3. MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
BOOKFACED,
BLOGROLLED, AND
TWITTERPATED
there’s a conversation taking shape in the u.S. Public Sector.
it’s about social media, it’s within social media, and like all things
social, it’s happening now. How do you join? the rules are simple.
there are no rules. but strategy means survival, so we’re offering
guidelines on how to think like a native to any network—and tips
GOOD TO KNOW
on how to build your own.
YOu shAPE
YOuR sTRATEGY
COMMON PITFALL
NEvER GETTING
sTARTED
DO OR DIE
NO GuTs.
NO GLORY.
0
4. 1
GOOD TO KNOW
FOLLOW BEFORE
YOu LEAD
COMMON PITFALL
INCOMPLETE
PROFILEs
DO OR DIE
GO TO YOuR
AuDIENCE
NO ONE Is
BORN AN ALPhA
as the name suggests, social media requires social skills. but minding
your manners isn’t just about p’s and q’s. the biggest faux pas is trying
to broadcast a message before you’re part of the conversation. better to
warm up with a few edits on wikis that you use. comment on threads
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
in full swing. test the waters. that way, you know what works, who
influences who, and how others are approaching your topic.
TIP FOR GOvERNMENT PROs: GOvLOOP
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
AROO
Join Microsoft
Sign up at Go to Productivity for
GovLoop.com Groups Government
5. TIP FOR EvERYONE: sTRATEGY sTARTERs
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
GOAL GOAL
Set a goal Select a channel determine metrics
sTATus TWEETs
ARE ThE NEW sPAM
Facebook friends, they want your status. followers on Twitter?
they’re hungry for news and opinions. each channel puts its own
spin on social, and knowing something about it helps you
strategize. the best way to learn is to listen. then ask yourself,
what are your goals? brand awareness is different from
engagement. Boosting traffic is not like targeting a specific
organization. if you have photos, videos, and events, you’ll want
a robust profile. Announcements only? 140-character bursts may GOOD TO KNOW
be all that’s required.
NO TWO NETWORKs
ARE ALIKE
COMMON PITFALL
JOINING TOO MANY
NETWORKs AT ONCE
DO OR DIE
KNOW YOuR
AuDIENCE
2
6. TIP FOR EDuCATION PROs: EDuCAusE
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
contribute
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
Go to to Discussion
Join at Educause.edu Community Groups
YOu REAP
WhAT YOu sAY
Post frequently. Stay timely. be credible. Your blog is only as
interesting as your latest post. And you should fact-check as
often as you spell-check. But there’s no formula. The perfect
combination of length, content, and tone will vary from channel
to channel and sector to sector. need a hand? there’s also no
rule against teaming up with colleagues. free applications like
Co-Tweet help you do just that.
GOOD TO KNOW
RE-TWEETING Is
NICE AND EAsY
COMMON PITFALL
BROKEN LINKs
DO OR DIE
NDA’s sTILL APPLY
3
7. 4
GOOD TO KNOW
YOuR AuDIENCE
Is INuNDATED
COMMON PITFALL
ADDING TO
ThE NOIsE
DO OR DIE
sPAM AND
GET BANNED
KNOW WhEN
NOT TO sELL
the u.S. Government is using social media to enhance
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
transparency. in healthcare, online support groups are growing.
Educators are finding new ways to engage. The conversation might
live in a world of banner ads and sponsored blogs, but social media
has never been about the dotted line. it’s about people connecting,
sharing, providing value and earning trust. learn what your
audience really cares about.
TIP FOR EvERYONE: POLL FOR ThEIR REAL NEEDs
1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION
Qualtrics.com Zoomerang.com NetReflector.com
8. 5
GOOD TO KNOW
GET BEYOND
MICROsOFT
COMMON PITFALL
OvER-hYPING
YOuR PRODuCT
DO OR DIE
TAKE AN INTEREsT
IN OThERs
IT’s NOT ALL
ABOuT YOu
in fact, it’s not about you at all. on any social network, you
matter most as a bridge—from one idea or news story to
the next, from person to person, and from problem to
solution. the more you connect people with content they
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
value, the more they’ll use you as a resource. and
sometimes, the solution they come looking for is you.
