census social media: part 1

Center for Excellence in Digital Government

Engagement and Outreach Team

U.S. Census and Social Media

8/2/2011 1Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies

Part 1: The Social Media Landscape

Agenda

• 9:00-9:10 Introduce Topic and Speakers (Rick Denby)• 9:10-9:50 Demographic Internet Staff (Census)• 9:50- 10 Break• 10:00 - 10:50 Social Media Part 1: Inform (Center for

Excellence in Digital Government, General Services Administration)

• 10:50 - 11:00 Break• 11:00 -11:20 Social Media Part 2: Engage (CEDG)• 11:20-12:05 Brainstorming Sessions / Breakout (CEDG)• 12:05 Wrap-up and adjourn (CEDG)

2Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies 8/2/2011

Agenda





What is Social Media?

8/2/2011Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0UrnEo

Let’s get dim (the lights, please)


Social Media Revolution 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0UrnEo

We are

Jonathan Rubin(@jonathan_rubin

Tammi Marcoullier(@TammiM)


We work at the GSA Center for Excellence in Digital Government

(@GovNewMedia)



Our Mission

Dramatically improve digital government by building agencies’ capacity to regularly engage with the public and improve the customer experience.

We Work With


Agency Solutions

Challenges

User Testing

Engagement tools

Training

Web Manager University

Multimedia

Ask the experts

Tutorials

Howto.gov

How-to guides

Case Studies

Research

Plain Language

Definition: Social Media is…


The online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media. Source: Wikipedia

Social Media is (v2)

Technologies that turn

Unidirectional communication into

Conversation (interactive dialogue)


Successful Social Media Content is

• Timely• Useful• Helpful• Informative• Actionable• Entertaining• Or a combination


Old Model

Central SourceContent

Content

Content Content

Content

Content


New Model

Your content

Website

Podcast

TwitterBlog

Facebook

Mobile


Blocked Social Media in Federal Government

• EPA blocks streaming music sites• DHS blocks YouTube, Facebook, etc.• SSA -“We currently block access to streaming media and

social networking sites for most users, including remote access.”

• Etc.


Social Media Use Policies

• DoD • State Dept.• White House• GSA• USDA• Etc.


4 Concerns about Social Media

• Employee productivity• Security• Message control• Bandwidth


Adapted from Shel Holz, Social Media Speaker

Employee Productivity

Concern: People will goof off!Reality: • Taking breaks from work tasks is good for positive mood,

enhances problem solving and creativity. Source: Journal of Psychological Science 2010

• 8 hour day?• Employee social networks can help your organization• They don’t need your Internet


Security

Concern: We’ll let in viruses or people will hack us!Reality: Pentagon and DoD allow access


Message Control

Concern: People will spill the beans!Reality: • They already are• Policies and guidelines• Mandatory training on Personally Identifiable Information

and sensitive data


Bandwidth

Concern: Streaming stuff costs money!Reality: • Bandwidth is the “paper of the digital age”• Need it for video• If you don’t have enough, get more


5 Things About Social media

1. Social Media is… BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

2. Social Media is… ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT TOOLS

3. Social Media is… REACHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE

4. Social Media is… TRUST

5. Social Media is… FUTILE WITHOUT STRATEGY AND

SUPPORT



Fireworks BonfiresVs.

1. Building Relationships

Public Sector Digital IQ Ranking

• #1 ??• #2 ??


Source: 2010 L2 Digital IQ Index: Public Sector

Public Sector Digital IQ Ranking

• #1 NASA• #2 White House• #3 PETA• #4 Army



Social Media Maven #1


Results:

• Media Play• Branding• Loyalty (In

government, no less!)


Social Media Maven #2



“We’re now broadcasters of knowledge” - Michael Edson, the Smithsonian Institution's Director of Web and New Media Strategy

Smithsonian Rocks @ Twitter

1,700 followers


Smithsonian Rocks @ Twitter


Digital IQ Ranking

• #1 NASA• #2 White House• #3 PETA• #4 Army• #15 Smithsonian - MEanderthal app transforms your

picture into that of your prehistoric ancestors; QR codes guide visitors on journey throughout the organization’s museums




+ +

=


??

Blogs


Blogs

What: Publishing platforms that are interactive Pros: Presents a human side (have a byline)• Create genuine conversation• Easy to use• Great for search traffic (SEO)Cons: Require regular updates and resources• Avoid ghost-written blogs (aka FLOGS)


Social Networks


Social Networks


Friends

Family

Coworkers

Neighbors

Bowling Buddies

FB Pages vs profiles


What: The (Current) King of Social Networking Pros: Great for engaging people + community building• Good for viral spreading via “Share” buttons• Good for traffic• A+ brand exposureCons: Bad with SEO


Beware: Facebook Promotions Guidelines


“Promotions on Facebook must be administrated with Apps on Facebook.com”- Facebook Guidelines

What: 2nd largest social network after Facebook (33 million)Pros: Social Networking for business professionals• Great at industry-related networking and branding• Will put you near top of search results (SEO)• Good idea: Have employees build profilesCons: Doesn’t drive traffic• Poor at communicating to customers


Twitter


What: (Current) King of Microblogs / status updates• Send messages of 140 characters or less• Works best when it’s event based Pros: Best tool for customer communication• All “Tweets” are public and searchable – great data!• Extremely easy (and fast)• Great for info sharing, marketing and networking• Big viral potential


Cons: Tricky art form – content must be smart, useful and timely

• People aren’t watching you 24-7• Most of Twitter is garbage – sifting required!


Multimedia Sharing


What: Image hosting sitePros: People can share and comment on pics and videos• Great for high-quality image posting• Great for SEO – tons of tags and metadata for search

enginesCons: Won’t give you any traffic • Don’t spend too much time here


What: Video hosting sitePros: Powerful engagement channel! Respond to

complaints, educate, show your skills• Branding powerhouse – gets your name out there• Traffic usually goes to videos (include links to your site

in the text + metadata) but starting to shift• Videos rank high in SEOCons: Videos take time to produce


If nothing else, explore these….


SlideShare


Ideation tools


Save Award Demo


http://saveaward2011.ideascale.com/

GSA Corporate Marketing in 2009


Required 7 layers of approval for 1 Tweet

Trust Me, I’m From the Government


People don’t see your agency, they see “government”

The Trust Equation


People you know > marketing

The Trust Equation


Your postman > Postmaster general

>

Why Gag Your Own Marketers?


54 percent of senior government employees are not allowed to use Facebook. Source: Apr 27, 2011 Federal Computer Week







SUPPORT


Why You Need a Strategy

• Create framework for engaging your audience• Focus day-to-day activity towards your mission• Measure efforts and understand what’s working• Ensure right people are tasked• Choose the right tool


Social Media Strategies


• Be the audience• Promote the audience• Ask questions• Check your facts and links• Be direct• Repeat

Why you need a strategy



Trial and Error = Scientific Method







SUPPORT


Agenda





Resources

• Designing Social Media Policy for Gov't archived webinar• How To Use Social Media Strategically in the Federal Gove

rnment • How to Use Social Media in the Federal government


http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/spring2011/social-media-policy.shtml

http://www.howcast.com/videos/241178-How-To-Use-Social-Media-Strategically-in-the-Federal-Government

http://www.howcast.com/videos/241178-How-To-Use-Social-Media-Strategically-in-the-Federal-Government

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIjdKi6DGJQ

census social media: part 1

Technology

innovative technologies822011

blocked social media

social media speaker

social media landscape

innovative technologiespart

innovative technologies23

innovative technologies20

innovative technologies6