Navigating the Social Media Landscape
Brandon Gaynor of Rancho Cucamonga
Today’s Agenda
Why We Should Care About Social Media Power & Pitfalls News Media Goes Social Implementation Considerations All Media Tenets Questions?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Social Media Stats • Facebook:
– More than 800 million active users – Average user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 community pages, groups & events – On average, more than 250 million photos are uploaded per day – Each user spends about 350 minutes a month on the site
• YouTube:
– People are watching 3 billion videos a day – Every minute, 48 hours of video is uploaded
Social Media Stats • Twitter: – 100 million active users – 40% have not Tweeted in last month – Users send an average of 230 million Tweets per day
• Google+:
– 25 million users – Took 16 days to reach 10 million users – Still in development
Power & Pitfalls of Social Media
Power • Gives individuals a place to share their ideas, concerns • Expands your reach for recruiting & networking • Quickly, easily reach large audience
Pitfalls • Small number of voices can outweigh silent majority • Majority of interactions may be of minimal value • Sometimes too quickly, too easily
Power & Pitfalls of Social Media
Power • Instantaneous feedback from community • Extension of your brand – enhance reputation as a trusted source of information
Pitfalls • Little to no control over who provides feedback, quantity & quality of feedback • Employee misdeeds are amplified, damaging trust • You do not have control over the medium
Power & Pitfalls of Media Gone Social
Power • More space for news & features • Options for multimedia content • Interactivity • Opportunities created for sharing opinions
Pitfalls • Unlimited space filled with unfiltered content • Internal documents/ private communications posted for all to see • ‘Sources’ may not have correct information • Anonymous comments & limited management
Considerations • Do you have a goal or objective? – What is it?
• Will a new communication channel help you meet your goal/objective?
– Yes? Get started! – No? Would improving an existing channel be faster? More effective?
Before You Leap
• You must have the resources – specifically, time – to regularly post • You must have the resources to regularly monitor • You should have policy or procedures to guide employees • You should have a purpose and a plan
What Information Do Parents Want? • Most interested in:
– Curriculum/program changes – Descriptions of curriculum & programs – Calendar of events/meetings – Graduation/course requirements – Performance compared to surrounding schools
10 All Media Tenets
1. You are always a board member (or Supt.!) 2. Add to the conversation with the information & insight that comes with your position 3. Respect the time & attention of others 4. If you ask the question, be ready to rapidly and honestly respond to the answer 5. Have your facts straight – you are THE trusted source
10 All Media Tenets
6. Speed matters, but content matters more 7. Follow all laws & district guidelines – including FERPA, HIPPA, copyright, etc. 8. Personal relationships matter when mistakes are made 9. Authentic apologies will move you forward and help you address issues 10.Before you post, take a breath, THINK, then post
Even If You Don’t Launch… • Improved interactivity, both digital & personal, is essential – There will always be people who you will not be able to engage – People are busy – creatively problem solve when you need involvement
• Open, honest communication improves trust • Transparency in decision-making strengthens partnerships with parents, students, community
Information Sources
• 17% of adults get info about their local community through social media. • 55% get their local info from word of mouth.
Thank You