Social media guidelines

Transcription

1 Scial media guidelines I. Overview This dcument will prvide yu with basic guidelines n using scial media channels such as Facebk, Twitter r YuTube t reach individuals and families abut hw t prepare fr a disaster r catastrphe. Included are instructins n hw t set up scial media channels, psting and management recmmendatins, best practices, and tls t help streamline using scial media within yur agency. Scial Media Channels Scial media is a pwerful tl that can help cmmunicate with and engage yur audience. In past catastrphes scial media has been the cmmunicatin tl f chice fr many individuals. Accrding t the American Red Crss, the internet is the third mst ppular way fr peple t gather emergency infrmatin, fllwing televisin and lcal radi, with 18 percent f bth the general and the nline ppulatin specifically using Facebk fr that purpse. We recmmend the fllwing scial media channels t share preparedness infrmatin and engage with the public: Facebk is a scial utility that cnnects peple with friends and rganizatins. Users can create a prfile, add peple as friends, jin cmmn interest grups and fllw rganizatins. Facebk is a great place t build a cmmunity and spread cntent. In terms f disaster preparedness, as nted abve it is a preferred tl t gather emergency infrmatin. Twitter allws yu t cnnect instantly t what s mst imprtant t yu whether that be news, friends, experts r tips. Users can create a prfile, fllw peple they knw r are interested in and share shrt status updates (140 characters r less). Twitter is an ideal tl t share infrmatin quickly and in real time, especially in cases f disaster. YuTube is a vide sharing website that allws users t uplad and watch vide cntent including mvie clips, tv clips, music vides, vide blgs and riginal shrt vides. YuTube is beneficial fr distributing cmpelling and educatinal vides abut preparing and allws fr sharing acrss multiple channels. II. Setting up scial media channels By establishing these channels in advance f a disaster r catastrphe yu can begin t serve yur residents in preparedness and als prvide a surce f infrmatin and cntact during majr events. Many cities and cunties already have scial media accunts established. Hwever, if yu want t set up an accunt specific fr yur emergency management department r yu dn t have a Facebk page, Twitter accunt r YuTube channel, here are instructins fr setting them up:

2 A. Facebk Page While a Facebk Page is cmpletely separate f a persnal Facebk prfile, yu are required t create the page frm yur prfile t be able t administer the page. Visit t create a new page Chse the apprpriate type f page (mst likely Cmpany, Organizatin r Institutin) Chse a categry, type in cmpany name and agree t terms If yu are nt lgged int Facebk, yu will be required t d s at this time. If yu d nt have a Facebk accunt, at this pint, yu will need t set ne up. Step 1 Prfile Pht: Chse an image that can easily be recgnized by yur fans. This can be yur lg r a cmpelling image that represents yur rganizatin. Step 2 Basic Inf: Add yur website address and put basic infrmatin abut yur rganizatin here. Step 3 Get Fans: If yu are ready t invite friends t like yur page and start attracting fans, use ne f the tls listed n this page t d s. If yu aren t quite ready, yu can chse Skip and cme back t this at a later time. B. Twitter Accunt Twitter is an infrmatin netwrk made up f 140 character messages called Tweets. Visit t create yur Twitter accunt Enter yur full name, address and passwrd t sign up On the next screen, yu will have the pprtunity t chse yur username. A cuple things t keep in mind when chsing a username: This is what yur audience will use t talk t yu n Twitter s chse carefully Capitalizatin des nt matter yu will be able t type it either User names can nly be 15 characters in length Yu will nw be taken t the main page f yur Twitter accunt, frm here yu can: Create cntent t share with yur fllwers when yu click in the Cmpse new Tweet bx, yu will be able t type 140 characters that will be sent t yur fllwers and t anyne wh finds yu publicly n Twitter Talk t thers by replying t their tweets r retweeting them Discver ther peple/rganizatins by using the menu bar at the tp f the page click n Discver t brwse peple and tpics r search fr smething specific in the search field Once yu begin tweeting, here are a few basic tips n hw t share:

