myself as the town crier in this little analogy).

Here's the thing, I don't know if many people really know just how much Rodney does - from organizing events to putting people and organizations together to supporting hundreds of people in the area - Rodney was the first person to step up to lead the Community Matters Networking Group, Rodney put together (and primarily funded) the first Social Media Train in Delaware - oh yea, and for anyone who has benefitted from using the hashtag #netde, yea, Rodney started that.

It is safe to say that most people in our community owe a debt of gratitude to Rodney - I know I do.

And when I look at how much he has done in just the last couple of years I've known him, I can't wait to see how much will be accomplished in the coming years!

DelCastle Technical H.S. - giving students an incredible advantage

Gary Phillips at DelCastle Technical High School is training students to have an incredible advantage in the "Real world"

First, check out what Lee Mikles had to say about his visit - I agree with every word he writes.

In addition to truly impressive equipment and hardware, these students are working with industry standard software and are learning valuable lessons from instructors like Gary and from guest speakers.

Most impressive is the way the students are being taught to use their skills in a variety of ways and apply their understanding of video technology, software, editing, and writing to create truly original work.

I am confident that in the coming years we are going to see amazing things out of these students, know that it is thanks to the vision and work done by Gary and his colleagues at DelCastle.

Social Media 2.0 - video recap

Tuesday, January 18, 2010: The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast seminar on Foursquare and QR Codes at the University of Delaware's Courtyard Hotel in Newark.

Ken Grant and Rob Szczerba led the discussion, and Rodney Jordan shot the video.

Below is a combination of the videos shown that morning and the videos shot by Rodney:





Here's a link to a couple of CNN videos: Checkin in to Foursquare

Is Foursquare the next Twitter?

Exploring some newer Social Media Tools!

I've said this from the beginning - and am more convinced than ever - this whole social media thing is a great big wild frontier that we get to explore and shape together.

So, next Tuesday, January 18 - let's do some exploring!

The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a morning event for us to look at tools like FourSquare, QR Codes, and more!

Rob Szczerba from Associates International, Mark Thompson from ION-E, and I will share what we know (I'm counting on Rob and Mark to be much more informative than me - oops, did I say that out loud... anyway...) and you can help us discover cool new ways to use these tools for business, non-profit organizations, arts, government, community building, neighborhood development, and much more - this is going to be incredible!

Here's the official pitch from the chamber with a link to sign up - hope to see you there!

Social Media 2.0 Using Foursquare, QR Codes, and other technologies to grow your business Do you know what a QR Code is? Have you ever checked in on FourSquare? Join us at the Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware for a full hot breakfast and a tutorial from the experts on how to network, connect and market your business in 2011.  We'll discuss the latest social media innovations, including Foursquare, QR codes, and other interactive applications that may put customers at the forefront of marketing strategy.  You will not want to miss this event! Speakers: Ken Grant, Analtech Rob Szczerba, Associates International Mark Thompson, ION-E Tuesday, January 18 (next week!) 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. at Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware

WHAT: Social Media 2.0
WHEN: Tuesday, January 18 - 8:30 - 11:30 AM
WHERE: Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware - 400 David Hollowell Drive
WHO FOR: EVERYONE interested in communicating effectively with customers, clients, contributors, and/or collaborators
COST: $25 for NCCoChamber Members / $35 otherwise
Click Here to REGISTER

How about a little fun on New Year's Day?

Yes, that's a photo of me in a skirt, blouse, and wig in the 2005 Hummers Parade.

So, this Saturday will be the 40th annual Hummers Parade in Middletown! - http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201012280339

Even better, the weather is supposed to be great - mostly sunny, highs around 45 - which means the turnout for this parade should be pretty big (they claim there's been up to 10,000 at some past parades).

I cannot tell you how much fun these parades are - this is where people get to be creative and fun - you will not find professional floats in this parade - you will find men in diapers and roller skates, kids in costumes, people having fun with celebrities, politics, you name it.

I'm thinking we could have some real fun representing the Delaware Twitterati/Social Media Scene in the parade - a bunch of us can walk in the parade, take photos, and generally have a good time.

