Social Media and the Social Media and the U.S. Coast Guard AuxiliaryU.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

K.C. MurphyK.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public AffairsDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

55thth District Northern Region District Northern Region

Right Tool... Right Level… Right Tool... Right Level…

Right AudienceRight Audience

PurposePurpose Over the past several years, the Coast Guard Over the past several years, the Coast Guard

has been engaged in social media.has been engaged in social media.

As an early adopter of social media, the service As an early adopter of social media, the service has seen the social media landscape evolve.has seen the social media landscape evolve.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

PurposePurpose

During this time a best practices strategy During this time a best practices strategy has emergedhas emerged..

This presentation is aimed at sharing a strategy This presentation is aimed at sharing a strategy that will allow the Coast Guard Auxiliary to that will allow the Coast Guard Auxiliary to deploy its social media to the membership.deploy its social media to the membership.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

The Coast Guard & Social MediaThe Coast Guard & Social Media

The permeation of online social networks into The permeation of online social networks into the standard communications toolkit presents the standard communications toolkit presents Coast Guard communicators with enhanced Coast Guard communicators with enhanced access and increased opportunities to educate access and increased opportunities to educate and engage ever-growing and influential new and engage ever-growing and influential new audiences. These social media tools also offer audiences. These social media tools also offer direct two-way engagement which allows us direct two-way engagement which allows us to to ““listenlisten”” and consider feedback. and consider feedback.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

Coast Guard Auxiliary Coast Guard Auxiliary Social Media StrategySocial Media Strategy

The U.S. Coast Guard CommandantThe U.S. Coast Guard Commandant’’s vision for s vision for social media will guide our strategy. social media will guide our strategy.

Our social media program will complement our Our social media program will complement our media relations efforts as part of a comprehensive media relations efforts as part of a comprehensive communications plan to educate and engage communications plan to educate and engage our publics. our publics.

We will utilize best practices to deploy the right tool We will utilize best practices to deploy the right tool

at the right level for the right audience.at the right level for the right audience. K.C. Murphy

District Staff Officer-Public Affairs5th Northern District Northern Region

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

Why FacebookWhy Facebook FacebookFacebook has emerged as the dominant has emerged as the dominant

social media-networking site.social media-networking site.

It affords the Auxiliary the opportunity to communicate It affords the Auxiliary the opportunity to communicate our message in words, pictures and video to target our message in words, pictures and video to target audiences we might not otherwise reach through audiences we might not otherwise reach through traditional media outlets. traditional media outlets.

As our stories progress from the unit to national level, As our stories progress from the unit to national level, we will incorporate the rest of our social media toolkit we will incorporate the rest of our social media toolkit both to maximize our exposureboth to maximize our exposure

K.C. MurphyDSO-PA

5th District Northern Region

Our Social Media ToolkitOur Social Media Toolkit::

All Coast Guard Auxiliary units will have the opportunity All Coast Guard Auxiliary units will have the opportunity to establish and maintain a to establish and maintain a FacebookFacebook page and/or page and/or TwitterTwitter site. site.

A A FacebookFacebook presence will allow the unit to establish a presence will allow the unit to establish a direct link to the local community, our membership and direct link to the local community, our membership and any local Coast Guard units.any local Coast Guard units.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

UnitUnit Level Social Media Strategy Level Social Media Strategy

Auxiliary Unit Commanders and Public Affairs Auxiliary Unit Commanders and Public Affairs Officers will also engage directly with District Officers will also engage directly with District level Public Affairs staff to ensure appropriate level Public Affairs staff to ensure appropriate adaptation of unit level stories, images and adaptation of unit level stories, images and video for use on district and national level social video for use on district and national level social media sites and outreach to district and national media sites and outreach to district and national level media outlets.level media outlets.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

District District Level Social Media StrategyLevel Social Media Strategy

District Public Affairs teams will create social District Public Affairs teams will create social media content related to regional initiatives. media content related to regional initiatives.

In collaboration with units within its own area, In collaboration with units within its own area, has the option of managing a robust set of social has the option of managing a robust set of social media tools: blog, media tools: blog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedInYouTube, LinkedIn and others. and others.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

District District Level Social Media StrategyLevel Social Media Strategy

The District Public Affairs Team will work with The District Public Affairs Team will work with Auxiliary Unit Commanders and Public Affairs Auxiliary Unit Commanders and Public Affairs Officers to solicit social media content and Officers to solicit social media content and to shop that content to social media sites.to shop that content to social media sites.

The District Public Affairs Team will work with The District Public Affairs Team will work with their respective National Social Media Teams. their respective National Social Media Teams.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

National National Level Social Media StrategyLevel Social Media Strategy

In collaboration with District Public Affairs In collaboration with District Public Affairs Teams, the National Social Media Team will Teams, the National Social Media Team will develop a set of standards for the use and develop a set of standards for the use and maintenance of Official Coast Guard maintenance of Official Coast Guard Auxiliary Social Media sites and tools. Auxiliary Social Media sites and tools.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

Deploying Social MediaDeploying Social Media Auxiliary Social Media Sites have developed Auxiliary Social Media Sites have developed

sequentially from the National Level downsequentially from the National Level down

District D5NR Facebook Page now on-lineDistrict D5NR Facebook Page now on-line

Division Facebook Pages under developmentDivision Facebook Pages under development

Flotilla Facebook Pages in the planning stagesFlotilla Facebook Pages in the planning stages

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

ConclusionConclusion This evolution of the Social Media program This evolution of the Social Media program

is a testament to the leadership of is a testament to the leadership of Admiral Thad Allen and represents Admiral Thad Allen and represents Admiral Bob PappAdmiral Bob Papp’’s embrace of social media s embrace of social media as an effective communications tool.as an effective communications tool.

The AuxiliaryThe Auxiliary’’s Social Media Program is being s Social Media Program is being driven by the AUX National Public Affairs driven by the AUX National Public Affairs organization.organization.

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

Following the principles of Following the principles of Right Tool… Right Tool… Right Level… Right AudienceRight Level… Right Audience, the Coast Guard , the Coast Guard Auxiliary will de-centralize our focus and use of Auxiliary will de-centralize our focus and use of social media tools to complement our media social media tools to complement our media relations program and maximize our impact with relations program and maximize our impact with unique audiencesunique audiences. .

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

ConclusionConclusion

Social Media and the Social Media and the U.S. Coast Guard AuxiliaryU.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

K.C. MurphyDistrict Staff Officer-Public Affairs

5th Northern District Northern Region

Q&AQ&A