Area of Expertise: Social Media

Helping Clients Communicate in Cyberspace

What solutions can Ripple Effect offer?

• Create professional profiles on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
• Help organizations develop an online voice, share posts, and respond to user inquiries
• Monitor conversations about organizations and programs

What is it?

Social media refers to Internet sites that host and encourage user-generated content. Popular sites include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Wikipedia and YouTube, and the goal for most is to nurture connections between friends, family and colleagues. From a professional or organizational sense, they present an additional opportunity for you to connect with your target audience.

When considering adoption of these media, the first question you should ask is, “Does my audience use this?” Here are a few tips that will help you answer this question.

1. Poll a subset of your core audience.
2. Review resources that show generational use of the Internet. In 2010, the Pew Internet & American Life Project published a chart that shows what different generations do while online. Social networking ranks in the top 10 for adults 18-55, but the amount of usage varies. Millenials (age 18-33) rank social networking as a top 5 activity, while gen X (age 34-45) and boomers (46-64) have it at number 9 and number 10, respectively.
3. Check the feeds of organizations similar to yours. How many followers do they have? What kind of information do they have on their pages? Is that similar to the type of presence you would like to create?

If your audience is readily available on these sites, develop a communication plan, create a profile, and promote it by including links to your profile on your website, as well as within your other types of communication like email and newsletters.

Why is this important?

One of the benefits to joining and creating a presence on these sites is that your message reaches your audience as a part of their everyday routine. They no longer have to go to your website to find updates, nor do they have to open an email. With social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, your message simply appears in a succinct news stream.

What problems does this solve?

Social networks offer instant communication with your core audience, and they may have great ideas for programs and outreach. This same audience may also help spread your message to other members of their network. Also, if someone posts something negative, it may be a learning opportunity for you, or it may be your opportunity to address and correct misinformation. Remember that when you join a social network, you are joining a conversation—rather than controlling a message. Don’t be afraid to interact. That’s actually an expectation.