Presentation covers basic information about how to get started with social media, integrate it into your communications function, ways to engage with fans both online and offline, and basic tips for writing for social media. Presentation given May 3, 2012, at the Spring Conference for the Greater Salt Lake City Public Relations Society of America: http://www.slcprsa.org/programs-events/spring-conference/agenda/

1. Launch to New Heights
Using Social Media
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2. Stephanie Schierholz
• Social Media
Manager
Tweeting from
space now:
@Astro_Pettit
• (Formerly) Social @Astro_Andre
Media Manager
• @schierholz
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3. “You may not have a spaceship, but
your company has a fan base.
They won't think of themselves as fans
until they're in a room with like-
minded people.
They won't think of themselves as
members of a community until
YOU bring them together.”
- David Rosen, @davidhrosen
(Director, Burson-Marsteller)
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4. Where Does Social Belong?
• Tends to be Web/IT or Communications
• Why Communications?
– The purpose is to engage the public.
– Communications officers are trained to know what
information is releasable and what is not and
empowered to use that information.
– It gives the Communications team feedback and a
better sense of what messages are communicated
effectively.
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5. How Do You Create Order?
• Give to get: provide an incentive (like an
official listing) in exchange for info/control
• Create a support or working group – most
people doing social media on their own want
to do it better and learn in a safe environment
• Become the expert
• Build allies and pool resources
• Use the authority you have
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6. Social Media Policies
• What existing
policies apply?
– Internal/External
Communications
– Use of IT/Web
– Security
• What policies need
to be put in place?
• Look at what others
have done
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7. Coordinate Among Groups
Web IT
Reco CIO
rds
General
Edu/ Counsel
Outreach
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8. Integrating Social Media
• Social Media is another tool
• Find ways to integrate it into how your
communications function already runs
• Build on what you already have
• Make it easy to find your social media
• Make it easy to share your content
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9. Build On What You Have
• “Mobile will be bigger
than desktop Internet in
5 years.” - Mary
Meeker, April 2010
• You already have a
website. Is it accessible
via mobile?
http://mobile.nasa.gov
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10. Make Social Easy to Find
• On your home
page
• Collected on a
dedicated page
• Twitter stream
on your home
page
• On your
“contact us”
page
• Relevant
accounts on
relevant pages
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11. Make Content Easy to Share
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12. How Do You Connect?
Content
• Insight
• Expertise
• Imagery
• Data
• Product
What Is Your Unique Value?
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13. Blue Marble 1972
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14. Big Blue Marble 2012
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15. Engagement Fundamentals
• Focus on your audience. What do they want?
Not sure? ASK.
• Quantity will result from quality interaction.
• Find your amplifiers. Notice who is
retweeting and sharing your information.
• Notice HOW people are sharing your posts.
Their edits can tell you what they find
important.
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16. Engage with Online Chats
• How can you use your
existing assets to
drive engagement?
• How does your
customer perceive
your brand?
• A NASA expert
answers questions
about the lunar
eclipse.
Dec. 21, 2010, 12-5 a.m. ET | Chat room at capacity (250) within 5 minutes until 4:30 a.m.
3,208 questions received; 2,393 answered | Total of 3,174 chat participants
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17. Twitter Chats
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18. “Let’s just try it”
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19. Take Engagement Offline
• NASA has great
success with inviting
social media fans to in-
person, behind-the-
scenes opportunities
• Events range from two
hours to two days in
length
• Lottery selection #NASATweetup
• Participants pay their #NASASocial
own way www.nasa.gov/social
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20. #NASATweetup Milestones
• Jan 2009: 1st Tweetup
• Nov 2009: 1st of 9
Launch Tweetups
• 7/10 NASA centers
have hosted plus a
facility & an event at the
World Science Festival
• More than 2,800 people
• 34 Tweetups
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21. How Does a Tweetup Help?
• Worldwide in person AND virtual participation
• Tap into the interested follower and make them
feel special
• Participants amplify the message by spreading
the word to their networks
• Building credibility by opening the doors
• “Surround sound” by more “traditional” news
coverage…in more places
• Creating a community of advocates
ENGAGEMENT
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22. Make Events Special and Memorable
Provide unique or exclusive:
Information
Speakers
Access
Setting
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23. Successful Events Rock Logistics
 Short, interactive sessions  Share with online
 Connected (WiFi) audience
 Power
 Tables and chairs
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24. Out of this World:
Moving people from…
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25. Foster the Community…
But Don’t Own the Community
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26. So… Is This Transferable?
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27. Writing for Social Media
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28. Think Differently
Social Media is Not a Press Release
• Social media is a conversation – spend as
much time listening as you do speaking.
• Provide GREAT content that will get people
talking.
• If you start a conversation, participate in it;
don’t start it and walk away.
• Ask for and enable feedback – respond to
mentions on Twitter, comments on blogs,
Facebook, etc.
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29. Social Media Writing Tips
• Good writing is still critical to driving
engagement.
• So is good grammar and style.
“&” is okay but “2” for “to” is not
• More specifically, think headline writing:
keep it succinct and enticing but don’t
oversell
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30. More Social Media Writing Tips
• Facebook ≠ Twitter ≠ Google+
so don’t treat them the same
• Provide links to more info but use a
URL shortener
• On Twitter, at minimum, leave room for
RT @YourHandle
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32. Lessons Learned
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33. Social Media Analytics
• What you analyze should align with your
goals. For NASA, it’s all about engagement.
• NASA measures:
– Popularity (clicks, retweets, shares) of a post
– Response ratio
– Anomalies: what causes a spike or a dip?
• Look for steady, organic growth.
• Quantity results from quality interaction.
• Most popular content: pictures
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35. @schierholz
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