The first of two training presentations on using social media for youth practitioners and organisations. This first video looks at some general hints, tips and guidance about how to begin to establish an online social media presence.
These presentations were created by Josh Harsant, Associate Youth Engagement Specialist at Challis-Dixey Associates, for the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS), who funded the training session.
www.ncvys.org.uk
www.challis-dixey.co.uk
3. Why
#socialmedia
?
•The question of how not if
• Moving from monologue to
dialogue
• The influence of other users
• The lasting effect of publishing
online
Progress
4. Why
#socialmedia
?
It’s not a short lived craze...
... it’s a fundamental (and
necessary) shift in the
way
we communicate
with
Progress
7. We’ll be
xploring...
Progress ... and a few more!
8. • An Event
• Recruiting to the event
• ... Some hidden extras
Progress
9. An Event
Establishing a #socialmedia
presence...
Progress
10. An Event
Stage 1 –
Establishing a booking forum
Progress
11. An Event
Is this your office before and
after an event?
Progress
12. An Event
• Online booking form
• Making booking simple
• It’s all automated!
Progress
13. An Event
Whose done it right?
The British Youth
Council
Progress
14. An Event
Stage 2 –
Establishing a #hashtag
Progress
15. An Event
Language is always evolving. It's difficult
to read Shakespeare now because
language has shifted. Similarly, kids these
days can get to the point really quick in
about 140 characters or less because of
these new tools.
- Erik Qualman, Socionomist
Progress
But, what is a #hashtag?
29. Recruiting to the event
Be proactive
Whosedone itright?
The Post Office
Progress
30. Recruiting to the event
Consider
tone
Whose done it right?
O2 UK
Progress
31. Recruiting to the event
Keep it Whose done it right?
current UKYP
Progress
32. Recruiting to the event
Be
creative
Whose done
it right?
Progress
UKYP
33. Recruiting to the event
Work Whose done it right?
Progress together The NYA
34. Recruiting to the event
Whose done it right?
Networking and NCVYS
partnership
Progress
35. Recruiting to the event
Homemade is fine
Give it 2 minutes
Describe it clearly and
tag it Start a series to build
interest
Use your other #socialmedia
channels
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36. Recruiting to the event
Whose done it right?
vinspired
36,952
video
views in
one year
Progress
38. ... Some hidden extras!
or something
similar....
• Measures impact and
impression
• Really strong evidence
• Compares and ranks you to
others in your field / sector
Progress
45. Some parting
hints and tips...
• Audience
• Language
• Channel selection
• Measure your impact
Progress
• Connect your channels
46. Some things
to think about
Use the
Pretend
doesn’t exist
Set the scene
Let the
audience lead
Progress
47. Social
Media A Masterclass
Challis Dixey
Associates
Email - josh@challis-dixey.co.uk
Tweet - @Challis_Dixey
Editor's Notes
“We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.” Everyone is moving to an online environment of working – how online-savvy are you? If you’re not, is there any guarantee you won’t be left behind? Long story short: the train will leave the station and continue it’s journey, whether you board it or not...78% of people trust the recommendations of other consumers.The old communication model was a monologue – telling people; broadcasting one way messages, e.g. Leaflets, posters, adverts The new communication model is dialogue – interaction between people (engagement), e.g. Responsive communication, active discussionSocial media ”is only going to become persuasive and as such, become a critical factor in the success or failure of any business.”How many of you turn to consumer reviews before purchasing something? And how often are those from Twitter, Facebook or something similar?Think about young people – peer pressure and peer influence are major parts of their development – online is just another arm.Once something is published online, it’s out there in public – people will remember. Though they might not engage, they will have seen it, even briefly or in passing.
Using social media and online tools at a Youth ConferenceEventbrite - establishing the booking forumTwitter - establishing a Hashtag and a twitter followingFacebook - establishing a presence (i.e. a page)
Using social media to recruit young people to the event: (including Twitter, facebook, BBM, email signatures and YouTube)Twitter - promoting the projectFacebook - promoting the project and establishing a presence (i.e. a page)BBM - create a group to broadcast messages/updatesEmail signatures - adding a publicity message at the bottomYouTube - creating promo videos (use examples from NCVYS members)
Don’t wait for your target audience to find you. Search for key terms, and respond appropriately. (Do not however send a ‘generic’ message. People will think you are spamming them.)
