Webinar presented on December 7 through Early Childhood Investigations Webinars by Fran Simon and Karen Nemeth

1. Sandbox Social Media:
Digital Connections in ECE
You will hear silence Tech Support
until we begin! 888 -259- 8414
Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. | Language Castle, LLC
Fran Simon | Engagement Strategies, LLC

2. Our plan for the sand:
• Overview
• Tours
T
•Toys
• Tips
2

3. About You

4. Social Networking isn’t new
We just have more virtual options
The universe’s largest 24/7/365 sandbox
universe s
party…accessible anywhere 4

5. Social Media Realities
 It is pervasive
 It is high-impact
 It plays nicely with other tactics

6. Social Media Myths
 It’s easy!
 It’s FREE!
 It’s INSTANT!
 College kids are gr8 at it!
 It will reduce costs!
 It will increase revenue! 6

7. Social Media
won’t work
n
all by itself
You still need
comprehensive
marketing

8. Professional Social Media :
is art and science that takes:
• Openness
• Planningg
• Policies
• Training
• Persistence

9. What can you do in the social
media sandbox
sandbox?
 Meet
 Learn
 Share
 Ask
 Invite
 Listen

10. Post “Cravable” Content
• Blog posts
• Videos
• Email newsletters
• Events
• News
• Website content
• Freebies
• Contests
What is yummy • Polls
for the people you
want to attract?

11. I wish she
would stop
talking about
talking about
her child!
If you only talk about yourself
no one will want to be your
y
friend 11

12. The right mix
80%
About l
Ab t relevant,
t
useful
information
20%
Promotional
12

13. &
Loss of “control” Defensive: Claim your territory
Inability to sustain the effort Reach audiences where they go
Privacy Demonstrate accountability
Staff distraction Another way to broadcast info
Transparency Respond to problems
Monitoring/Listening
g g
Build partnerships
Get and share information
Build
Increased website traffic, SEO
Credibility 13

14. How much SOCIAL?
ABOUT
of your overall marketing mix
14

15. Why invest so much time in social
Why invest so much time in social
media

16. Diving in to social media

17. Comparing the Platforms
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Primary
y Personal Personal & Professional
purpose Networking Business Networking
Ease of Use Complex Very Complex Straight-forward
Users 500 M + 200 M + 120 M +
ECE Depends on Target Moderate but very Moderate but
Moderate, Moderate,
Audiences tight professional
Best for Connecting & Broadcasting Connecting &
Listening to the Listening Building
Public and Networks with
community Influencers
17

18. Fast, Complex, Broad, Not Deep
Twitter

19. • 140 characters
• Like a stock exchange ticker
• Great for PD, networking, promoting
PD networking
events, websites. blogs
• MUST use hashtags!

20. Tweeting In Action: Decoding the
Symbols
Sy bo s
@Twitter ID
A tweet to a specific person that is visible to all
RT @Twitter ID= ReTweet
Broadcasting someone else’s tweet
D TwitterID
A direct message to a specific person
# = Hashtag
Hashtags d fi t i so th are searchable
H ht define topics they h bl

21. Deconstructing Tweets
n ng
Link to an article Attribution Hashtags
Attribution
ReTweet

22. Cross-pollinating with Hashtags
Read later: Cross‐pollinating with Hashtags on T itt
R dl t C lli ti ith H ht Twitter

23. #ecetech #earlyed
y
#earlychildhood #naeyc
#prek
#naeycac
#preschool
#headstart
#childcare
#ece
#
#ELL

24. Twitter Chats
#Kinderchat
Huge list of chats and hashtags:
http://www.cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html
http://www cybraryman com/edhashtags html
@cybraryman

25. Twitter toys
• Tweetdeck
• Hootsuite
•SSeesmic
http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/
More toys for other T itt f !
M t f th Twitter fun!

26. LinkedIn
Slow, Robust, Deep & Broad

27. LinkedIn Stats
• > 120 Million members
• 200 countries
t i
• At least 20 ECE groups for professional
g p p
development
• Tens of thousands of ECE professionals
Business t b i
B i to business networking
t ki
27

28. #1 Misconception
#1 Misconception
It’s for job searching 28

29. Core
•P f
Professional Profiles
i l P fil
• Groups
• Status updates
p
• Company Profiles
29

30. “Propersonal”
• Not anonymous
• Professional
30

31. Connect on LinkedIn
• Gr8 Profile
• Connect with people:
Connect with people:
• You know
•YYou need to know
dt k
• Who know people you need to
know
• Update Status
p
• Join groups, respond and share
Deeper info on my blog: LinkedIn Tips 31

32. LinkedIn toys
• LinkedIn Browser Toolbar
• Hootlet by Hootsuite
• Sharaholic

33. Facebook
Fast, Complex, Broad, V t
F t C l B d Vast

34. Facebook Stats
800+ million users worldwide
College > High School > Everyone >
veryone
Business
Almost all of th ECE professional
Al t ll f the f i l
organizations have pages
Consumer, Peer to Peer Networking

35. 1 thing to remember
Business pages

36. Gr8 Examples of ECE on
Facebook
•NAEYC
• McCormick Cntr 4 Early Childhood Leadership
• National Head Start Association
• Child Care Resource Center, Ohio *
• Children’s Defense Fund *
• Bright Horizons
•Teach Preschool * 23,000 + (WOW!)
• Teaching Strategies
• Language Castle
• The InvestiGator Club
• Erikson Institute
• Early Childhood Investigations

37. Blogging
Very deep, robust, & broad

38. What’s a blog?
“Web log”
Conceived as
online journals
156 mil blogs
Blogs in Plain English

39. Why blogs and websites?
03
Blogs Websites
Less formal Formal
Allow (invite) One to many
comments communication
Immediate Reviewed and edited
Weave in links to Intended to keep the
other sites, blogs visitor on the site
Focused, current, Comprehensive:
and topical products, services,
Updated frequently More static (except
news, sales, press)

40. Increase SEO
Wh Blo ?
hy og 03
Attract people
Engage personally
Provide commentary
Humanize
H i

41. 03
Blogging: Ellen Galinsky

42. Read B4 blogging
• Birth to Thrive Online: http://birthtothrive.thrivebyfivewa.org/
• Early Ed Watch: http://earlyed.newamerica.net/blogmain/
• Lead from the Start http://circle-time.blogspot.com/
• Early Stories http://earlystories.org/
• Language Castle: http://languagecastle.com/wordpress
• Preschool Matters Today: http://preschoolmatters org/
http://preschoolmatters.org/
•The Grass Stain Guru http://grassstainguru.com/
• Teach Preschool http://www.teachpreschool.org/
• 140+ In The Moment http://fssimon.wordpress.com/
• Early Childhood Investigations
http://earlychildhoodwebinars.com/blog-2
http://earlychildhoodwebinars com/blog 2

43. People /Sites you should know
03
Beth Kanter
John Haydon
J h H d
Mashable, Social Media
Linked Strategies

44. Additional Resources
Social media resources for getting started
Social Media planning tools on my site
Twitter Tips, Tricks, and Power Tools
LinkedIn Presentations
Mashable’s AMAZING Twitter Guide

45. 4 Final Points
1. Just like everything else worthwhile, social
media requires a plan and persistence.
2. Strong social media is only one element of
strong marketing strategies
t k ti t t i
3. Nothing i
3 N thi is easy, instant, or free!
i t t f !
4.
4 You can do it Your program depends on it
it. it.

46. Fran.Simon@ESbyFS.com
Karen@languagecastle.com