social media 101
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Social Media 101
using the social web to build your online toolkit
Aerin GuyThe Wellesley Institute
June 18, 2009
Aerin Guy•Manager,
Communications & Virtual Wellesley
• a proud Saskatonian and newbie Ontarian
•mum to Scarlet
• background in communications, marketing, education and technology
Text
where I hang out
•www.facebook.com/aeringuy
•www.twitter.com/aeringuy
•www.twitter.com/wellesleyWI
•www.linkedin.com
about you!
• please introduce yourselves to the people at your table
•what organization are you with?
•what is your role?
•what do you hope to get out of this workshop?
Overview of the social web
• also known as Web 2.0 (Tim O’Reilly)
• also known as the “social media explosion”
• also known as the way we connect today
Powerful stuff
• introduction to social media
people are talking to each other online
• 2 choices:
1. Resist it, and it will happen anyway, elsewhere, outside your influence
2. Support it, participate, influence it, and leverage it for extending your brand
The web is about conversations, not top down delivery of information or messages.
• FEEDS
• TAGS
• BLOGS
some benefits of using social media
• listen and learn
• publish valuable news and information
• disseminate quickly and effectively
• create or extend your brand personality
• engage in conversations and services
• efforts lead back to your website - your hub or repository of information
feeds• feeds are based on XML technology
• commonly called RSS
• Content can be subscribed to and sent when updated
• sites come to you
• tags work on the same XML platform, except when tags are used to categorize information on aggregator sites like Technorati and delicious
• subscribers are invested in your content (otherwise why would they subscribe?)
you’ll like this demo• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGs
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blogging: Be FOUND!• high ranking in organic search
• at least 44% of all web interactions begin with search
• search engines love blog headlines, as they indicate what can be found on the page
• search engines also love blogs because they are frequently updated
• recent + relevant = RANKING!
elements of successful organizational blogs
• trusted, authentic, and transparent source of information
• all about the words
• reflects the brand
• delivers unique content
• speaks with a candid, human voice
• personality
• allows for dialogue with readers
• fast response
• authoritative
• frequency
• easy to find on website
• who’s going to write your blog?
• practice makes perfect
• the world’s premier social networking site
• individual profiles
• corporate pages
• fan pages
• cause marketing
• fundraising
• facebook connect
• promote events, initiatives, community
• why build the village green miles away from the actual village
1. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wellesley-Institute/55488522490?sid=da64bdccc49ad30528a8c1975c45f5fa&ref=s
social media as part of your communications strategy
• baby...bathwater....no!
• segments our audiences
• build on the power of networks and burgeoning communities
• communities connect faster, more collaboratively, more inclusively, and more effectively!
• proliferation of sm stories in traditional media piques interest
• Twitter is a real-time micro-blog
• real time word of mouth
• 140 character max forces “tweets” to be powerful, concise and well-chosen
• follow and be followed
• highly searchable
• great way to provide links, respond instantly, and connect with “constituents”
• using Tweetdeck can help organize your followers into manageable groups
video• http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM
•www.momsrising.org
• powerful, visual ways of getting messages across
• user-generated content
1. Genuine engagement facilitates a highly involved audience that wants to interact with “the brand”
2. The more people an organization can interact with who already have strong social networks, the more likely it is that a message can be spread through those networks
the purpose of social media is to engage with audiences in interactive communities
an experiment
the sticky game
(it’s fun, I promise)
(no really, it’s fun!)
the sticky game
(it’s fun, I promise)
(no really, it’s fun!)
the world has changed• and so has the way we
connect
• “when we change the way we communicate, we change society”
• “new technology enables new kinds of group-forming”
goals• list building
• galvanizing support
• education
• loyalty
• exposing
• changing minds
• changing attitudes
• recruitment
• fundraising
• motivation
• organize
• info source
Ladder of Engagement
Pyramid of engagement
community engagement
some stats
profile your audience
what are your organizational goals?
breakout!..and whatare your
social mediagoals?
back to those goals again...
•where is your audience?
• you and your audience telling a shared story
• your network will define itself
• portability eases the spread of information (Twitter etc)
your organization• are you a channel for
your networks? Partners? Clients?
•who can you connect?
• 2.0 tools facilitate connection
we’ll get to the tools• but first we have to
consider your organizational structure
•what are your service goals?
• communications goals?
• fundraising goals? advocacy goals?
the next big iThing
Define success•welcome to metrics
• in order to define success, how are you going to measure it?
• the cost of equivalent benefits
•what are your indicators?
ROI (that’s return on investment, not king in
French)• http://www.frogloop.com/care2blog/2007/7/17/
is-it-worth-it-an-roi-calculator-for-social-network-campaign.html
• This tool can help you calculate!
Capacity Continuum•what can you afford to
spend?
