1. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Maximising Impact And Access Using The Social Web Brian Kelly UKOLN University of Bath Bath, UK UKOLN is supported by: This work is licensed under a Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat) Acceptable Use Policy Recording of this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised. Acceptable Use Policy Recording of this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised. Resources bookmarked using ‘ aber-20091021 ' tag Email: b.kelly@ukoln.ac.uk Twitter: http://twitter.com/briankelly/ Blog: http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/ http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/seminars/aberystwyth-20091021/

2. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 2 About This Session Aims of the session: To describe how various Social Web services can help to maximise access to professional resources, services and ideas. To discuss ways in which such services can be used to support your particular areas of interest. To address the ethical issues related to use of the Social Web. To help you to develop plans for making use of the Social Web to support your personal, departmental and institutional aims.

3. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 3 Why Bother? (1) Need to consider implications of the “The Edgeless University” report: “The forces now confronting higher education have been called 'a perfect storm’. They are serious challenges. [HEIs] can no longer depend on ever-increasing allocation of funds” “This seminar feels a bit like sitting with a group of record industry executives in 1999” Conclusions: Universities need to respond by reaching out – they are becoming ’edgeless’ A renewed commitment to openness Experimentation and investment New tools to support teaching

4. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 4 Why Bother? (2) This talk will cover: Implications of the “Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World” report What ‘network as a platform’ / Cloud computing means to IT Service departments How the University might respond How IT Service departments can make use of the Social Web

5. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 5 Revisiting SEO Summary of key approaches: Apply various techniques to Web resources to make resources easier to find in Google, … Resources may include organisational Web suites, third party Web sites, databases, … Resources may also include real world objects and ideas (i.e. your museum, your research ideas, …) Based on understanding of importance of Google to end users Summary of key approaches: Apply various techniques to Web resources to make resources easier to find in Google, … Resources may include organisational Web suites, third party Web sites, databases, … Resources may also include real world objects and ideas (i.e. your museum, your research ideas, …) Based on understanding of importance of Google to end users Databases Web sites Real world Directories Google (Live Search Bing, …)

6. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 6 Beyond SEO Summary of key approaches: Make use of social networking services which people may use of discuss your services Services may include Facebook, MySpace, Slideshare, Twitter, … No need to touch your Web sites (so useful if you can’t!) Based on understanding of popularity of SNs and people’s interests in chatting and sharing Summary of key approaches: Make use of social networking services which people may use of discuss your services Services may include Facebook, MySpace, Slideshare, Twitter, … No need to touch your Web sites (so useful if you can’t!) Based on understanding of popularity of SNs and people’s interests in chatting and sharing Databases Web sites Directories Social Services (Facebook, Slideshare, Twitter, …) Real world

7. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 7 Opportunities & Challenges

8. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 8 It’s About The Individual! Focus of the Social Web is the individual. Challenges posed: ‘It’s my space’ ‘Sustainability Privacy Editorial control Branding … Focus of the Social Web is the individual. Challenges posed: ‘It’s my space’ ‘Sustainability Privacy Editorial control Branding …

9. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 9 Structure of Talk Introduction “Pimp” Up Your Stuff Monitoring the Impact Convincing the ‘Beancounters’ The Ethical Issues Questions and Conclusions

10. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 10 What Does Google Find? Pages in Wikipedia are Google-friendly First 3 rd party Web site for search for ‘British Library’ is from Wikipedia Wikis Similar results found for a search for ‘British Postal Museum’

11. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 11 Exploiting Wikipedia Is your organisation listed in Wikipedia? If not you are missing out on a (free) marketing opportunity. Is your area of interest included? If so, are you a contributor? Wikis

12. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 12 Why Blog? Multiple reasons for blogging (not all to do with maximising access to resources and ideas): Reflection Dissemination Engagement News and alerts Note-taking Experimentation ‘Think out loud’ Personal development Syndication … Blogs Jo Alcock (librarian at Wolverhampton University) has a blog which allows her to engage with her users on library developments and solicit feedback

13. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 13 Why I Blog Reasons mentioned previously. In addition: Talk about plans for new ‘stuff’ (events, papers, ideas, …) Talk and ‘stuff’ I’ve delivered (as illustrated) Use of a blog allows this to be: Commented on Syndicated Repurposed Blogs

14. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 14 The Paper In The Repository The paper in the repository can fail to engage with potential interested parties: especially if only the metadata is available and access is restricted!

15. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 15 Best Practices For Bloggers Examples of best practices: Have a blog policy (e.g. ‘Don’t be stupid’) Define the scope and target audience Link to others Allow comments Respond to comments Decide on team or individual blog Make use of your blog posts elsewhere See UKOLN’s Cultural Heritage IntroBytes briefing documents

16. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 16 From A Distance Blog Blogs Chris Sexton, IT Service’s Director at University of Sheffield & current UCISA chair Her blog: Outlines senior management strategic thinking Embed title and link to my most recent blog post

17. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 17 Reading, Even If Not Blogging Negative impact – the bad things they say about your stuff Can be useful to monitor: Your brand Your ideas Your reputation Your stuff …. Blogs Some minor criticisms from Stephen Downes, a well-read Canadian e=learning guru A speedy reply, and a positive response

18. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 18 What Can Twitter Offer? Twitter

19. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 19 What Can Twitter Offer? Twitter Promoting blog post about possible event. Brief - designed for retweeting (RT) Should you add “Please RT”?

20. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 20 What Can Twitter Offer? Twitter “OMG they’re criticising us – and this is being retweeted to new groups!” Note you don’t have to respond (but you may address issues raised)

21. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 21 Quick Surveys Twitter for rapid surveys & feedback “Firefox is crashing frequently. Is this true for others? Respond with #firefoxcrashes or #firefoxisfine. Please RT.”

22. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 22 Rationale: Allow retweeting in entirety Clause which can be removed (“in light of #digitalbritain report”) to allow for commentary (e.g. “great post”) Twitter Writing Style New blog post published which I hope to gain a wide audience for. Announcement tweeted. First draft “Respect Copyright (and Subvert It!)" My thoughts on copyright and openness in light of the #digitalbritain report http://bit.ly/4XOMJ” Second draft: “Respect Copyright (and Subvert It!)" Thoughts on copyright & openness in light of #digitalbritain report http://bit.ly/4XOMJ”

23. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 23 Twitter – Some Evidence Personal experience Most popular post on UKOLN’s Cultural heritage blog in May 2009: “Explaining the Risks and Opportunities Framework” Announced on Twitter at 08.55 on 21 st May: Blog post explaining the Risks & Opportunities Framework published at http://tinyurl.com/p72kld Twitter “I haven’t got the time to use Twitter. And it can’t justify the ROI” Really?

24. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 24 Twitter – Further Evidence Where are the visits coming from? Twitter As the top post has been tweeted, possibly the visits are from a Twitter client (rather than the Twitter Web site)

25. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 25 “The Power Of Passed Links” The Value Of Twitter Is In “The Power Of Passed Links” Wilson predicts that at current growth rates, Twitter “will surpass Google for many websites in the next year.” And that just as nearly every site on the Web has become addicted to Google juice, they will increasingly try to find ways to get more links from Twitter. Because Twitter equals traffic. … Moreover, he asserts that these Twitter links “convert better” than search links because they are often pre- filtered and come in the form of a recommendation from someone you are following. TechCrunch, June 2009

26. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 26 Slides To Engage Users Slides designed to allow users to make use of content and links: AUP giving permission to reuse content & exploit WiFi network to discuss content Hyperlinks in slides Link to master copy provided in title slide and footer in handout Tag used in del.icio.us to bookmark resources (no need to copy URLs) Slides The PowerPoint file is a resource which can be easily accessed, discussed and provide links to relevant resources during a talk and subsequently.

27. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 27 Slideshare To Promote Ideas Slideshare I use Slideshare to maximise awareness of ideas in papers I deliver at conferences. Approaches: Slides uploaded in advance (accessibility benefits) Allow slides to be embedded in blogs, Web pages, … Text, tags, links & metadata to support searching & provide context I use Slideshare to maximise awareness of ideas in papers I deliver at conferences. Approaches: Slides uploaded in advance (accessibility benefits) Allow slides to be embedded in blogs, Web pages, … Text, tags, links & metadata to support searching & provide context

28. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 28 What About Video? Increasingly users want video content – and are likely to use Google or YouTube to find videos Google Video might have been an obvious place to store videos – but it is how being deprecated

29. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 29 YouTube Want to make your University appealing to potential students? They’re likely to look at YouTube What will they find?

30. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 30 YouTube Want to make your University appealing to potential students? They’re likely to look at YouTube What will they find? Student-published videos may appeal to potential students – but the approaches (drunkenness, copyrighted sound clips, etc.) won’t be used officially

31. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 31 Your Institutional Video Is it worth trapping your marketing videos in your institutional Web site? The SEO tips for enhancing the visibility of your videos in YouTube follow well- established guidelines (e.g. title, description, tags, …) “Given that YouTube is by far the most popular video website, you should be publishing videos there (even if you are a B2B company like HubSpot ”

32. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 32 What About Facebook? (1) Should you have a Facebook presence for your organisation?

33. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 33 What About Facebook? (2) There may already be multiples pages and groups for your organisation Social Networks Note vanity URLs made available on 12 June 2009 – if you have > 1,000 fans. Did you miss out?

34. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 34 Risks of Doing Nothing Webinar held on 16 June 2009 Advice for US Universities on how to exploit social networks What are the risks of being left behind? Must a service be 100% ‘pure’ before choosing to use it?

35. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 35 Conclusions The Social Web: Can be used to enhance access to digital resources, real world resources and ideas and concepts Ignoring the potential may mean you lose out to your peers, competitors or rivals Can form part of your organisation’s mission and not just an added extra for dissemination But there are risks – to be explored later

36. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk Using the Social Web to Maximise Access to your Resources: User Input 1: Demonstrating the Impact of the Social Web User Input 2: Challenges In Making Use of the Social Web UKOLN is supported by: This work is licensed under a Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

37. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 37 Issues 1 Provide suggestions on: How you might demonstrate the impact of use of the Social Web How you might gather and use evidence to convince sceptics e.g. funders who wish to reduce funding; tabloid newspapers; … D

38. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 38 Issues 2 Provide suggestions on: The main challenges in exploiting the Social Web to enhance access to your resources and services? How might you address such challenges? D

39. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 39 The Challenges Challenges Unconvinced Colleagues You Lack of resources Limited Understanding No support from management It’s a Social (not work) Web Sustainability No time Technical Issues Interoperability It’s “my” space Firewalls Branding, editorial control Concerns Doing it ethically ROI (demonstrate/ maximise?

40. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 40 Deployment Strategies Interested in using Social Web in your organisation? Worried about corporate inertia, power struggles, etc? There’s a need for a deployment strategy: Addressing business needs Low-hanging fruits Observe emerging best practices Encouraging the enthusiasts (don’t get in the way) Staff training & development Address areas you feel comfortable with Impact analysis and assessment Risk and opportunity management strategy Accept that you won’t do it …

41. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 41 You Don’t Need To Blog! Perhaps blogging & twittering (and speaking at conferences) is best left to those with a passion for user engagement? Suggestions: Encourage the enthusiast Lightweight bureaucracy: “Don’t be stupid”, emerging patterns of Twitter usage, … Suggestions: Encourage the enthusiast Lightweight bureaucracy: “Don’t be stupid”, emerging patterns of Twitter usage, …

42. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 42 What You (Maybe) Shouldn’t Do Aim: Maximise traffic Approach: Use “Topless Swedish Model” in title Comment: But you may wish to use humour, puns, … So be honest in your reporting. Aim: Maximise comments Approach: Misspell people’s names in order to get then to respond (and then say thanks) Comment: But you may make spelling mistakes. Again be honest in your reporting. Aim: Maximise traffic Approach: Run an automated tool over site. Comment: But you may wish to use such tools. Again be honest in your reporting.

43. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 43 You Might Need a ‘Policy’ Dangers: A policy is bureaucratic, Fails to understand new technologies … Dangers of no policy: Over-the-top reaction A lightweight policy: Mosman Council page describes “who is tweeting on behalf of the Council (the web team based at the Library); why they are doing it; their reply policy and how to stop them following you”

44. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 44 Return On Investment Justifying ROI What’s the purpose of the Social Web service:  Dissemination  Engaging with users  Reflective thinking  Providing opportunity for comment  … Maximising ROI Timeliness Appropriateness Challenging publishing assumptions Remember 1-9-90 ‘rule’ Friday post Saturday post Monday post Tuesday post

45. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 45 “It‘s My Space” “Can you send this message on your list?” “Can you mention it in your blog?” NB Happy to mention Oxford’s “Wall of 100 Faces” Get your students to say how great the Uni is and make interface attractive and appealing NB Happy to mention Oxford’s “Wall of 100 Faces” Get your students to say how great the Uni is and make interface attractive and appealing

46. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 46 My Political Views A poll carried out by the Daily Mail on 19 June 2009 Surprised by results? A triumph for the liberal intelligentsia on Twitter? Echoes of public protests in dictatorships. But what if I had been promoting the BNP? (Note the wording in my tweet) A triumph for the liberal intelligentsia on Twitter? Echoes of public protests in dictatorships. But what if I had been promoting the BNP? (Note the wording in my tweet)

47. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 47 Influencing & Observing The Daily Mail hid the results Blog post published on activism & ethics Encouraging votes Multiple votes Citing tweets Capturing images of tweets and Twitterers 47 Opportunity to analyse influence in social networks – but is this ethical?

48. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 48 Dodgy Use of Twitter Habitat: Monitor ‘trending’ Twitter hashtags Publish advertising tweets with these hashtags Including: Hashtag about Iranian elections! How do we ensure we use SNs in ethical way? Do we simply avoid their use?

49. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 49 What About Metrics? Martin Wellers blog post on “Connections versus Outputs” on impact in Social Web Lists in 'distance learning‘ of: Top influencers Sites/people have a high level of 'hubness‘ ("characteristic of disproportionately linking to those who are authoritative on a given topic“) But how reliable is this? 49

50. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 50 Risk Management JISC infoNet Risk Management infoKit: “In education, as in any other environment, you can’t decide not to take risks: that simply isn’t an option in today’s world. All of us take risks and it’s a question of which risks we take” Examples of people who are likely to be adverse stakeholders: People who fear loss of their jobs People who will require re-training People who may be moved to a different department / team People.. required to commit resources to the project People who fear loss of control over a function or resources People who will have to do their job in a different way People who will have to carry out new or additional functions People who will have to use a new technology

51. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 51 Critical Friends / Friendly Critics See JISC U&I programme is encouraging establishment of “Critical Friends” Paul Walk (UKOLN) was described as a ‘critical friend’ of JISC

52. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 52 Biases Subjective factors Towards a Framework “Time To Stop Doing and Start Thinking: A Framework For Exploiting Web 2.0 Services”, Museums & the Web 2009 conference Intended Purpose Benefits (various stakeholders Risks (various stakeholders Missed Opps. (various stakeholders Costs (various stakeholders Sharing experiences Learning from successes & failures Tackling biases … Critical friends Application to existing services Application to in-house development … See blog post on Critical Friends, Friendly Critics (and Hostile Opponents!) Note also JISC’s Scenario Planning work

53. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 53 Using The Framework Intended Purpose Benefits (various stakeholders Risks (various stakeholders Missed Opps. (various stakeholders Costs (various stakeholders Community support Rapid feedback Justify ROI Org. brand Community- building Low? Twitter for individuals Organisational Fb Page Marketing events,… Large audiences Ownership, privacy, lock-in Marketing opportunity Low? Critical Friends / Friendly Critics UKOLN blogs Email list discussions Learning Many blogs Engaging with a Twitter community Conferences Papers … Note personal biases! Use of approach in two scenarios: CILIP use of Twitter & Facebook

54. A centre of expertise in digital information managementwww.ukoln.ac.uk 54 Conclusions Acknowledgments to Michael Edson for the Web Tech Guy and Angry Staff Person post / comic strip