27th January 2015Leicester

Paul Webster – Digital Skills Advisor & Community BuilderTwitter : @watfordgap

Social Media Basics

Good Morning and House Keeping

Finding Out

What is Social Media

Having a plan

Using social media websites

Answering your Questions

Session Topics

What we'll try to cover...

Lets play a game!

“Social Media. They get all excited about gleaming technology and clever gizmos. They talk in acronyms and begin sentences with: “Did you know you can..” The rest of us just want to get on with campaigning, fundraising or service delivery. We want to talk about the people we work with, the communities we’re in and the issues we’re passionate about. We want to find and talk to people who can help us get change, deliver services or make a difference”.

Well, Social Media is about all that, telling stories and having conversations, having a space to do that … it just happens that the space is on a computer and on-line.

(From ‘How to use New Media’ - Media Trust).

On line collaborative conversations…..

'The Conversational Web', not a Broadcast. Listen more than talk

Old media - Web 1.0 . . .

. . static websites with no interaction, text heavy content.Information just fed TO visitors

http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/worst-websites-of-2012.html

Social Media – Digital Media ….

Web 2.0 =Social Media=New Media=Social Networking

. . media rich, interactive, content based on preferences, open for sharing and where conversations & learning encouraged.

Social media is online media that starts conversations, encourages people to pass it on to others, and finds ways to travel on its own.

Idealware - http://www.idealware.com

Is your organisation on Social Media?

No? Probably – Yes!

Who is using Social Media?

Does your organisation have a website … that is interactive?Have you got a blog?Do you use YouTube or Flickr?Are you on Facebook?Do you Tweet?Do you use web tools to improve organisational efficiency?

Have you checked?!How are you being represented? How are others marketing what you do?

You’re Famous!

Of 64.1million UK population, there's 57.3million Internet users (76% access daily)

96% of internet users aged 18-34 are on one of more social networks

Adults using the internet have an average 5.54 accounts and are active on 2.82

Use of social networks is 64% of all the time spent on the internet in UK

Average time spent online per person everyday is 3hr 59mins (1 hr 52m from mobile)

The main networks - showing active users as % of connected population

Facebook – 27.5 million active users, 26% are Aged 25-34 (Comscore – Dec 2013)

Twitter – 12.1 million users, 40% just read & don't post (Twitter – Sept 2013)

Linkedin – 15 million (Linkedin – Mar 2014) (374k Engineers, also 5 mermaids!)

YouTube – is the second most popular search engine

Which is right for you?

Now is always the right time …

... tomorrow isn't.

Can't be ignored.Rose McGory & 'We Are Social' Report Jan 2015

For messaging it'sSnapchat and What's App.

Where are young people on Social Media?

Facbook useage was down by 11% in 2014.

For interest sharing it's Instagram or Tumblr

Social Networking – the numbers

http://www.personalizemedia.com/the-count/

Why use Social Media?

We're all 'content creators'. Our message is as valid as anyone's – whatever size organisation. Our social media activity can be just as effective

Increased Reach - traditional reporting barriers broken down and communities empowered with mobile devices

Tasks that took days, take hours, News that took minutes takes seconds!

Conversation not Broadcast.Listen more than you talk.

'The leveller'. All community voices can be heard together.

Increases speed of communication – fastest way tospread messages to get action through social networking.Less of financial cost, but the ‘expense’ may be time

Widens awareness of organisation's message to people/groups that may be missed using traditional methods – ‘viral’ marketing campaigns hugely powerful creating awareness extremely efficiently. Friends tell their friends.

Deepens relationships to build new and different networks and communities of interest to bounce ideas off and share experiences, increase commitment, connections and belonging for campaigning activity. Show understanding and start some conversations!

Think of an activity you are doing ... maybe from the game How could it be helped by use of Social Media?

Generate Change by on-line conversations, promotion and awareness about the work or latest campaign by the organisation. Use RSS and Google Alerts to stay ahead of developments in your area of interest

Joins together communities for Action who are interested in similar things, have the same likes or are striving for the same objectives. Tell your visitors and supporters about your work in a new way

Consider all Five of these together and you have tools that are very powerful – Social Media For Social Good

Commoncraft Video explaining Social Media

Think of an activity you are doing ... maybe from the game How could it be helped by use of Social Media?