Obviously, I'm open to more creative ideas (we could bring along a screen, laptop, and projector - and show the whole twitter stream along the parade route... just an idea).

The parade is scheduled to start at 1:00 in the afternoon.

If you don't want to be IN the parade, would you want to just get together and all enjoy it from one spot?

What say you all?

Adventures with Alexander

One of the things I'm fascinated by is effective communication - things said, done, or written that cause action, change attitudes, and/or make things happen.

The people at 23rd & 5th (DISCLOSURE: I consider these people to be geniuses and friends - so no, this isn't exactly the most objective post) sent out a bunch of $10 bills to friends and clients with a simple note attached explaining that this $10 bill was to be used as a donation to a worthy cause of your choice - oh, and you can go to their web site to see videos from nine great organizations - seriously, check it out here.

So, this morning, Alexander Hamilton and I went on a trip (yes, I buckled him in, cause that's the kind of nerd I am)...

and went down the road to the Food Bank of Delaware...

...where we met Anna, the Account Manager for the Food Bank of Delaware, who was happy to welcome Alexander to his new home...

I can't wait to see what happened with all the other $10 bills that went out from 23rd&5th

The Wilmington Amtrak Station Event

On Monday, December 6, Amtrak commuters in Wilmington were treated to a newly renovated station, free bagels (Manhattan Bagel is awesome!), free coffee (LOMA Coffee is located just two blocks from the train station at 3rd and Market - full disclosure, I'm a member of the church that helped start LOMA Coffee - click here for the opening day video), and were greeted by:

• Governor Jack Markell
• Senator Tom Carper
• Congressman Mike Castle
• Mayor James Baker
• DelDOT Secretary Carolann Wicks

You can see more about the opening from the News Journal and Channel 3 - CBS, but here's a collection of photos and a video - oh yea, and screen shots from the twitter traffic as everything was happening (Thanks to all who participated!)

A HUGE Thanks to Rodney Jordan - he's responsible for the good photos and video - I'm responsible for the blurry stuff.

Delaware supports Detroit!

I have to tell you, I'm pretty excited about this!

Jeff Pulver, international social media leader and creator of the 140 Conferences, visited Delaware in June. D uring that visit, Mr. Pulver talked about how the city of Detroit is trying to do what Delaware is doing with social media, connecting business, government, non-profits, arts, and education in a way that encourages a flow of information, ideas, and support.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, Jeff Pulver hosted the 140 Conference in Detroit.
During the afternoon session, Jeff introduced Delaware's own Maya Paveza (Nationally recognized leader in Social Media and Real Estate), and Maya introduced the people of Detroit to some of the Delaware Social Media Community via video.

The video features messages from:

- Governor Jack Markell
- Kim Kostes of the Food Bank of Delaware
- Steve Roettger and Wes Garnett of the COin Loft
- State Representative Tom Kovach
- Rodney Jordan of Armor Graphics
- Rebecca Faber, President of the World Trade Center Delaware
- Brian Sowards of the Delaware Film Initiative
- Laurie Bick of Community Matters
- Rick Jensen, WDEL talk show host
- Greg Gurev of MySherpa and president of the Technology Forum of Delaware
- Jayla Boire of The Right Idea



I just want to say "Thanks!" to all who made this possible - Delaware is continuing to come together as a stronger community than ever before to make great things happen!

Great Video Resources

Just watch these:

Delaware goes to PodCamp Philly!

In October of 2009, I believe there were four of us from Delaware who attended PodCamp Philly - this year, we had many more!

And we had an incredible time!

Felicia Pullam (@FPullam) and I (@kengrantde) had the privilege of leading a session on the Delaware Social Media Initiative - and Maya Paveza (@MayaREguru) led two sessions over the weekend!

Oh, and Steve Lubetkin (@podcaststeve) did an awesome interview with Felicia and me, check it out by clicking here.

So, this event was absolutely incredible - all of us walked away with new insights, great information, new friends, and ready for more!

Huge Thanks to Whitney Hoffman, Gloria Bell, Lynette Young, and everyone who make PodCamp Philly so great! Oh, and be sure to check out great photos by clicking here!

