imperial public engagement workshops: social media for public engagement simon levey 11 february...

Imperial public engagement workshops:Social media for public engagementSimon Levey11 February 2015

#impPEworkshops

Who uses social media?Users of social media include:Students and schoolchildrenResearchers/academicsFunding organisations and charitiesPhilanthropists and entrepreneursCompaniesUniversities and academic institutionsPensionersDoctors and nursesCelebritiesSports stars and athletes

in short, every demographic now uses social media, so the opportunities for engagement have never been better!

*#impPEworkshops

www.telegraph.co.uk

Why should you use social media?Social media for public engagementDirect interactions with the publicOpportunity for two-way conversation regardless of locationShare your message widely, quickly and with people who might otherwise not hear about itEncourages you to think creatively about your contentGet engaged in discussions where you have expert opinion to offerFind out what people think about your workAsk questions and engage in debate with other people in your field in a public arena*#impPEworkshops

Familiarise yourselfSocial media at Imperial

Guidelines and usage policy (HR)http://www.imperial.ac.uk/staff/tools-and-reference/web-guide/tools/social-media/

Accounts at Imperial (official Departmental/Faculty channels) http://www.imperial.ac.uk/be-inspired/social-and-multimedia/directory/

#impPEworkshops

Do you need a channel?

Consider these factors before committing to running a dedicated channel or account:

Time commitmentContent and frequencyCreativity and multimediaWhat do you want to achieve?

#impPEworkshops

Choose a platformDifferent social media channels have different benefits and shortcomings, and audiences expect different things.

Twitter 234m active users.

#impPEworkshops


Facebook1,366m active users.#impPEworkshops

Different social media channels have different benefits and shortcomings, and audiences expect different things.

Instagram 300m active users

Choose a platform#impPEworkshops

Completely photo-led, so all posts must contain image. Good images with right hashtags do well, and can be posted across other social media too.


Video Vine (60m active users), YouTube (1 billion users/month)

#impPEworkshops

Content needs more production value, but can be more engaging. Need to ensure it is quick and snappy, like all other social media.

Setting up your channelMake sure to include the following information:Your real name - even if you are using a moniker or different handleWho you are and what you represent - e.g. Im Simon, I work at @imperialcollege on events and public engagement. I like cats and #science.)Photo or image something that reflects you or what your account will represent and talk aboutWhat people can expect to see posted by following youHow often you will post (where relevant) Think about setting yourself a target (eg 1 tweet per day) and see if you can stick to it,

#impPEworkshops

Good practice tips Be authentic and honestBe timely and relevantBe collaborativeMistakes are OKBe playful, but avoid sarcasm ;PUse images/multimedia in postsHashtags and handlesAnalytics and measurements#impPEworkshops

Express yourself (10 mins)In teams, come up with posts for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for:Imperial Fringe: Lit UpHashtag - #impfringeLink: http://bit.ly/ImpFringe_Feb2015Key message: Come to the Fringe!

To consider:Length of postHashtags/handlesImages or videoCreative opportunities or ways to be funny#impPEworkshops

Added extrasFor events or special occasions, there might be scope to do fun things like:Twitterwall everyone using the approved event hashtag has Tweets that appear on a screen at the event or conference. We did this with Imperial Festival 2014 and will do it again this year (#impfest)Storify produce a news story for your website/College website that pulls together posts around a topic or event (e.g. Fringe or Festival, World Cancer Day etc.)

Analytics/measurementIn-built ways to measure social media statistics in most platforms. Can give you insight into what type of posts are most popular, same as with Google Analytics providing that insight for a website. Can then guide the content you produce and overview of your audience.

#impPEworkshops

Next sessions12.30 13.30Read Lecture Theatre18 Feb Interactives25 Feb Impact evaluation4 March Festival briefing11 March Telling a story18 March Drop-in session#impPEworkshops

*Who uses social media? (show of hands)In 20 seconds - Write down on your notepads what social media you use.Who has written down more than 2 channelsMore than 3? Etc...LOVEHEARTS

*Ask reasons why people do it?*Search for the names and institutions of people you know and respect in your field, see what theyre up to on social mediaWho do they follow?What do they post about?Who follows them?

Ask yourself what do you think about what they do?Does anybody want to raise any examples?*TimeContent production is only one aspect. Interaction and engagement with your audience can account for 90% of social media activities. Broadcasting your message alone yields modest returns on engagement compared to direct discussion with your followers/fans.Content and frequencyIs what you have to say new and exciting? Is it worth adding to the mix? If not, then a dedicated channel might not be worthwhile consider engaging with main College Faculty or Departmental channels.Creativity and multimediaAre you able to imagine exciting diagrams, infographics, videos or photos, pictures or audio to bring your content to life? If not, it might be more tricky to produce engaging content.What do you want to achieve?Even if you have been trying out social media casually, or want to get a bit more out what you do, you could think about what you want to achieve. Set yourself some goals, eg a person you want to influence, set a question a week you want answered, experiments to try with your followers.

*Twitter 234m active users. Limited to 140 characters (including spaces) per post. Links to websites are approx 24 and photos are approx 22. Posts appear briefly in feeds as it is chronological, so will need to post more often to be seen/heard.Facebook 1,366m active users.Posts can be longer, but new Facebook algorithms meansit sometimes wont appear in news feeds for everyone. If you are friends with people who dont really care about science and research, youll piss them off!Instagram 300m active users.Completely photo-led, so all posts must contain image. Good images with right hashtags do well, and can be posted across other social media too.Video Vine (60m active users), YouTube (1 billion users/month)Content needs more production value, but can be more engaging. Need to ensure it is quick and snappy, like all other social media.

*Twitter 234m active users. Limited to 140 characters (including spaces) per post. Links to websites are approx 24 and photos are approx 22. Posts appear briefly in feeds as it is chronological, so will need to post more often to be seen/heard.Facebook 1,366m active users.Posts can be longer, but new Facebook algorithms meansit sometimes wont appear in news feeds for everyone. If you are friends with people who dont really care about science and research, youll piss them off! Not great for hashtags, some people dont trust brands on Facebook, the younger generations are not engaged.Instagram 300m active users.Completely photo-led, so all posts must contain image. Good images with right hashtags do well, and can be posted across other social media too.Video Vine (60m active users), YouTube (1 billion users/month)Content needs more production value, but can be more engaging. Need to ensure it is quick and snappy, like all other social media.



*Think about setting yourself a target (eg 1 tweet per day) and see if you can stick to it,*Be authentic and honestBe timely and relevantBe collaborativeMistakes are OK you are only human (although be sure to behave responsibly, as the nature of social media means things can easily be taken out of context)Be playful but avoid sarcasm :PUse images/multimedia in posts using images gets much more engagement and interaction as people are more likely to read your content and share it with their friends. Some platforms highlight posts with images more prominently, which helpsHashtags and handles be sure to use the relevant hashtags for events and stories (e.g. #impPEworkshops for today!) If collaborating with another organisation/person (e.g. @imperialcollege), be sure to tag it as well so they can interact with or promote your post.

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