Maximizing the Use of Social Media and Technology at AIRI Institutes

SankyNet Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Maximizing the Use of Social Media and Technology at

AIRI Institutes

Wednesday, October 5, 2011


A FEW QUESTIONS…


Which do you recognize?


Does your organization…

• Encourage web visitors to share site content via social networks?

• Push consistent messaging out via social media channels?

• Monitor conversations in social media about your organization/mission?

• Encourage web visitors to “like” you on Facebook?• Maintain an organization campaign presence on

major social media sites?



-- Edge Research & Convio, 2011


Do you know…

What percentage of adult internet users use social networking sites like Facebook & LinkedIn?

A: 25%

B: 45%

C: 65%

“Fully 65% of adult internet users now say they use a social networking site like MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn, up from 61% one year ago. The frequency of social networking site usage among young adult internet users under age 30 was stable over the last year – 61% of online Americans in that age cohort now use social networking sites on a typical day, compared with 60% one year ago. However, among the Boomer-aged segment of internet users ages 50-64, social networking site usage on a typical day grew a significant 60% (from 20% to 32%).”

-- Pew Internet, August 2011

Correct Answer


Which is bigger…

The number of Facebook users…

Or the population of the U.S.?

U.S. Population: 312 Million

Facebook active users: 750 Million



Use hashtags?

Do you know what a

hashtag is?


FACEBOOK


How does Facebook work?

• Profiles, Groups, Pages, oh my!• Info• Wall, Posting• Photos & Video• Likes & Comments• Tagging• iFrames• Events• Subscribe• Custom URLs• Profile Picture• Apps & plug-ins

750 million active users


For example:


Five Key Tips:

1. Be a constant presence – 15 minutes every morning?

2. Be “real.” Set your goal to create community. Program expansion and/or fundraising may follow.

3. Allow community members to comment… and then respond to them!

4. Invite people to “like” you. Invite them to “share” content.

5. Use Facebook’s tools.


TWITTER


How does Twitter work?

• Microblogging – 140 characters• Tweets• Handles• Hashtags• Retweets, Favorites• Followers• Short URLs• Private messages• Lists• Klout score

1 billion tweets each week


For example:


For example:


Five Key Tips:

1. Be a constant presence.

2. Use and track bit.ly’s.

3. Research hashtag trends, and use them.

4. Deliver content people will want to tweet & retweet.

5. Follow other users – especially users with high Klout scores (www.klout.com) – and retweet them. They may return the favor.


LINKEDIN


How does LinkedIn work?

• Professional network• Job posting, searching, networking• Connections• Groups• Discussions• Updates• Profile views• Account levels

100 million professionals


For example:


For example:


For example:


For example:


Five Key Tips:

1. Encourage all current & past staff/alumni to use your official “Company” in their profile.

2. Openly invite people to “follow” the “Company.”

3. Create a “Group” for staff, students, alumni, etc. Enable open discussions.

4. Research qualified staff candidates… and find volunteers, speakers, donors, etc.

5. Be selective in what you share.


OTHER TOOLS TO CONSIDER


• YouTube – youtube.com• SlideShare – slideshare.net• Google+ – plus.google.com• Quora – quora.com

Other tools to consider:


INTERNAL TOOLS


IntranetProtected, staff-only internal website

Pro’s:• Single (or limited) publisher/s of information• Easily accessible (not tech-heavy)• Branded to organization• Fully customizable to your needs• Share confidential information

Con’s:• Requires time and money for tech & content development• Not interactive


Intranet


Intranet


WikisCollaborative workspace that promotes sharing

Pro’s:• Quick, convenient exchange of ideas• Trackable changes• Transparency among users• Historic record of resources and protocol

Con’s:• Can be less intuitive for non-tech-savvy users• Navigation can become cumbersome• If not heavily used, may not be worthwhile


Wikis


Wikis


ForumsCommunity allowing people to post and discuss

Pro’s:• Easily moderated• Allows you to trade opinions and expertise• Encourages interaction & discussion

Con’s:• Limited navigation ability• Relies on community for content• Requires large user base


Forums


• Document management/editing• Listservs• Groupware platforms• Instant Messengers

Other tools to consider:


FEARS AND CONCERNS


Science-specific Concerns

Scientists may fear talking publicly about proprietary data and “getting scooped.”

What to do?• “Open notebook science”• Social media before vs. after publishing data• This is not unlike scientific publication... Peer

review and citations are very similar to interactions on Twitter, Blogs, Digg’ed, etc.

-- Neurobiology postdoctoral student, Retrospectra Blog, 2011


What could go wrong?

…but anything can be made positive!

“Upon owning up to their mistake, the Red Cross got several donations from people who thought the mixed-up tweet was understandable, and they even got some PR from the brewery mentioned in the offending tweet.

So, take a lesson from the Red Cross: if you make a mistake on Twitter, own up to it. It’s fine if you want to delete an inappropriate tweet, but if you acknowledge that you deleted it, you’ll show your community that you’re trustworthy, and, most importantly, that you’re just human.”

-- Media Bistro


It’s a wild world out there…

But it’s not going away anytime soon… So you might as well get on board.


FINAL THOUGHTS


Simple rules can be the hardest

1. KISS Principle – “Keep it simple, stupid.”

2. Be open and honest… be “real”

3. Be a constant presence

4. Create community

5. Release control


Thank you!Paul Habig

Executive Vice [email protected]

@paulhabig

Julie Ziff SintSenior Account Executive

[email protected]@jzsint

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