This is a presentation given to CapitolBeat attendees, members of the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors in Raleigh, NC in November 2008. It covers parts of my social media 101 teachings with a small amount of strategy tips for more advanced users.
3. 3
What is Social Media
social interaction, conversation,
civic engagement, and multiple
media online
Many forms:
blogs, micro blogs, rss,
widgets, discussion boards,
wikis, podcasts, mashups,
social networks, so much more!
4. 4
What Social Media Isn’t
Something you create | A one-
way street | Broadcasting |
Heavily edited | As scary as it seems |
Threatening | Publishing | You
controlling all of the message (only
some of it) | You loosing control
11. 11
Why Bother?
•Social media enhances traditional media delivery
with diversity in opinion and reach.
•Social media fosters public dialogue and civic
engagement.
•Social media builds powerful links between people,
brands, and content.
12. 12
How can it work for me?
Content now drives the tools we choose
13. 13
for good
Twitter isn’t just a quirky site for techy types
@JohnMcCain vs @BarackObama
@Fox5NewsEdge vs @Statesman
@Starbucks vs @ComcastCares
15. 15
Facebook Fans
How can I use Facebook to connect and draw
from the community?
Outreach, promotion, research
Fan Pages
Finding the pulse of your community
16. 16
Tapping the Wisdom of Crowds
Other Outlets
HARO - Help a Reporter Out
37,000 sources
LinkedIn Answers
Live Example 1
Live Example 2
18. 18
Getting Started
The Strategy
Set goals for your social media outreach
What’s your audience like?
What resources are available to you (time, buy-in, commitment)?
How do I determine an ROI?
You can do a lot in a short amount of time
19. 19
Ready, Set, Go!
Getting Started
Stake your claim
It’s a land-grab! (remember, your audience is waiting)
Build confidence and workflows, introduce seed content
It takes time to build up followers, fans, and connections
20. 20
Top 5 Takeaways
Know your audience and know yourself.
Find online spaces -- like YouTube, Facebook or Twitter -- where people passionate
about similar content are already congregating. Create and populate social media
platforms with your message and your questions
Make time to connect with your users, both new and existing. It's important to
know you can do a lot with just a few minutes a day.
Don’t start a social media project just because you feel like you have to. Think of a
strategy that makes sense for you and your content.
Set realistic expectations for yourself. It takes time to do this well.
21. 21
Contact Info
Jonathan Coffman, Assoc. Product Manager, PBS Engage
Email: jonathan@jonathancoffman.com
Blog: http://www.jonathancoffman.com/blog
Twitter: @jdcoffman PBS Engage: http://www.pbs.org/engage