1. Social Media tip sheet: What YOU need to know about Facebook,
Twitter, You Tube and Google (and all that other social media stuff)
1. GOOGLE yourself. And your organization. Your “google-ability” is an increasingly powerful factor
today, and you need to know how others view you and your position. Like what you see? Great!
Don’t? No worries – you can harness the power of social media to help you out.
2. JOIN the popular social media accounts, specifically Facebook and Twitter. And develop a
baseline understanding of how content is shared on You Tube and Flickr (just spend 10 minutes
scrolling around the sites and searching terms that interest you). You DON’T have to use these
sites in an official capacity unless you want to, but you SHOULD be aware of their capabilities, so
you know how your subordinates are using them. Don’t want everyone to know you’re on
Facebook? Go to www.slideshare.net/usarmysocialmedia and check out the “Facebook Privacy
Settings” slide deck. You can make it so NO ONE can find you.
3. Consider your GOALS, both large organizational goals as well as personal communications
objectives. What kinds of things are you looking to accomplish? Can social media help with
these goals? Maybe, MAYBE NOT. But look at how others are using social media for ideas. A list
of official social media sites is at www.army.mil/socialmedia.
4. REACH OUT to local media outlets and publications – if you want. Social Media is increasingly a
great way to reach out to media outlets and let them know about events and communications
objectives and opportunities. Once you’ve launched a social media program, also look to how
you can use traditional media to increase awareness of what you’re doing.
5. DELEGATE your social media efforts. Social media can take up as much or as little time as you let
it. If you decide to use social media in an official capacity, make sure someone on your staff is
committed to monitoring your pages once each day. For sites you use personally – YOU set the
tempo. Only want to check your Facebook profile once a week? That’s fine – your friends will
cope.
6. TOOLS - Social media is just one tool in your tool kit. Think of it like that – as an OPPORTUNITY,
not just another rock in the ruck-sack. There are lots of resources out there to help you
accomplish your objectives. Check out the online materials that are available, and keep up with
www.lindykyzer.com for new documents and policies.
Got questions or need additional help? Contact Lindy Kyzer Communications at
email@lindykyzer.com, or call 202.374.4291.