technology and social media: how to get the word out
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A presentation to theTRANSCRIPT
Technology and Social Media: How to Get the Word Out
Tor Bjornrud & Jessica VitakMichigan State University
Michigan Head Start AssociationParent Education Day | May 5, 2011
1. A little about us
2. Social Media: Friend or Foe?
3. How you can use social media to advocate for Head Start
4. Anything else you’d like to talk about
Please interrupt us with any questions!
Agenda
About Tor
Third-year PhD student in Media & Information Studies at MSU.
From Michigan since birth.
Research focus: (1)Online collaboration(2)Experts in communication networks
Fourth-year PhD student in Media & Information Studies at MSU.
Originally from Baltimore, MD; has lived in Washington DC, North Carolina, Michigan, and London.
Research focus: (1) how new communication technologies impact our relationships.(2) they can be used to transform relationships.(3) the impact of audience and privacy on our use of social media.
About Jessica
Social Media: Friend or Foe?
Media provide plenty of “scare” stories about social media:
• Facebook addiction?• Facebook post gets worker fired• Woman loses health benefits• Doctor fired for posting about patient on Facebook • Social media’s role in divorces• Facebook is making us…
• … more narcissistic? • …more depressed?
But these sites also carry a number of benefits for users:
Speed and convenience Access to experts in the field Learn about new trends/developments Share information with others Encouraging social interactions through
communication features and making commonalities visible.
Social Media: Friend or Foe?
Key features to think about when using social media to meet, connect with, and share
information with others
Social Media Features
Audience
Online and offline are different Invisible audience Distance and time matter
differently Use the appropriate tool for
the job Get feedback
Authenticity Mix in personal things about you. Fill out your profiles Link from official sources Multiple accounts may be OK.
Sharing too much information (TMI) Remember things you post online are there
forever Important to think about audience before
posting Even “private” messages could be shared Be consistent with the image you want to
present
Privacy Hotly debated Balancing act Review privacy settings on
different social media sites. Ask: Who do I want to reach? What information needs to be
protected? Sharing personal information
online
COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) Became law in 2000
Applies to collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 through online sites.
Provides rules for website regarding what information it can collect and when and how to collect consent from a parent/guardian
Law protects children, but easy to get around (e.g., Facebook)
Five Ways You Can Use Social Media for Advocacy
Using Social Media for Advocacy
Facebook is the most popular social network site in the world with more than 600 million users worldwide. Many people join to connect with friends, but people also use the site to advocate for important causes.
• Join and/or create Pages for a cause• Share links and information with your
friends on the site• Create Event invitations
MHSA on Facebook NEA on Facebook
Using Social Media for Advocacy
Twitter • Short updates (140 characters or less).• Good for reaching a large audience
quickly. • Individuals, non-profits, and businesses
maintain Twitter accounts• Conversations range from professional
discourse to personal chit-chat.
Rick Snyder: @RickForMIVirg Bernero: @vbernero
Blogswebsites that provide regularly updated information about an individual, group, or organization.
Two most popular blogging sites, Wordpress and Blogger, are free.
To find blogs for topics you are interested in, try http://blogsearch.google.com/ or http://technorati.com/
Example Blog Search
Example Blog Post
Using Social Media for Advocacy
Using Social Media for Advocacy
YouTube •online video-sharing website•non-profits create channels on the site and post videos about their organization and causes. •Autism Speaks YouTube channel
Change.org Online petition site that helps bring attention to important
causes You can create and distribute a petition online Site provides tips for writing petitions if you have never
written one before. Search for open petitions for causes you’re interested in You can also share links to petitions being hosted on
Change.org through other social media sites.
Using Social Media for Advocacy
Key Takeaways
Social media can help you learn more about advocacy opportunities and participate in the community
Think about audience, authenticity, and privacy when creating blogs, videos, or accounts on social network sites
Check with your local programs about rules & regulations for what you can do via social media.
Use social media responsibly!
Tor BjornrudEmail: [email protected]
Twitter: @bjornrud
Jessica VitakEmail: [email protected]
Twitter: @jvitak
Thanks!