social media roundup - online town hall meetings

8
Social Media Roundup Online Town Hall Meetings Using social media assets to host virtual meetings

Upload: us-army

Post on 08-May-2015

3.946 views

Category:

Education


0 download

DESCRIPTION

This week's Social Media Roundup takes a closer look at virtual town hall meetings. Town hall meetings have been around for generations. They allow people in the community to speak their mind, listen to what others have to say and ask questions of officials or community leaders. In the past, people typically attended town hall meetings in person, but now that social media use has become so pervasive, town hall meetings are now happening online.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Online Town Hall MeetingsUsing social media assets to host virtual meetings

Page 2: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

AgendaThis week’s Social Media Roundup examines ways your organization can host a town hall meeting online.

Introduction Online town hall meetings Army online town hall meetings Why organize an online town hall? Making a town hall a success

Page 3: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Introduction Town hall meetings have been

around for generations. They allow people in the community to speak their mind, listen to what others have to say and ask questions of officials or community leaders.

Town hall meetings are common in both small and large communities, universities and often organized during political campaigns.

In the past, people typically attended town hall meetings in person, but now that social media use has become so pervasive, town hall meetings are now happening online.

Page 4: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Online town hall meetings Many organizations are turning to online resources to host town hall meetings. Facebook and other platforms allow town hall organizers to connect with a much

larger audience while soliciting questions and input from participants who may not be able to attend the event in person. Facebook Live and other similar sites help facilitate discussions and bring content to much broader audiences.

YouTube has also brought the town hall setting online and officials like Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, use it frequently to connect with interested audiences.

Page 5: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Army online town hall meetings Several military installations use the online town hall setting to address post issues. There are multiple approaches to executing an effective town hall meeting online. Some installations use the wall on Facebook to conduct a town hall meeting by

soliciting questions and then answering them directly. Others use the discussion board to facilitate a town hall meeting.

The most important thing to consider when organizing a town hall meeting is to make sure you effectively promote the meeting and explain on multiple occasions how the town hall will run. Poor explanation can lead to confusion among participants.

Page 6: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Why organize an online town hall? Organizing an online town hall meeting

helps bring installation or organization leaders closer to the public.

A town hall hosted in a building may only draw a few dozen people, but an online town hall event allows people to participate from the comfort of their own home or office.

In addition to allowing for increased participation, online town hall meetings provide a permanent record of the questions asked and the answers offered. Individuals who missed the town hall can access the organization’s Facebook page at a later date and read through the questions and answers.

Looking for more examples of installations who have used social media to conduct town hall meetings? Check out these links to read recent virtual town hall meeting news coverage: http://goo.gl/64T1H, http://goo.gl/Qgzc7

Page 7: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Making an online town hall a successAdvertise the virtual town hall meeting in advance. Make sure you promote it on Facebook, Twitter and other installation media and social media assets.

Explain how the virtual town hall meeting will work before you open the town hall for questions. Describe where questions can be submitted and explain who will be present to answer the questions.

Have multiple subject matter experts on hand. Be prepared to have multiple people from multiple organizations monitoring the town hall so all questions can be answered.

Even if the virtual town hall is scheduled to run for only a few hours, make sure all questions are answered, even if that means working long after it concludes.

Make sure you open the virtual town hall with a statement including key messages and themes.

Make sure to correct misinformation. In an online town hall setting, other participants may be inclined to answer questions before the subject matter expert. Make sure to thank them for their input and participation, but make sure the correct information is posted.

At the conclusion of the town hall meeting, be sure to thank everyone for their participation and indicate that you will answer all the questions that were not addressed during the event.

Be sure to conduct an after action review with all of the town hall administrators and subject matter experts. This will allow the team to make adjustments for future town hall meetings.

Page 8: Social Media Roundup - Online Town Hall Meetings

Social Media Roundup

Contact information

Have questions? Please feel free to reach out to us at the Online and Social Media Division

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSPENTAGON

5/18/2011

Email:[email protected]

To review and download past editions of the Social Media Roundup, visit our Slideshare site at: http://www.slideshare.net/usarmysocialmedia. All Social Media Roundups are authorized to be distributed to a broader audience.