Social Media 101: Getting T o Know T he P latforms

Social Media 101:Getting To Know The Platforms Agenda: • New FEMA Social Media Initiatives • The Importance of Social Media in 2014 • Platform Analysis- Facebook & Twitter • Open discussion of Best Practices & Examples

FEMA Digital Platforms • FEMA Facebook • Twitter • @FEMA • @FEMARegion4 • All regions • Ready.gov • Live account • FEMA espanol • FEMA Smartphone App • New Disaster Reporter • YouTube Channel • Web • www.fema.gov • m.fema.gov • Social Media Hub • FEMA Blog • LinkedIn • Text Messages

FEMA Disaster Reporter Photos are moderated to ensure they are disaster-related & not spam. Approved photos are displayed on FEMA.gov using the FEMA GeoPlatform. Individuals in a disaster area upload a photo using the FEMA App. All photos must have GPS coordinates tagged to it.

FEMA Social Hub Live Social Hub

Why Social Media is Important • It happens in REAL time • Opportunity to LEAD the conversation • Opportunity to direct traffic • “Push and Pull” of information • Receive and answer questions on a mass scale

Why Social Media is Important • It’s still growing…quickly • It’s a global conversation about local issues • First hand accounts are just a small part of the whole conversation

Why Social Media is Important • The public uses social media to share important recovery information.

Facebook VS Twitter • Overview of capabilities and pitfalls • Which one should you be on? Both? • How to start from scratch- building a digital strategy

Twitter Analogy - You are a person with a megaphone, surrounded by millions of other people with megaphones. What Twitter feels like at times. What we WISH Twitter was.

Twitter • Get info in 3 ways • From the people or organizations that you follow • By searching a topic (aka #hashtag) • By creating or subscribing to Twitter Lists

Twitter • Benefits & Features • When something happens, the fastest way to get (right or wrong) information is on Twitter. • Communications are instant, sometimes from eye witnesses. • Has been fully adopted by traditional media. • Can embed photos and 7 second videos. • Great way to drive traffic to your website.

Twitter • Why You Should Use It • It’s the fastest way to put accurate, up to date information out to everyone. • People are going to fill that information gap if you aren’t there anyway, and they could be wrong. • Twitter is becoming a widely accepted source of news for the public. • Traditional media look at social media for potential stories.

Twitter • How it Can Go HorriblyWrong • Putting out information on social media is the same as speaking to a reporter. • Tweets multiply, they don’t die. Deleting a tweet after sending it doesn’t get rid of it. • Avoid engaging with “trolls” on Twitter. You will only bring attention to them.

Twitter Content 101 • Learning the Lingo • Tweet is a message of 140 characters or less • @ Twitter Handle, i.e. @FEMARegion4 • # Hashtagcreates a searchable topic • Retweet (RT) someone else’s message you repost • Followers someone who subscribes to get your updates; your message shows in their feed • Following the organizations or people you follow who appear in your twitter feed • DM Direct Message non-public messaging

Twitter Content 101 WORST PRACTICES • Lost in Translation: • RIV’s IMAT is deployed to the RRCC for the RISC mtng w/ SBA. • Death By Hashtag, Part 1: • #FEMA is #here speaking at #Montgomery #County in AL. • Death by Hashtag, Part 2 • #IStartedUsingSocialMediaAndIDontUnderstandHowHashtagsWork • Huge links: • Learn more about disaster preparedness at https://ready.gov/disasters/disaster_preparedness/are_you_still_reading/this_link_is_now_half_the_tweet/less_is_more_sometimes

Twitter Content 101 BEST PRACTICES • Date Stamp Time Sensitive Info: • ALDOT: As of 5 am (4/1), all roads in Montgomery County are passable #ALwx • Use @ to Tag Partners in a Post: • Speaking today @AlabamaEMA ‘s emergency management conference, discussing social media & emergencies #smem • Research Your Hashtags: • Use #Alwx when talking about forecasts. See what public is using & adopt. Don’t start you own hashtags • Shorten hyperlinks: (Bitly) • Be a force in your community. Learn more about disaster preparedness at bit.ly/1lPmWvx. • Many link shortening services allow you to track the number of clicks.

TwitterWhat You Need to Know Before Signing Up • How much time do you have to invest? • Develop a communications plan based on how much time you have. • A simple plan for 15 minutes a day can be a great start. • Start with one message a day that you either write or retweet. • Keeping the account active, even with minimal content, will build your credibility. • How will you use the account in an emergency? • Who will run the Twitter account? • What type of information will they put out? • How will they verify information before Tweeting?

TwitterWhat is Your Social Strategy? • During normal operations • encourage the public to prepare • Engage with local community partners (chats, FF) • Make your community familiar with your accounts • Build your following • During emergencies • Tweet out community specific info • Retweet response partner messaging • Highlight public resources (DOT maps, shelter locations, etc)

Facebook Analogy - You are the ruler of a tiny digital village that is surrounded by millions of other villages. What managing a Facebook page is like when things are going well. What managing a Facebook page is like when something bad happens.

Facebook • Get info in 2 ways • News Feed updates from people you “friend” or groups/organizations you “like” • From comments directed to you by users of your page

Facebook • Benefits & Features • Like Twitter, information moves fast on Facebook. • Communications are instant, sometimes from eye witnesses. • Has been fully adopted by traditional media. • Can embed photos and videos up to 20 minutes. • Great way to drive traffic to your website. • 63,206 character limit VS 140 for Twitter • Unlike Twitter, it is a great format for having a group conversation

Facebook • Why You Should Use It • Provides instant communication with your subscribers. • Great conversational tool to engage with an invested audience. • Most popular social media tool in the US. • 24.4% of adults 24-34 (44 million) • 31.1% of adults 35-54 (56 million) • 15.6% of adults 55+ (28 million) • Traditional media look at social media for potential stories.

Facebook • How it Can Go HorriblyWrong • Sharing incorrect information. Fact check your information. • Getting into an argument with a person who is “trolling” • Always. Maintain. Professionalism.

Facebook • How to deal with adversity • Recognize who is seeking information/expressing frustration vs someone who is “trolling” • Try to find out if they live in the affected area • How did they get their information • When in doubt, take their accusations seriously • The best weapon again misinformation is timely, accurate information. • Use the ability to ban people as a last resort

FacebookWhat is Your Social Strategy? • During normal operations • Encourage the public to prepare. • Share information from other EM accounts- state, ready.gov, etc. • Make your community familiar with your accounts by promoting your work. • Pictures are worth 1,000 words. • During emergencies • Write posts with community specific info. • Share emergency related messaging from state, local, federal and non profit partners. • Highlight public resources (DOT maps, shelter locations, etc). • Be prepared to engage with public/answer questions on your Facebook page.

Contact Information • Brian Glaviano, FEMA Region IV • Brian.glaviano@fema.dhs.gov • 770-220-5250

Social Media 101: Getting T o Know T he P latforms