Slide 1

Practical Applications of Social Networking Technologies

FacebookTwitterMyspaceLinked-InnGov-Loop

With all the social media outlets popping up lately, it can be a bit overwhelming. Approximately a year ago, we decided to join in the social media craze and create our own online community known as K-TOC.

At the time, as far as we knew, we were the only government agency to try such an endeavor. Since then, weve learned a lot and Id like to share with you some of those lessons today.

However, before we get to that I would like to start with something a little more broad. I imagine that at least some of you are not entirely sold on the idea of social media. And so, Id like to share few thoughts with you.1

Social media is an ingredient, not an entree.

Other funny quotes:

Social media allows big companies to act small again.

Linkedin is for people you know. Facebook is for people you used to know. Twitter is for people you want to know.

Social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. No one actually knows how. When finally done, there is surprise it's not better." Avinash Kaushik, currently employed as Google's analytics. This was deemed tweet of the day in March 2009.

2Its no longer a bandwagon; its expected

One of my favorite magazines is Time. Its been in a staple in American society since its creation in 1923. Times circulation is 3.4 million, which is pretty good for magazines. But pretty weak for a YouTube video.

The most popular YouTube video of all time (currently) is Lady Gagas Bad Romance video at 217 million views. And this is changing rapidly, the most popular in 2009 was Susan Boyles (Britains Got Talent) at 120 million. Thus, in less than a year this record has nearly doubled. (Largest U.S. Magazine circulation is AARP Bulletin at 24 million. )

Other examples. American newspapers circulation reached its peak in the 1980s at about 62 million. However, since 1989 those numbers have continued to declinedespite a population increase. The latest circulation for newspapers is at 39 million.

TV news is not any better. Walter Cronkite averaged 28 million viewers when he was behind the CBS Evening News Desk, Katie Couric is averaging about 6.5 million. (Note: Highest rated is NBC Nightly News at 10 million)

Its a new world, and to stay relevant we need to get in the game.

3Its not a fad

However, I think its important to realize that social media is no longer something the kids are doing. Its dominating the world, rapidly.

US Facebook Users By Age and GenderWith the rapid growth amongst older users, the majority of US Facebook users are now over 25. There are now 6 million users 13-17, 19.5 million 18-25, 13.4 million 26-34, 9.7 million 35-44, 4.6 million 45-54, and 2.8 million over 55. In other words, there are more Facebook users 26-44 than 18-25 today.

For government agencies the question is not whether we need to get in the game of social mediathat question has already been answered. Facebook has nearly as many users as the U.S. populationand Americans spend the most time (average of 4 hours, 39 minutes per month) than on any other web site.

Most Social States in the United States of America(ranked by per capita use of social networking sites)Washington DC WashingtonMaineOregonHawaiiKansasAlaskaVermont Colorado New York4Iran Election Tweets: New Journalism?

And these new mediums are changing the way news is reported. During the Iran election, live twitter feeds were reported as news.5Advantages of Available MediaUnmediated access to potentially large audience

Cheap, but may require significant integration

Offers potential of significant audience interaction

Disadvantages of Available MediaLargest sites (Facebook, MySpace) frequently blocked from government networks

Agency cedes some control over page content

Some uncertainty about intellectual property rights

Requires staff commitment

Fluid best practices

Deeper ImplicationsI think many in our field are no longer questioning whether they should get involved in social media, the question now is whats the best way to do this. Should you create your own or work with another, which one?

However, I think we would be remiss if we didnt ask ourselves some fundamental questions.

How do we serve ourselves well in this new medium?

How do we balance rapid response and our credibility?

How do we relinquish control of our web sites and keep them appropriate and responsible?

How do we keep our message clear in a sea of content we cant control?

8How do we serve ourselves in this new medium?9Do we need one-way or two-way communication?10How do we balance rapid response & our credibility?11How do we relinquish control of our web sites & keep them appropriate and responsible?12How do we keep our message clear in a sea of content we cant control?13KDOTs Communication AssetsWith those broad questions in mind, Id like to tell you about our experiences with existing and new media.

14

E-mailE-MAIL WILL GROW

E-mail continues to be our most effective approach at promoting these other formats.15

E-mailTWITTER WILL GROW16

E-mailFACEBOOK WILL GROW17

E-mailYOUTUBE WILL GROW18

E-mailK-TOC WILL GROW

KPN-1 Greatest Hits19InsertREPLAY

Lessons LearnedApply the same level of scrutiny to how you post things as you do to what you post

Be patient

Online outreach requires the same careful preparation & lead-time as conventional outreach

Assets must be deliberate & offer huge rewards

Start slow with no promised schedule, but start today

Go beyond standard materials in new platforms

22Looking ForwardApply the same level of scrutiny to how you post things as you do to what you post

Be patient

Work to avoid transparency creating barriers to discussion

Message dont change, but platforms allow fresh approaches

23

24QuestionsJulie Lorenzjlorenz@ksdot.org

Patrick Quinnpquinn@ksdot.org

25