Social Media for
Technical
Communicators
(and other people who work for money)
Daniel D. Beck
18 August 2009

Social Media
is recognizable

Social media isn’t social
media because
someone says it is.

Social Media

Social Media

Ceci n’est pas une
social media.

How do we recognize
social media?

“When I see a bird that
walks like a duck and
swims like a duck and
quacks like a duck,
I call that bird a duck.”
James Whitcomb Riley

Social media has
4
key qualities.

Mediated
Me You

Open Access

Reach

Immediacy
Propagation Delay
Technology

Social Media captures the
values (and sometimes the
mechanics) of real world
interpersonal interaction.

Mediation
Cell phones, Web
Access
Anyone
Reach
Any other user
Immediacy
30 seconds (max)

Social media benefits
you in many areas of
your life for many
audiences for many
purposes.

Social media serves
different agents.

You (Socially)

You (Professionally)

Your Team

Your Organization

Social media has a huge
audience.

By the Numbers
250M
250M
189M
43M

Clients and Customers

Colleagues

Fans and Detractors

Competitors

Bystanders

Social media has several
applications.

Collaboration

PR, Marketing,
Advertising, and Sales

Social media is easy, if
you consider some
constraints and best
practices.

Avoid pitfalls.

No spam.

No astroturfing.

Don’t exceed you
Dunbar’s Number.
Mine’s 50.

“Get Back to Work,
Rufus.”

Don’t join a cargo cult.

Get good.

Start slow.

Be sensitive.

Know the limits.

Know your audience.

Case Study

Thanks.
me@danieldbeck.com