2011 uniserv skills: harnessing social media

Harnessing Social Media for Association Work

Social media in all forms are becoming the dominant form of interaction of the Net. Whether blogging, Twittering,

or using Facebook or Groupsites, collective action for the 21st Century is about harnessing relationships and

engaging every person in your “network” as an organizer.

In this hands-on session, you will learn how to harness Web 2.0 tools to increase the reach, impact, and effectiveness of

Association Programs along with tips and tricks for creating a professional and functional social media presence.

Developed by SocialFish and NEA

Introductions

• Note to participants: – Please sign in to

http://uniserv-skills-session.groupsite.com – Please take our Introductory Survey... You’ll find it on

the homepage.

http://uniserv-skills-session.groupsite.com/

Who’s in the Room?

• What’s your name

• What’s your role in your local association?

• How much experience do you have with Social Media? (i.e. do you use email, Facebook, Twitter or other online tools?)

The Plan for Today

1. What’s Web 2.0?2. Outposts vs. Homebase

– Intro to Facebook & Twitter– Do’s and Don’ts– Using NEA’s Free Toolkit: Groupsite

3. Pulling it all together4. What organizing and technology have

in common

What is Web 2.0?

• Social Networking in Plain English

The Glossary

Social Networking:– Facebook– MySpace– Friendster

Content sharing: -You Tube -Flickr -Vimeo -Photobucket

Collaborating/ knowledge sharing:-Wikis-Message boards-Forums-Podcasts

Blogging: -Blogger -Wordpress -Tumblr -Twitter (micro-blogging)

What is social media?

• “Social Media” is an umbrella term for describing internet-based, digital communication that enables social interaction to occur more easily despite both time and distance.

• Social Media favors conversation over monologue and empowers people to be not just content consumers but content producers.

• Social Media includes:– Social Networking– Blogging– Micro-blogging (Twitter, Yammer)– Wikis– Photo & Video Sharing

Social media characteristics

• Social Media– It is immediate– It is unmediated– It is a dialogue, which…

• Increases the efficiency of your communication• Creates greater trust with those you communicate with by building

a relationship

– ‘Social’ is how people communicate– Lead the conversation or be led by it

Social media values

– Authenticity– Transparency– Sincerity– Dialogue over monologue– There is only one “you”– No gatekeeper– Digital is fast– Digital is forever– Digital is everywhere– Resistance is futile

• Concentrate on the relationships NOT

the technology!

• Run when you hear “Twitter Strategy” or “Facebook Strategy” -- it’s putting the cart before the horse.

• Instead, focus on how you’ll engage members.• Then choose a program objective.

It’s not about the tools

Jessica Hagy, Indexed Blog

Don’t Fondle the Hammer

http://indexed.blogspot.com/2008/08/this-is-what-20-means.html



Social Networking

• Contrary to public perception, most of the groups that form on social networking sites are not made up of strangers. Although people may browse profiles of others who are unknown to them, most use social networking sites to support preexisting real-life social groups.

• The profile page: a page that allows you to describe yourself through text, video, and music

• A network of friends: a public or semipublic list of friends, usually displayed as small photographic icons

• A public commenting system: allows friends and strangers to write a short note or statement that will be displayed publicly on your profile page

• A private messaging system: enables friends to send private messages to you via your profile page

• Widgets or Embedded Media: Widgets are small chunks of Web contents, such as graphics, video clips, or animations that you can put on your Web site

The following features define social networks and distinguish them from other types of Web sites:

Socialnomics Video

Why should we care about Web 2.0?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhPgUcjGQAw



What’s in a NUMBER?

Over 80 percent of Americans use social media tools and Web sites monthly

Social networking is now the #1 activity on the web

Twitter: 27 Million users in October 2009Facebook: 400 million usersYou Tube: 924 million unique visitors each year

• American teens sent an average of 3,146 texts a month in 2010

• That’s 10 text messages per hour they are not in school or sleeping, according to research by The Nielsen Company.

