This is the tenth in an ongoing series called “Beyond The Big Three,” which highlights social networking sites other than Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. There are tons of other social media outposts on the Web, and they’re great places for associations to curate content. The first nine installments can be found here. Stay tuned.

When you click over to UStream.tv, you might be wondering what makes it different from other video-sharing sites such as YouTube or Vimeo. The awesome thing about UStream is you can record video live!

(Coincidentally, I began writing this post and saw KiKi L’Italien’s new “Social Media Sweet Spot” show, which she recorded live on UStream last Friday. This is a great example of how live video can be used for communication both at the time of recording and later on.)

On its About page, UStream explains, In less than two minutes, anyone can become a broadcaster by creating their own channel on Ustream or by broadcasting through their own site, empowering them to engage with their audience and further build their brand.

There are so many possibilities for associations who want to use UStream. I’ve written a bit about virtual attendance for conferences and meetings, and UStream could definitely be used to stream keynote speeches or learning sessions.

There is an interactive broadcast functionality, which allows viewers to interact with whoever is broadcasting. If the presenter chooses, virtual attendees could ask the presenter questions rather than just being passive viewers.

For larger events (such as a keynote speech), UStream also offers a one-to-many broadcast feature.

Associations could also use it for various training sessions, speeches or rallies or other events.

You don’t have to have an account to view videos, which is nice for people who just want to watch videos occasionally.

Getting started is very easy – all you need is an Internet connection and webcam.

Click image to enlarge

How could your association use UStream?

Also, I want to add that association professionals should by no means feel obligated to use all of the social networking sites I’ve highlighted in this series. I’ve always advocated picking and choosing based on which ones are correct fits for your organization, but definitely take the time to explore the ones you’re unfamiliar with.

With the epic words of Clark Griswold as our guide, we hosted our holiday open house Thursday evening. There was food, fun and lots of people! In addition to the holidays, we were also celebrating the opening of MemberClicks‘ new home. Of course, my paparazzi tendencies with my new new camera were out in full force to capture the decorations, food and good times.

Pretty decorations!

Good eats

The set-up

Guests were greeted with pink champagne.

See more sights from the party…

Look what arrived yesterday from Virtual Management … a box of sweet treats in appreciation for our work on their Web site!

Virtual Management is an association management company that specializes in managing small- and mid-sized associations. To manage the members-only portion of their Web site, they turned to MemberClicks and our talented designer Brandon Gilbreath matched the look and feel of the original design. According to its “About” page, Virtual Management applies “advanced technology, industry best practices and efficient staffing solutions to running operations with the same modern discipline as for-profit businesses.”

Its clients include the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Association and theApplication Service Provider Industry Consortium.

It was such a surprise to receive the lovely package yesterday, and Clickers — not just Brandon — soon devoured the chocolate-covered pretzels, espresso beans and the other yummy sweets!

A huge thank you to Virtual Management for the opportunity to design their members-only Web site — and for the delicious surprise!

We hosted an in-office potluck yesterday and ate tons of delicious food! Here are some highlights:

Just some of the canned goods we’ve collected for the Atlanta Food Community Bank.

Developer Aaron Gunn getting his veggie dip ready.

Product Expert Joel Walton and Developer Ian Snead prepping their contributions.

President Thomas Howard setting up plates by the desserts.

Director of Product Experience Kevin Patrick was very enthusiastic about the ham.

The final spread (desserts not included!).

Developers Matt Boetger and Ian Snead getting the party started with Solution Adviser Hannae Berhanu and Go Team Member Sarah Bigorowski

Nom nom nom

Huck and Matt Boetger facing off.

Developer Glenard Loy and Lead Maximizer Duncan McCreery (maker of delicious potatoes) enjoying the meal.

The crowd chowing down (and Hannae and I are laughing right in the middle!).

The aftermath

Matt Boetger perusing the many, many dessert options.

Thomas and Duncan chilling out and enjoying the desserts.

From the entire MemberClicks family, happy Thanksgiving! We wish everyone who celebrates a fantastic holiday!

This is the third in an ongoing series called “Beyond The Big Three,” which highlights social networking sites other than Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. There are tons of other social media outposts on the Web, and they’re great places for associations to curate content. The first two installments on Flickr and Delicious can be found here. Stay tuned.

What do you get when you cross Twitter with a traditional blog? One of two sites: Tumblr or Posterous.

Although there are some important differences, Tumblr and Posterous do have a lot in common. Both let you compile all types of media – text, links, photos, videos, audio clips and more – into a virtual scrapbook to share with your members.

First up, Tumblr.

(Don't mind my goofy thumbs up)

Tumblr users can “follow” each other, much like on Twitter. (Following doesn’t have to be reciprocal.) There’s also the option to “like” a post, or “reblog” it and add your own comments if you’d prefer.

As far as mobility goes, there are great BlackBerry and iPhone apps for Tumblr. Personally, I’ve found the BlackBerry one very easy to use. Tumblr allows for Twitter integration, so your posts on Tumblr can be automatically sent to your Twitter stream, and tweets can be sent to Tumblr.

Newsweek magazine has recently started using Tumblr. They posted a great explanation of “Why they Tumbl” on Tuesday. In the post, they fully admit they’re not sure how to monetize Tumblr, but that they hope it creates a dialogue between magazine and readers.

Next up, Posterous:

The great thing about Posterous is that it was designed to be used via e-mail. Simple e-mail anything you want – text, photos, audio, even iPhone videos – to post@posterous.com. Your subject line will become the title and the e-mail’s body will become the post itself. You can even add tags in the subject line by including a double parentheses: ((tag:socialmedia, photos, association)). You don’t have to set up an account before e-mailing — whatever your e-mail address is becomes the URL (http://youremail.posterous.com). (Although if you want a specific URl, I’d recommend signing up for an account first.)

Update Posterous via e-mail

Posterous is handy if you’re on-the-go and attached to your smartphone. Like Tumblr, the site also has a community aspect: users can subscribe to other users and marks posts as “favorites.”

Media Bistro has done an excellent job using Posterous as a community blog. People can submit contributions to a specific e-mail address, and three curators approve and post the content. Granted, Media Bistro isn’t an association, but it is an online community that uses Posterous as a user-generated blog.

The best part about the contributions? People who submit don’t have to have Posterous accounts – just an e-mail address from which to send content!

You can export content from Posterous to any other social sites on which your association has a following – and vice versa. Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube – you name it, you can automatically post information across the board with a simple e-mail.

So how can associations use these sites?

Imagine if conference and meeting attendees could easily submit their own videos and photos to one main aggregator. ASAE and The Center had a great online hub for ASAE09, and they also had a Flickr group to aggregate attendees’ photos. I think Posterous would have been a comparable alternative because it lets many people share different types of media in one place. Attendees (real-life and virtual) could contribute their own videos, photos and thoughts to the community to create a great “scrapbook.”

Check out the FAQs for both Posterous and Tumblr, and I also love this Mashable post comparing and constrasting them. Each has its pros and cons (Tumblr allows for more theme customization, Posterous lets people submit contributions more easily), but maybe one of them is right for your association.

If you have any questions about either Posterous or Tumblr, feel free to e-mail me at shannon@memberclicks.com!

(Posterous screencaps via Mashable.)