Using social media to communicate – opportunities and challenges Jesper Laugesen Communications Department

Jesper Laugesen Communications Officer at the University of Copenhagen Primarily working with Web content (supporting local webmasters) Blogs Online marketing Wikis Experiments with social software … and more

Communications Officer at the University of Copenhagen

Primarily working with

Web content (supporting local webmasters)

Blogs

Online marketing

Wikis

Experiments with social software

… and more

Agenda Social media – web 2.0 What? Who? Why? Where? When?

Social media – web 2.0

What?

Who?

Why?

Where? When?

What is social media? Social media is Blogs Wikis Social Networks Podcasts RSS Mash-ups

Social media is

Blogs

Wikis

Social Networks

Podcasts

RSS

Mash-ups

But more than that… Social media is user-driven user-generated and/or user-centric (at least, that’s what the user likes to think!)

Social media is

user-driven

user-generated

and/or

user-centric

(at least, that’s what the

user likes to think!)

Changing the focus content  communication delivery  dialogue producing  participating Mass media  Participatory/niche media (one-to-many) (many-to-many / few-to-few)

content  communication

delivery  dialogue

producing  participating

Mass media  Participatory/niche media (one-to-many) (many-to-many / few-to-few)

Source: http://flickr.com/photos/jsuler/209356213/

Source: http://flickr.com/photos/terinea/1104709726/

But: Back to the most important person…

It’s all about me My friends My family My interests My studies My dog My love interest(s) … all about me – and  My relations My sharing My following

My friends

My family

My interests

My studies

My dog

My love interest(s)

… all about me – and

 My relations

My sharing

My following

So, what does it mean for YOU? They talk about you. They share links about you. And whatever they say, it’s perpertual In blogs – everyone can write RSS / syndication – everyone can read about it Del.ici.ous - sharing favourite web pages Wikis - Power of the crowd Online Friends - MySpace, Beebo, FaceBook, LinkedIn etc…

They talk about you. They share links about you. And whatever

they say, it’s perpertual

In blogs – everyone can write

RSS / syndication – everyone can read about it

Del.ici.ous - sharing favourite web pages

Wikis - Power of the crowd

Online Friends - MySpace, Beebo, FaceBook, LinkedIn etc…

Blogs I have no idea what it is they are saying… … but they are saying something!

I have no idea what it is they are saying…

… but they are saying something!

Wikipedia Not only a source of (questionable?) academic references… You are there too!

Not only a source of (questionable?) academic references…

You are there too!

Facebook Here, as well…

Here, as well…

Should you join the conversation?

It matters: Social media are tools that foster exchange of ideas enables and encourages conversations allows communities to form It’s about people Tools that let people share and be found Conversations of the Marketplace Voices of the People They matter because: The Trust factor Impacts to Google Results Rapid Word of Mouth Different than Broadcast Marketing

Social media are tools that

foster exchange of ideas

enables and encourages conversations

allows communities to form

It’s about people

Tools that let people share and be found

Conversations of the Marketplace

Voices of the People

They matter because:

The Trust factor

Impacts to Google Results

Rapid Word of Mouth

Different than Broadcast Marketing

Cornerstones of ’corporate’ participation Authenticity matters, not transparency Tell the truth Decide on a policy of employee participation (confidentiality, privacy, freedom of speech, rights and obligations) Don’t expect them to come to you – go to them Participate! Try it out… No one knows what’s coming

Authenticity matters, not transparency

Tell the truth

Decide on a policy of employee participation (confidentiality, privacy, freedom of speech, rights and obligations)

Don’t expect them to come to you – go to them

Participate!

Try it out…

No one knows what’s coming

10-15 years ago… World Wide What? Mobile phones were bulky, rare and expensive A Sony walkman was state of the art CD’s were pretty cool WIFI was science fiction My Space was a physical location Contact across the Atlantic was either by snailmail or painstakingly expensive phone

World Wide What?

Mobile phones were bulky, rare and expensive

A Sony walkman was state of the art

CD’s were pretty cool

WIFI was science fiction

My Space was a physical location

Contact across the Atlantic was either by snailmail or painstakingly expensive phone

1½ years ago… Facebook didn’t exist Second Life was all the rage The first videoblogs appeared Blogs were rather new – and something the cool kids did

Facebook didn’t exist

Second Life was all the rage

The first videoblogs appeared

Blogs were rather new – and something the cool kids did

Today Social networks rules the web DataPortability is ’the thing’ of the moment: Connecting, controlling, sharing, remixing ’ Lifestream’-services (jaiku, plaxo, etc.) compete for control of the datastreams beyond the social networks Identities are a commodity More than ever, access is ubiquitous and data perpertual

Social networks rules the web

DataPortability is ’the thing’ of the moment: Connecting, controlling, sharing, remixing

’ Lifestream’-services (jaiku, plaxo, etc.) compete for control of the datastreams beyond the social networks

Identities are a commodity

More than ever, access is ubiquitous and data perpertual

Tomorrow?

