The document discusses the evolution of online communication and social media, highlighting the shift from traditional, one-way information dissemination to two-way interactions with audiences. It emphasizes the importance of engaging with users through websites that meet accessibility standards, encourage conversations, and leverage social media for crisis management and community building. Key strategies include actively listening to audiences, incorporating feedback, and utilizing analytical tools to measure outreach success.

1. Communicating with your audiences in a Web 2.0 world Melanie Moran Vanderbilt University News Service August 4, 2008

2. Today we’ll talk about: How online communications have changed Questions to ask about your Web site Definitions of social media The importance of conversations Audience expectations New tools and opportunities Tackling a redesign

3. Then… Press releases (faxed) Newsletters (mailed) Magazines (print only) Mainstream media coverage Top down control One-way

4. Now… We still write press releases but… 24/7 news cycle 55 percent of Americans have broadband at home 62 percent of Americans use wireless, mobile devices Blogs, Video, Podcasts Two-way No direct control

5. Does your Web site... Provide a welcoming, attractive and easy-to-navigate front door to your agency? Rank highly in search engines? Speak to your different audiences? Reflect current expectations? Meet accessibility standards? Encourage conversations?

6. Does your Web presence… Feature new content nearly every day? Have the ability to be update the site from anywhere? Have a ‘dark’ version ready to go in the event of an emergency? Have a robust search engine in place? List real people to contact for help? With phone numbers? Reflect the strategic goals of the agency? Two-way No direct control

7. What is social media / Web 2.0? Digital tools and services that allow content creation with little to no technical knowledge Consumer-created content Personal profiles Shared interests / online communities Mashing together peoples’ work

8. Social networks Facebook MySpace YouTube Flickr Blogs LinkedIn Del.icio.us Twitter Wikis And on and on…

9. “Join the conversation” Dozens / hundreds / thousands of conversations taking place every day online about your organization Who is talking? Who is listening? What are they saying? What are you saying in response?

10. Why join the conversation? To correct misconceptions To provide less formal interaction with your agency To strengthen connection to your agency To continue sense of community To strengthen your identity Your community speaks for you Improve search engine rankings The media listens, too

11. But before you start talking… Listen Read Ask Plan Implement Listen / Monitor Regroup Revise

12. Vanderbilt & Podcasts History of online audio New “content” generated everyday Omnivore approach Partnered with the Big Brand

13. Vanderbilt & Video Identified growth area Corralled talent Again, leveraged partnerships www.youtube.com/vanderbilt Video caveat - Remember, you’re not Spielberg, and you don’t have to be!

14. Integration

15. Measuring success Determine who you are reaching and how Measurement built into many social media tools Google Analytics Third party companies exist to help measure your outreach efforts and also your “conversations”

16. Tips for taking on a redesign Start work 9-12 months before you wish to launch Survey colleague’s sites, and others outside of government, for best practices Study your Web traffic data Survey agency employees Survey agency audiences Consider using a blog to keep audiences involved in process and to get feedback Decide how to incorporate social media - choose what makes sense for your agency

17. Social media in a crisis Immediate information Opportunity for connection Rumor control Ongoing updates Portability

18. Social media is the crisis Juicy Campus Bad Jocks CollegeSnafu

19. Contact Melanie Moran Associate Director, Vanderbilt News Service (615) 322-7970 [email_address] blogvu.wordpress.com twitter.com/melaniemoran www.slideshare.net/melaniemoran