managing social media at nasa
DESCRIPTION
Presentation from NASA's Social Media Manager Stephanie L. Schierholz about overseeing the agency's 200+ social media accounts. Presented Oct. 4, 2011, at Ragan Communications "Communicating Your Company Story" hosted by Southwest Airlines.TRANSCRIPT
Managing Out of This World Social Media Efforts at NASA
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Stephanie Schierholz, Office of Communications
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Who are we? Stephanie L. Schierholz
Social Media Manager and Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Communications,
NASA Headquarters
@NASA
@NASATweetup
@schierholz
Col. Douglas Wheelock
NASA Astronaut,
Johnson Space Center
178 days in space
Space shuttle mission STS-120
International Space Station Expeditions 24-25
@Astro_Wheels
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
@Astro_Wheels: NASA Explorer
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Managing Social Media
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Assess your organization's use of social media within its structure and culture
• Move from organic to organized social media use (or start organized!)
• Coordinate your organization's social media use across departments and locations
• Create thriving social media and engagement with fans with limited resources
Where does Social Media fit?
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Where does social media belong within your organization? Who is going to own it?
• Tends to be either Web/IT or Communications
• Who is responsible for engagement with:
– The public
– The press
– Key stakeholders (legislative, investors, etc.)
Social Media Foundation at NASA
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Act:
• Sec. 203. (a) The Administration, in order to carry out the purpose of this Act, shall— – (3) provide for the widest practicable and
appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Integrating Social Media at NASA
• The Office of Communications manages social media:
– The purpose is to engage the public
– Communications officers are trained to know what information is releasable and what is not
– It gives the Communications team feedback and a better sense of what messages are communicated effectively
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Connect and Collaborate with NASA
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Organizing Your Social Media
• Untamed star-forming cloud
• Dive in to social media with few constraints
• Trial and error
• An orderly planetary system
• Measured social media use
• Guiding strategic plan
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Why Order a Social Media Universe?
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Clarity of voice and message
• Protecting your brand
• Avoiding duplicative efforts and use of resources
• Capture the creativity
• Synergy: sum of the whole is greater than that of the parts
• What will you do in a crisis?
How Do You Create Order?
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Give to get: provide an incentive in exchange for registration information, such as an official listing http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Create a support or working group – most people doing social media on their own want to do it better
• Become the expert
• Build allies and pool resources
• Use the authority you have
An Orderly Social Media Solar System
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Determine the desired structure and processes
• Where will the center(s) of authority lie?
• Who can establish accounts and how?
Creating Order: Things to Consider
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Terms of Service Agreements
• Purpose of the account
• Audience for the account
• Why social media and not something else?
• Does a similar account already exist?
• Who will be responsible?
• How familiar are the users with this platform?
More Things to Consider
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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• How frequently do you plan to post to the account?
• What is your plan for managing the account outside of working hours? Who is the emergency contact?
• Is there a likely date after which content will no longer be updated? If so, what happens to it?
• What existing company policies apply to the use of social media (officially and for private accounts)?
• What guidelines does the company have for the use of social media?
Coordinating Across Centers
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
NASA HQ Ames
Research Center
Dryden Flight Research
Center
Glenn Research
Center
Goddard Space Flight
Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Johnson Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
Langley Research
Center
Marshall Space Flight
Center
Stennis Space Center
Wallops Flight
Facility
Coordinating Among Groups
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Education
&
Outreach
Records
Web
General Counsel
CIO
IT
Tools for Managing Social Media • Get tools to meet your
needs: sharing accounts, assigning comments, timed updates, reporting, etc.
• Many free tools are available
• Decide if everyone will use the same tool
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Use Social Media to Engage
• Provide GREAT content that will get people talking.
• Social media is a conversation – spend as much time listening as you do speaking.
• If you start a conversation, participate in it;
don’t start it and walk away.
• Ask for and enable feedback – respond to mentions on Twitter, comments on blogs, Facebook, etc.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Where Does Engagement Start?
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Build upon what you already have
– NASA TV becomes http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
– Videos become http://www.nasa.gov/video
• Make it easy to find your social media accounts
• Make it easy to share your content
• Recognize the unique value you offer
• Take it offline
Rules of Engagement
• Don’t “buy” likes; quality is better than quantity.
• Quantity will result from quality interaction.
• Find your amplifiers. Notice WHO is retweeting and sharing your information.
• Notice HOW people are sharing your posts. Their edits and comments can tell you what they find important.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Keep it Simple: Twitter Chat
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
http://www.twitter.com/NASA
Take it Offline
• NASA has had great success with inviting our social media fans to in-person, behind-the-scenes opportunities at NASA centers
• Events range from two hours to two days in length
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Make Events Special and Memorable
Provide unique or exclusive:
Information
Speakers
Access
Setting
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Successful Events Rock Logistics Short, interactive sessions
Connected (WiFi)
Your Online Audience
Powered
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Come to a #NASATweetup!
Registration open now until 5 p.m. ET
Registration open Wednesday at noon ET through Friday at noon
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