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TRANSCRIPT
2/9/2014
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Social Media and
Advocacy
SASFAA Annual Conference
February 2014
Topics for Discussion
• Generation Y (Millennial) students
• Social media basics
• How members of Congress use social media
• How can students use social media to
convey their opinions to government
officials?
Generation Y Students
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Gen Y Students Born after 1980
Wanted
Sheltered
Confident
Team Oriented
Conventional
Pressured
Achieving
Tech-Savvy
Gen Y Students The way we interact and seek entertainment is different.
Internet
Mobile phones
iPods
Videos
Online shopping
Social networking
Blogs
2012 Survey Findings for approximately:
1,800 College Students and Workers
Ages 18–30
Cisco Connected World Technology Report. August, 2012
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2012 Survey
Cisco Connected World Technology Report. . August, 2012
• Translated and distributed in 18 countries to gain
approximately 100 completed surveys for each
subgroup in each country
• Countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil,
Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Germany,
Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Turkey, South Africa,
Korea, India, China, Japan, Australia
Survey Says
Cisco Connected World Technology Report. August, 2012
• If they had to choose one device, 1/3 of respondents preferred a smartphone or laptop
• Smartphone was seen as most versatile and compact
• Smartphone was twice as popular as a desktop computer
• Smartphone was three times as popular as a tablet
Smartphone Battles Laptop
Survey Says
Cisco Connected World Technology Report. August, 2012
• 90% of respondents said checking smartphone is an important
part of the morning routine
• Three out of four use smartphone in the bed
• One out of three use smartphone in the bathroom
• Nearly half use smartphone during meals with family and friends
• Almost one out of five text while driving
Part of the Daily Routine
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Survey Says
Cisco Connected World Technology Report. August, 2012
• 60% of respondents compulsively check their
smartphones for emails, texts, or social media updates
o In the US, more than 50% check at least every 30 minutes; two out
of five check at least every 10 minutes
•Nearly 70% said that smartphone apps are important
to their daily life
• 42% would feel anxious, “like a part of me was missing,”
if they couldn’t check their smartphones constantly
Glued to the Hip
Survey Says Social Media
Cisco Connected World Technology Report. August, 2012
• 87% of respondents have a Facebook account; 1 in 10 have Facebook open all of the time
• 41% update Facebook at least once a day; one in five update
Facebook several times a day.
• 56% have a Twitter account
• 21% tweet at least once a day
• Almost 90% upload photos to share or store online
• 62% upload videos to share or store online
Social Media Basics
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What is Social Media?
Two-way communication vehicle
Interactive conversation
Sharing of user-generated content
Popular Social Media Sites
Popular Social Media Sites
Social networking site that allows information sharing
among friends and fans
Micro blogging service that allows users to send and
read short messages
A place to discover, watch, upload, and share videos
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Popular Social Media Sites
Allows users to edit and share photos and videos,
mostly via mobile device
Users maintain their own site, posting written articles,
photos, videos, and more (…and other blog
platforms)
Did you know? • Facebook has more than 1.15 billion users; 819 million
are mobile users
• There are more than 50 million Facebook pages
• Twitter has more than 550 million active users
• 43% of Twitter users use their phone to tweet
• More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each
month
• For every minute that goes by, about 100 hours of
video are uploaded to YouTube
• More than 25% of the world’s YouTube views come
from mobile devices
Did you know?