So, here's some video from the session Felicia and I did as well as a collection of some other photos taken by our Delaware people:

More impressive confirmations

Recently, the good people at Netprospex issued a Social Media Report, offering a comprehensive look at the business usage of social media in the U.S. and in a wide variety of fields.

The report ranks cities in the U.S. where businesses are most active on Twitter - here's a look at their methodology:

We first grouped business people into geographic areas based on the locations of their companies. We then calculated a Twitter Score based on the average number of Twitter accounts, tweets, number of followers, and number of users following.

A high twitter score means there is a large percentage of business people within that city using Twitter.

I am very proud to report that Wilmington, Delaware is #10 on that list!

Click here to check out the full report.

Things I've learned over 10,000 tweets

As I write this, I have posted 9,967 "tweets" or messages on twitter.

I've been on Twitter since January of 2009 (thanks to Whitney Hoffman!) - and some of you are reading this thinking, "yea, I hit 10,000 tweets ages ago" (I'm looking at you, Maya) and others are thinking, "Wow, don't you have a life?" (you know who you are).

As I cross this little milestone, I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the lessons I've learned so far in the twitterverse.

• Most people really do want to help others
• Most people are kind, generous, and care about their community
• You Can't Fake The Funk!
• Transparency can be a truly beautiful and good thing
• Most politicians, corporate drones, and bureaucrats have an intense fear of social media
• The exceptions to the point above are the kinds of people I really want running things
• I can learn more about breaking news from 5 minutes on twitter than 30 minutes of TV News
• Almost every experience is better when sharing it with friends
• I am unbelievably fortunate to have gotten to know SO MANY wonderful people and I am so very grateful to have all of you in my life!

These are just some thoughts off the top of my head - care to share anything you've learned?

General Information about why the social part is important

Science continues to show us how inter-connected we are naturally, and how important it can be for us to approach this with some intentionality.

Know this, I am incredibly proud of the patch we're creating here in Delaware in this social media quilt.

Just interesting statistics (a fairly narcissistic post)

One of the amazing things about this whole interwebs thing is how measurable everything is - I have a theory that these measurement tools are causing some sleepless nights for "traditional" marketing types. It used to be easy, tell someone that the billboard will mean 10 gazillion "impressions" - mix that with the television ad, the radio ad, and the full page newspaper ad and you'll have 230 mega-gajillion impressions!

NOTE: I am a firm believer in the above mentioned forms of advertising, and I have several friends in the advertising field - these communication tools are effective and useful - I just think some have taken advantage of the fact that you can't *really* measure how many people are "impressed" with these "impressions."

So, here's the thing - you can actually track how effective your message is here - you know how many people are watching your Youtube videos - or visiting your blog - and even how many people are clicking on the links you post on twitter.

While I do an occasional check to see how many people are clicking on the links I include on twitter, I'm normally just looking at a week's worth of traffic and, until now, haven't really stepped back to get a larger perspective, like this:

OK, so this counts the number of links I provided that were clicked on by others.

NOTE: This DOES NOT track links I've retweeted from others - ONLY those tweets that I originated with links shortened through Hootsuite.

So, since the beginning of this year, 4,869 people have clicked on a link I've offered up into the twittersphere - to be honest, I have no idea how that compares with others, all I know is that it indicates that others are engaging with me at some level, and for that I am both appreciative and humbled.

Now, a couple of quick observations about the most popular messages:

• The most popular topic was the social media wedding (thank you, Chris and Elizabeth, for making this so much fun!) - those were messages #3, #6, and #10 on the list for a grand total of 197 clicks
• It looks like people like fun - the most popular message was about a bunch of characters walking around the University of Delaware
• People like Community - #2 on the list was a link to the Community Shoe Drive at BellaVista in Pike Creek, #4 was about the Greater Newark Network meeting, and #5 and #7 are all about getting the word out about how great Delaware is.

Another observation - until I looked at this chart, I honestly had no idea how many people had been clicking on these links to get information. Chances are, you don't know the kind of impact you're having - if you're active in the Delaware Social Media Community, please keep it up - if you are not yet engaging, please do, you'll never know how many people you will inform, encourage, entertain, and engage with!