Recommendations for implementing social media for organizations. Presented by Rob Robinson, Director of Social Media at McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations.

1. The Rubber Meets the Road
Implementing Strategies for Social Media
Rob Robinson – McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations
July 30, 2009

2. Why Social Media?
• Is this something I need to be doing?
• Does it make sense for my organization?

3. Why Social Media?
• Do answer the big question: Why?
• Do think about the big picture.
• Don’t get hung up on specific tools or sites.

4. Why Social Media?
• Communication is changing.
• Mainstream is media radically evolving.
• Technology is creating new opportunity.

5. Why Social Media?
• Relevance and visibility.
• High rate of adoption.
• Reach larger audiences.
• Reach more targeted audiences.

6. Pros and Cons
• Traditional media
- Third-party credibility
- Accuracy
- One-way communication
• Social media
- Build your own audience
- Talk directly to your audience
- Dialogue

7. Navigating
the New Communications Landscape
 Align social media with communications strategy
 Engage traditional media, understand constraints
 Understand your target audiences
 “Narrowcast” using new technology, more channels

8. Social Media Tools
•Blogs/Podcasts
•Social Network Sites
•Microblogs
•Content Sharing
•Forums & Discussion Boards
•Social News / Social Bookmarking
•Answer & Review Services

9. Getting Started
 First step: Go play!
 Be willing to learn
 Set up personal profiles to explore

10. Getting Started
 Be honest and open.
 Respect everyone online.
 Read before you write.

11. Getting Started
 Comment about content you see.
 Focus on one or a few sites you like the most.
 Stick with it: Write and comment often.
.

12. Getting Your Organization Started
 Conduct a social media audit
 Your company and industry
 Your team members
 Limit immersion in social media:
 Participate where target audiences already are.
 Resist pressure to be everywhere on the Internet.
 Focus on simple, genuine, two-way communication.

13. Strategy: POST Method
 People
 Objectives
 Strategy
 Tactics and technology

14. Strategy
 Listen first through monitoring services and surveys.
 Include social media in your communications strategy.
 Focus on your target audiences.
 Answer the big questions in advance:
 Whom do you want to reach?
 What do you want them to do?

15. Tactics
 Connect your online and offline activities.
 Provide a variety of ways for response/involvement.
 Give your biggest fans ways to participate.
 Provide source materials as resources.
 Go where the people are online.
 Drive conversation back to your Web site.

16. Measurement
 Set measurable goals
 Traffic, subscribers, updates, retweets, replies
 Don’t compromise authenticity and sincerity.
 Collect feedback.
 Be willing to acknowledge and adjust.

17. Identity
 Define your consistent online presence.
 Brand, style, images and logos.
 Involve real people.
 Content
 Preferred URLs and usernames
 Secure in advance.
 Biographical and company information.
 Web site link(s).
 Contact methods.

18. Before You Launch
 Identify your social media team members.
 Assign one person to “own” individual platforms/sites.
 Personal voice and transparency are critical.
 Evaluate and address your training needs.
 Keep your stakeholders in the loop.
 Internal and external
 Establish company policy and content guidelines.
 Personal and organizational.
 Hold informal discussions with staff.
 Allow them to develop?

19. Before You Launch
 Set up keyword monitoring tools.
 Filtrbox, oneriot.com, tweetbeep.com,
Addict-o-matic, Collecta, etc.
 Keep an eye out for emerging solutions
 Develop and maintain a universal editorial calendar.
 Twitter is a special case.
 Create an Excel spreadsheet with all social media
usernames and passwords.
.

20. Pulling the Trigger
 Set your timeline.
 Announce to key audiences.
 Include social media icons on the Web and in e-mail
communications.
 Evaluate progress
 Daily, weekly, monthly

21. MP&F
Traditional public relations and social media services:
Consulting, strategic planning and implementation
Contact Information:
www.mpf.com
www.facebook.com/mpfpr
(615) 259-4000 or rrobinson@mpf.com
www.thinktrain.net