Social Media for Public Affairs

Social Media: Why it Matters for Public Affairs July 14, 2008

Introductions
Mike Panetta, Vice Pres., Public Affairs and Emerging Media, Grassroots Enterprise
Has been with Grassroots Enterprise over 5 years
Leads social media and public affairs practice
Over a decade of experience helping non-profits and governments agencies use the Internet for communication goals
Elected official in the District of Columbia
Also used to be a shopping mall Santa

What We Will Cover Today
What is social media?
Why it’s such a hot topic among communication professionals.
Key components of social media and case studies.

Questions to Ask Before You Start
Who are you trying to reach?
What do you want them to do? If you can’t answer these, you having bigger issues to address than whether or not to be on Twitter…

So How Many of You?
Use Facebook?
Tweet on Twitter?
Update a blog?
Upload Audio or Video Content

What is Social Media and Networking?
Social Networking has always existed - even before computers
Internet now makes it easy to connect with a more people and share more information than ever before
Not just gossip at the water cooler any more - it’s video, audio, web site being spread among individuals
Information now quickly jumps from “node” to “node”

Core Elements of Social Media
Most Social Media Sites Feature:
Creating a Profile
Connecting with Others
Updating Status
Adding Content
Tagging Content
Joining Groups and Networks
web of contacts + shared content = social media

What’s all the fuss about?
Fundamental shift in the power of communication and the flow of information
Fragmentation of media landscape continues on a relentless pace
Traditional media business models are starting to erode
People did not have access to the amount of information they do today
The power of distribution of information is what gets public affairs professionals excited about social media….
Old Media: New Media:

Media Landscape is Fragmented 16.3 million in 2009 106 million in 1983 Vs.

As Options Expand…Time Does Not Source: StateoftheMedia.org, Arbitron, Audit Bureau of Circulations, comScore Media Metrix, Nielsen Media Research

Lack of Trust = Word of Mouth Now Key
People no longer place a great deal of trust in institutions or the media
Only 25% rate the honesty and ethical standard of journalists as “high” or “very high”, while 33% said they were “low” or “very low” (Source: The Project for Excellence in Journalism )
Only 26% have a high degree of trust in the government (Source: Gallop, Sept 2008)
Word of mouth is key in the spread of information - 66% of people believe what other consumers have posted online (Source: Nielsen)

Email List: Still important, but declining

Your Web Site is the Hub, Not the Destination A comprehensive online communication strategy is best served by work with social media outposts. Getting your content into numerous channels is key. YOUR CAMPAIGN

The Key is Integration… TysonsTomorrow.com Delicious.com RSS Feeds LinkedIn YouTube Facebook Twitter

Facebook
Over 200 million active users worldwide - average active user spends 25 minutes a day on the site
Used by people to share links, photos, videos, status updates, and other information
Facebook users log in to see a “feed” of what their friends are doing
Creating a Facebook Page for your organization is straightforward and free
Getting your information into the Facebook feed that a user sees is the best way to spread your themes and messages

Facebook: Using a Page
Pages are best way for organizations to get on Facebook
Users become “fans” instead of friends
Page administrators can update page like a profile – status updates, photos, videos, etc.
Fans can comment on items, “like” them, or share by sending to others or reposting to their own profile

Twitter
Asks a simple question: What are you doing?
Updates can only be 140 characters or less
Users create a profile and then follow others - can get updates via text or on the web
People submitting “tweets” around a common topic can use tags, e.g. (#iranelection)
Sounds like an exercise in ego-gratification until you see what some innovative agencies are doing with it.

Twitter Frenzy!! http://www. youtube .com/watch? v=iglWyCGFTts

Twitter Frenzy!!
20 million visitors in February
753% growth in visits in 2008
70% of all users joined in 2008
5-10 thousand new accounts daily

Twitter’s Core Elements
Hashtags to group tweets around events or issues
Using the “@” symbol for public replies and linking to other users:
“ Follow @MikePanetta for news about DC politics”
Re-Tweeting what others have posted via your own profile. This is a key way to spread information over Twitter, usually accompanied by “RT” and the original user’s name:
“ RT @MikePanetta House vote today on H.R. 123 #healthcare”
Direct Messaging
Search tools - What’s happening right now

Twitter: Incorporating Content

Emerging Trends via Twitter

YouTube and other online video sites
Posting videos and commenting on them is a very popular component of social media - cameras are cheap and ubiquitous
Videos are not only seen on YouTube but also fed into blogs, Facebook, and other web sites via cut and paste embedding code
Other video sharing sites include Vimeo, Blip.tv, Flickr, and Veoh
+ = Global Distribution

Anyone can be a publisher

Scanning the Blogosphere: Technorati

Blog Monitoring Tools

Think Like a Dandelion
The dandelion doesn’t skimp on distributing it seeds far and wide
Even though over 90% are wasted, dandelions seem to sprout in every crack in the sidewalk
Digital means of distribution are cheap or free – so stop thinking in terms of scarcity
You’ll be surprised where your content can take root and flourish if you “give it wings”

Additional Reading
The Groundswell Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li
Here Comes Everybody The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky
Marketing to the Social Web How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business by Larry Weber

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Social Media for Public Affairs

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