© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
Alex Redmond Leslie Bradshaw Business Development, Mid-Atlantic June 23, 2009 Communications Manager, Public Affairs
DC Ag Communicators – Social Media Overview
Making Sense of Social Media: 7 Areas to Focus On
Emerging Platforms
Media Sharing
Blogs
Social Networks
Cloud Computing
Wikipedia
2
Blogs
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
Not “just a blog” – many considerations: Your organization’s blog Influencer blogs Employee blogs Coalition / member blogs Competitor / adversary blogs
Permanent, but imperfect – many decisions: Software Engagement strategy Message and positioning Intelligence and tracking
Blog Reading Habits of Capitol Hill
Communications Directors/ Press Secretaries
68%
70%Chiefs of Staff/Deputy Chiefs of Staff/Directors
47%
47%
42%
Legislative Directors/Senior Policy Advisors/Counsel
Legislative Assistants
Legislative Correspondents/Other
* Source: National Journal Group, Washington in the Information AgeBlogs
Local Blogs
Local Blogs
Wonkette
Hotline On Call
Daily Kos
Talking Points Memo
The Note
Red State
Townhall
The Corner
Hotline On Call
M. Malkin
49%
42%
39%
32%
29%
23%
42%
35%
29%
24%
21%
20%* Source: National Journal
Group, Washington in the Information Age
Local and National Blog Consumption
Blogs
States Have Vibrant Blogospheres, Too
Blogs
Logistics
1. Set goals
2. Establish team roles
3. Brand and integrate campaign elements
4. Scope, research, understand task at hand
5. Evaluate and select platforms
6. Document everything
The 6 Steps to Planning and Executing a Digital Campaign
Basic metrics Video views, comments and subscriptions Facebook fans, Wall posts Visitors and link-backs to your site and/or blog Blog and Twitter buzz – quantity and impressions Tonal reaction (positive/negative) Benchmark reports (beginning/end; weekly/monthly) How engaged, lasting, meaningful was the experience? (qual.)
Campaign-dependent metrics Units sold Actions taken (e.g., petition, contesting, etc.) Voters, constituents, consumers, students or decision makers
influenced Lasting, Google-able resources Launching point for future efforts
#1 – What Does a Win Look Like?
AGGREGATE
ANALYZE
FILTER
ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE
NMS METHODOLOGY: This is How We Do It
#2 – Establish Team Roles
Team: Community / Communications Management Role: Communicates on behalf of the campaign, under their own
name, everywhere online (think: touchy-feely spokesperson); Ensures that message and aesthetics are consistent across entire campaign (on and offline); supports Community & Profile team
Involvement: 2 – 3 people
Team: Profile Management Role: Populates profiles with content; works with / as Community
Managers; maintains and interacts continuously Involvement: 2 – 3 people
Team: Metrics, Reporting, Tracking, Innovating Role: Ensures that goals are being set and met; makes
recommendations to recalibrate based on results, emerging platforms and new goals
Involvement: 3 – 4 people
CHALLENGE: Digital and Geographic Divides
Solution: Communications Team Tactic: Point people in DC manage and solicit content from Farmers
Solution: Profile Management Team Tactic: Meet with Farmers once a quarter to scope out an approved
set of messages and topics; adjust and update as needed
Solution: Editorial Calendar Tactic: Create a master calendar for posting to platforms (e.g., blog
post, tweets, etc.); receive posts from Farmers via Communications team (need only be emailed; “photo attached” would be great, too); post for / as approved Farmers
Solution: Digital Press Events Tactic: Invite bloggers to the farm; encourage photo and video
creation; create universal tag so content can be aggregated
6 Tips: Social Media for Agriculture
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
ON THE FARM CASE STUDY: Leslie’s Family’s Farm
Worked with Intel to invite influential bloggers and media makers onsite to ISEF, resulting in: 776 photos on Flickr 160 blog posts and tweets Production of nearly 40
YouTube videos 20 audio recordings of
interviews with attendees
Helped manage and organize interested online communities, facilitating new connections
Reached over 1.5 million viewers
Created lasting online resources and relationships
Shifted previous perceptions about Intel and its dedication to education
DIGITAL PRESS EVENT CASE STUDY: Intel
Specific Platforms
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
• What is it?– Permanency of blogging – Utility of emailing– Sociality of Facebook – Agility of text / IMing
• Why join?– Disseminate information– Converse and share– Build a network– Gain insights
• Who uses it?– The media– Politicians– C-level executives; decision makers– Brands and organizations– Online influentials
In Fact, Twitter Has Its Own Ecosystem & Economy
March 19Jay Leno Show
“I bowled a 129. … It’s like – it was like Special Olympics, or something.” - President Obama
TWITTER CASE STUDY: The Special Olympics
March 20Story explodes
Organic Interest:• Media & Blog Stories: 7,000+• Twitter Posts: 10,000+
“The president made an offhand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics.” - Spokesman Bill Burton
March 31Special Olympics launches social media campaign with help from NMS
Results:• 3.8 million Impressions • 55,000 Facebook
users • 10,000+ Pledges • 16,000 video views• 100+ blog posts• 1,200 Tweets
High-Profile Twitter Placements:• John Mayer• Rosalind Wiseman• Chicago Tribune• Fox5 (lead to on-air)
April 1 - TodayConversation continues…
Social Networks
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
• What is out there?– Facebook – friends– Twitter – communications– Ning – organizations– LinkedIn – colleagues– MySpace – A & E– MeetUp – offline
• So I have a page, now what?– Upload your contacts– Relax the reins– Spark two-way conversations– It’s a garden: plant, water, weed, maintain; repeat.
