Ein Communications is one of the nation’s top boutique public relations firms. We distinguish ourselves by providing clients with services that are thoughtful, proactive and results oriented – an approach that has been the hallmark of our firm since its inception more than 25 years ago. 1221 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20036 202.775.0200 Implementing Social Media In February 2009 An Overview of Tools, Trends and Best Practices By Jeff Ingram, VP of Ein Communications

The State of Social Media in February 2009 Organizations communicating via social media tools becoming established/expected Early adopters of new tools still rewarded with “novelty” bonus by traditional media Users feeling overwhelmed with breadth of social media tools Myth: “If you build it, they will come.” Reality: They will come if you make them feel smarter , make them feel empowered , make them feel heard or make them feel entertained. (hint: do all four)

Blogging Micro-Blogging Social Networking Crowdsourcing Content Sharing Web Applications Key Tools of the Trade

Blogging Keys to Success: - Listen to the conversation already going on - Find your niche - Join the conversation - Strike the right tone – drop the formalities - Be yourself, be human - Make it easy to follow Readers must have a passion… either for you or for the subject matter (preferably both).

Keys to Success:

- Listen to the conversation already going on

- Find your niche

- Join the conversation

- Strike the right tone – drop the formalities

- Be yourself, be human

- Make it easy to follow

Readers must have a passion… either for you or for the subject matter (preferably both).

Different Types of Blogs: - Personality - Issue - Organization - Expert - Portal Blogging

Different Types of Blogs:

- Personality

- Issue

- Organization

- Expert

- Portal

The Personality Blog: - The blogger discusses many aspects of his/her life although often has a particular area of interest. - Users are drawn the author’s personality and feel they have a relationship with them and even sense of community with fellow blog readers. - Blog posts are frequent – often several per day. Blogging RUNNING A HOSPITAL http:// runningahospital.blogspot.com / http:// www.dooce.com http:// www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein

The Personality Blog:

- The blogger discusses many aspects of his/her life although often has a particular area of interest.

- Users are drawn the author’s personality and feel they have a relationship with them and even sense of community with fellow blog readers.

- Blog posts are frequent – often several per day.

The Issue Blog: - The blog focuses solely on a particular topic of interest and are often authored by more than one individual. - Content is often culled from other sources and “republished” on the blog with commentary from the blog post author. - Users have a natural interest in the subject and these blogs do the work of finding and delivering the latest news on it. They often subscribe to the blog’s “point of view” on the subject matter. - Blog posts are numerous throughout the day. Blogging http:// www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc http://www.gizmodo.com http:// www.dcist.com

The Issue Blog:

- The blog focuses solely on a particular topic of interest and are often authored by more than one individual.

- Content is often culled from other sources and “republished” on the blog with commentary from the blog post author.

- Users have a natural interest in the subject and these blogs do the work of finding and delivering the latest news on it. They often subscribe to the blog’s “point of view” on the subject matter.

- Blog posts are numerous throughout the day.

The Organization Blog: - Focus on issues of a particular organization and often feature several authors. - Users typically have a vested interested in the organization as either a supporter, partner, competitor, employee, customer etc. - Blog post frequency varies. - The most successful ones are targeted at a particular constituency of the organization (i.e. what customers care about is not necessary what employees or investors care about). Blogging http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/ http:// www.whitehouse.gov/blog http:// www.blogsouthwest.com

The Organization Blog:

- Focus on issues of a particular organization and often feature several authors.

- Users typically have a vested interested in the organization as either a supporter, partner, competitor, employee, customer etc.

- Blog post frequency varies.

- The most successful ones are targeted at a particular constituency of the organization (i.e. what customers care about is not necessary what employees or investors care about).

The Expert Blog: - The blog is authored by an individual or organization that is positioned as an expert in a particular area. - Posts are infrequent. Some are mostly read when a more popular blog reposts them. - They are related to an emerging trend that says “blogs are the new resume.” Blogging Web Strategy & Politics http:// gbrandonthomas.com http://blog.places-magazine.com

The Expert Blog:

- The blog is authored by an individual or organization that is positioned as an expert in a particular area.

- Posts are infrequent. Some are mostly read when a more popular blog reposts them.

- They are related to an emerging trend that says “blogs are the new resume.”

The Blog Portal: - A “network” of blog around a common theme that often offer an array of opinions. - Users can be drawn to the entire site or an individual blogger. -Blog post frequency varies, but the site aggregation allows visitors to see fresh content throughout the day. Blogging http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ http://www.foriegnpolicy.com http:// newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith /

The Blog Portal:

- A “network” of blog around a common theme that often offer an array of opinions.

- Users can be drawn to the entire site or an individual blogger.

-Blog post frequency varies, but the site aggregation allows visitors to see fresh content throughout the day.

Comment Policy: - All comments (not for controversial subjects) - No comments (must be very compelling content) - Member authentication/profiles (closed community) - Comment moderation (Higher workload, lower return) - vs. (Better discourse, viral, not full control) Blogging

Comment Policy:

- All comments (not for controversial subjects)

- No comments (must be very compelling content)

- Member authentication/profiles (closed community)

- Comment moderation (Higher workload, lower return)

- vs. (Better discourse, viral, not full control)

Micro-Blogging Key Features: - Very quick blog posting method made popular by the Twitter platform. - Micro-blogging pioneer: - Three primary types of posts: - Status update (example: “I’m eating lunch at Au Bon Pain”) - Link update (example: “Great article on Iraq: http://www.link.com”) - Reply to update (example: “@twitteraccount I totally disagree”)

Key Features:

- Very quick blog posting method made popular by the Twitter platform.

