The document discusses the crucial role of social media in modern communication, particularly in the utilities sector, emphasizing its use for media relations, customer service, and crisis management. It highlights various case studies, such as South Carolina Electric & Gas, demonstrating how social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube can enhance engagement and brand presence. Additionally, it offers best practices for companies to navigate social media, including legal considerations and strategies for effective communication.

1. Social Media: Changing How We CommunicateYour host: Trish Freshwater, APR

2. AgendaIntroduction/Overview of Social Media

3. Utilities Blazing the Path

4. Case Study: South Carolina Electric & Gas

5. Social Media = Media Relations

6. Social Media and Crisis Communication

7. In-depth: Twitter

8. Best Practices, Legal ConcernsWhat is Social Media?Relationship BuildingConversationsUnscriptedMultimedia

9. Social Media Landscape

10. Social Media ExpectationsInstantaneousCommunityTransparencyListenParticipatoryMonitorWant it nowI’m a part of somethingYou’re not hidingSomeone heard meJoin in/have funFind the talkers

12. A closer look at the Conversation Prism

13. Social Web – Reputation Management Cycles

14. Utilities Blazing the Path

15. Twitter is getting crowded …Alabama Power / AlabamaPowerAmeren Illinois / IllinoisOutageAmeren Illinois / ActOnEnergyATCO Gas / ATCOGasAustin Energy / austinenergyAvista Utilities / Dan_At_AvistaAvista Utilities / AvistaCaresBasin Electric / Basin_ElectricCalifornia PUC / californiapucDirect Energy Texas / DirectEnergyTXDuke Energy / DukeEnergyStormENERGY STAR / ENERGY_STARFirst Choice Power / firstchoicepwrFlorida Power & Light / InsideFPLFlorida Power & Light / FlPowerAndLightFlorida Power & Light / fplgroupGeorgia Power / GeorgiaPowerGexa / GexaGexa Energy / GexaEnergyLee Wind Energy / LeeWindEnergyMidwest ENERGY Assoc / MEAenergyMemphis Gas, Light and Water / MLGWNational Grid / national_gridNashville Electric / NESpowerNebraska Public Power District/ itsyourpowerNV Energy/ NVEnergyOklahoma Wind Energy / OKisWindEnergyPNM / PNMtalkProgress Energy / progressenergyProgress Energy / EnergyAdvisorsPSNH / psnhSantee Cooper / santeecooperSCE&G / SCEGNewsSouthern Company / SouthernCompanyTacoma Water / TacomaWaterThe Gas Company / TheGasCompanyTri-State G&T /tristategtTXU Energy / TXUEnergyWatertown Utilities / watertownmuWe Energies / we_energies

16. YouTube’s Show and TellDuke Energy Media Center

17. Florida Power & Light

18. Luminant Power

19. Progress Energy

20. PSNH

21. Southern Company

22. SCE&G

23. National Grid Polar Bears

24. National Grid crew repairing power lines

25. National Grid corporate sponsor of Volunteers’ Week Flickr – A picture is worth 1,000 words

26. Exelon’s Benchmarking StudyJune and July 200917-questions about attitudes toward and the use of Social Media30 utilities participated:• Ameren• American Electric Power• Central Vermont PS• Colorado Springs Utilities• ComEd• ConEd• Constellation Energy• Dominion• DTE Energy• Duke Energy• Energy Future Holdings• Entergy• Florida Power & Light• Integrys• Kansas City P&L• NIPSCO• PG&E (delivery)• PG&E (generation)• PacifiCorp• Progress Energy• PECO• PS New Hampshire• Puget Sound Energy• SCANA• Southern California Edison• Southern Company• TVA• WE Energies• Xcel Energy• “Company X” (anonymity preferred)

34. Case Study:South Carolina Electric & Gas

35. SCE&G’s Social Media GoalsMedia RelationsCustomer ServiceBrandingBuild two-way communication,engage customers

36. SCE&G’s Social Media ChannelsEnergy Wise BlogYouTubeTwitter“Limited” Newspaper Commentary

37. Energy Wise blogBlogging provides …Narrowly defined presenceForum to interact with customersInterconnection with other channels, i.e. Twitter, blogs, web sitesSupports the brand campaignhttp://sceg-energywise.blogspot.com/

38. Building the Blog Brand Through Advertising

39. 2009 SCE&G Blog/Advertorial CalendarLast Update: June 4, 2009

40. 2009 SCE&G Newspaper Column QuestionsAdvertorials directly tie-in with what we are doing in the blog

41. Blogging invites ConversationFrustrated customer:Our Response:

42. YouTube Channel Can have links from blog to company videos

43. Post videos we already produce, i.e. Eye On SCANA segments

44. Comments section disabled for nowBenefits: Helps offload bandwidth from our site Improves SEO Improves viewership Eighty percent of Fortune 500 businesses are using it in some form

45. Twitter – Customers/Media are Talking

46. Twitter – SCE&G Quietly Talks BackEyebee replied back: @sallengI hear you, but can't help compare to when I lived in Europe, and lines in towns were all underground. Had 2outage in 15 years. It was his last rant about us for several days.

47. Twitter – SCEGNews

48. Newspaper Commentary

49. Future EffortsFormal Newspaper CommentaryFlickrFacebookLinkedIn

50. Social Media = Media Relations

51. Online Trumps NewspapersAccording to a recent Opinion Research Corporation study comparing data from September 2008 vs. September 2009:Daily newspaper usage dropped 4.1 percent to 19.4 percent, while television news dropped 3.6 percent to 31.1 percentOnline news usage increased 1.9 percent to 14.6 percent, and radio increased 2.9 percent to 19.4 percentAdults ages 18-34 get more news from online sources, at 22.2 percent.

52. Social Media Allows Companies to …Get their message heardBetter manage messagesRespond quickly, efficientlyCommunicate effectively with plain EnglishBe influential

53. Changing ExpectationsTwitterMost major news outlets publish stories via TwitterJournalists now seek story ideas and corporate contacts through TwitterBlogs, Flickr, YouTubeTell your story, your wayUse multimedia, be interactive

55. Social Media and Crisis Communications

56. Silence isn’t GoldenOnline conversations through social media outlets are taking place with or without us.Ignoring social media Eliminates you from the conversation Removes your company from the radar screens of your customersJoining the conversationDecreases the demand from the mediaAllows you to manage communications remotelyGives you influence on the messageDirect connection to the publicNo media filterQuick implementation

57. Traditional Media is no Longer EnoughCalifornia Wildfires 2007Of 307 people surveyed affected by the fires…A majority (54 percent) indicated they used mobile phones to contact friends or family to get tactical information about the fires (road closures and fire line status)

58. A significant majority (76 percent) consulted information portals and Web sites.

59. Just like you wouldn’t ignore TV, radio or print; online communication needs to be the fourth table leg in any communication plan.Social Media puts the “public” back in PRSocial Media is less about …One-way communication

60. Control

61. Hierarchy

62. News reporters

63. Spin and more about …Two-way communication

64. Influence

65. “Findability”