How to get your organization started in social media

HOW TO GET YOUR ORGANIZATION

STARTED IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Diane Bégin

?

Source: Time Magazine, July 25, 1994

THE INTERNET TOOK OFF

“Even more important, he says,

everything the viewer sees and

hears comes to him on what

amounts to an electronic front

page.”

Source: Time Magazine, October 14, 1966

TELEVISION: THE MOST INTIMATE MEDIUM

“When the words and

the personality belong to

a Walter Cronkite, they

generate what CBS Vice

President Gordon

Manning calls

“believability.””

trust

• People relate to media personalities like a relationship (Reeves and Nass, The Media Equation)

• Humanizing is normal; only people born when mass media was the only game in town find it strange (Brogan & Smith, Trust Agents)

• Depersonalized trust is a trust of the system to maintain conditions and to perform functions (Misztal, Trust in Modern Societies)

• PR is relationship building, essentially the trust-making business (Rawlins, Trust and the PR Practice)

• Attention is and will continue to be our scarcest resource (Brogan & Smith, Trust Agents)

WHY TRUST?

• Trust agents

• Hybrid public relations practitioner

• Examples

• Five obstacles from the top

• Arguments

OVERVIEW

TRUST AGENTS1. Make your own game They stand out by making their own rules.

2. One of us They become a member of the community by sharing the good and the bad within themselves and their organizations.

3. The Archimedes effect They have the ability to leverage their relationships for action on various activities and initiatives.

4. Agent zero They are at the centre of a wide and powerful network.

5. Human artist They recognize people‘s strengths and weaknesses in building relationships, therefore developing understanding.

6. Build an army They can bring together a mass of individuals to collaborate.

HYBRID PR PRACTITIONER

Source: From PR’s Past to Social Media Power, Deirdre Breakenridge

1. Make your own gameThe tools at your disposal and most of them are free, but you have to understand them (p. 34)

• Don’t put your commercial on YouTube and say you’re on YouTube

If you’re mastering the game consistently, take a look at different games, different challenges (p. 74)

• Make change a priority even if your work has won awards and received praise

1. Make your own game (cont.)

Create content even when you don’t get the call.

1. Make your own game (cont.)

Always communicate in new ways.

2. One of usInvest time and effort in others be being present and commenting on other people‘s work (p. 101)

• Comment on things that are outside of what your organization does as its core business

2. One of us (cont.)Co-brand your personal presence with your organization.

2. One of us (cont.)Be willing to poke fun at yourself.

3. Archimedes effectThe easiest way to build on that relationship is in person (p. 101)

• Invest time in building relationships, even if it means after hours work

3. Archimedes effect (cont.)Face-to-face interaction is just as important as online.

4. Agent zeroBusinesses are starting to understand the value of having strong connectors on staff (p. 146)

• Your CEO is no longer the only face of your organization

4. Agent zero (cont.)Involve many colleagues and create a similar brand for your channels.

5. Human artistBloggers are not interested in your media release because dry business copy makes no effort to appeal to anyone (p. 186)

• Find the time because attention will continue to be our scarcest resource

5. Human artist (cont.)

Tailor content and make it convenient for bloggers.

6. Build an armyWork with your armies instead of simply commanding them (p. 186)

• Don’t create a “tell us how great we are” contest

6. Build an army (cont.)

285

followers

640

followers

2513

followers

1435

followers

718

followers

Total followers: 5591

(not including my own)

FIVE OBSTACLES FROM THE TOP1. We need to study this before we get involved.

2. We don’t have the time/resources to do this.

3. We don’t want anything bad said about us.

4. We can’t measure it.

5. You’re preaching to the converted.

1. We need to study this before we get involved.

Do it anyway, but remember the emphasis on trust.

• For your organization

• Personally

• For other organizations

Share the highlights!

2. We don’t have the time/resources to do this.Post once and have it feed to multiple sources.

www.nait.ca/newsroom

www.nait.ca/socialmedia

www.twitter.com/nait

www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1413867&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

www.techlifemag.ca

2. We don’t have the time/resources to do this.

Provide and repost content.

communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/eatmywords/archive/2009/12/16/de-boning-a-turkey.aspx

twitter.com/NAIT/status/6802914579

Whenever possible reuse content and post elsewhere.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_arrow

www.techlifemag.ca

twitter.com/NAIT/status/6669267608

2. We don’t have the time/resources to do this.

Always be looking and ready for opportunities.

2. We don’t have the time/resources to do this.

3. We don’t want anything bad said about us.

Be a real person.

3. We don’t want anything bad said about us.Most comments are neutral.

3% positive, 2% negative, rest is neutral (Georgia Tech case study by KD Paine)

3. We don’t want anything bad said about us.

Don’t get put off by swearing.

4. We can’t measure it. • Media Relations Points (MRP)

• Twitter:

• Publish Date

• User

• Location

• Prov

• Type (if known)

• Followers (similar to reach)

• Positive/Negative/Balanced

• Comment + Notes

• Action

• YouTube (video + channel views)

• Flickr (image + video views)

• Twitter (followers + click throughs)

• Facebook (fans)

• Report monthly and provide highlights!

5. You’re preaching to the converted.• Guaranteed, you’re not.

Trust yourself. Be genuine. Follow through. Always question. Extend trust to those who earn it. Repeat constantly in no particular order.

So simple, it could be tweeted.

Diane BéginAssociation Writer & Editor, Alberta Motor Association

[email protected]

780.430.2428

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