1. Using social media for advocacy Moving beyond #hashtagactivism (but using that too)

2. What is social media? Social media is a lot of things. It’s job boards. Crowd-funding sites. Massively Multiplayer Online games. Video swapping platforms. And on and on and on

3. Social network Social networks thenSocial networks now

4. Why?

5. People use it Because we’re increasingly online. Nearly 3 in every 4 people in the United States use social networking sites according to the Pew Research Center. The rates are higher for younger people, with roughly nine out of 10 people between the ages of 18 and 29 actively engaged in social media.

6. Age is the only divider Social media use cuts across gender, education and income lines. The only significant difference is age. Many of these younger members prefer to get their news and information over social networks to the exclusion of other media.

7. ISEA members get their information from social media more than other sources Social media platforms scored the highest on a survey of Iowa State Education Association members. Social media: 3.16 UniServ or unit newsletters: 3.00 My building rep: 2.97 ISEA website: 2.94 The Communique: 2.93

8. But you have to promote it

9. A scenario So how do we use social media to support public education advocacy?

10. Start with the popular ones

11. The actions 38% of those who use social networking sites (SNS) or Twitter use those social media to “like” or promote material related to politics or social issues that others have posted 35% of social media users have used the tools to encourage people to vote. There is not notable variance among different age groups on this activity.

12. The actions 34% of social media users have used the tools to post their own thoughts or comments on political and social issues. 33% of social media users have used the tools to repost content related to political or social issues that was originally posted by someone else.

13. The actions 31% of social media users have used the tools to encourage other people to take action on a political or social issue that is important to them. 28% of social media users have used the tools to post links to political stories or articles for others to read.

14. The actions 21% of those who use SNS or Twitter belong to a group on an SNS that is involved in political or social issues, or that is working to advance a cause. 20% of social media users have used the tools to follow elected officials and candidates for office.

15. Again, the younger you are the more likely it is you do this

16. Back to the scenario It’s a year out from contract negotiations. When negotiations start you’ll want membership that is both informed and committed. You can use social media to build that base now.

17. Start with a Facebook Facebook is the hugely popular social media site which reported 1.3 billion users as of Jan. 7, 2015. Users can upload text, photos and videos to their pages by posting. The more “likes” and “shares” a Facebook post gets, the wider the post will spread on your network

18. Tips Keep your page public. You can set up a private page which only allows people to see it if they are invited & gives a false sense of security. Post news and information regularly. Try for something new at least twice a week. Stumped for content? Grab something from the ISEA Facebook page.

19. Home base Think of your local Facebook page as your Sunday paper or a magazine. It’s the place members can see the latest news and information, member photos and events.

20. Cleaning the rock

21. 4,700+ views

22. Posting Dos Do post pictures of members engaged in activities. Make sure you use cutlines to describe what’s going on in the photos. Do link to articles and content from outside sources that are interesting and relevant to your work as a local association. Do share information from the ISEA Facebook page.

23. Posting Don’ts Don’t post vice pictures (drinking, gambling, etc…) Don’t engage in personal arguments online – some things are better left to phone calls or a face-to-face chat. Don’t mistake your local page for your personal page. Be very wary of memes, sarcasm, etc…

24. Scenario Meanwhile, you’ll also want to start your Twitter account. Twitter is a microblog that allows users to post 140-character “tweets” and allows people users to organize tweets using hashtags

25. #Hashtag activism

26. #bringbackourgirls

27. It works “Missouri would have convinced you that we did not exist if it were not for social media. The intensity with which they responded to protestors very early—we were able to document that and share it quickly with people in a way that we never could have without social media.” DeRay Mckesson

28. Obama & Romney agree

29. A study of 2012 presidential twitter The presidential campaigns used Twitter primarily to influence the journalists using the platform, both in terms of what they were tweeting about and what they produced for other mediums. Both planned their tweets around major political events. Campaigns worked to create a “climate of opinion” on Twitter that was favorable to their candidate.

30. Twitter Dos Incorporate Twitter into your news distribution program. Retweet information that supports your position and information your followers find valuable – especially if it has a deadline Link to content where folks can find more Retweet ISEA tweets

31. Twitter Don’ts Don’t get into twitter fights. Don’t try to be funny. Most of us aren’t Don’t use your local account as a personal account. Remember you’re representing the organization.

32. Scenario Bringing it together. You’ve built a following of members on your Facebook and members and journalists on your Twitter. Negotiations are approaching but things don’t look like they’ll be easy.

33. Your Facebook Your Facebook page is your Sunday paper. You can go in-depth. Use your Facebook to provide members with information about the issues at stake. Answer their questions in comments, but don’t get into personal attacks. Use Facebook to provide information about upcoming meetings. Although you can go in-depth, keep posts short. Split up topics into digestible bites. Use images

34. Red For instance, during the Chicago Teacher’s strike, the teacher’s union encouraged members to wear red in a show of solidarity and posted those photos on their Facebook

35. Your Twitter Your Twitter is an AP feed: Just the headlines Use your Twitter to get news out to members and media, in addition to traditional methods Use it to remind people of upcoming dates and deadlines Establish a hashtag for your efforts.

36. #wholestory For example, during the Chicago teacher’s strike, the union responded to a negative Chicago Tribune series by creating the #wholestory hashtag where supporters tweeted about their positive experiences with teachers which arnered more than 5 million impressions and was the #1 trending topic in the Chicago area for the weeks surrounding the strike

37. Off-site microsite

38. Moving beyond If it gets hairy you should consider and off- site micro site to focus specifically on this issue. Use your existing social media to direct people to the site Identifies it as a separate campaign

39. Go Deeper “Seizing the moment: The presidential campaigns’ use of Twitter during the 2012 electoral cycle” https://danielkreiss.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/kreiss_seizingthemoment.pdf https://danielkreiss.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/kreiss_seizingthemoment.pdf “Hashtag Activism isn’t a Cop-Out” The Atlantic http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/01/not-just-hashtag-activism- why-social-media-matters-to-protestors/384215/ http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/01/not-just-hashtag-activism- why-social-media-matters-to-protestors/384215/ “The role played by social media in political participation and electoral campaigns” European Parliamentary Research Service http://epthinktank.eu/2014/02/12/the- role-played-by-social-media-in-political-participation-and-electoral-campaigns/http://epthinktank.eu/2014/02/12/the- role-played-by-social-media-in-political-participation-and-electoral-campaigns/ “Social Media and Political Engagement” Pew Research Internet Project http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/10/19/social-media-and-political-engagement/ http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/10/19/social-media-and-political-engagement/ “How Political Activists Are Making The Most Of Social Media” Forbes http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/15/social-media-social-activism-facebook- twitter-leadership-citizenship-burson.html http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/15/social-media-social-activism-facebook- twitter-leadership-citizenship-burson.html “Parents, Teachers, Students Urge Tribune to tell #TheWholeStory” https://storify.com/iftaft/parents-teachers-students-urge-tribune-to-tell-the https://storify.com/iftaft/parents-teachers-students-urge-tribune-to-tell-the

40. Questions? Mike Wiser Iowa State Education Association mwiser@isea.org 515-471-8026