Your Super Hero Cape

by Rosemari


Let’s face it: your initial idea or plan is probably pretty good. But, like any new idea, it’s risky. That’s okay (in fact, I think we need more risky, new ideas in this world). But, taking a big risk means you need some serious super powers on your side. And, like most super powers, they start with research.

My research professor at American University in Washington, D.C., Maria Ivancin, taught me that reach helps lessen the amount of risk you are getting yourself into. It helps strengthen your decisions. It helps you have a better chance of saving the world.


When it comes to online advocacy, monitoring tools for social media can contribute to your body of research through determining your reach, your level of engagement and how well you drive your web traffic home.


These three pillars – reach, engagement, and driving web traffic home – are broken down by Alan Rosenblatt (my Online Advocacy professor and general social media guru) in Measuring the Impact of Your Social Media Program and the Rules of Social Media Engagement. Describing the nuts and bolts of each category, he walks through tools like bit.ly and movements like #FollowFriday.


Each time you are able to better monitor impact of the work you are doing. And every impact monitored is like increasing your super powers. It reduces the risk of your project and increases it’s overall awesomeness. So, before jumping into social media, be sure that you got the best super powers you can muster.