- Micro-blogging pioneer:

- Three primary types of posts:

- Status update (example: “I’m eating lunch at Au Bon Pain”) - Link update (example: “Great article on Iraq: http://www.link.com”) - Reply to update (example: “@twitteraccount I totally disagree”)

Micro-Blogging Ways organizations are using it: - Monitor and address customer concerns: - Disseminate promotions: - Alert Supporters of News and Calls to Action: http:// twitter.com/JetBlue http:// twitter.com/comcastcares http:// twitter.com/barackobama

Ways organizations are using it:

- Monitor and address customer concerns:

- Disseminate promotions:

- Alert Supporters of News and Calls to Action:

Social Networking Features and Trends: - Hundreds of millions of people are connecting with each other in online communities focused around their personal lives, professional lives and special interests. - Facebook is now the number one social networking platform and has released capabilities that allow any website to connect to their platform. - “White Label Social Network” vendors are selling off-the-shelf social networking platforms to organizations. Many developers, including Google, are pushing for an open platform (not Facebook’s) so that all of these disparate communities can eventually connect to one another and so that individuals do not need to maintain multiple community accounts.

Features and Trends:

- Hundreds of millions of people are connecting with each other in online communities focused around their personal lives, professional lives and special interests.

- Facebook is now the number one social networking platform and has released capabilities that allow any website to connect to their platform.

- “White Label Social Network” vendors are selling off-the-shelf social networking platforms to organizations. Many developers, including Google, are pushing for an open platform (not Facebook’s) so that all of these disparate communities can eventually connect to one another and so that individuals do not need to maintain multiple community accounts.

Social Networking Key Question: Create your own social network or integrate with Facebook and/or other existing communities? (Or do both) http:// www.aarp.org/onlinecommunity / http:// www.facebook.com/joinred 523 Followers 561,000 Friends 115,000 Friends 1,200 Subscribers 499 Photos 254 Photos 3000 Badges

Key Question:

Create your own social network or integrate with Facebook and/or other existing communities? (Or do both)

Crowdsourcing Features and Trends: - Crowdsourcing is a method of outsourcing a task to a group of people who collaboratively come to a solution. (Example: Wikipedia) - Advances in collaborative technologies are make it increasingly popular in many areas. Three Examples: http:// www.crowdspring.com / http:// citizensbriefingbook.change.gov / http:// digg.com /

Features and Trends:

- Crowdsourcing is a method of outsourcing a task to a group of people who collaboratively come to a solution. (Example: Wikipedia)

- Advances in collaborative technologies are make it increasingly popular in many areas. Three Examples:

Crowdsourcing New Tools, Risks and Rewards: - New tools are being launched to increase the effectiveness of online collaboration, including one geared towards public policy: - Biggest risk is getting no answer or getting the wrong answer – it sometimes rewards the most organized, not necessarily the most supported (e.g. Obama’s Citizen’s Briefing Book voted Marijuana legalization as the top priority for the new administration). - Crowdsourcing is an emerging trend and organizations that utilize it will be rewarded with first-mover publicity. http:// www.mixedink.com

New Tools, Risks and Rewards:

- New tools are being launched to increase the effectiveness of online collaboration, including one geared towards public policy:

- Biggest risk is getting no answer or getting the wrong answer – it sometimes rewards the most organized, not necessarily the most supported (e.g. Obama’s Citizen’s Briefing Book voted Marijuana legalization as the top priority for the new administration).

- Crowdsourcing is an emerging trend and organizations that utilize it will be rewarded with first-mover publicity.

Content Sharing Gold Standards: - The foundation of Web 2.0 is that by standardizing content publishing, information can be easily created, aggregated and shared by anyone. - The most widely accepted standards include: Real Simple Syndication (All content) YouTube (Video) Podcast (Audio/Video) SlideShare (Powerpoint/Presentation) Flickr (Photos)

Gold Standards:

- The foundation of Web 2.0 is that by standardizing content publishing, information can be easily created, aggregated and shared by anyone.

- The most widely accepted standards include:

Content Sharing Open API Ensure your data content is open to development by others. http:// www.gop.gov/api

Open API

Ensure your data content is open to development by others.

Widgets/Applications Entertainment, Mobility and Utility - Several categories of applications and widgets - Mobility (e.g. iPhone applications) - Standalone games and other entertainment (branded) - Platform Plug-ins (e.g facebook applications) - Mashups (combining databases) - Novelty produces high publicity bonus - Access to content via mobile applications becoming expected

Entertainment, Mobility and Utility

- Several categories of applications and widgets

- Mobility (e.g. iPhone applications)

- Standalone games and other entertainment (branded)

- Platform Plug-ins (e.g facebook applications)

- Mashups (combining databases)

- Novelty produces high publicity bonus

- Access to content via mobile applications becoming expected

Widgets/Applications Examples: http://www.aarpvote08.org/ http:// my.barackobama.com/page/content/iphone

Examples:

Tips for Successfully Implementing Social Media Communications --Define your audience --Understand what will engage and motivate them --Build gradually and don’t aggressively promote until you are comfortable with your product and your process --Use established tools to secure your audience, use new/experimental tools once you’ve got them engaged

--Define your audience

--Understand what will engage and motivate them

--Build gradually and don’t aggressively promote until you are comfortable with your product and your process

--Use established tools to secure your audience, use new/experimental tools once you’ve got them engaged

Tips for Successfully Implementing Social Media Communications --Develop metrics, but understand that some benefits are qualitative --Devote more of your time and resources to content development than to website development – that’s the hallmark of Web 2.0 --Always think about how content will benefit a user before thinking about how it will benefit you

--Develop metrics, but understand that some benefits are qualitative

--Devote more of your time and resources to content development than to website development – that’s the hallmark of Web 2.0

--Always think about how content will benefit a user before thinking about how it will benefit you