Impact / use of Social Media Recruiting Students Staff Research Dissemination of knowledge Dialogue with researchers worldwide Executive Leadership & Visibility Showing the ‘human side’ of rector and/or other leaders Branding

Recruiting

Students

Staff

Research

Dissemination of knowledge

Dialogue with researchers worldwide

Executive Leadership & Visibility

Showing the ‘human side’ of rector and/or other leaders

Branding

Lessons learned People will talk and write about you. Adress the the good as well as the bad Communities are the goal – conversations is the means If noone else does it, start the conversation yourself Social media isn’t a magical solution to all your problems Speak the truth - the Internet remembers everything. For a very, very long time. Encourage dialogue Identify, acknowledge and empower your ambassadors

People will talk and write about you. Adress the the good as well as the bad

Communities are the goal – conversations is the means

If noone else does it, start the conversation yourself

Social media isn’t a magical solution to all your problems

Speak the truth - the Internet remembers everything. For a very, very long time.

Encourage dialogue

Identify, acknowledge and empower your ambassadors

Lessons learned Tomorrow brings new technology – plan for flexibility Have the courage to let go – you can’t control it even if you try Social media should be a component of your overall web strategy Embrace your first-movers Test, try, fail and learn what works in your organisation Expect the best, prepare for the worst Ensure your policy for participation is clear – and known

Tomorrow brings new technology – plan for flexibility

Have the courage to let go – you can’t control it even if you try

Social media should be a component of your overall web strategy

Embrace your first-movers

Test, try, fail and learn what works in your organisation

Expect the best, prepare for the worst

Ensure your policy for participation is clear – and known

University of Copenhagen Encourages and facilitates blogging (Management, faculty and student body alike – at blogs.ku.dk or on independent platforms) Management supports trials in new media, be it Second Life, YouTube channels, blogging networks or Facebook groups Publishes pod- and vodcasts Monitors the Danish blogosphere on a daily basis (we still need to put a decent ’response programme’ in effect, though) Converses with the public through blogs, wiki’s and videos

Encourages and facilitates blogging (Management, faculty and student body alike – at blogs.ku.dk or on independent platforms)

Management supports trials in new media, be it Second Life, YouTube channels, blogging networks or Facebook groups

Publishes pod- and vodcasts

Monitors the Danish blogosphere on a daily basis (we still need to put a decent ’response programme’ in effect, though)

Converses with the public through blogs, wiki’s and videos

Examples Copenhagen UniVirtual ( virtuel.ku.dk/en ) (questions via YouTube, webcasting) Blogs Syndicating content @ blogs.ku.dk Rector and pro-rector (danish) Medical Museion Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre Agri Environmental Policies Facebook Applications, groups, networks Podcasts Faculty of humanities Instant Messaging/chat Realtime guidance/councelling of students

Copenhagen UniVirtual ( virtuel.ku.dk/en )

(questions via YouTube, webcasting)

Blogs

Syndicating content @ blogs.ku.dk

Rector and pro-rector (danish)

Medical Museion

Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre

Agri Environmental Policies

Facebook

Applications, groups, networks

Podcasts

Faculty of humanities

Instant Messaging/chat

Realtime guidance/councelling of students

What can you do? Encourage blogging Host your own Or use paid or free services (blogger.com, wordpress.com, edublogs.org) Prepare for students, staff and faculty participation in social networks and blogs Codes of conduct (may – to some extent – be covered in employees contracts and/or existing policies) Encourage your organisation to experiment Beware of the gatekeepers and firewallers (but deal with their warnings seriously)

Encourage blogging

Host your own

Or use paid or free services (blogger.com, wordpress.com, edublogs.org)

Prepare for students, staff and faculty participation in social networks and blogs

Codes of conduct (may – to some extent – be covered in employees contracts and/or existing policies)

Encourage your organisation to experiment

Beware of the gatekeepers and firewallers (but deal with their warnings seriously)

What can you do? Prioritize: Podcasts, blogs, wikis are relatively ’mature’ technologies (Don’t shy away from these – but remember nothing looks more abandoned than a chronology that hasn’t been updated in months) New social networks pops up every day (don’t bet all your money on one horse – it may be out of the race tomorrow)

Prioritize:

Podcasts, blogs, wikis are relatively ’mature’ technologies

(Don’t shy away from these – but remember nothing looks more abandoned than a chronology that hasn’t been updated in months)

New social networks pops up every day

(don’t bet all your money on one horse – it may be out of the race tomorrow)

What can you do? Monitor the Internet Google is a good place to start You also need to monitor The social networks The blogosphere Wikipedia If hit by a blog- or facebookstorm Be proactive Show you care about what ’they’ are saying: Reply on blogs on facebook in own and other media

Monitor the Internet

Google is a good place to start

You also need to monitor

The social networks

The blogosphere

Wikipedia

If hit by a blog- or facebookstorm

Be proactive

Show you care about what ’they’ are saying:

Reply

on blogs

on facebook

in own and other media

Q & A Contact: Jesper Laugesen University of Copenhagen Nørregade 10 DK – 1017 København K Mail: [email_address] Phone: +45 35 32 42 74 Find me online at laugesen.org linkedin.com/in/laugesen laugesen.jaiku.com www.myspace.com/laugesen www.last.fm/user/jlaugesen / Flickr.com/jlaugesen facebook.com blogs.ku.dk Københavns Universitet, Kommunikationsafdelingen

Contact:

Jesper Laugesen

University of Copenhagen

Nørregade 10

DK – 1017 København K

Mail: [email_address]

Phone: +45 35 32 42 74

Find me online at

laugesen.org

linkedin.com/in/laugesen

laugesen.jaiku.com

www.myspace.com/laugesen

www.last.fm/user/jlaugesen /

Flickr.com/jlaugesen

facebook.com

blogs.ku.dk

Københavns Universitet, Kommunikationsafdelingen