Introduction to Social Media Cindy Royal, Ph.D Associate Professor Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication slideshare.net/cindyroyal
Social is here to stay 73% of online adults use a social media platform of some kind. 42% use multiple platforms Facebook is the most prevalent with 71% of online adults Different sites skew toward different niches or demographics Facebook has high levels of engagement; 63% visit once a day; 40% visit multiple times per day. Instagram and Twitter also have highly engaged users, although smaller user bases. update-2013/
And mobile is key Smartphone users are young (18-29; 83%), educated (college; 71%) and have high incomes (81% make $75k+) 58% of American adults have a smartphone; 42% own a tablet 34% of cell Internet users go online MOSTLY via their phone. 9% of adults have texted a charitable donation from their phone While overall charitable giving in the U.S. grew 4.9% in 2013, online giving grew 13.5%. Sixty-two percent of Generation Y donors said they would contribute to charitable causes by mobile phone. sheet/
Blogger and Wordpress both allow you to add pages that make it more like a Website. Blogger is a bit simpler. WP more professional. Tumblr is also very popular, for its visual nature and ability to follow. Start a Blog Blogging allows you to tell stories, engage in thought leadership, have a focal point for your activities.
Facebook Facebook is a fun place to share with friends One of the most popular social media platforms Companies, brands and celebrities use Facebook to connect with fans
Twitter Twitter is free and simple Allows you to develop your brand, engage with followers Use widgets to repurpose to your Web site or blog. New content all the time. Respond to questions Retweet interesting items Tweet blog content Desktop and mobile applications
Photos and Visuals Instagram - add filters to photos (Facebook purchased in 2013) Pinterest – another visual platform; pin items; grouping Tumblr – a blogging platform that relies heavily on the visual (Yahoo purchased in 2013) Other photo sharing sites still exist like Picasa and Flickr Selfie crazy!
Video Use your phone Learn to use simple editing software like iMovie or Windows MovieMaker YouTube UStream
Go Mobile Find apps that will allow you to expand your social media activities News apps help you stay in touch Twitter apps – allow you to Tweet when you are on the go. Qik and Ustream – live stream video from phone
LinkedIn Your LinkedIn profile can connect you to thousands of professionals Search for connections at companies of interest Create a LinkedIn profile that reflects your interests and background much like a resume Include your Website on your LinkedIn profile
Location-based Foursquare (NYC) Location as part of other apps, like Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Share location, photos with friends Get tips and recommendations Locations can provide incentives to users Integration with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.
Messaging WhatsApp GroupMe Threema, Line SnapChat Whisper, Secret
Analytics Use Google Analytics or those associated with your blog platform to get information about users, locations, link referrals, etc.
Future Wearables Virtual reality Data Drones Platforms in media Second-screen engagement Coding for everyone Sharing economy Bitcoin, cryptocurrency
Brands and Social
Leveraging Social Be where your customers, clients, users are – may require presence in multiple spaces Develop social strategy to integrate messaging Engagement Make sure everyone knows their role, their responsibilities Don’t leave social to an intern or a pr company – voice must be authentic Seek inspiration from others, follow other organizations and brands Stay up-to-date conceptually Try new things, have fun!
Resources SXSW Interactive Read Tech blogs like Mashable, Read Write Web, TechCrunch, SmashingMag, 10,000 Words, Wired. Tech section of NY Times and FastCompany.com Online Journalism Review Archives - ojr.org Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins The Long Tail and Free by Chris Anderson Digital Riptide – digitalriptide.org KPCB Internet Trends – Pew Internet – pewinternet.org Non Profit Resources 50 Non Profit Statistics – research/50-fascinating-nonprofit-statistics/ Blackbaud Charitable Giving – resources/charitablegiving Blackbaud Generational Giving – giving-report