(…and other blog
platforms)
• 150 million monthly active users
• 55 million photos shared daily
• The average Tumblr visit is 14 minutes
• 66% of visitors are under 35
• 56% of visitors have at least some college
education
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Congress and Social
Media
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Congress and Social Media • Senators and Representatives from both parties have
quickly adopted social media
• Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the most used platforms
– Instagram, blogs also popular
• Memebers of Congress are devoting more time and
resources to their digital presence
• 98% of Congress is using at least one social media platform,
and 72% use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
• SASFAA states
– 100% of Congressmen and Senators use at least one social media
platform, and 91% use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Why Congress Uses Social Media
• Offers fast, easy, cheap, and efficient way to
communicate with a large number of people
• Increase interaction with voters (and public)
• Used most to relay their position on issues
Why Congress Uses Social Media
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How It’s Being Used
• Traditional forms of communication are still
preferred, but social media is now essential
• Almost two-thirds of staffers see Facebook as an
important source for understanding constituents’
opinions; Twitter and YouTube as well
• Current usage is still more “megaphone” than
“conversation”
Effect of Social Media
• Has changed the nature of democratic dialogue
– Americans are more engaged in debate
• Easier to express opinion
• Congressmen and their staffers have better access
to public opinion
• Congressmen revealing more of their personality
• Members of Congress have pages instead of
profiles
• Primarily communicate through newsfeed (as
opposed to messages or writing on a wall)
– Not many replies to comments, posts by public
• Used significantly more when posting information
about district or state affairs, official action, and
media appearances
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• Members of Congress have verified accounts so
that impersonators can be identified
• Used significantly more than Facebook
• More responsive platform
• Number of posts on Twitter almost double that of
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• Also allows members of Congress to register with an
official account
• Mainly used to show congressman in action or
delivering a message to constituents
– Speeches, events, etc.
• Comments not frequently utilized
• Mainly used to show congressman in action
– Speeches, events, etc.
• Lighter subjects
• Not a lot of responding to comments
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• Can go into more depth about positions on issues,
news, etc.
• Good way to combine visuals and information
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Social Media and
Student Advocacy
How can social media aid student
advocacy?
• One of the fastest, easiest ways to deliver message
to members of Congress
• Can be used to form communities of like-minded
citizens
• Good platform for using images and videos to tell
stories with an emotional impact
• Good way to remain educated on relevant issues
and their representatives’ positions
Disadvantages of social media
• Not every member of congress puts the same
weight in social media
– Staffers 30 and younger more likely to feel social media
is worthwhile than those 51+
– Those who bought into social media early are more likely
to see its benefits, worry less about information being
taken out of context or being leaked prematurely, and feel
it provides a meaningful perception of constituent views
– Younger congress members use social media more, on
average
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Disadvantages of social media
• Congressmen receive many messages through
social media
– A single post may be lost in the shuffle
– Since 2002, congressional offices have seen a 200 to 1000 percent
increase in all types of communication, but Congress hasn’t
increased members’ staff size since 1979
• Congress members have to decide for themselves
how to value input from different sources
– Most staffers rely more on tangible forms of interaction with
constituents, like attending events, phone calls, office hours, etc.
Pair Social Media with Physical Action
• Use to build community (small or large) and
conversation
• Organize meetings/events
– Online or in person
• Mobilize other supporters to write letters, make
phone calls, take other forms of action
• We the People
– Can create online petitions
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Participate in Community
• More likely to garner attention from Congress
members working with others
• Use hashtags (especially on Twitter) to take part in a
larger public discussion
– Especially during events, relevant legislative happenings
• Hashtags, tag/mention speakers
• Participate in or host regularly scheduled Twitter
conversations
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Interacting with Congress Members
• Be professional and respectful
• Use proper grammar and spelling
• Do not post personal attacks on public figures or
false information about person or legislation
– Could damage future dialogue
• Linking to or posting rich content (videos, photos,
infographics) makes a post more effective
• Members of Congress pay more attention to their
own constituents, when identifiable
Interacting with Congress Members
• Timing
– Members make around 70% of their posts on Facebook
and Twitter while in-session
– Peaks occur during heightened legislative activity
– Decline over weekends
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Interacting with Congress Members
• Facebook – Don’t make posts to long
– Post on wall or comment on member’s post
• Some members hide wall posts
• Use whichever is more visible
– Mention congress member
– Mention or reply to congress member
• If you reply with handle at the beginning, tweet will only be visible to that person;
put punctuation before handle so everyone can see (if you want)
– Use relevant hashtags
• Share experiences and message in blog (Tumblr), video (YouTube), or photo (Instagram)
Questions
Thank you!
Contact information:
Dana Kelly
National Trainer
Nelnet Education Loan Servicing
336.848.6441
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Sources
• Congress + Social Media
• #SocialCongress
• Tweetocracy: How and Why Congress Uses Social Media
• Congress and Social Media: Use of Twitter and Facebook by
Senators and Congressmen
• 8 Tips on the Effective Use of Social Media for Social Good
• Social Media and Mobile Advocacy
• How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Spark Change
• 20 Tumblr Stats Marketers Can’t Ignore
• Instagram Statistics