2,200+ Members
Dozens of Wall Posts
News Updates
Shared Links
Targeted Ads
Thousands of Click-Thrus
FACEBOOK CASE STUDY: ACC / Drinking Water
Donation Motivation:1 Twitter follower = 100 liters of water1 Facebook member = 100 liters of water
Media Sharing
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
• Video – what is out there?– YouTube – massive reach– Vimeo – customizable– Viddler – interactive
• Photo – what is out there?– Flickr – open network– SmugMug – closed network– Twitter applications – Twitpic, Utterli
• Why you need it:– A picture is worth…– Tell your story; create a lasting resource– Make it compelling; short and something you’d pass on – Create assets to share with on and offline media outlets
BlogsSocial
NetworksTwitter
Media Sharing
“ALL CYLINDERS” CASE STUDY: C-SPAN
• Transformed their image in the eyes of online influencers and tech communities
• Reengaged their core political audience through embeddable video and blogger link-backs
• Exchanged their limited advertising budget for social capital, search engine optimization (SEO), brand awareness and historical, lasting resources
• 300+ blog placements; 600+ inbound links; millions of online views
22
Wikipedia
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
• What are wikis?– Collaborative resource– Relies on “wisdom of the crowds”– Not always accurate, buuuuut…– Read: Here Comes Everybody (Clay Shirky)
• Why you need them:– Define the debate at point of research:
Wikipedia– Replace internal intranets– Create a puzzle-piece mentality that
encourages more participation and knowledge-sharing
– Enable easy access– Document evolution and keep definitions
dynamic (e.g., of your issue / organization)
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
• What tools are available?– Google Docs – Google Reader / RSS– Slideshare– Delicious– YouSendIt– TinyURLs (recommended: bit.ly)– “Share This”
• Why you need them:– Cost effective ($0)– Accessible anywhere– Time-saving– Searchable; can make public
Cloud Computing
• What to watch for?– Aggregation (FriendFeed)– Portability (Facebook Connect)– Authentication (OpenID)– Integration (Google Connect)– Mobile (iPhone and BlackBerry apps)– “Life streaming” (Qik, USTREAM)– Status-o-sphere (Facebook, Twitter)– Blogosphere segmentation (state level, interest based)
• What will continue to evolve?– Boundaries: Personal / Private / Professional / Organizational– Sharing: Anonymity / Transparency / Intimacy / Translucency– Connectivity: Portable / Integrated / Aggregated / Authenticated
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
Emerging Platforms
Closing
5 Things You Can Do Immediately
• Share content, but not over email. Instead, use a single account on Delicious to store, share and tag relevant stories. • Tips: These can be public or private (just click the “do not share” box).
Add unlimited # of tags to help build context. Detailed repository.
• URL: http://delicious.com (also: most stories have multiple “share this” functions)
• Build a blogger media list; create an engagement strategy. Identify bloggers most interested in your issues and include them early and often on breaking news, surrogate interviews and other initiatives.• Tips: Treat bloggers like journalists, but don’t expect them to always perform like non-
biased reporters. Consider having your surrogate’s blogs link back to the blogs on your list. Reciprocity rules.
• URLs: http://blogsearch.google.com (more results) and http://technorati.com (includes authority)
• Monitor Twitter. The most instant and social conversations going on about your issues are on Twitter. Blogs lag. Facebook is closed, sometimes blocked. • Tips: On Twitter, you can take immediate action. For key conversers, investigate the
Twitterer’s # of followers and if they have a blog. Have a strategy to engage / respond if needed.
• URLs: http://search.twitter.com (basic search) & http://tweetgrid.com (up to 9 terms at once)
5 Things You Can Do Immediately (cont’d)
• Place digital Op-Eds with influential blogs. Facing a limited “real estate” issue? Editorial Board uninterested? You can be just as effective by placing a guest post on state and / or national blogs. Once place, pivot back to MSM.• Tips: Have surrogates pen for the web – links, photos and embedded videos are
excepted.• Sample sites: Huffington Post, Medical News Today, Health Bolt, My Family Doctor
• Have Farmers maintain a daily / weekly “diary.” Basically a blog, but in established communities with lots of activity. More efficient; good workaround.• Tips: If your content is consistent and strong, and you’ve made contacts with the site
administrator’s, you can get “front paged” (i.e., have your content featured on the homepage). To build credibility: make sure to comment on posts by others.
• URLs for top diary sites: http://RedState.com and http://TheNextRight.com (right-of-center); http://DailyKos.com, http://MyDD.com and http://TalkingPointsMemo.com (left-of-center); http://SoapBlox.com (state level and left-of-center)
Authenticity and transparency rule the day. When you are transparent, you are credible. When you are credible, you maximize your results.
Try to workaround, not eliminate. Stuck on Twitter? Try a disclaimer: ‘Tweets from our friends do not necessarily represent the views of healthfinder.gov.’ Unable to access actual site? Use search engines.
You get out what you put in. Social media is a like a pet, not furniture. Nurture, don’t walk away.
The marketplace is now a conversation. Are you listening, do you have a voice? And like with any conversation, listening is key.
It’s a relationship, are you committed? The true value of participating online is in the ability to build lasting, meaningful ties.
To make it work in the long run, you need infrastructure. In order to circulate your content and maximize what social media has to offer, you need to have a plan and multiple pathways. Start slow, integrate and don’t over-commit.
6 Closing Thoughts
© 2009 | New Media Strategies www.newmediastrategies.net
Thank you. Questions?
Leslie BradshawBlog: www.lesliebradshaw.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliebradshaw
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LeslieBradshaw
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703-253-0050 x 187
Alex RedmondNMS Blog: www.newmediastrategies.net/blog
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ajredmond
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexRedmond
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703-253-0050 x 195