Democrats Abroad Social Media 2009/2010

EMEA Regional Meeting BerlinFall of the Wall November 2009

social media: what is it ?

Definitions of Social media on the Web:

• Social media is content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

• A category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content. They include social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, social news sites like Digg or Reddit, and other sites that are centered on user interaction.searchenginewatch.com/define

• An umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words and pictures. ...www.anvilmediainc.com/search-engine-marketing-glossary.html

• Social Media are primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. ...sprythink.com/glossary.html

• Online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other.www.tvb.org/multiplatform/Multiplatform_Glossary.aspx

• Social media are works of user-created video, audio, text or multimedia that are published and shared in a social environment, such as a blog, wiki or video hosting site.www.capilanou.ca/help/active-cms/glossary.html

•

social media: what is it ?

• a conversation

• using multiple ‘social networking platforms’

as Wiki says: Examples of social media software applications include:

• Communication• Blogs: Blogger, LiveJournal, Open Diary, TypePad, WordPress, Vox, ExpressionEngine, Xanga• Micro-blogging / Presence applications: Twitter, Plurk, Tumblr, Jaiku, fmylife• Social networking: Bebo, BigTent, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Orkut, Skyrock, Hi5, Ning, Elgg• Social network aggregation: NutshellMail, FriendFeed• Events: Upcoming, Eventful, Meetup.com• Collaboration• Wikis: Wikipedia, PBwiki, wetpaint• Social bookmarking (or social tagging)[5]: Delicious, StumbleUpon, Google Reader, CiteULike• Social news: Digg, Mixx, Reddit, NowPublic• Opinion sites: epinions, Yelp• Multimedia• Photo sharing: Flickr, Zooomr, Photobucket, SmugMug, Picasa• Video sharing: YouTube, Vimeo, sevenload• Livecasting: Ustream.tv, Justin.tv, Stickam, Skype• Audio and Music Sharing: imeem, The Hype Machine, Last.fm, ccMixter• Reviews and Opinions• Product Reviews: epinions.com, MouthShut.com• Business Reviews: yelp.com• Community Q&A: Yahoo! Answers, WikiAnswers, Askville, Google Answers• Entertainment• Media & Entertainment Platforms: Cisco Eos• Virtual worlds: Second Life, The Sims Online, Forterra• Game sharing: Miniclip, Kongregate• Other• Information aggregators: Netvibes, Twine (website)

so social media can be

• any thing any where that helps jumpstart a conversation

• in DA’s case it is anything that lets us reach out :

• to engage with members• find the missing millions of Americans• and help us register the clueless

So social media

• engage with the Democrats Abroad global community of members

• find the missing millions of Americans who do not know how to vote from abroad

• and help us register the clueless over the easy secure VoteFromAbroad.org wizard

of course there is our DA website

social media: why use it ? in addition to the website

Con leveraged on many platforms

• the more content• in more places• the more chances• we will find more US Democrats living abroad• and get more members• and more voter registrations

Some social media best practices: Communicate + Collaborate

• Reach out Post content that will get your members talking to you. Then keep the conversation alive with comments + replies.

• Keep it Fresh Put up new content regularly. Keep it short. Linked. Digestible.

• Partner Find other DA groups doing interesting work and promote each other. Share content

DA on

outreach

• primary goal is reaching people we are not reaching otherwise.

•WE ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT YET MEMBERS.

• So KEEP IT LIGHT and POSITIVE and SIMPLE

outreach

• potential members don’t follow politics as we do

• SO not place for complicated articles about technical aspects of healthcare reform or troop withdrawals

outreach

• ARE the places to post encouraging updates:• The Public Option is Still Alive !

• Healthcare Bill passes in Senate!

DA on

DA F pagefacebook/demsabroad

• Has 1000 fans now• Look at kinds of listings that attract many

reactions, and those that attract few.• Most fan reactions are to POSITIVE news:

marriage equality or Washington, DC. • Obama family portrait by Annie Liebowitz• Think good news over

opinion or debate !!!!!

Keep it Non Controversial

• Remember, this is the public face of the Democratic Party.

• It is not up to us to take sides,• for example, on trigger or opt out.• It is Great if people want to Comment, or

express their own Opinions --- but OUR postings should not take stands that might contradict our President.

Goal• Here -- and in everything that we do – is

To support the President’s agenda.

F pages vs. groups

• groups• Limit # messages to Group now up to 5,000 (from 1,000) • Groups intended for interaction between members.

If you do do Group do not make it closed (requiring approval). Facebook should not be exclusive members only place.pages

• Pages in tended to be public face of group or celebrity.• Given that our goal is outreach, not interaction for existing

members..• Page has Favorite Pages option … so we can all point to each

other.

outreach

• outreach outreach outreach

DA Brand Narrative

• IN a million channel world, the brands that tell the best story break through.

• Our simple story in 2010

Register To Vote From AbroadAny Time Any Place

• Our Story :• Democrats Living Abroad, • Still Connected to America,• Voting,• Making an Impact.

• • (Who we are + what we do.)

some platforms where DA uses social media

DA on

DA photos on

DA on

DA on

there are other potential platforms for DA to leverage content

• Need more people to help us reach out through other platforms using base DA content from our

DA Marketing Toolkit

DA giveaways

DA bookmarks

DA flyers

DA t-shirts

DA email sigs

DA social media @ 2010

social media: international leadership

• Why DA Matters• How DA Makes a Difference series• Featuring International Chair, VC, RVCs• One minute videos on:• Community, Lobbying, Registration, History

2008! + What you can do• to be featured on Facebook, YouTube, and DA

website

social media: country leadership

• VotefromAbroad • Goes to Work (2010)• VFA banner as it • registers voters world• wide….

• the vfa banner does traditional work,• but is also seen in front of iconic monuments,

or uniquely visual places as it finds and registers voters through VotefromAbroad

VFA goes to Work 2010

WHO? Volunteer Country Committee or Chapter every two weeks

WHERE?• City 1: ? Berlin• City 2: ? Paris • City 3: ? Rome • City 4: ? London……OR YOUR CITY.... • Sign up now !!

• Pics to Picasa • Build our photo library• Best to be pushed through Facebook• Best Banner of two week period to be put on

front page of DA website

• Possibility to create video jornal or blog about the banner’s adventures

Social media: Global Membership

• I Vote From Abroad

• 15, 30, 60 second video entries

An example of

• What an I Vote From Abroad Video submission could look like

social media: blogger initiative

• Reach out past our own website • Post new and original content about our

initiatives and the 2010 content search

• Get to finding the missing millions• And registration of the clueless

social media: last + most important goal

• Add our social media info to your email signature….

Ask your members to add it to their signatures in 2010

Our best methods of outreach

• Join us @

• www.democratsabroad.org

Engage with us on

www.facebook.com/DemsAbroad

• http://twitter.com/demsabroad

Register to Vote