More Tools For Your Virtual Shed

If you think Web 2.0 tools are just for tech geeks, think again. In fact, they’re easy enough for anyone to use, and can help causes like yours reach and connect more supporters, generate more funding, and ultimately affect more lives. We’ve already mentioned Web 2.0 tools like blogs, social networks, and video sharing, sites but there are many more worth investigating.

1. If you plan to send email newsletters to a lot of people, use Constant Contact. For a small monthly fee, you can send your e-newsletter and organize their responses.

2. Google Analytics, a free service of Google, will track your website statistics.

3. If you want to create a wiki, an online place for a group of people to collaborate on a document or a project, use Wikispaces or PBWiki. They are both free!

4. Share websites you like and see what others who are online like using the free social bookmarking site, del.icio.us. Friendfeed is another free site for organizing music, photos, videos and articles online in one place.

5. An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed is a great way to deliver important information to your supporters and keep them connected to you and your mission. Here’s an article on how to set up your own RSS feed.

6. Try using Bloglines or Technorati to search for blogs that focus on your cause. You might consider reaching out to these bloggers and asking them to include you in their next post. You can also use Google Reader as a free syndication tool.

7. Have an interesting interview you would like to share with your supporters? Try Podcasting, a way of delivering audio over the internet for playback on computers or audio devices such as the ubiquitous iPod. Here’s an article to help you record, edit, and promote your Podcast.