Sean DeButts: Puget Sound Blood Center’s Social Media Guy

Posted by admin

April 27, 2009

Sean DeButts is one of many members of our community here in Seattle using social media as a communication tool for nonprofit organizations. As the man behind Puget Sound Blood Center’s social media program, Sean is showing the many great uses of using social media to improve our community. Thank you again for the great interview, Sean!

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Sean DeButts

2. E-mail?
SeanDeButts@gmail.com

3. What is your occupation/company?
I am a Donor Services Coordinator at Puget Sound Blood Center, and I am helping design and implement PSBC’s new Social Media Program. It will allow donors to use their MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter profiles to schedule blood donations, organize blood drives, send out messages about blood shortages, and invite friends.

Puget Sound Blood Center has 11 blood centers in Western Washington-from Bellingham to Vancouver-and has blood drives in almost all towns and cities.

4. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area?
I’m a lifelong Western Washingtonian. I was born and raised in Kirkland, attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, and decided I could come home again.

5. How can people find you on the web?
I’m always happy to exchange ideas, create opportunities, connect people, and chat. Contact me via:

Twitter: @SeanDeButts and @BloodCenter

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/sean/debutts

Facebook (Seattle Network)

On Social Media:

6. Why do you like social media?
One word: Innovation. Organizations and individuals are finding novel uses for social media at an exponential rate, and I’m excited to take part in it. I’m especially interested in how nonprofits and emergency services are successfully using social media. For example, Social Media Club Austin helped organize a tweetup blood drive in July that recruited 100 donors, and @Twestival tweetups in February raised U.S.$250,000 for
clean water in developing countries. Around Seattle, @SeattleNP, @ShaunaCausey, and @SimChabe are holding voluntweetups to educate local nonprofits on how they can use social media effectively as well. Now is the time to get involved!

Sources for above information:

SMC Austin Tweetup

Charity Water.org

@Twestival tweetups

7. How do you utilize social media?
At the most basic level, I use it to keep maintain relationships with friends and to help PSBC help patients in our local hospitals. I keep a pulse on relevant innovations in the Twittersphere, cultivate relationships with potential evangelists for PSBC, and scope out new business opportunities.

8. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
Social media will be permanent and ubiquitous features of our society. Familiarize yourself with them now because they are how you and others will keep in touch and do business. Going without social media will be like going without a phone!

9. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
On the business side, I will tweet about local nonprofit activities, PSBC’s social media program, useful health and blood donation facts, blood shortages, and volunteer opportunities. On the personal side, I will tweet about my local activities related to my hobbies (below in 12).

10. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
The social media scene in Seattle is incredibly inclusive and fermenting with all kinds of new uses for social media. There is such an overabundance of ideas that practitioners blog them, share them, and tweet them for free. You used to have to pay for such services! On top of that, the community is growing very quickly-I’m thankful that @SMCSeattle and other groups hold regular tweetups so that everyone can put faces to Twitter handles.

11. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future that you would like to let people know about?
I know someone who might be having such an event-I will get back to you soon about that.

Just For Fun:

12. What are your hobbies?
Marathon training, skydiving, my literature blog The Inkwell Review, social media, Chinese culture, organizing hikes through Meetup.com, business networking, science fiction (Clark, Asimov and Star Wars especially), self-edification, volunteer work, Alan Moore comics, and freelance journalism.

13. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
Moran State Park, on Orcas Island. Working there was the best summer of my life. You can hike among old-growth Douglas firs, swim in mountain lakes, hike miles of trails, and view all of the San Juans from the top of Mount Constitution. On top of that, you can hitchhike anywhere on Orcas Island.

14. Favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite food?
My favorite restaurant is I Love Sushi, and my favorite food is California rolls.

15. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
During the summer, my favorite activities are out of doors. This summer, I will be training for the Rock and Roll Marathon on June 27, and I will go skydiving in Snohomish County on July 18. On top of that, I will be organizing several hikes in the Cascades and Olympics through Pacific Northwest Hiking Group on meetup.com

16. Most embarrassing CD you own?
The most embarrassing CD I own is “The Black Mages,” a rock CD with music drawn from the Final Fantasy Series. That’s not so embarrassing, but it is a bit geeky.

17. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I’m very approachable. Contact me any time if you want to exchange ideas, find a connection, or collaborate on a project.