Aberdeen Networking Event Workshop Communications Workshop: Social media communication SMS text messages to motivate walkers Aberdeen Networking Event Workshop

hello A little bit about you What is social media & why is it important See how other organisations benefit from using social media Make a plan for good Social Media use Getting started & thinking about opportunities

What is Social Media Social networks online Places people go to share information & have conversations about their interests Its like other networks – families, friends, clubs, walking groups – but you use your computer (or smartphone) to talk, exchange pictures, news Social Media The tools - Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Blogs, Linked In, Tumblr, Flickr, YouTube, Pinterest

Why is it important? The internet is a social place. Two way communication Opportunity to bring together a lot more people & access a lot more information Because people are using it: to find out info and to communicate (instead of TV, radio, magazines, notice boards) To exchange ideas and have fun, connect with others with similar interests. Businesses & Organisations use it: to engage, inspire, raise awareness and show how they are relevant to their community. Join the conversation

What can we use Social Media for? Communication of our messages Responding to feedback Marketing and advertisement Gaining a better understanding of our supporters / walkers / volunteers Reaching our audience on a more personal and direct level

Which tools to use? Start with the most popular By using these you can immediately tap in to existing groups and networks

Twitter Twitter is a service for people to stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People write short "Tweets" of 140 characters or fewer. These messages are posted to your profile, sent to your followers, and are searchable on Twitter search. In short- It’s a great way to discover what's happening around the world, build new relationships and share information you think is important.

Twitter Tweet: A message posted via Twitter containing 140 characters or fewer Mention: you can mention another user in your Tweet by including the @ sign followed directly by their username is called a "mention". Retweet (RT) The act of forwarding another user's Tweet to all of your followers. Hashtag- The # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users.

Facebook More than 900 million active users 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day More than 3 million active Pages on Facebook More than 1.5 million local businesses have active Pages on Facebook More than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day

Facebook How is it different to a personal page? No chat function You get page insights to see how many people have engaged with you Timeline 8 applications slots People Like your page instead of becoming friends You can pin a post to the top You can ‘Like’ other brand pages

How to go about it? The tone is informal and genuine Individuals and local community organisations need to show a welcoming and real tone of voice. Light hearted and friendly whilst maintaining professionalism. Some examples

Planning Know your objectives, think about your audiences and what you want to say – come and volunteer with us! Research where your audiences are – survey to find out, go to places/pages where they are. Choose a tool to match the audience. Develop a content plan - Look at what other organisations have done. Implement & Sustain the conversation

Content development Things you can talk about include: Activities you’re taking part in e.g. Walk to Work Week Projects/meetings you have e.g. if you meet a councillor Talking about project and successes in your work. Show a positive organisation & a nice place to work/volunteer with Share news of your friends & partners Use your online network to encourage other people to get involved with you.

Develop Networks Organisations & Individuals

What works? Make your post: Timely Relevant Shareable (make people want to tell their friends), ie: • Useful • Interesting Remember to: Include images or video Ask a question Stimulate feedback/comment What worked? Learn, Tweak

Over to you! Come up with 3 ideas for your organisation: Think about your audience Match your audience to content most relevant to their goals, such as, - Health - Environment - Staff, Customer or Volunteer stories - Advocacy (Your cause) 3. How can you connect with Paths for All

Remember It is only one route – not forgetting the others! Quick Ways to Promote your groups Local Press / Community Listings /Stories Networks / Partners / Local Community Word of Mouth Flyers / Poster Websites

Any questions? Anna Mitchell anna@pathsforall.org.uk Twitter @pathsforall