There's a 'problem' with social media in organisations?Where to start

Knowledge

Confidence / Fear

Capacity / Resources

Access

Time

Cost

Scepticism

Any more?

Is your social media living in the 90s?

Social Media Planning

Have a plan Know your objectives and goals, have a clear message

Respond to questions from people about their local healthcare services

Research where your audience are – do you ask them?Listen to find out, work in spaces where your target audience are

Tie together a strategy for the story – who / howWhich voice is best to use – What style of conversation works the best?

Choose tool to match audience and implement itLook what other organisations do & what works well

Don't neglect your 'offline' spaces, use 'hooks' to this content

Sustain the conversation and say thank youEncourage people to return, keep it new, links from websites

Engage with people on line, be receptive, respond, react http://www.idealware.org/reports/nonprofit-social-media-decision-guide

Start the conversation – don't try to move everyone

It’s easier to go where people are already

It can be difficult to get people to come to you

Questions Do you know who is your audience is & how they communicate?

Are they already using social media sites (and which ones)?

Build a genuine open relationship first, engagement follows

It's Social media, not Selling media. But your web site is your shop window, the first public face supporters/donors see so tell authentic stories of what you do

To participate, people may be reluctant to learn a new network AND a new topic

Listen to your community, Tell a good storyIs your story unique, personal, heart-warming and fun?

Not a corporate message selling the organisation, but a social message.

Do you have a picture or video with the face of a person on your website that triggers emotion and connects to your story?

Does it create urgency with something important at stake, something you 'really must' share with your friends?

Does it have a call to action that will inspire donors?

Does the story have real value to donations, e.g. "Donate £100 to feed a child for 1 year"

Mobile Websites

By 2015 mobile overtakes desktop for web use

Make website responsive (test across platforms)

Avoid excessive text, images & tiny buttons & Flash / Animations

Make donor sign up very easy with clear call to action

Make it 'Socially Sharable'

Minimise data entry – no long forms

Remember visitors may be on slow connection

Check … have you viewed your website on a phone/tablet?

Everything in this 1991 advert (and more) exists in a single smartphone.

And for much less money. Affordable Tablet PCs now less than £80 (e.g. Hudl)

Use the tools in your mobile or tablet

Audience for Mobile

http://www.textsprout.com (2013)

In 2013 :

900 million Android Devices

600 million iOS Devices

82% of all UK mobile phone sales are smart phones

21% of US web users use ONLY a mobile device to go on-line

17% of Global Web Traffic from mobile devices (Mark 50:50)

81% never turn their phone off, 30% check when they wake up

Mobile IS overtaking the Desktop for web access

From Flickr – Claire Sutton and justinbaeder

Finding the right tool for the task

http://nptechuk.wordpress.com/sms-links/

Media Channels

Make it Personable

Press releases are dull (OK at Start & End)

Use Mixed Media and combinations by audience

– Audio - Audioboo

– Photos - Instagram

– Video - Youtube

Have a website – even just a Wordpress, Squarespace or Weebly site to Tell your Stories

Story Telling Platforms

Short for (we)b log

Open platform for community led content & story development, not just a diary or rant

Multiple users & guest bloggers

Build to full website as confidence & community develops

Don't worry it's not finishedThe best blogs build as conversations

Wordpress is most popular, but see also

Medium, Blogger and Tumblr

Telling your story - Never Seconds Blog

Started by Scottish 9 year old Martha Payne in April 2012 as a school writing project to document lunchtime meals

Seen by social media users … but as not all reviews of the food were good the local council tried to close it down… which generated MORE interest!

Martha appeared on TV & Newspapers and always replied to many comments on blog and featured worldwide meal pictures Chef Jamie Oliver supported campaign to get better school meals and link to the “Mary's Meals” JustGiving campaign raising funds for school food in Africa.

Small targets set to support this campaign

But...

Build your Narrative and Build SuccessInitial target of £7,000 now at £142,738 for Mary's Meals

A book of the story has been published to raise more funds

A local council changed it's social media policy

The blog has over 10,000,000 hits

But the important part...

Children who would have been hungry in African schools are now being fed!