Change in internet use by age, 2000-2010

Top 10 Sectors by Share of Internet Time

Profile on Social Networking site by Age

Gadget Ownership, 2010

Conversation

Collaboration

CollectiveAction

Hitting the Bullseye

ProgramDevelopment

EventsAdvocacy

Your Focus

Conversation

Collaboration

CollectiveAction

Social Focus

ProgramDevelopment

EventsAdvocacy

Sweet Spots

Listening & Responding

Where to start?

• SocialMention • Addictomatic • HowSociable? • Google Alerts • Backtype*

• Google Reader• Filter by

Subscriptions

Keyword Listening Tools

http://socialmention.com/

http://addictomatic.com/

http://addictomatic.com/

http://www.howsociable.com/NEA

http://www.howsociable.com/NEA

http://www.google.com/alerts

http://www.backtype.com/alerts

http://www.google.com/reader

The Plan for Today




in common

Outposts vs Home base

What’s the difference between an outpost and a home base?

(issues) (branded URL)

Social media is an extension

of your web presence

The Biggies

Facebook

Best for: Issues & Advocacy

Read Across America Facebook

NEA Facebook

The Biggies

Twitter

Best for: Quick Communication Getting info out Gathering info

NEA Today on Twitter

The Biggies

Blogs

A blog is a conversational web site, typically offering news or opinion on a certain topic.

Blogs should be written conversationally, and should be short – think op-ed length and e-mail tone.

Determine how you’re already being talked about in the blogosphere before you engage yourself.

70 percent of reporters now say they use blogs for story ideas.

EdVoices Blog

Online etiquette

What you say online doesn’t stay online

Status messages or posts, particularly as they pertain to your employers or coworkers, can have real life repercussions

Stay in your lane

If you’re not the expert on a topic, don’t comment like you are. Keep in mind: reporters can quote online interactions.

Stay in

your lanet

Talk to your family

Basic tips for social media include:

-Don’t friend anyone you don’t know on Facebook or social networking platforms

-Don’t post information about when you’re going on vacation or when your spouse/parent will be away.

-Know how to set your privacy settings, and use them.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Do: review and restrict your Facebook Privacy Settings

• Don’t: do not “friend” students and parents• Do: Use common sense when you’re using

social media.• Don’t: Post vulgar or obscene language,

materials, photos or links that may be considered inappropriate or unprofessional.

Note: look for NEA-PR-GC-SocialNetworkingDosandDonts.pdf in the ALE Groupsite file cabinet

NEA’s Web 2.0 Toolkit

Best for: Quick & easy website creation Sharing info (text, photos, videos…) Engaging members

When You Develop Your Plan…

How could you use Groupsite? Use it for…– #1: Getting the word out– #2: Publicizing events– #3: Enabling members to share information – #4: Encouraging members to talk with each other– #5: Getting your members more engaged– #6: Measuring your effectiveness

Groupsites

• Boise Education Association• Metropolitan Nashville Education Association• Wisconsin National Board Network• Inside KNEA• Education International 6th World Congress • NEA Western Regional Leadership Conference• Ohio Campaign 2010 Planning site

https://bea.groupsite.com/main/summary

https://mnea.groupsite.com/main/summary

http://wnbn.groupsite.com/main/summary

https://knea.groupsite.com/main/summary

http://nea-eiworldcongress.groupsite.com/main/summary

http://nea-wrlc.groupsite.com/main/summary

http://oea2010.groupsite.com/main/summary

• Metropolitan Nashville Education Association

https://mnea.groupsite.com/main/summary

• Wisconsin National Board Network

http://wnbn.groupsite.com/main/summary

The Plan for Today




in common

Pulling it all together

1. Embedding YouTube videos2. Creating a Poll or Survey with PollDaddy.com3. Putting your Tweets on a web page using a

Widget

The Plan for Today




in common

What Organizing and Technology have in common

• Move people to action• Create power• Appeal to self-interests• Are both a science and an art• Build organizational capacity

“Organizingis a fancy word for

relationship building.”

