Houston / Galveston Public Information Officer Network social media training. Why and how to use social media, especially during emergencies.

1. Embracing
Conversations in
Emergencies and
Disasters
Nate Ritter
http://blog.perfectspace.com

2. Why Are You Here?
To understand why social media is important
To understand what social media tools should be used

3. “Social Media”
“A category of sites that is based on user participation
and user-generated content.”
“Tools that allow groups to publish content, engage in
peer-to-peer conversations”

4. “Social Media”
People + Publishing

5. Why is “Social Media” so
Important?

6. We’re talking, publishing,
and telling the story with
or without you.

7. Surprise!
You don’t control the conversation anymore.

8. Why Am I Here?
Who am I?
Why was I asked to be here to talk with you?

9. Who is Nate Ritter?
Revenue strategy consultant
(I help people make money)
Web developer
(I help people build their websites)
Entrepreneur
(I build companies)
Social media consultant
(I help people learn how to use social media)
Knowledge broker
(I help connect ideas)

10. Who is Nate Ritter?
http://blog.perfectspace.com

11. Why Am I Standing Here?
My story in bullet points:
1995, created first website

12. Why Am I Standing Here?
My story in bullet points:
1995, created first website
1997, created first web-based business

13. Why Am I Standing Here?
My story in bullet points:
1995, created first website
1997, created first web-based business
2003, created first keyword filtered RSS feed

14. Why Am I Standing Here?
My story in bullet points:
1995, created first website
1997, created first web-based business
2003, created first keyword filtered RSS feed
2007, popularized hashtags and the use of Twitter
during the San Diego wildfires

15. Wait. What are Hashtags?
Examples: #sandiegofire, #ike, #redsox
A way to contextualize information by keywords
Specifically used in micro-publishing media
Without the “hash” (#), it’s just a “tag” (keyword)
Makes information searchable

16. Wait. What are Hashtags?

17. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
October 22nd, 2007
Wildfires in San Diego uncontrolled

18. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
October 22nd, 2007
Wildfires in San Diego uncontrolled
3 blog posts re: resources and
satellite imagery

19. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
October 22nd, 2007
Wildfires in San Diego uncontrolled
3 blog posts re: resources and
satellite imagery
Too much too fast

20. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
October 22nd, 2007
Wildfires in San Diego uncontrolled
3 blog posts re: resources and
satellite imagery
Too much too fast
Enter Twitter

21. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
Started with prefix

22. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
Started with prefix
Encouraged to use
hashtags by
Chris Messina

23. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
Created hotline using
GrandCentral.com

24. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
People told people ...

25. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
... who told more people

26. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
... who told more people
From Vermont

27. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
... who told more people
From Vermont
to Florida

28. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
... who told more people
From Vermont
to Florida
to India

29. Wait. What are Hashtags?
(the story)
Hashtags, in this case, enabled
searchability for anything related to the
San Diego Fires.
#sandiegofire

30. Why Am I Standing Here?
Results: Clients and mentions

31. But, what happened?

32. Why Am I Standing Here?
November, 2007 - San Diego, BarCamp

33. Why Am I Standing Here?
December, 2007 - San Francisco, Net Squared

34. Why Am I Standing Here?
My story in bullet points:
1995, created first website
1997, created first web-based business
2003, created first keyword filtered RSS feed
2007, popularized hashtags and the use of Twitter
during the San Diego wildfires
now, building CrisisWire.com to save the cheerleader
(and save the world)

35. Yea? So what? ...

36. The attention economy
has changed things...

38. If you give me valuable,
reliable, timely information,
I’ll pay attention to you.

39. Traditional Media:
valuable (job is to sell news)
reliable
timely (verification process slows it down)

40. Government Publishing:
valuable
reliable
timely

41. Educational Publishing:
valuable
reliable
timely

42. Citizen Publishing:
valuable
reliable
timely

43. We’re listening to each other

44. What do you do now?

45. Listen
(We’re talking to you)

46. Respond

47. Fix the problem

48. Does this really work?

49. NASA EPA
Red Cross Social Security Administration
FDA USGS
Peace Corps US Intelligence Community
TSA US Small Business Administration
USGS 21 Municipal Fire Departments
State Governments 16 Municipal Police Departments
Congressmen/women USDA
Senators US Embassy Tokyo
Governors US Department of Veteran Affairs
Dept of Defense Smithsonian Institution
Dept of Energy Amber Alerts
Dept of Agriculture Missing Children
Dept of Homeland Security National Park Service

50. So “Social Media” is
important

51. Major tools and websites
(Specifically in times of emergencies)
... the “listening” part

52. Twitter.com
http://search.twitter.com

53. Flickr.com

54. Facebook.com

55. YouTube.com

56. Qik.com
Demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv_sqTnQ1Dk

57. maps.google.com

58. CrisisWire.com

59. Major tools and websites
(Not necessarily perfect for crises, but good to know)
... some for listening, some for responding/publishing

60. news.google.com

61. blogsearch.google.com

62. Delicious.com

63. Wikipedia.com

64. PBwiki.com

65. Wordpress.com

66. Getting Attention
Digg.com
crowdsourcing
Reddit.com
crowdsourcing
StumbleUpon.com
crowdsourcing, sortof

67. Podcasting
(Audio recording and publishing)
Odeo.com
Video Broadcasting
uStream.com
Qik.com
Seesmic.com
12seconds.com

68. The foundation of
usefulness...

69. RSS
(Real Simple Syndication)

70. RSS
(Real Simple Syndication)
What is it?
A set of rules on how to publish “well-formed” data (XML)

71. RSS
(Real Simple Syndication)
What is it?
A set of rules on how to publish “well-formed” data (XML)
Why is it important?
With the rules in place, we can create tools which can use these
rules, therefore making the data useful

72. RSS
(Real Simple Syndication)
What is it?
A set of rules on how to publish “well-formed” data (XML)
Why is it important?
With the rules in place, we can create tools which can use these
rules, therefore making the data useful
No rules (like .html, .pdf, and .doc files) mean the data
presented is not reusable.

73. RSS
(Real Simple Syndication)
What is it?
A set of rules on how to publish “well-formed” data (XML)
Why is it important?
With the rules in place, we can create tools which can use these
rules, therefore making the data useful
No rules (like .html, .pdf, and .doc files) mean the data
presented is not reusable.
The point
Always try to make an RSS feed available

74. So, what do you do now?

75. Change this...

76. Government Publishing:
valuable
reliable
timely

77. Government Publishing:
valuable
reliable
timely

78. How?

79. Government Publishing:
valuable (pertinent info for specific areas)
reliable (obviously, it will be)
timely (quicker and more often)

80. quicker
My simple suggestions:
Twitter
Google Maps

81. quicker
It happens by listening to the public first
changes perception (you care)
becomes more valuable (you know)

82. quicker
It happens by responding to the direct requests
tell how you found out (where you’re listening)
tell how you’re going to help (specifically)

83. quicker
Info by neighborhood (text releases, SMS)
Road closures (map)
Evacuation routes (map)
Exact location of danger (map)
Where to go for what types of help (map, text, phone)
Who to call if you can’t get out (phone, SMS)
Is it safe to go home? (phone)

84. My turn to listen and respond
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