Overview and Demo
George Millington
www.geo2geo.net

Tracking social conversations

How to use common tools

Blogs
◦
Facebook
◦
Twitter
◦
MeetUp
◦
Yelp
◦
Talking the talk

George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

First step: determining where to engage

◦ Identify interest, topics, issues, etc.
◦ Narrow down social media outlets
Use tools to track social media conversations

Google Alerts

◦ Easy way to track news, blogs, etc.
◦ Customizable searches
◦ Delivery by email (real-time, daily, weekly)
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

www.google.com/alerts
Enter search terms
Enter your email
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

General
Yahoo! – www.yahoo.com

Blogs
Google - http://blogsearch.google.com

Twitter
Twitter Search – www.search.twitter.com

Twellow – www.twellow.com

Social Media
digg – www.digg.com

reddit - www.reddit.com

technorati – www.technorati.com

George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

News, commentary and opinion

Professional journalists, influencers, citizens

Key attributes:

Interactive – encourages and fosters discussion
◦
Real-time – daily, weekly or hourly
◦
Multi-media - Combines text, images, and links
◦
Transparent – open to feedback and criticism
◦
Not advertising-based (typically)

Can be direct, provocative, “biased”

George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Enables tracking of issues, opinions

◦ RSS feeds
Expands boundaries of „traditional media‟

◦ Additional journalist opinion
◦ Citizen involvement
◦ Added layer of accountability
Allows you to engage in the discussion

◦ Post “comments”
◦ Raise related/ancillary issues
Anyone can blog – even you!

◦ Identify a unique angle/interest; find your „voice‟
◦ Several free blogging services, e.g., WordPress, Typepad, Blogger
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

www.facebook.com
Free, social networking Website

◦ Join networks: city, workplace, school, or region
Large and loyal following

◦ 175M active users; half use daily
◦ 35 languages/170 countries
◦ Popular with late-20s,
30-somethings
Open platform – continual

development/evolution
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Status
Things you want
updates, thoughts…
to share
Info about you
whatever
„News feed‟ – updates from
friends, groups, networks
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Destinations for businesses, groups, professional

organizations, associations, etc.
◦ Promotional, informational, educational
◦ Causes, political affiliations
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Personal uses

◦ Keep up with friends
◦ Support causes, political interests
◦ Share photos, videos, information
◦ Games, contests, music
Business uses

◦ Engage directly with customer base
◦ Gather feedback
◦ Tailored promotions/publicize events
Citizen 2.0 uses

◦ Build community
◦ Keep current on Dublin govt. policies, meetings, events, issues
◦ Raise awareness for important issues; gather support
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Alameda County Registrar of Voters

Alameda County Republican Party

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson

Around Dublin

California Government

John McCain

Barack Obama

Rotary Clubs (District 5170 - Pleasanton)

George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

www.twitter.com
A free “micro-blog” service

Send and read updates, called „Tweets‟

◦ 140 characters in length
◦ Can include links, photos
Share information, news, events…or anything of interest

Follow and find followers with common interests

Popular tool for celebs, journalists and politicians

◦ Obama, Biden, Gore, Rove
◦ Members of congress – Pelosi, McCain
◦ CNN – Sanchez, Lemon
◦ Demi Moore, Jimmy Fallon, Lance Armstrong
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

www.twitter.com/geo2geo
My „Tweets‟
„Tweets‟ of people
I follow
People I follow
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Business/personal uses

◦ Social networking
◦ Learn about social media
◦ Learn about industries, technologies, markets
◦ Find/offer opinion, insight and expertise
◦ Current events/news
Citizen 2.0 uses

◦ Keep current on Dublin govt. policies, meetings,
events, issues
◦ “Voice” your opinion
◦ Direct line to politicians
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Tweet – your status update

Tweeple/Tweeps – Twitter users

Twapplications - Twitter applications

RT or Retweet - Tweeting content posted by another user

◦ Includes „@‟ symbol
Twestival – charity event organized by Twitter users

DM – direct message

Hashtag – „#‟ symbol used to categorize Tweets

◦ #Citizen2.0
◦ #Obama
http://twictionary.pbwiki.com/
◦ #MarchMadness
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

J. Boehner - http://twitter.com/GOPleader/

D. Bowen (CA Secty. Of State) - http://twitter.com/sosnews

B. Boxer - http://twitter.com/Barbara_Boxer/

C. Dodd - http://twitter.com/chrisdodd/

M. Honda - http://twitter.com/RepMikeHonda/

J. McCain - http://twitter.com/JohnMcCain

G. Miller - http://twitter.com/askgeorge/

B. Obama - http://twitter.com/BarackObama

N. Pelosi - http://twitter.com/nancypelosi/

A. Schwarzenegger - http://twitter.com/schwarzenegger

http://www.sourcewatch.org
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

www.meetup.com
Site to organize local group or find existing one

World's largest network of local groups

◦ 2,000+ groups meet in-person each day
 4.7M members
 46,315 local groups
 3,601 cities
Dozens of group categories –

e.g., social, entertainment, sports, parenting/family
◦ Politics and activism
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Business/Personal uses

◦ Social networking/friendship
◦ Find new people with common interests
Citizen 2.0 uses

◦ Build critical mass to make a difference
◦ Form groups to address issues, advance causes
◦ Build following for candidates, issues and causes
Local groups:

◦ Libertarian Party of Alameda County
◦ Alameda County Republican Party MeetUp Group
◦ Tri-Valley Community Service Coalition
◦ Constitutionalists for Ron Paul 2008: Contra Costa & Alameda
◦ The Alameda County Democratic Party MeetUp Group
◦ GOING GREEN!
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

www.yelp.com
Social networking, user review, local search site

◦ Shopping, restaurants, services, entertainment
◦ Extensive directory of vendors
Consumer-driven reviews, ratings

◦ “Real” assessment of local businesses
◦ Free from advertising influence
Top 100 of U.S. Internet web sites

◦ 10.6+ million users per month
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Basic vendor info. Consumer rating Location
Detailed reviews
Similar vendors
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

Personal uses

◦ Search for anything you may need
◦ “Try before you buy”
◦ Indentify local hot-spots, unique services
◦ Provide feedback on good…and bad,
experiences
Business uses

◦ Gather direct customer feedback/improve customer services
◦ Attract new customers through positive “viral” visibility
Citizen 2.0 uses

◦ Network with others who share common interests
◦ Find public services – e.g., Dublin Townhall,
animal shelter, post office
◦ Provide feedback to affect change
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

SmartVoter – non-partisan election info

◦ Web – http://SmartVoter.org
OpenCongress – “real story behind what's happening in Congress”

◦ Blog – www.Opencongress.org/blog
◦ Twitter - http://twitter.com/OpenCongress
SourceWatch – monitors communication affecting public

perception, opinion and policy
◦ Web – www.SourceWatch.org
Sunlight Foundation - making information about Congress/govt.

more meaningful/accessible to citizens
◦ Web – www.SunlightFoundation.com
◦ Blog - http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/
◦ Facebook page
George Millington / www.geo2geo.net

George Millington
www.geo2geo.net
gmillington@sbcglobal.net