This document discusses best practices for social media engagement and success. It defines success as having engagement and reach, and provides metrics for measuring these, such as comments, likes, shares, and page views. It also discusses how to understand audiences by profiling them, recognizing barriers and incentives to engagement. Tips are given for maximizing engagement, like knowing your audience, providing ways for all user types to engage, putting out great content, modeling engagement, listening to feedback, and continually adapting strategies.

2. Social Media: Am I doing it right? Association of Zoos & Aquariums Annual Conference | Portland, Oregon | September 2009

3. Let’s talk about… 1. What it means to be successful with social media 2. How we can track and measure social media 3. How our audiences engage with social media 4. What we can do today to maximize audience engagement with our social media

4. Redefining success from web 1.0

5. What is success? How do I define success in social media? Mission Communications Plan Social Media Goals Make it measurable

6. Example: WPZ social media goals Measure what matters to you

7. Core elements of success ENGAGEMENT “ Our audience is engaged” Metrics (Quantitative): # of comments Video ratings # of retweets / shares / likes Metrics (Qualitative): Tone of comments Perception of brand REACH “ We have an audience” Metrics: Page views # of subscribers # of fans

8. Do I have reach and engagement? Listen Measure Learn Adapt

9. Listening and tracking http://www.google.com/alerts http://search.twitter.com

10. Listening and tracking http://www.socialmention.com/

11. Measuring reach and engagement http://www.sensidea.com/socialseek/ Paid services Radian6: http://www.radian6.com PR Newswire: Social Media Metrics http://www.prnewswire.com/ Free services

12. Facebook Page Insights ENGAGEMENT REACH

13. www.klout.net

14. Sentiment tracking www.twendz.com

15. Link clicks and shares REACH ENGAGEMENT

16. So how do I get more reach and engagement? Photo by Dennis Conner

17. Understand your audience Photo by Ryan Hawk

18. Types of social media users Social media Spectator Joiner Creator Collector Critic Inactive

19. Creator I see what you’re doing & I want to do it too

20. Critic I see what you’re doing & I want you to know what I think of it

21. Collector I see what you’re doing & I want to influence its output

22. Joiner I see what you’re doing & I want to be associated with it

23. Spectator I see what you’re doing

24. Inactive Did you say something?

25. Profile your audience United States internet users http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/profile_tool.html

26. Barriers to audience engagement Mostly spectators Time Tech limitations Photo by Ryan Hawk

27. Incentives for engagement Relationship building Benefits and exclusive value Influence

28. Can’t FAIL tips for engagement Know your audience: use profile tool Recognize barriers and incentives Provide ways to engage at all active levels Example: Facebook fan page Creators – add photos to your fan album Critics – “like” a post Collectors – tag photos Joiners – become a fan Spectators – page viewable without an account Put out irresistible content Model engagement you want to see Keep it real Listen, measure, learn, adapt. Repeat.

29. rebecca.whitham@zoo.org | @WPZRebecca | @woodlandparkzoo