Practical Applications of Social Networking Technologies

Practical Applications of Social Networking Technologies

“Social media is an ingredient, not an entree.”

It’s no longer a bandwagon; it’s expected

It’s not a fad

Iran Election Tweets: New Journalism?

Advantages of Available Media

• Unmediated access to potentially large audience

• Cheap, but may require significant integration

• Offers potential of significant audience interaction

Disadvantages of Available Media

• Largest sites (Facebook, MySpace) frequently blocked from government networks

• Agency cedes some control over page content

• Some uncertainty about intellectual property rights

• Requires staff commitment

• Fluid “best practices”

Deeper Implications

How do we serve ourselves in this new medium?

Do we need one-way or two-way communication?

How do we balance rapid response & our credibility?

How do we relinquish control of our web sites & keep them

appropriate and responsible?

How do we keep our message clear in a sea of content we can’t control?

KDOT’s Communication Assets

E-mail

E-mail

E-mail

E-mail

E-mail

InsertREPLAY

Lessons Learned

• Apply the same level of scrutiny to how you post things as you do to what you post

• Be patient

• Online outreach requires the same careful preparation & lead-time as conventional outreach

• Assets must be deliberate & offer huge rewards

• Start slow with no promised schedule, but start today

• Go beyond standard materials in new platforms

Looking Forward

• Apply the same level of scrutiny to how you post things as you do to what you post

• Be patient

• Work to avoid transparency creating barriers to discussion

• Message don’t change, but platforms allow fresh approaches

Questions

Julie [email protected]

Patrick [email protected]