Don’t feel you need to be formal all the time. Adjust your tone appropriately to the person involved. Make your message is personable and if appropriate add humour.
Are there any current ‘hot topics’ that are relevant to your event? Use the topic to attract a new audience or spark conversation. This could include using a hash tag that is trending or promoted.
Words aren’t always enough. Create something appealing that your audience will want to share. (Include twitter restrictions on 140 characters – image offers MORE SPACE!)
Informal partnerships can be very useful in social media. Calling organisations with similar audiences and speaking to the communications team is all that may be needed to get some support.
Tip # 1 – Homemade is just fineYou don’t need to hire a professional. A homemade quality video can work great. But plan ahead and shoot several takes to get it right.Tip #2 –Your video should be no longer then 2 minutes (preferably less)Think very short. Although YouTube will accept a video that is less than 10 minutes, smaller than 100MB try to make the video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.Tip #3 -- Make your description clear and specific.To best promote your video, you'll want its text description on YouTube to be accurate and interesting. Use descriptive keywords and language that people will find when they search for videos like yours. And use the correct categorizations on YouTube so people will find it.Tip #5 – Try a series of similar videos to build interestSometimes a series of videos works great. The Blendtec Will it Blend? videos are a perfect example. The even sell t-shirts now!Tip #6 – Tell everyone about your video!When upload your first few videos, you are likely to hear a deafening silence. You'll be waiting for comments, but none will come. You'll check your video statistics and be disappointed by the tiny number of viewers. Don’t get discouraged. It takes time to build an audience. Make sure people know it is there and can find it. Create links to your video from your home page, product pages, or online media room. Mention your video in your e-mail or offline newsletters, and create links to your video as part of your e-mail signature and those of other people in your organization. Tip # 7 – make sure bloggers know about the videoSending a link to the video to bloggers or commenting on other people's blogs (and including a link to your video) is a good way to build an audience. If you comment on blogs in the same space as yours, you might be surprised at how quickly you will get viewers to your video.Tip #8 – Experiment a lot to find something that hitsWhile I think it is difficult to purposely create viral marketing buzz, it is certainly possible. Create a number of campaigns and see what hits, then nurture the winners along. Think like a venture capitalist or movie studio and try a number of things in order to get that elusive hit.
Using social media for some hidden extras! Measuring impact and impressionSpreading your message widelyIncreasing followers and friends - a new networkProviding a chance for young people to feedback and initiate the event
Email signatures.... Bulletins... Newsletters
Using BBM – is that the elephant in the room?Look at the issue of BBM during the riots – it was blamed... Imagine if we used it positively!
AudienceWho/Where are they? What is their personality like? How/Where do they consume? How/Where do they engage? Language Words – use real words, avoid jargon, sector-words or cliches... They’re nice, but don’t hit the audience as effectively as the straightforward word. Description – appeal to your audience... Think of the M&S method... It’s not just a [whatever], it’s a [adjective x5] M&S [whatever] Clarity – be clear and leave no room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation... And proof read!! Authenticity – stick to your organisational values and make it evident in your tweets: don’t tweet/re-tweet trash! Passion – believe in what you do, be enthusiastic... Be human, not a corporate robot! People like real tweeters!! Channel selection What social media channel will you use? What is your aim and which channel will provide the best results? Measure your impact Use TweetReach or the like to analyse how responsive the online environment is to your social media presence.Connect your channels – link them all – facebook to twitter to youtube – less work for you, higher impact among your audience
Pretendgoogle doesn’t existDon’t assume your audience has the time to ‘Google’ your event or organisation. Make it easy by providing a link to more information Use buzz wordsEncourage your audience to share. Using key words like ‘tag’ on Facebook or ‘retweet’ on twitter are simple examples! Encourage interaction with you!! Set the scene Answerthe questions: Where are you? How can your online audience get involved? Use the element of surprise – be spontaneous! Don’t feel because the office day has ended or its a Sunday that you can’t post. Seeing is believing - Post pictures! Sounds simple but ‘seeing is believing’. Sharing pictures with your audience will help tell your story. Let the audience lead - Reward your guests for sharing what is happening with the world or interaction with you!