Adding New Media to Your PR Toolbox SOCIAL MEDIA 101 Lauren Beyer – April 2, 2008

“ Syllabus” How communication is changing Define the buzz words Talk about different social media tools Ways you can get started

How communication is changing

Define the buzz words

Talk about different social media tools

Ways you can get started

Communicating with Audiences Has evolved from oral traditions… to printing presses… to broadcasting via radio and TV… and now, the Internet.

Has evolved from oral traditions…

to printing presses…

to broadcasting via radio and TV…

and now, the Internet.

What is 2.0? PR 2.0 is the understanding & practice that communications is a 2-way process. Incorporates the tools, principles, strategies, and philosophies for reaching, engaging, guiding, influencing, and helping people directly… IN ADDITION TO the traditional cycle of PR influence.

PR 2.0 is the understanding & practice that communications is a 2-way process.

Incorporates the tools, principles, strategies, and philosophies for reaching, engaging, guiding, influencing, and helping people directly…

IN ADDITION TO the traditional cycle of PR influence.

Defining Social Media Wikipedia: Social media uses the “wisdom of crowds” to connect information in a collaborative manner. Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video.

Wikipedia: Social media uses the “wisdom of crowds” to connect information in a collaborative manner.

Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video.

Defining Social Media My definition: Social media is about people coming together in community spaces, both online and off, to participate in creating, managing and sharing content through conversation.

My definition: Social media is about people coming together in community spaces, both online and off, to participate in creating, managing and sharing content through conversation.

Defining Social Media Social Media is a business tool to help communicate with your intended audiences: Share ideas Solve problems Communicate more by doing less

Social Media is a business tool to help communicate with your intended audiences:

Share ideas

Solve problems

Communicate more by doing less

More Buzz Words COMMUNITY: The new term for “audience” CONTENT: Words, audio, pictures, etc. that are published online BLOG: Self expression via text PODCAST: Self expression via audio SOCIAL NETWORK: An online space where people with similar interests or activities gather to create a community.

COMMUNITY: The new term for “audience”

CONTENT: Words, audio, pictures, etc. that are published online

BLOG: Self expression via text

PODCAST: Self expression via audio

SOCIAL NETWORK: An online space where people with similar interests or activities gather to create a community.

TAGS Think of the internet as a giant file cabinet with millions of files. Tags are the labels that help sort those files. Except, instead of categorizing a resource with only one label, you can apply more than one tag to help organize your page, content or file.

Think of the internet as a giant file cabinet with millions of files. Tags are the labels that help sort those files. Except, instead of categorizing a resource with only one label, you can apply more than one tag to help organize your page, content or file.

New Media Applications

Who’s Using Social Media? 75% of college students surf social networking sites (bizreport.com, 2007) Six in ten wealthy US consumers use social networks (eMarketer.com, 2008)

75% of college students surf social networking sites (bizreport.com, 2007)

Six in ten wealthy US consumers use social networks (eMarketer.com, 2008)

How can it work for you? INTERNAL Exec blogs, collaboration tools, RSS CORPORATE brand awareness, marketing, corporate identity MEDIA RELATIONS Social Media Newsroom, blogger outreach, become your own media

INTERNAL

Exec blogs, collaboration tools, RSS

CORPORATE

brand awareness, marketing, corporate identity

MEDIA RELATIONS

Social Media Newsroom, blogger outreach, become your own media

NEW/OLD TRICKS New online tools are splinters of existing tools. THEY ARE NOT REPLACEMENTS New media is adding to the ways people communicate and express themselves.

New online tools are splinters of existing tools.

THEY ARE NOT REPLACEMENTS

New media is adding to the ways people communicate and express themselves.

WHY? People are having these conversations anyways. Social Media tools can be used to capture the conversation and be a part of it. GET INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS

People are having these conversations anyways. Social Media tools can be used to capture the conversation and be a part of it.

GET INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS

Elements of Social Media PRODUCE & PUBLISH PROMOTE MEASURE

PRODUCE & PUBLISH

PROMOTE

MEASURE

GET STARTED EASILY… You don’t need to create new or special content to make it fit with social media. Bookmark your media links in del.icio.us Re-purpose your audio productions into podcasts Post videos you create on YouTube and embed them on your site

You don’t need to create new or special content to make it fit with social media.

Bookmark your media links in del.icio.us

Re-purpose your audio productions into podcasts

Post videos you create on YouTube and embed them on your site

Find the Conversations Use keyword monitoring tools to begin locating the conversations that are taking place about your company, your clients or your issues. Google Alerts (google.com/alerts) Technorati (subscribe with keywords) Digg Del.icio.us

Use keyword monitoring tools to begin locating the conversations that are taking place about your company, your clients or your issues.

Google Alerts (google.com/alerts)

Technorati (subscribe with keywords)

Digg

Del.icio.us

Toes in the Water… Begin by reading gurus’ blogs. Follow them on Twitter. Follow their followers. Join a social networking site for professionals (Linked In, My Ragan, etc.) Connect across platforms – make new friends! Start using the tools you want to implement.

Begin by reading gurus’ blogs. Follow them on Twitter. Follow their followers.

Join a social networking site for professionals (Linked In, My Ragan, etc.)

Connect across platforms – make new friends!

Start using the tools you want to implement.

Missed Opportunities Showing a look from behind the scenes Sharing the information you gather in focus groups, data, etc. Design prototypes Customer submissions Google alerts (and knowing what the conversations are saying)

Showing a look from behind the scenes

Sharing the information you gather in focus groups, data, etc.

Design prototypes

Customer submissions

Google alerts (and knowing what the conversations are saying)

Final Thoughts You have to be transparent when you’re doing social media. No hidden agendas. Don’t hide yourself or your work. Don’t put a video on YouTube to be “viral” Being on Facebook is not the only answer to reach young adults. Social media is another set of tools in the toolbox. It’s used to enhance your existing initiatives, not replace them.

You have to be transparent when you’re doing social media. No hidden agendas. Don’t hide yourself or your work.

Don’t put a video on YouTube to be “viral”

Being on Facebook is not the only answer to reach young adults.

Social media is another set of tools in the toolbox. It’s used to enhance your existing initiatives, not replace them.

Questions? Lauren Beyer ltbeyer@gmail.com http://passthekoolaid.wordpress.com Twitter: ltbeyer Facebook, Linked In and more…

Lauren Beyer

ltbeyer@gmail.com

http://passthekoolaid.wordpress.com

Twitter: ltbeyer

Facebook, Linked In and more…