by Matthew Warner
This presentation was given at the 2011 Catholic New Media Conference. Below are my notes on the presentation:
Introduction
- Being 'present' isn't enough.
- Social media is about engaging people in a dialog; talking with them, listening to them, and RELATING.
- Don't get caught up in monetizing your blog/site.
- Don't get caught up in analytics and followers.
- Focus on the PEOPLE involved in your Network.
- "If you shoot for quantity at the expense of quality, you'll end up with neither."
- Build your network upon meaningful relationships.
P.O.S.T Method
- People: Who are you trying to reach?
- Objectives: Why? What are your Goals?
- Strategies: Ways to accomplish those goals?
- Technologies: What tools will help you do that?
9 Basic Tips for Building Connections
- Use other social networks (and evaluate which ones will be helpful for your network).
- Ask people to connect (have it at the top of your page, have a little explanation of what they're going to get).
- Don't forget email. Many people want to stay informed...
- Twitter and Facebook embedded widgets.
- Make content sharable - give social media sharing links.
- Encourage social commenting - Livefyre, Disqus, Gravatar, etc.
- Use multimedia (with purpose). Don't just stick pictures in because you want a picture...
- Build a forum (not for everyone, though).
- Use a social media aggregator (like TweetDeck or Hootsuite).
Listening (and responding)
- People will send information your way... listen to comments, tweets, replies, etc.
- Listen outside of your official channels:
- Keywords (Google Alerts), watch competitors, follow hashtags, etc.
- Always respond (if you can). Especially if someone reaches out to you specifically.
Making your content social
- Make it high quality (obvious, but requires continuous work).
- Make it entertaining.
- Don't say everything (leave room for other people).
- Ask questions of your community.
- Share you're goals - make it a 'we' endeavor.
- Talk about your events; add suspense and drama.
- Post as an individual, and not as an organization (if possible).
- Be yourself.
Social media pitfalls
- Don't let it kill productivity. Don't spread self too thin. Don't consume everything.
- Social media is not an end itself; it's a means with which you can accomplish your mission.
Final Thoughts
- Keep it personal and value quality relationships.
- Have fun, be authentic, share your joy.
- Pray, hope and don't worry.