Presentation from NASA's Social Media Manager Stephanie L. Schierholz about overseeing the agency's 200+ social media accounts. Presented Oct. 4, 2011, at Ragan Communications "Communicating Your Company Story" hosted by Southwest Airlines.

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Managing Out of This World Social
Media Efforts at NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
Stephanie Schierholz, Office of Communications 1

2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Who are we?
Stephanie L. Schierholz Col. Douglas Wheelock
Social Media Manager and NASA Astronaut,
Public Affairs Specialist, Johnson Space Center
Office of Communications,
NASA Headquarters 178 days in space
Space shuttle mission STS-120
@NASA International Space Station
@NASATweetup Expeditions 24-25
@schierholz @Astro_Wheels
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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3. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
@Astro_Wheels: NASA Explorer
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Managing Social Media
• Assess your organization's use of social media within
its structure and culture
• Move from organic to organized social media use (or
start organized!)
• Coordinate your organization's social media use
across departments and locations
• Create thriving social media and engagement with
fans with limited resources
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Where does Social Media fit?
• Where does social media belong within your
organization? Who is going to own it?
• Tends to be either Web/IT or Communications
• Who is responsible for engagement with:
– The public
– The press
– Key stakeholders (legislative, investors, etc.)
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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6. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Social Media Foundation at NASA
According to the National Aeronautics and
Space Act:
• Sec. 203. (a) The Administration, in order to
carry out the purpose of this Act, shall—
– (3) provide for the widest practicable and
appropriate dissemination of information
concerning its activities and the results thereof
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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7. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Integrating Social Media at NASA
• The Office of Communications manages social
media:
– The purpose is to engage the public
– Communications officers are trained to know what
information is releasable and what is not
– It gives the Communications team feedback and a
better sense of what messages are communicated
effectively
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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8. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Connect and Collaborate with
NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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9. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Organizing Your Social Media
• Untamed star-forming cloud • An orderly planetary system
• Dive in to social media with • Measured social media use
few constraints • Guiding strategic plan
• Trial and error
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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10. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Why Order a Social Media Universe?
• Clarity of voice and message
• Protecting your brand
• Avoiding duplicative efforts
and use of resources
• Capture the creativity
• Synergy: sum of the whole is
greater than that of the parts
• What will you do in a crisis?
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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11. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
How Do You Create Order?
• Give to get: provide an incentive in exchange for
registration information, such as an official listing
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Create a support or working group – most people
doing social media on their own want to do it better
• Become the expert
• Build allies and pool resources
• Use the authority you have
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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12. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
An Orderly Social Media Solar System
• Determine the desired structure and processes
• Where will the center(s) of authority lie?
• Who can establish accounts and how?
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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13. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Creating Order: Things to Consider
• Terms of Service Agreements
• Purpose of the account
• Audience for the account
• Why social media and not something else?
• Does a similar account already exist?
• Who will be responsible?
• How familiar are the users with this platform?
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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14. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
More Things to Consider
• How frequently do you plan to post to the account?
• What is your plan for managing the account outside
of working hours? Who is the emergency contact?
• Is there a likely date after which content will no
longer be updated? If so, what happens to it?
• What existing company policies apply to the use of
social media (officially and for private accounts)?
• What guidelines does the company have for the use
of social media?
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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15. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Coordinating Across Centers
Ames Dryden Flight Glenn
NASA HQ Research Research Research
Center Center Center
Goddard Jet Johnson Kennedy
Space Flight Propulsion Space Space
Center Laboratory Center Center
Langley Marshall Stennis Wallops
Research Space Flight Space Flight
Center Center Center Facility
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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16. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Coordinating Among Groups
Web IT
Recor CIO
ds
Education
General
& Counsel
Outreach
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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17. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Tools for Managing Social Media
• Get tools to meet your
needs: sharing accounts,
assigning comments, timed
updates, reporting, etc.
• Many free tools are
available
• Decide if everyone will use
the same tool
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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18. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Use Social Media to Engage
• Provide GREAT content that will get people talking.
• Social media is a conversation – spend as much time
listening as you do speaking.
• If you start a conversation, participate in it;
don’t start it and walk away.
• Ask for and enable feedback – respond to mentions
on Twitter, comments on blogs, Facebook, etc.
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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19. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Where Does Engagement Start?
• Build upon what you already have
– NASA TV becomes http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
– Videos become http://www.nasa.gov/video
• Make it easy to find your social media accounts
• Make it easy to share your content
• Recognize the unique value you offer
• Take it offline
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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20. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Rules of Engagement
• Don’t “buy” likes; quality is better than quantity.
• Quantity will result from quality interaction.
• Find your amplifiers. Notice WHO is retweeting and
sharing your information.
• Notice HOW people are sharing your posts. Their
edits and comments can tell you what they find
important.
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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21. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Keep it Simple: Twitter Chat
http://www.twitter.com/NASA
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22. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Take it Offline
• NASA has had great
success with inviting our
social media fans to in-
person, behind-the-
scenes opportunities at
NASA centers
• Events range from two
#NASATweetup
hours to two days in
length
http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup
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23. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Make Events Special and Memorable
Provide unique or exclusive:
Information
Speakers
Access
Setting
http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup
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24. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Successful Events Rock Logistics
 Short, interactive sessions  Your Online Audience
 Connected (WiFi)  Powered
http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup
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25. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Come to a #NASATweetup!
Registration open now
until 5 p.m. ET
Registration open
Wednesday at
noon ET through
Friday at noon
http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup
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26. http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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