3 Tweets are messages f 140 characters r less (including punctuatin, spaces and links) T talk directly t anther Twitter user r t mentin them in a Tweet (this can be seen publicly), yu place befre their user fr WSDOT. Yu will see the # sign used thrughut Twitter this is knwn as a hashtag. Hashtags are used t mark keywrds r tpics within a tweet. Anyne can create a hashtag by placing the # befre the wrd(s). ie: #WASnw #SEAEarthquake Hashtags help t categrize tweets and will shw up mre easily in a Twitter search Clicking n a hashtagged wrd in any tweet will shw yu all ther tweets with the same hashtag, whether yu fllw the user r nt Hashtags can be placed anywhere in the tweet C. YuTube Channel YuTube allws peple t discver, watch and share riginally created vides. Yu will need a Ggle Accunt t uplad vides t YuTube if yu already have a Ggle Accunt, yu can sign in with thse credentials. If nt, fllw this link t set up an accunt: Once yu ve authrized r created yur Ggle Accunt, yu can uplad yur vide by clicking the Uplad link at the tp f the page Yu will be prmpted t select the file n yur cmputer With a free accunt, yu can uplad HD vides up t 15 minutes lng III. What t pst Cmmunicating simple, clear messages n scial media channels is the mst effective way t expand yur reach and engage with yur audience. A. Cntent schedule and psting timeline Determine hw ften yu wuld like t pst Facebk: 3 4 psts per week Twitter: 2 3 tweets per day YuTube: Once per week Create a resurce list fr cntent Resurces n yur website Key messages frm the tlkit Lcal jurisdictins with related cntent News clips and vides

4 B. Psting recmmendatins Psts t Facebk shuld be 250 characters r less Utilize mixed media fr maximum reach: links, phts, vides Whenever pssible, tag anther rganizatin t expand reach Pst examples fr Facebk: What t d t make it thrugh: Catastrphes can strike at hme, wrk, in yur car, at schl r at play what are yu ding t be prepared? What t d t make it thrugh: The tp three things that save lives in a disaster are: make a plan; build a kit; lend a hand. Hw are yu getting prepared? Washingtn is vulnerable t many types f natural disasters and catastrphes. Many lcal jurisdictins and agencies have resurces available nline click the link belw fr mre infrmatin Psts t Twitter have t be 140 characters r less Utilize mixed media fr maximum reach: links, phts, vides Mentin r retweet ther users whenever pssible Pst examples fr Twitter: Make a plan in case f a disaster r catastrphe. Check ut ur resurces fr making a plan: LINK #w2d D yu have a kit with emergency supplies in case f a disaster r catastrphe? What d yu keep in it? #w2d Lending a hand t a neighbr, c wrker r friend can be life saving during a disaster. Here are a few ways t help thers: LINK #w2d Vides psted t YuTube must be riginal cntent r be attributed t the riginal surce Keep vides t 2 minutes r less. Audiences have a shrt attentin span n YuTube and yu want t keep them engaged Create a descriptive title, a thrugh descriptin and tag any ptential keywrds that smene wuld search fr t find yur vide IV. Best practices Mst users lk t scial media t get and share what they believe is the latest and greatest infrmatin. Here are a few tips t help fster engagement and build yur cmmunity nline: A. Facebk Select a custm URL (yur Facebk Page s username) that represents yur rganizatin (IE: by clicking Edit Page frm yur Facebk Page. Then click n the tab labeled Basic Infrmatin and chse yur username.

5 Make sure the default view fr yur wall (where yu and yur fans can share psts) shws psts by page and by fans The default landing tab shuld be the wall r a custm tab that yu have made specifically fr yur rganizatin Peple wh like yur page (knwn as fans n Facebk) shuld be able t write n yur wall, pst phts, vides and links Use yur agency lg fr yur page s picture Ask questins t spark cnversatin and activity n yur page If yu have lengthy updates t share, create the update in a nte and then pst t yur Facebk wall Use scial plug ins t prmte yur Facebk page n yur website Scial plug in resurces available here: B. Twitter Select a username that reflects yur rganizatin Use yur agency lg fr yur prfile picture Create a backgrund that gives mre infrmatin abut yur rganizatin and ways t cntact yu utside f Twitter Establish the right vice fr talking t yur fllwers Share phts and behind the scenes inf abut yur rganizatin. Give a glimpse f develping prjects and events. Regularly mnitr the cmments abut yur agency by creating custm searches fr yur agency as well as key wrds that culd lead t a user finding yu Ask questins t yur fllwers t gain valuable insights and t shw that yu are listening t what s imprtant t them Respnd t cmpliments and feedback within 24 hurs Demnstrate wider leadership and knw hw by referencing articles and likes abut the bigger picture as it relates t yur rganizatin Champin stakehlders by retweeting and publicly replying t great tweets psted by yur fllwers. C. YuTube Reserve a YuTube URL that matches yur website (IE: Use yur agency lg as yur channel s prfile picture Add keywrd tags t yur channel In yur channel settings, add keywrds relevant t yur agency s missin including yur city and state Pst vides that are practical and shrt viewers are mre likely t watch yur entire vide if it s under 2 minutes lng and is engaging. Encurage participatin with viewers. YuTube is a search engine but it s als a scial media channel s pening up yur vide t cmmenting and embedding.

