This document discusses how social media has become an important part of how people consume information and how organizations can build a presence on social media platforms. It notes that people now spend more time on social networking sites than email and that platforms like Facebook and Twitter are designed for sharing content and building participation. It recommends that organizations monitor social media to understand conversations, integrate social media messaging with other communications, assess how different platforms can reach their audiences, and focus on creating short, digestible content and listening to others in online conversations.

1. Social media: beyond the basics URMA 2010 David I. Leavitt Powell Tate Rachel Coker Binghamton University © Powell Tate 2010

2. Why social media?

3. A changing media landscape People are now spending more time on social networking sites than e-mail. Source: Nielsen

4. This requires a shift in resources These social media channels have higher visibility than your website or e-mail lists.

5. “What starts online moves offline, and what starts offline goes online. Online and offline life are inherently connected.They’re not separate worlds.” Keith Hampton, Sociologist University of Pennsylvania

6. An increasingly socialmedia landscape Social media Already an online destination Built-in functionality Designed for participation and sharing Website Repository of articles News archive Events calendar

7. How we consume media online

8. Keep it short We consume content differently online. We need to create it with that in mind. Younger generations especially begin their news consumption through search. There are signs that more and more people are ending it there as well, deciding that all they need is the headline, byline and first sentence of text. News consumers young and old get a good deal of news without clicking on the story. Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism Scientific American’s 60-Second Science podcast Symmetry Magazine’s Facebook profile

11. Streaming video from events

12. Dynamic content from multiple channels

14. Each channel has specific capabilities and audiences 12

15. Where’s my audience? Adults are increasingly fragmenting their social networking experience. A majority of those who use social networking sites (52 percent) say they have two or more profiles. Facebook is the most commonly used online social network among adults. Among adult profile owners, 73 percent have a profile on Facebook, 48 percent have a profile on MySpace and 14 percent have a LinkedIn profile. 19 percent of adult Internet users use Twitter or similar services to post short status updates and view the updates of others online. Pew Internet & American Life Project

16. Social media monitoring Advanced toolssuch asCrimson Hexagoncan tell youwhat it means Simple tools suchas Google Alerts or Tweet Deck give us rudimentary data Radian6,Sysomos andother offeringsprovide keyword analysis

17. Integrate your messages Amplify the conversation • Simplify and socialize: Highlight the most recent content — making it more flexible and agile. • Highlighting video: Showcasing the freshest content from your YouTube channel • Facebook connect: Incorporate the latest updates from the Facebook page as well as any comments that are made by your readers.

18. Social media outreach Improve the visibility of your channels Website E-mail signatures Letterhead Business cards On-campus signage Mentions atuniversity functions Contests/incentives

19. Assess design integration Create a consistent brand and user experience across channels Facebook and website design should complement each other — each is unique but shares a similar look-and-feel!

20. This is a conversation Listen more than you talkThe famous influencer Dale Carnegie once said, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." Content is still kingWith the amount of information burying most people each day, it is increasingly important to make sure your content cuts through.

21. David I. Leavitt Social media director Powell Tate dleavitt@powelltate.com @LeavittDC Rachel Coker Director of research advancement Binghamton University rcoker@binghamton.edu @rmcoker