Presentation to the "Opening the Closet on Aging 50+ LGBTQ Empowerment Conference, November 28, 2011

1. Presented by:
Barry Waite, Professor
Corporate Communications & Public Relations
Centennial College
November 28, 2011

2. About Me
 Communications professional with 25 years +
experience in public relations & social media
 Professor/Program Coordinator, post-graduate
Corporate Communications & PR program, Centennial
College
 20 years + involvement in LGBT community
 Fruit Cocktail (LGCA)
 Pride and Remembrance Association
 Fife House
 Community One Foundation

5. Link: http://youtu.be/QzZyUaQvpdc

6. Feeling Left Behind?
Don’t?

7. Some Facts
 Fastest growing segment on social networks is 74+
according to Generations 2010
 Social network use for this cohort quadrupled between
2008 & 2010 from 4% to 16%
 In Canada, number of 50+ use of social media climbed
from 39% in 2009 to 57% (Harris-Decima for The
Canadian Press)
 Study after study shows the largest growth area for
Facebook is 55+ (particularly women)

8. What Are They Doing?
 Reading news
 Seeking health information
 Sharing photographs
 Communicating with family friends
 Watching videos
 Meeting new people

9. Why? (The Benefits)
 Studies show link between Internet use and reduction
in depressive symptoms in older adults, ranging from
30% to 20% reductions
 Breaks barriers of isolation and builds connection to
the outside world
 For the older LGBT community – a connection to
services and resources plus ability to build new
friendships

10. Making Connections: Facebook
 Largest social network in the world
 Share photos, videos and news
 Check out the “likes” and pages of your friends and
groups you belong to
 Join community organization pages, like The 519
 Start a group for something you’re interested in
 Remember! Don’t “friend” or accept friend requests
from people you don’t know
 Make sure your privacy settings are all engaged

11. Making Connections: LinkedIn
 Professional social network
 Connect with old colleagues
 Build new connections & professional opportunities
 Never enter into any business relationship or financial
activity online without verifying the parties involved

12. Making Connections: The Web
 Use Google to search for information relevant to you
 Websites & Forums
 CARP: eNewsletters, useful information
 Zoomers.ca: groups & forums
 SAGE: US advocacy organization
 Don’t give out personal information including your
address, phone number or whether you live alone

13. Connecting to the World: Blogs
 More than 100 million blogs
 General Interest, Aging Issues, LGBT
 Top LGBT:
 Slap Upside the Head
 Towleroad
 Joe. My. God.
 Best Blog Directories:
 Bloggies
 Canadian Blog Awards

14. Becoming a Blogger
 Easy way to explore something you are interested in
and connect to the outside world
 Popular platforms: WordPress, Blogger or Tumblr
 Takes a few minutes to get started:
 Pick a platform
 Pick a title
 Start blogging

15. The Power of Twitter

16. What is Twitter?
Twitter is a real-time information network powered
by people all around the world that lets you share
and discover what’s happening now.
Twitter asks “what’s happening” and makes the
answer spread across the globe to millions,
immediately.
- Twitter Website

17. Twitter is a real-time information network
powered by people all around the world that lets
you share and discover what’s happening now.
Twitter asks “what’s happening” and makes the
answer spread across the globe to millions,
immediately.
- Twitter Website

18. The Twittersphere is an odd and uncanny place.
It’s something like having fairies at the bottom of
your garden. How do you know anyone is who
he/she says he is, especially when they put up
pictures of themselves that might be their feet, or
a cat, or a Mardi Gras mask, or a tin of Spam?
- Margaret Atwood

19. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

20. The Lingo
 Tweet
 @reply
 DM (Direct Message)
 RT (Retweet)
 # (Hashtag)
 Trending Topics
 Twitter Lists

21. Getting Started
 Create a Twitter Account
 Find interesting people to follow
 Start tweeting
 Share photos, links and more

22. Who to Follow?
 Find your friends and see who they are following
 Find people interesting to you, and follow them
 See who they are following
 Search for topics of interest to you
 Use the “hashtag” to narrow your search
 #lgbt
 #seniors
 #gardening
 #books

23. Some Interesting Tweeps
 Rinaldo Walcott
 Rick Mercer
 Peter Mansbridge
 Kristyn Wong-Tam
 Susan Gapka
 Barack Obama
 Anderson Cooper
 Joan Rivers

24. Organizations to Follow
 The 519 Church Street Community Centre
 Xtra!
 The New York Times
 The Globe and Mail
 The Toronto Star
 AIDS Committee of Toronto
 Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives
 Pride Toronto
 SAGE USA

25. Ready to Start?
Canada Reads
 Website
 Find out about the competition, get information
 Facebook
 See what people are saying, comment, participate
 Twitter
 Follow the conversation, latest news
 Podcasts & Video
 Watch & Listen!

26. Surf Safely!

27. The Fine Print
 Protect Your Privacy – lock down your profiles
 Don’t give out too much information, i.e. you’re going
on vacation or you live alone
 Never share personal information such as complete
birthdates, address or phone number
 Don’t click on links you trust
 Only accept friend requests from people you know
 Assume everything you say/post may be public

28. Thank You!
Barry Waite
Twitter: @toronto_pr_guy
Linked In: Barry Waite
Email: bwaite@centennialcollege.ca
Phone: 416-289-5000 Ext. 8820