A friend from the United Kingdom writes to ask me how she might help her somewhat traditional trade association see the value of using a social networking application to facilitate communications between association members, and maybe also as a way to encourage new members to participate. Trade associations are a perfect type of organization to employ social networking tools to encourage conversations and build digital relationships. Here are some potential next steps.
In situations where people aren't exactly techies, keep the energy on the benefits of collaboration and cross-team communication. To that end, I recommend a simple but functional platform like Ning, or if it has to be managed inside the firewall, maybe something like JiveSoftware[182] or Mzinga.[183]
Starting with a big empty platform is scary. I recommend building out a few user accounts for some members, and maybe finding a few "friendlies" to build a profile and start messaging back and forth. It always feels easier to understand when you can see real-world examples of members using the system. Round up about a half-dozen people who might be more inclined to "get it," help them build an account, add a user pic, and so on, and then send a few messages back and forth. Then, when you display and/or demonstrate to the member base, they will see themselves in it.
Use a software like Jing[184] to shoot a quick screencast of the features and functionality. Keep it to under two minutes. The point of this is, "It's easier to see how it works than read about it."
Tool adoption for non-tech-happy groups comes down to comfort levels. One way to counter this is to assist by taking a few days to help members sign up, even if you do this remotely via e-mail and phone. Once they're signed up, consider step-by-step training. Even making a document with 100 screen captures, pointing out which buttons to click in which order, and distributing it widely would be a step in the right direction.
Finally, start making it part of the organizational process. In a newsletter, instead of referring to an e-mail address for questions about a new program, invite people to post questions to the new forums in the new social network. Add a prominent link on the main web site. Add the new social network to e-mail signature files. Send out a little insert in the next paper mail drive. The point is, let people know it's there and encourage them to use it.