http://www.slideshare.net/mzkagan/what-the-fk-social-media

Social Media Seminar for Development Educators

Part 1: Social Media Basics

How are these websites being used for social change?

On Road Media•Is an award-winning social enterprise•We deliver training to communities and public & voluntary sector organisations•We teach people how to podcast, make video blogs and set up their own social networks

We help people find ways to communicate their messages and stay in

touch online

Static sites were web 1.0

Blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networks...

...any site where ordinary people create content, network and socialise...

= web 2.0

BLOGS

Blogs – the basics

• A blog is a special kind of website that organizes articles or “posts” by date or subject, and allows readers to comment

• Blogs are usually less formal and more dynamic than a normal website

• Good blogs invite comments and discussion and repeat visits

• Search engines like blogs!

Let’s hear it for the blog

• http://www.openforum.com/marketing/video_hearitfortheblog.html

• www.concern.net

Organisation blogs

Children’s blogs

Starting a blog

• Read some blogs yourself, then try a free blog tool for yourself

- www.blogger.com- www.wordpress.com- www.typepad.comThe best blogs are honest, interesting,

useful and consistent – not an easy taskAsk yourself: Do I have the resources to

make a good blog? Is a bad blog worth it?

MICRO BLOGGING

What is Twitter?

• www.twitter.com• “Twitter is a service for friends,

family and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”

• Yeah – I didn’t get it either – at first

Twitter is a lot of conversations

Why is Twitter popular?

• It’s like instant messaging or text messaging but to a huge group

• Oddly enough, communication happens and communities form in tiny bursts

• It’s quite addictive…

Starting with Twitter

• Sign up, it’s free• At first, you’ll see almost nothing• Start “following” people• Participate – say something, ask a

question, respond to others’ questions

PHOTOS

AUDIO / PODCASTS

VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiRjAXEvnsI

SOCIAL NETWORKS

What is Facebook?

• Facebook is a “social utility”• People “live” online there• It’s not just for kids (half of you are

there!)• The average Facebook user views 45

pages during a session• There are different kinds of FB pages:

personal, groups, companies or organisations like yours

Starting with Facebook

• Sign up for a personal account• Find your friends, look at what

they are doing • Join some groups• Search with keywords relating to

your organisation’s mission• Start contributing and creating

Everything is on Facebook

RSS – Really Simple Syndication

This is what powers social media technology

To keep in the game, organisations MUST:

• Let go• Facilitate conversations, don’t control

them• Involve people, don’t ‘own’ your cause• Allow people to get involved: Student or

employee on social network does not equal messer!

• Try things and be patient• Aggregate content for your audience

What’s so different about web 2.0?

• It is fundamentally different from previous forms of media

• Social media platforms provide a framework for people to connect directly to each other – the architecture has permanently changed, though technologies will continue to evolve

• People are using social media to glean information from each other without relying on organisations

• This shift is permanent! Get involved or lose out!

This doesn’t mean we replace offline activity

The best users of social media blend online and

offline activity• Example: If you’re running an awareness

event for your students or organisation• Create a network or start a group around the

event• Write blog posts in the run up to the event• Invite people to post their own photos onto

your site, ask them to post their feedback etc• Those who took part will feel like part of a

team• Those who couldn’t be there will feel like they

haven’t missed out

Setting expectations

• Social media isn’t a miracle cure• It may take a long time for your

social media investment to pay off• It might even never pay off in the

way you originally intended

Social Media is one tool

• Don’t overinvest in social media• Know your audiences (current and

future) and court them appropriately• If you neglect conventional media,

you might leave out your core audience / supporters

• Don’t underinvest in social media either

One more warning

• In social media, you might be the topic of discussion but you’re not always the centre or the master of it

• You will have to give up some control to gain more followers and influence. This is OK.