6 Review yur YuTube insights t learn abut yur demgraphic and view experiences. V. Managing scial media It is recmmended that agencies develp and implement a basic cmmenting plicy that utlines hw t respnd t user cmments r questins. It s imprtant t address all questins and cmments, s having an in huse prtcl fr respnding will help thse wh are tasked managing the scial media accunts. We recmmend referencing yur agency s cmmunicatin prtcl when develping the scial media cmmenting plicy. If yur agency des nt have ne, we can help create ne specific t yur needs. Maximizing yur effrts in scial media while juggling many ther prjects can be difficult. There are several free r inexpensive tls that can help with management: I. Htsuite ( Custmizable dashbard Manage multiple netwrks including Facebk and Twitter Team cllabratin (invite thers in yur rganizatin t help yu pst) Schedule psts in advance Analytics Mbile app integratin with iphne/ipad, Andrid and BlackBerry RSS Integratin II. Ctweet ( Manages multiple Twitter accunts Team cllabratin with n duty assignments Schedule psts in advance Analytics III. Seesmic ( Custmizable dashbard Manage multiple netwrks including Facebk & Twitter Platfrm available fr web, desktp, iphne, Andrid and Windws Phne Schedule psts in advance Analytics Translatin available IV. TweetDeck ( Custmizable dashbard Manage multiple netwrks including Facebk & Twitter Platfrm available fr desktp, iphne, ipad and Andrid Schedule psts in advance

7 VI. Sharing beynd yur rganizatin Once yu ve created and started sharing great cntent n yur scial media channels, yu will want t integrate that infrmatin n yur website and blg if yu have ne. Here are a few recmmendatins fr integratin. A. URL Shrteners Bit.ly: ( A free service t custmize and shrten links and then view cmplete, real time traffic and analytics data. A free service t custmize and shrten links withut analytics B. Facebk integratin Use scial plug ins t see what yur friends have liked, cmmented n r shared n the web: Like Buttn Let users share pages frm yur site back t their Facebk prfile with ne click Send Buttn Allws users t easily send yur cntent t their friends Recmmendatins Give users persnalized suggestins fr pages n yur site they might like Like Bx Enable users t like yur Facebk page and view its stream directly frm yur website Facepile Displays the Facebk prfile pictures f users wh have liked yur page r have signed up via yur site C. Twitter integratin Add buttns t yur website t help visitrs share cntent and cnnect with yu n Twitter: Share a link Fllw Hashtag Mentin Create a widget t display Twitter updates n yur website r n ther scial media pages VII. Evaluatin Using scial media as a cmmunicatin tl will prvide great value t yur preparedness educatinal gals and it will be imprtant that yu evaluate yur prgress and make curse crrectins alng the way. Here are a few benchmarks f success fr yur first 90 days:

8 A. Facebk Create a Facebk fan page with yur agency lg and infrmatin Share 3 psts per week and get feedback (a like r cmment) n each pst Send an invitatin t clleagues, partner rganizatins and the cmmunity t like the page Get t 100 likes B. Twitter Create a Twitter accunt and use yur agency lg fr the prfile picture Write a shrt bi abut yur agency and/r dpeartment and als prvide a link t yur website Tweet twice per day nce sharing infrmatin abut yur agency and the ther respnding r retweeting anther user Fllw 100 peple Get t 50 fllwers C. YuTube Create a YuTube channel with yur agency infrmatin and lg Share a vide and als pst t Facebk and Twitter