Audio – project awareness raising

Visit

Less intrusive way to let people know about your work & campaigns

Embed in websiteComments are conversations

Instant reporting when editing not a concern

‘Audacity’ – free software for recording and converting to MP3 to load to the web

See also - Audioboom

Use the camera - Photos

Posts on Facebook with an image get 53% more Likesthan without. (Social Media Examiner)

Use visuals in blogs, tweets and posts .. share pictures on Flickr, Instagram & Pinterest

Include message to donate, announce hashtag and to say Thanks

Use the camera - Video

66% of world's web traffic will be video by 2017

25% of videos on Youtube are watched on mobile

Instagram videos - twice the engagement as picshttps://vine.co/v/b5tnVIVjt2M

Google for NonProfits enables charities to add a 'Donate' button to video

Embed on websiteGenerate conversations

But PLEASE - Turn your phone to landscape!

Anyone can be a content creator

Upload and edit videos in your own channel

Show Organisation is Genuine & has Personality

Increases Reach. If campaigning can be a bold call to action

Keep content Fresh

25% of audience 15 – 24 yrs

3.7 billion videos viewed in January 2012

Social Media = Finding content uploaded by others .. keep looking.

Individual clips …… or a gallery.

http://www.youtube.com/user/VolunteerCentre1

What is Twitter?

Think of it as being 'at a big party'

A worldwide community of people you didn't know who will have knowledge and experience to share

Events AS they happen not AFTER they have happened

Twitter – 15 million users, 40% just read & don't post (Twitter – Sept 2013)

Used well in can be ...• For Listening to your audience• To Share good news stories and signpost links to other on-line media• Help in learning & Research of background information on policy or news• Support to your on-line community with answers to their questions

Social Media – Shortens cycle

Meet people where they areand on the platforms they are already on

A generation like(d) mailed / e-mail campaigns

Write or call …

Get donation pack …

Complete forms …

Post to Charity …

Cash Cheque …

Wait for Clearance ...

(From www.pinterest.com/markphillips/old-charity-ads)

Social Media – Shortens cycle

Current 'Baby Boomers' use social media

'Millennials' have only known SMS and mobile as a way to communicate and engage!If your online presence doesn't allow 'share & connect' then it's invisible to many

Thanks - @jon_bedford & JustGiving

Twitter Basics

What it is- Format & Layout of screen and messages- Profile- Notifications- Messages

Creating an account- Who is brave to set one up or to share theirs?

Privacy - users must agree to organisation 'Social Network Guidelines'- It's open - which works well if everyone remembers this!- Speaking as 'yourself' - either as a person or an organisation- Be polite, behave as you would in a face to face conversation- Share as much as 80:20 but don't over promote 'you', be helpful

Important to make profile 'followable' - Add current Pictures (avatar, background, panorama), Place to find you, descriptive Profile and web Page- DON'T leave these blank or over-sell and push advertising

See content of tweet, not the tweeter, e.g. @HWDudley, @HealthwatchEA small network of quality followers results in better conversations through shared links/knowledge than a large network of followers who rarely share content

Does it work for you?

What is the mission of your organisation?

How you could now let more people know about your work

Can you write down your message in 140 characters, what hooks would you use? Can you tell your story on-line?

Could you blog about it? Make a video? Find a beneficiary to record an audio interview with? Make you website social?

How would you interest people

in what you are talking about?

What is your message?

Publicly be part of your community

It's a channel that businesses can't ignore

Can be time consuming to manage ... but ... ... shows organisation that takes the public view & voice seriously

Use of lists to follow local peopleSearch for key words related to healthcare - complex boolean searches possible

Listen & be responsive - it is now a very valid form of customer contact Instant response but follow through with actions

Engagement

It’s the place where many, many people already network and share

Create a Group for invited network of Supporters, include docs & pictures

Set up an open Page for people to Like & see updates

Check Privacy settings and frequent changes

Link to Twitter & Blog

Just Have a page -- Use it share pictures- Use it to direct back to main website

What you have done

What you are doing

Facebook on PC and Mobile

Use the space on the Facebook header to promote your charity

Embed links & Apps to external donation sites for fundraising

Works across mobile platforms too

Pulling it all together

• Consistency across all sites & social networks

• Social media sites are only part of the picture

–Make sure your core website is current

–Don't forget the offline

• Add organisation to Google Places or Foursquare

• Share links ...