• a typical 500 word press release costs about $600
• a website redesign can cost $30,000
• don’t forget about human resources
Does your social media
champion have the time and
resources they need to
maximize your ROI?
baby steps• cost effective
• no budget? Facebook, Twitter, blog, optimize existing website
• wee budget? video, file sharing software, microsite
• big budget? campaign assistance & facilitation, website redesign
• many agencies will do pro-bono work for charities/NFPs
• sources can be craigslist, kijiji, student sites
these resources are key
non-profit social network surveyhttp://www.nonprofitsocialnetworksurvey.com/
2009 eNonprofits Benchmarks Studyhttp://www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/2009.html
what tools are right for you?• Facebook page
• twitter account
• blog
• community
• flickrstream
• Aggregator
• video
a wellesley institute case study
•Goal 1: to inform the process of the Ontario Provincial Housing Minister’s consultations
•Goal 2: to connect people through the site by providing a story portal, resource section, and endorsement faculty
•Goal 3: to build awareness of the need for stable and affordable housing
•Organizational tie in: our strategic pillar of Affordable Housing as an indicator of urban health
•Metrics: how will we measure success?
• Broadcast: how do we promote our efforts and really use social media to connect people?
•Metrics: hits on site, stories shared, CTR (click-thru rate), media mentions, unique visitors, endorsees (private and organizational), policy impact!
Social Media (and other tactics)• site construction and design
• press releases/media release
• promotion through WI Facebook fan page and partner networks’ pages
• flyer
• blogs
• over 17,000 hits
• 75 stories posted
• 75 organizational endorsees
• 125 personal endorsees
•media coverage
• agreement from gov’t to include network’s recommendations in consultation process
• it rocked (but is still rockin’, so add your voice!)
other examples• Kiva is a microlender
that pairs up developing world lendees with worldwide lenders
• recently branched into the US
• all done via social web
Can you think of others?
Building Capacity: 5 BIG ISSUES
• Inertia problem - most organizations were founded prior to the internet....they aren’t used to having control issues, intimate relationships with audiences
• Leadership issue - often the leaders are pre-internet. Difficult to get buy-in. Threatened. May have read a Seth Godin book, once. Not connected themselves.
• Advocate issue - who’s the squeaky wheel?
• Silo issue - “that’s marketing’s job”
• Fear issue - it’s all so new, and changes so quickly, budgetary responsibility
I have a secret for you.• and the secret is......
• this is not a fad. people don’t abandon technologies that make it easier to communicate.
• shhhh....
how it can work• positioning. “we are the spearhead of a movement
that is changing this issue. we are a vehicle for making change.”
• engage leadership in new thinking. get help.
• involve social media/coms people at management level. Obama would be a good example!
• Hire from the millennial generation. Their insight as digital natives will improve the strategic conversations.
• Speak “human”. People like people. Relationships are where it’s at. Get out of “press release” land.
More how-to• Develop a deep understanding of your “clients”. Groups
who are successful are able to tap into the knowledge of who they are trying to build a relationship with.
• Connect people directly. Bringing people together can be scary. Power in numbers! Your value is in your ability to do this.
• Be open, ego free.....and let go of control. You never had it anyways.
• Emulate, innovate. Fail, experiment. Lather, rinse, repeat.
sorry about the preachy slides
• let’s get to the fun stuff!
tools and resources
propaganda• http://www.usnowfilm.com/
•www.commoncraft.com
•www.broganbranding.com
• Video for Change training guide
•www.witness.org
• The New Rules of PR - David Meerman Scott
websites•www.webword.com
•www.usabilityviews.com
•www.usability.gov
•www.ning.com
sharing•www.glance.net (on the spot webinars - cheap)
•www.webex.com
•www.slideshare.net (upload presentations - free)
• googledocs (collaborate)
•www.box.net (share files online)
•www.constantcontact.com (email mgmt & templates)
more• www.12seconds.tv (upload short videos from your
mobile phone to your facebook, twitter etc)
• www.advocacyonline.com (e-campaigns, fundraising, social networking jamii, very cool)
• www.verticalresponse.com (10000 free emails month for non-profits) ** not confirmed
• www.frogloop.com (social network calculator for ROI)
• google groups - great way to connect people together
blogs•wordpress (free, minor learning curve)
• blogger (google) (free, very easy to use)(attach a domain)
•www.mashable.com (great social media advice and great blog section)
• good free resources on compendium blogware
how do i know it works• listen!
• google alerts
• google reader
• survey monkey
• Zoomerang
• Google analytics
• google trends
• netvibes
• twitter search
• digg
• technorati
• comments, responses, reciprocal links, feedback
one more time
these resources are key
non-profit social network surveyhttp://www.nonprofitsocialnetworksurvey.com/
2009 eNonprofits Benchmarks Studyhttp://www.e-benchmarksstudy.com/2009.html
Question time!
where will you start?