TIP FOR hEALThCARE PROs: DAILYsTRENGTh
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
visit See how Join in
DailyStrength.com Web 2.0 helps people and support
9. TIP FOR EvERYONE: PhONE-FRIENDLY BLOGGING
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION
use Windows install a
Live™ Spaces WordPress plugin Start an RSS feed
ThERE’s ALWAYs
AN ALTERNATIvE
One day your customers are flocking to Twitter. Next thing, they’re
behind a firewall. Your job is to stay flexible and test alternatives, like
optimizing content for mobile. and you’re not alone. Microsoft is
actively innovating for the u.S. Public Sector with platforms like the
Gov 2.0 Kit for SharePoint® 2010 and TownHall built on Windows®
azure™. Many of your customers are new to social media. they’ll try
new things, and you can be the shining example.
GOOD TO KNOW
ExPECT A
FEW sETBACKs
COMMON PITFALL
TOO MuCh
sTRuCTuRE
DO OR DIE
ADAPT TO NEW
REGuLATIONs
6
10. TIP FOR EvERYONE: FREE DAshBOARDs
1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
Hootsuite.com Netvibes.com TweetDeck.com
TOOLs ExIsT
FOR A REAsON
Social media is human. and humans need tools. as soon as you
branch out from a single channel, you’re trying to do too much if
you’re doing it without an aggregator. to connect your inbox with
social networks, there’s nothing simpler than Social Connector
for Outlook 2010. Or to integrate across networks, try one
of the many free dashboards for web, phone, and desktop.
GOOD TO KNOW
shRINK LINKs
WITh BIT.LY
COMMON PITFALL
sETTLING FOR
COMPLExITY
DO OR DIE
PRIORITIzE
YOuR FEEDs
7
11. 8
GOOD TO KNOW
YOu CAN MEAsuRE
WORD OF MOuTh
COMMON PITFALL
AssEssING
ROI ONLY
DO OR DIE
sET A
BENChMARK FIRsT
YOu CAN’T BEAT
GOOD Buzz
the easiest way to measure success is on your own page. first
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
establish your baseline. then gauge growth relative to your goals.
How many people visit? do they pick up your rSS feed? leave
comments? analytics tools like Alexa let you measure your own
properties, but word of mouth can travel far. there was a time
when you just had to trust it. now you can track it with applications
like LookingGlass from Microsoft® advertising.
TIP FOR EvERYONE: TRACK WORD-OF-MOuTh
1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION
Meteorsolutions.com Ubervu.com Radian6.com
12. 9
GOOD TO KNOW
AuDIENCE FEEDBACK
Is CRITICAL
COMMON PITFALL
IGNORING ThE
NEGATIvE
DO OR DIE
GET COMFY
WITh CRITICIsM
NEvER shOOT
ThE MEssENGER
Grace under fire can earn you more followers than one bad
comment will ever lose. it might feel like the whole world is
watching, but remember social media is about dialogue. So
embrace criticism. Share it within your organization. respond
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
publicly and you’ll ensure the re-tweets are in your favor.
TIP FOR EvERYONE: CROWDsOuRCE A REsOLuTION
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
choose Post the read every
a forum problem response
13. TIP FOR EvERYONE: shARE BuTTONs
MicroSoft u.S. Public Sector
1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
OPTION
Tweetmeme.com
Wibiya.com toolbar Bar.Meebo.com toolbar re-tweet buttons
GROW YOuR COMMuNITY
ORGANICALLY
Social media should be a natural extension of your traditional
marketing and communications campaigns. You can solicit
testimonials through surveys. Drive traffic from a YouTube channel
to your blog. or it could be as simple as installing share buttons
on your static Web content. Your readers can pass on your insights.
You can attract more readers.
GOOD TO KNOW
sOCIAL Is ONE PIECE
OF ThE PuzzLE
COMMON PITFALL
DEAD-END
CONvERsATIONs
DO OR DIE
CONNECT YOuR
CAMPAIGNs
10