–With all your social networking sites

–With 'Like' buttons and 'Share This' links

–With everyone!

Sharing Socially

Feeds from social media sites pulled in attracts visitors to click throug to Twitter or Facebook

Sharing Buttons lets visitors tell others on Facebook or Twitter about what they have read on your website

Consistency across all websites & social networks

Link closely with offline promotion

Monitoring and Measuring

Monitoring & Analytics- Sparkwi.se, Tospy, Twitter Analytics, talk to RT'ers & Followers- https://analytics.twitter.com/user/watfordgap/tweets

Search and Discover- It's an extra pair of eyes and ears for your organisation- New people, new organisations ... and it's worldwide- levels the conversation ... link with people before you meet

Join in - It's about a conversation with people- you don't need to ask permission- Twitter is not a one-sided broadcast about your work- People tweet ... not organisations - but it shows your org is social- Getting your stories in front of the right people (local press etc)

Measuring Social Media Success- Check how many times links are clicked on Bit.ly- Listen what's said about your organisation using Topsy- Monitor Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Wordpress visits- Measure Tweetreach, SocialBro, Social Mention, Sparkwi.se- Visualize Infographics on Visual.y, Infogr.am, My Social Strand

BUT …. real success is not just about the numbers- Tell stories of real people and real changes- Build relationships by joining in conversations- Social media presence a reflection of your organisation- Engage press, funders, supporters with pictures and video

Say Thank You!

Immediacy and Response – a concern?

Print 7 days 2 weeks

Type News travels Reply within

Email 7 hours 2 days

Twitter 7 seconds 2 minutes

Facebook / Blogs 7 minutes 2 hours

Have to allocate staff time for maintaining a social media presence and you will notice less time needed for other communication

Social Media websites are increasingly becoming an organisations main 'shop window' – the place visitors check first.

Average 'life' of a tweet is just

18 minutes

Time Planning - Frequency and time neededEvery Day(30 mins)

Once a Week(45 mins)

About Monthly(60 mins)

Tweet, re-tweet, check Google Alerts,check RSS reader & reply to comments

Write blog post, check analytics, monitorgroups & find new people to follow

Add video to YouTube, share a resource on-line, create podcast & build profile

Step 2 – Pick one goal to pursue

1, Social network use similar to how use of telephone or newsletters was

2, Digital space is the place where people communicate, seek, read, share, purchase & network. Can't ignore it any more

3, Know your Message (WHAT), An Audience (WHO), Your Aims (WHERE)

4, Have Champion/s who can steer, update & reply, allocate time

5, Get full organisation buy-in to social media usage guidelines

6, Be clear, honest and credible. Build Trust. Web is traceable & for ever,if you don't want it in local paper (or your mother to hear!) don't post

7, Select best social media tools as part of your overall resources with added dimension they enable of social actions & conversations

8, Your flyers, your email signature and your website are the hub with many linked social media spokes leading from them

9, Your social media presence is active the moment it goes live. Be prepared!

Summary - Social Media Plan

Some Notes and Tips

Think 'Mobile First' when specifying and designing a newwebsite - increasingly where visitors come from.

The action may happen around you, be 'part of' it even if you didn't initiate it.

Be ready to respond with donation channel if your org gets mentioned

Keep community updated using social tools such as a blog during the campaign – and after it's ended. (70% said this is important – 2013 mGive)

Start small … what one idea will you try out today?

What I hope we've covered!

Any Questions?

Some Resources

Connecting Carehttp://www.connectingcare.org.uk

ICT Knowledgebasehttp://www.ictknowledgebase.org.uk

Community How Tohttp://www.communityhowto.com/#

Media Trust - All Our Storieshttp://resources.mediatrust.org/allourstories/

navcaboodleFor Local Support Organisations

ivo - For Volunteering

Organisations

Social Media Surgeries To share and learn about social media for communities

Useful links and websites

Thank You

Paul Webster – Digital Skills Advisor & Community BuilderEmail : paulwebster43@gmail.com

Twitter : @watfordgap Tel : 07876743096

Any Questions?