Social Networking: Going Viral to Get Your Message Out – Sept. 23, 2010

1. Social Networking: Going Viral to Get Your Message Out – Sept. 23, 2010

2. Social Networking • Revolution or Fad? • Demographics • Social Networking Sites & Applications

3. Revolution or Fad?

4. Demographics • 77.3% of Americans* • 60% use broadband at home (fast, always on) • 55% connect wirelessly (Wi-Fi or Handheld) • Multiple Devices * Internet World Stats – www.internetworldstats.com

5. 50 Million Users 38 years 13 years 4 years 3 years 200 million users in 1 year

6. Social Networking • Facebook • YouTube • Twitter • Flickr • LinkedIn • Blogs (Technorati) Social Networking focuses on building online communities of people who share common interests and/or activities.

7. Facebook • 500 million users

8. YouTube • Video-sharing website • 2nd largest search engine • 200,000 video uploaded per day

9. Twitter • A micro-blog – 140 characters or less • Tweet = a post on Twitter • 27.3 million tweets per day

10. LinkedIn • Business oriented social network • More than 75 million users

11. Flicker • Image hosting site • Host more than 5 billion images

12. Blogs • A blog is a website where regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or news are made. • Inside 208 • Technorati

13. Helpful Applications • Seesmic Desktop – manage your social networks at the same time • TwitPic – share photos on Twitter in real-time • Mashable – online guide to social media • Metrics • Facebook Insights • YouTube Insights • Social Mention

14. Social Media and Your Community Making Social Media Work for You • My background • Examples • Social Media Tips • Q & A

15. My Background: • Reporter – 18 years, Greenville, Howell, Flint (Alpena, Cass City) • City Hall, County Gov’t, Village, Twp, Schools, Crime, Courts • Community Content Coordinator • Public relations manager: Flint CVB • Michigan Municipal League: Director of Communications, November 2009

16. Why Do Social Media? • Cheap • Easy to Use • Offers Two-Way Communication, give and take (good and bad) • Effective at spreading news beyond its first audience to larger audience • Decline of traditional media is an opportunity for us/you • Example: Community Excellence Awards

17. Use Traditional AND Social Media

18. MML on flickr and Facebook

19. Use Your Websites

20. How to Start? Step One: Set up Google alerts with your name, city, etc. Step Two: Form a plan - Just don’t do it because everyone else is - Identify a problem, issue or concern you want to address and then use social media to fix it. Example: “Enjoy Birmingham, MI” FB page

21. Form a plan: Changing Perceptions Example: Flint, Michigan FB, Changing Perceptions of Flint email, ‘This Ain’t Flint’ story

22. Flint Michigan Facebook Page

23. Your Social Media Options There are many social media options – so many in fact it’s easy to get frustrated or feel overwhelmed. Suggestions Start simple: Blog – what’s a blog? Twitter page Facebook page

24. Blogging – Auburn Hills

25. MySpace – Can Use It Like a Blog

26. Blogging – City of Flint’s blog

27. Blogging – Elected Officials Are Doing it Too

28. Blogging – MML’s Inside 208

29. Twitter – Mayor Dayne Walling

30. LinkedIn

31. Facebook – general guidelines A strong community/individual Facebook page will… • Be accessible, allow fans to post photos, comments, links and content • Can be personal (friend page) or a fan/like page – the lines are blurred, but be careful • Post video, photos, link to other favorite pages, i.e. local businesses, foundations and nonprofit FB pages should be listed under your favorites • Encourage feedback, ask questions, open setting • Example: Social media/facebook good example: Flint Institute of Music: In celebration of hitting the 1,000 fan mark on our facebook page, the Flint Institute of Music will be giving away a voucher for two tickets to the FSO Classical Concert …

32. Facebook: Flint Mayor Dayne Walling

33. Facebook: Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski

34. Detroit Councilman Ken Cockrel Jr. FB Page

35. Facebook: Holland Mayor Dykstra

36. Facebook: They’re creating a page for you

37. Paw Paw, Three Rivers – group pages

38. New to Facebook, new trend: • Check-In Sites: Geocaching is a term you should know. There are a few different definitions, but basically it incorporates GPS tracking, treasure hunting and social media. There are several up and coming sites doing it. • It’s becoming such the rage that Facebook has got into the game with its new “places” feature. The most known sites so far are probably foursquare and Gowalla. • It’s something businesses are starting to use to promote themselves and communities can easily start using it as well, i.e. come to the Apple Fest this weekend, show us the app and get a free apple.

39. Facebook page reviews If time allows and if you’re interested I’ll run through quickly some of your community Facebook pages and give general comments.

40. Coldwater: Has an official-looking FB page

41. Facebook: Grand Haven – 25,000 fans WOW!

42. I Love Dexter, Michigan FB Page

43. Jackson Michigan FB Page

44. Midland FB page - excellent

45. Milford Facebook page – very good!

46. Social media leader: Zeeland

47. Social Media Tips: Summary • Set up Google alerts, have your name and your community’s name set up, know what’s being said about you and your community. Defend yourself when you can; or have others defend you, i.e. online comments “Council person X is a …” • Form a plan • Work with other municipalities and tackle issues as a group, i.e. joint press releases (Buick Open), community FB pages • Use social media to your advantage, i.e. Facebook and “This Ain’t Flint” campaign; “Changing Perceptions of Flint” and “Legislative Link and LOOP” email reports. • Get training: Recognize your weaknesses and get help, whether it’s how to do a video for YouTube or redoing your website to make it more interactive. • Get help: Don’t necessarily do it alone, get volunteers or supporters to help out.

48. Q&A Questions & Answers??