The document discusses grassroots organizing through social media, specifically focusing on the American College of Cardiology's use of Twitter and Facebook. It provides insights on setting up accounts, engaging with audiences, and best practices for utilizing these platforms effectively. Additionally, it shares the organization's journey in adopting these technologies to enhance communication and connection with healthcare leaders and members.

1. Grassroots Organizing: From the Living Room to Your iPhone Molly Nichelson American College of Cardiology 2400 N Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20037 Email: [email_address] Phone: (202) 375-6470 Twitter: @Cardiology DM# 363587

2. Items of Discussion Twitter What is it? (quick crash course) Twitter applications How the ACC uses Twitter Facebook What is it? How ACC uses it How I use it for my work account

3. Twitter

4. What is Twitter? twitter.com Web-based SMS message system Think text messaging 140 characters Public / Private message setting People ‘follow’ your tweets / messages And you can ‘follow’ their tweets / messages

5. Setting Up Your Twitter Account Pick a user name Short & concise Fill out your biography Include your / your company’s name Contact information Make sure you upload a photo

6. Twitter Page

7. Finding People on Twitter Poach other people’s followers, via lists or followers Best way Read their tweets before you follow Search what people are tweeting (words & hashtags) & follow them http:// search.twitter.com

8. Twitter – Followers twitter.com /cardiology

9. Twitter Applications Sending Your Tweets: Computer Tweetdeck: http:// tweetdeck.com /beta/ Seesmic: http:// desktop.seesmic.com / Hootsuite: http:// www.hootsuite.com Blackberry UberTwitter: http:// ubertwitter.com / iPhone Tweetie: http://www.atebits.com/tweetie-iphone /

10. Seesmic

11. Twitter Applications Feeding your RSS feeds to Your Twitter Account: Ping.fm – http://ping.fm Tweetlater – http:// tweetlater.com Hootsuite -- http://hootsuite.com

12. Twitter Terminology: Hashtag Use a hashtag (#) before a word in a post allows you to tag that post for that word This allows your word to be more readily searched Can help bring you new followers and help you find more followers

13. Example -- #HCR http:// search.twitter.com

14. Reading Up on Twitter Social Media Websites http://mashable.com/ http:// www.smartbrief.com / http:// www.twitip.com / http:// www.readwriteweb.com / http:// www.chrisbrogan.com / http://social-media-university- global.org / http:// beth.typepad.com / (for non-profits)

15. Reading Up on Twitter ePolitics Websites http://techpresident.com/ http:// personaldemocracy.com / http:// tweetcongress.org http:// twitterroom.thehill.com / http:// www.epolitics.com / http:// www.nextgov.com /

16. Best Practices & Advice Test out Twitter with your own account before doing one for work Make it private if you have to Test it with friends & coworkers Get familiar with the Twitter applications Like iPhone apps, there are *many* of them, and they change often

17. Best Practices & Advice Know that you WILL make mistakes You will NOT have full control Use your own voice Don’t turn your Twitter account in to an RSS feed Be a HUMAN behind your account Give something of value to your audience Coupons, advice, articles, thanks

18. Best Practices & Advice And know when you send a tweet, it’s out there forever…and it’s searchable! http:// search.twitter.com

19. Best Practices & Advice Following & Followers Be judicious, but don’t be a snob either Don’t get freaked out by who’s following you If someone is wacky, block them And did I mention there are reporters on Twitter…and they may follow you? http:// journalistsontwitter.wetpaint.com /

20. Best Practices & Advice Monitor, Monitor, Monitor! Don’t throw stuff out and then don’t react; monitor your account and who’s following you Have an RSS feed on your #hashmarks & company’s name http:// search.twitter.com See what’s popular on Twitter Trending topics

21. American College of Cardiology’s Advocacy Department & Twitter

22. How We Started Created account in Oct. 2007 Was excited about the grassroots potential, but didn’t know the technology Way to get to busy members Connect with other healthcare leaders Started with my own account Took me 6 months – 1 year to feel comfortable

23. How We Started Attended the Public Affairs Council Meeting in 2009 & learned more about social media Now had the gumption to talk to boss & big boss about it They have a lot of trust me in me, but didn’t know a lot about the technology Said to go ahead with Twitter

24. How We Started Annual Meeting 2009 Sat down with Communications folks Started Twittering in late February 2009 Literally two weeks before annual meeting we met Social Media Strategy Policy @ the ACC Still a work in progress Now have a some parameters but we work closely with Communications on this.

25. How We Use Twitter Send news articles Show that we’re on top of the health system reform debate Members Media Other healthcare groups RSS feed CEO’s blog (Lewin Report)

26. How We Use Twitter Highlight member and advocacy achievements Interact with members of Congress http:// tweetcongress.org Still teaching our members about Twitter Have included our link in alerts

27. Facebook

28. What is Facebook? Think of an online yearbook, only you can update it instantly You can post web links, photos, videos Friends can post notes to your site (if you have the proper permissions) People can respond to your links Who’s on it? Public officials, your colleagues, your members / employees It aint for kids anymore!

29. Setting Up Your Work Facebook Account Fill out your biography Include your / your company’s name Contact information Make sure you upload a photo Search for people you know and poach them off of your friends

30. Work Facebook Page

31. Facebook – Are They Engaging?

32. Facebook Events

33. ACC Facebook Page

34. Best Practices & Advice Finding People Take the time to find those members of Congress on Facebook Find out about townhalls, look at their videos…get intel! Find out if you have members / employees on Facebook Run your email address book in Facebook. You’ll be surprised who’s on

35. Best Practices & Advice Monitor, Monitor, Monitor! Don’t throw stuff out and then don’t react; monitor your account and who’s following you See what other people are posting and post it to your page

36. Best Practices & Advice Make it interesting! Feed your Twitter account to Facebook Gets them interested in Twitter & hits them with stuff that they may not see via email Share events, links and semi-personal stuff about yourself Helps your members / employees connect with you & this helps your grassroots efforts!

37. Best Practices & Advice Make it interesting! Get yourself a Flip Video camera, record, and put it on your site Tag people in photos Post articles that may be some-what off topic to show that there is a real human, and not an RSS feed behind it.

38. American College of Cardiology’s Advocacy Department & Facebook

39. How We Started Created account ACC page & work Facebook account earlier this year Communications Department was a bit hesitant that I created my own page. Communications now manages the ACC page; I manage my own account

40. Any questions?