public sector social media survival guide

Social Media Survival for u.S . Public Sector ProfeSSionalS

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YOu shAPE YOuR sTRATEGY

NEvER GETTING sTARTED

NO GuTs. NO GLORY.

BOOKFACED, BLOGROLLED, AND TWITTERPATED there’s a conversation taking shape in the u.S. Public Sector. it’s about social media, it’s within social media, and like all things social, it’s happening now. How do you join? the rules are simple. there are no rules. but strategy means survival, so we’re offering guidelines on how to think like a native to any network—and tips on how to build your own.

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NO ONE Is BORN AN ALPhAas the name suggests, social media requires social skills. but minding your manners isn’t just about p’s and q’s. the biggest faux pas is trying to broadcast a message before you’re part of the conversation. better to warm up with a few edits on wikis that you use. comment on threads in full swing. test the waters. that way, you know what works, who infl uences who, and how others are approaching your topic.

TIP FOR GOvERNMENT PROs: GOvLOOP

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3

Sign up at GovLoop.com

Go to Groups

Join Microsoft Productivity for Government

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FOLLOW BEFORE YOu LEAD

INCOMPLETE PROFILEs

GO TO YOuR AuDIENCE

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sTATus TWEETs ARE ThE NEW sPAMFacebook friends, they want your status. followers on Twitter? they’re hungry for news and opinions. each channel puts its own spin on social, and knowing something about it helps you strategize. the best way to learn is to listen. then ask yourself, what are your goals? brand awareness is different from engagement. Boosting traffic is not like targeting a specific organization. if you have photos, videos, and events, you’ll want a robust profile. Announcements only? 140-character bursts may be all that’s required.


Set a goal Select a channel determine metrics

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NO TWO NETWORKs ARE ALIKE

JOINING TOO MANY NETWORKs AT ONCE

KNOW YOuR AuDIENCE

TIP FOR EvERYONE: sTRATEGY sTARTERs

GOAL GOAL

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YOu REAP WhAT YOu sAYPost frequently. Stay timely. be credible. Your blog is only as interesting as your latest post. And you should fact-check as often as you spell-check. But there’s no formula. The perfect combination of length, content, and tone will vary from channel to channel and sector to sector. need a hand? there’s also no rule against teaming up with colleagues. free applications like Co-Tweet help you do just that.

Join at Educause.eduGo to Community

contribute to Discussion Groups

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RE-TWEETING Is NICE AND EAsY

BROKEN LINKs

NDA’s sTILL APPLY

TIP FOR EDuCATION PROs: EDuCAusE


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KNOW WhEN NOT TO sELLthe u.S. Government is using social media to enhance transparency. in healthcare, online support groups are growing. Educators are finding new ways to engage. The conversation might live in a world of banner ads and sponsored blogs, but social media has never been about the dotted line. it’s about people connecting, sharing, providing value and earning trust. learn what your audience really cares about.

Qualtrics.com Zoomerang.com NetReflector.com

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DO OR DIE

YOuR AuDIENCE Is INuNDATED

ADDING TO ThE NOIsE

sPAM AND GET BANNED

TIP FOR EvERYONE: POLL FOR ThEIR REAL NEEDs

1 2 3OPTION OPTION OPTION

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IT’s NOT ALL ABOuT YOuin fact, it’s not about you at all. on any social network, you matter most as a bridge—from one idea or news story to the next, from person to person, and from problem to solution. the more you connect people with content they value, the more they’ll use you as a resource. and sometimes, the solution they come looking for is you.


visit DailyStrength.com

See how Web 2.0 helps people

Join in and support

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GET BEYOND MICROsOFT

OvER-hYPING YOuR PRODuCT

TAKE AN INTEREsT IN OThERs

TIP FOR hEALThCARE PROs: DAILYsTRENGTh

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ThERE’s ALWAYs AN ALTERNATIvEOne day your customers are flocking to Twitter. Next thing, they’re behind a firewall. Your job is to stay flexible and test alternatives, like optimizing content for mobile. and you’re not alone. Microsoft is actively innovating for the u.S. Public Sector with platforms like the Gov 2.0 Kit for SharePoint® 2010 and TownHall built on Windows®

azure™. Many of your customers are new to social media. they’ll try new things, and you can be the shining example.

use Windows Live™ Spaces

install a WordPress plugin Start an RSS feed

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ExPECT A FEW sETBACKs

TOO MuCh sTRuCTuRE

ADAPT TO NEW REGuLATIONs

TIP FOR EvERYONE: PhONE-FRIENDLY BLOGGING


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TOOLs ExIsT FOR A REAsONSocial media is human. and humans need tools. as soon as you branch out from a single channel, you’re trying to do too much if you’re doing it without an aggregator. to connect your inbox with social networks, there’s nothing simpler than Social Connector for Outlook 2010. Or to integrate across networks, try one of the many free dashboards for web, phone, and desktop.

Hootsuite.com Netvibes.com TweetDeck.com

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shRINK LINKs WITh BIT.LY

sETTLING FOR COMPLExITY

PRIORITIzE YOuR FEEDs

TIP FOR EvERYONE: FREE DAshBOARDs


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YOu CAN’T BEAT GOOD Buzzthe easiest way to measure success is on your own page. first establish your baseline. then gauge growth relative to your goals. How many people visit? do they pick up your rSS feed? leave comments? analytics tools like Alexa let you measure your own properties, but word of mouth can travel far. there was a time when you just had to trust it. now you can track it with applications like LookingGlass from Microsoft® advertising.

Meteorsolutions.com Ubervu.com Radian6.com

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YOu CAN MEAsuRE WORD OF MOuTh

AssEssING ROI ONLY

sET A BENChMARK FIRsT

TIP FOR EvERYONE: TRACK WORD-OF-MOuTh


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NEvER shOOT ThE MEssENGERGrace under fire can earn you more followers than one bad comment will ever lose. it might feel like the whole world is watching, but remember social media is about dialogue. So embrace criticism. Share it within your organization. respond publicly and you’ll ensure the re-tweets are in your favor.


choose a forum

Post the problem

read every response

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TIP FOR EvERYONE: CROWDsOuRCE A REsOLuTION

GOOD TO KNOW

COMMON PITFALL

AuDIENCE FEEDBACK Is CRITICAL

IGNORING ThE NEGATIvE

GET COMFY WITh CRITICIsM

DO OR DIE

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GROW YOuR COMMuNITY ORGANICALLYSocial media should be a natural extension of your traditional marketing and communications campaigns. You can solicit testimonials through surveys. Drive traffic from a YouTube channel to your blog. or it could be as simple as installing share buttons on your static Web content. Your readers can pass on your insights. You can attract more readers.

Wibiya.com toolbar Bar.Meebo.com toolbarTweetmeme.com re-tweet buttons

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sOCIAL Is ONE PIECE OF ThE PuzzLE

DEAD-ENDCONvERsATIONs

CONNECT YOuR CAMPAIGNs

DO OR DIE


TIP FOR EvERYONE: shARE BuTTONs

public sector social media survival guide

Technology