Ernesto Cortes

55

Social media alone is not a communication strategy…

Social media should be a part of your communications strategy

Newspapers/ Newsletters

Publishing – Print & Web

Email

Nea.org Earned Media

COMM PLAN

Social Media

ImageryPersonal engagements

… it is one key component of your overall communication plan

Requirements

Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Inactives

Social Technographics classifies people according to how they use social technologies.

The Social Technographics™ Ladder

Creators

Publish a blogPublish your own Web pagesUpload video you created Upload audio/music you createdWrite articles or stories and post them

Creators make social content go. They write blogs or upload video, music, or text.

Groups include people participating in at least one of the activities monthly.

Creators

Critics


Post ratings/reviews of products/servicesComment on someone else’s blogContribute to online forumsContribute to/edit articles in a wiki

Critics respond to content from others. They post reviews, comment on blogs, participate in forums, and edit wiki articles.



Creators

Critics

Collectors



Use RSS feedsAdd “tags” to Web pages or photos“Vote” for Web sites online

Collectors organize content for themselves or others using RSS feeds, tags, and voting sites like Digg.com



Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners




Maintain profile on a social networking siteVisit social networking sites

Joiners connect in social networks like MySpace and Facebook



Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators





Read blogsWatch video from other usersListen to podcastsRead online forumsRead customer ratings/reviews

Spectators consumer social content including blogs, user-generated video, podcasts, forums, or reviews



Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Inactives






None of the above

Inactives neither create nor consume social content of any kind



Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators






None of the above


Taken together, these groups make up the ecosystem that of Social Media.

By examining how they are represented in any subgroup, you can determine which sorts of strategies make sense to reach your members.


Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Be an Organizer

• Your role is to provide structure and guidance and to encourage communication among supporters

• To be effective in this environment, you have to behave like an organizer: identify and develop leadership and encourage supporters to reach out to each other.

• In social networks, online groups behave a lot like offline groups.

Guidelines for Developing a Community Strategy

• “Build it and they will come” doesn’t work!• Key goals to keep in mind:

– #1: Help people work together – #2: Adoption can not be mandated – #3: Don’t assume everyone works the same way – #4: Liberate information – #5: Develop strategies for group engagement– #6: Identify specific ways to measure and evaluate

community-building efforts

Excerpted From the Online Community Report, January 28, 2008

Tips on what works

• Choose the right message• Develop a communication strategy• Schedule a timely release of information• Keep it concise• Synchronize efforts on all platforms• Post photos or videos of the day• Develop a mixed dose of ‘medicine’ and fun• Keep the conversation moving

Questions to Consider …

• What do you need to accomplish?• Who are the people who can help you?• What do you need them to do?• How can you encourage members interact with one

another on your site? • What are you asking members to do? • What actions and behaviors are valued?• Develop a list of actions that you'd like members to

take and create easy ways to do them.• Create mechanisms to motivate offline action.

Resources

• The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change, by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine http://www.bethkanter.org/ http://afine2.wordpress.com/

• Open Community: A little book of big ideas for associations navigating the social web, by Maddie Grant and Lindy Dreyer http://www.socialfish.org

http://www.bethkanter.org/

http://afine2.wordpress.com/

http://www.socialfish.org/

Maddie Grant, CAEChief Social Media Strategist

[email protected]/Twitter: maddiegrant

Lindy DreyerChief Social Media Marketer

[email protected]/Twitter: lindydreyer

http://www.socialfish.org

Lorraine WilsonNEA ITS

[email protected]: NEALorraine

Blog: lwilson.wordpress.com

Don BlakeSenior Technologist

[email protected]/Twitter:

donaldblake

Sarah FergusonPriority Schools Program

[email protected]