Comments on: Still having the fear/control debate? http://www.socialfish.org/2009/08/still-having-the-fearcontrol-debate.html Social media strategy, training for associations, non-profits Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:00:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Maggie McGary http://www.socialfish.org/2009/08/still-having-the-fearcontrol-debate.html#comment-956 Maggie McGary Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:38:32 +0000 http://www.socialfish.org/?p=1576#comment-956 You must be psychic because I've been getting blasted with this a LOT lately. Our page on Facebook has started to really take off as a place where both members and non-members are going to ask questions about anything from techniques for X procedure to can anyone recommend a course about X to job stuff to you name it. I think it's great because people are coming to think of our outpost as the place to go to get questions answered; other staff, though, aren't as thrilled. In fact, some are quite irrate that we are encouraging "nonsense" like Facebook and think we should be telling people "don't come here to ask questions; go to our website." But I digress...the good news is that while I'm getting a lot of fear feedback--including outright anger that we are going forward with social media stuff--the powers that be seem to be getting on board. I personally attribute it to the fact that ASAE has been focusing on it so much over the past few years; they've finally gotten over their fear (for the most part). The problem I'm starting to encounter is other staff levels--staff who aren't active in ASAE or similar professional groups who haven't had the benefit of knowing about stuff like your webinar and/or other resources that deal with the risks associated with social media vs. the potential for gains, etc. To those people the whole thing is ridiculous and they are NOT excited about the changes. I think along with the loss of control fear is some element of "will the association become obsolete if we are no longer considered the go-to place for answers?" Certainly a valid fear, especially in this economy, and for all I know possibly a valid threat to some degree. You must be psychic because I’ve been getting blasted with this a LOT lately. Our page on Facebook has started to really take off as a place where both members and non-members are going to ask questions about anything from techniques for X procedure to can anyone recommend a course about X to job stuff to you name it. I think it’s great because people are coming to think of our outpost as the place to go to get questions answered; other staff, though, aren’t as thrilled. In fact, some are quite irrate that we are encouraging “nonsense” like Facebook and think we should be telling people “don’t come here to ask questions; go to our website.”

But I digress…the good news is that while I’m getting a lot of fear feedback–including outright anger that we are going forward with social media stuff–the powers that be seem to be getting on board. I personally attribute it to the fact that ASAE has been focusing on it so much over the past few years; they’ve finally gotten over their fear (for the most part). The problem I’m starting to encounter is other staff levels–staff who aren’t active in ASAE or similar professional groups who haven’t had the benefit of knowing about stuff like your webinar and/or other resources that deal with the risks associated with social media vs. the potential for gains, etc. To those people the whole thing is ridiculous and they are NOT excited about the changes.

I think along with the loss of control fear is some element of “will the association become obsolete if we are no longer considered the go-to place for answers?” Certainly a valid fear, especially in this economy, and for all I know possibly a valid threat to some degree.

]]> By: FSSimon http://www.socialfish.org/2009/08/still-having-the-fearcontrol-debate.html#comment-4951 FSSimon Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:39:28 +0000 http://www.socialfish.org/?p=1576#comment-4951 RT @tweetmeme Still having the fear/control debate? — SocialFish http://bit.ly/7brKx<p class="ubervu_reaction_link">via <a href="http://www.ubervu.com/conversations/www.socialfish.org%2F2009%2F08%2Fstill-having-the-fearcontrol-debate.html">uberVU</a></p> RT @tweetmeme Still having the fear/control debate? — SocialFish http://bit.ly/7brKx

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