Relaxing your grip

• It’s the nature of social media that not all information is exactly right but the bulk of it is generally right (see wikipedia)

• Not all comments will be favourable• How you react to unfavourable comments

says a lot about you• Pick your battles and don’t be afraid to

apologise when you’re wrong

Keys to success

• Social Media is just one piece of the puzzle, don’t neglect the rest

• One size doesn’t fit all, do what’s right for your organisation and your people

• Keep experimenting and always test• You will give up some control – learn

to live with it and learn to love it

Savvy Chavvy & the power of bespoke social networks

Savvy Chavvy

• A social network for young Gypsies and Travellers in the UK

• 3500 members• Won the first Catalyst Communities

award in July 2008• ‘Chavvy’ is a Romany word for

‘child’

Savvy Chavvy

• Young Travellers use the network as a safe place to learn, have discussions, find family members, make friends and arrange events

Rosina Hughes is 17 from Wareham, Dorset. She says:

• "It's great to have a site where you feel comfortable and safe discussing these things”

• "They have Gypsy hate groups, so it's important that we have our own space."

• “You're all dirty” and “you're all scum”, are some of the racist responses she says she has received on other social networking sites.

You can set up your own network for your community or

organisation by using free networks like:

• www.ning.com• www.webjam.com

We set Savvy Chavvy up using Ning

Some examples of other bespoke social networks

• http://heartsounds.ning.com • Hundreds of people in the UK with mental health problems

use the network to share information with professionals and other service users in Uganda

• www.harringayonline.com• 2500 residents of this town in London use it to share

information, launch campaigns and build community spirit • www.tudiabetes.com • Over 6000 people with diabetes use the network to

support each other and share information

TOP TEN TIPSto set up a network on Ning

• Firstly, you need to consider the purpose of your network – who will be your members and why will they use this website above others? What need does your network address?

Set Up

• Go to www.ning.com and set up your network, choosing a catchy name and Ning web address. It’s very simple; all you need is an email address and it takes a couple of minutes

Privacy

• Choose how public or private it is going to be – can everyone on the web see and contribute to your network or will it be closed and private for your members only?

Tagline

• Give your network a tagline and short description - what’s it all about? The tagline should consist of one pithy sentence, E.g. www.savvychavvy.com: ‘A social network for young Gypsies and Travellers in the UK’

Features

• Next, add features to your network. You can drag and drop functions like ‘forum’, ‘chat’, ‘blog’, ‘video’ & ‘photos’ into the front page.

• You might, for example, place the ‘forum’ function prominently in the middle of the page if having discussions is the main purpose of your network

Design

• Choose a design – Ning will give you lots of templates to choose from and you can customize one with your own choice of images, fonts and colours

Content

• Your network is now ready for content – help to define the network’s identity by starting discussions, posting photos, adding videos etc that are relevant to the purpose of the website

People

• Invite people to the network – start by inviting relevant people and welcoming them by writing a note on their pages.

• If you’re trying to attract a certain community don’t send out blanket invites to attract a volume of members – the quality and relevance of your members is what will help it grow and develop into a sustainable space.

• You can support this by writing your own relevant joining up questions

Engage

• Keep the community active and interested – once you have a working network, keep your members engaged by making small changes to the site, adding new content and sending them relevant information (without spamming them with constant messages!)

Extras

• Ning is free but you can purchase optional services like the removal of ads, the ability to use your own domain name and extra storage

PART 2: PODCASTING

Sareena is a 21-year old British Asian who is taking part in a scheme to encourage more ethnic minorities to become magistrates

Richie’s in prison for the first time; 3 and a half years for GBH. He’s making an audio diary about real life on the inside

It’s polling day in the local elections – we’ve been to Hammersmith in West London to find out how people have been voting

1) Guardian daily news podcast – Presenter John Denis interviews the Guardian’s political editor, Patrick Wintour about the Conservative Party Conference.

2) Mark Williams, the ex offender who has been burgled himself, returns to Wandsworth Prison to speak to former cellmates.

PART 3: VIDEO BLOGGING

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/wine/article2900489.ece

Contact nathalie@onroadmedia.org.u

kTwitter @natmc

www.onroadmedia.org.uk