Betsy Overkamp-Smith, APRBetsy Overkamp-Smith, APRYork County School DivisionYork County School Division

Navigating the Social Media Navigating the Social Media LandscapeLandscape

Today’s Agenda

1. Why We Should Care About Social Media2. Power & Pitfalls3. News Media Goes Social4. Implementation Considerations5. All Media Tenets6. Questions?

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

Information on Schools

“How People Learn About Their Local Community”, Pew Research Center, Sept. 2011

Power & Pitfalls of Media Gone Social

Power• More space for news &

features• Options for multi-

media 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

National School PR Assoc. Survey

Communication Accountability Program Survey, NSPRA, 2011

National School PR Assoc. Survey

Communication Accountability Program Survey, NSPRA, 2011

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

Communication Accountability Program Survey, NSPRA, 2011

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 others4. If you ask the question, be ready to rapidly

and honestly respond to the answer5. Have your facts straight – you are THE

trusted source

10 All Media Tenets

6. Speed matters, but content matters more7. Follow all laws & district guidelines –

including FERPA, HIPPA, copyright, etc.8. Personal relationships matter when

mistakes are made9. Authentic apologies will move you forward

and help you address issues10.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.

“How People Learn About Their Local Community”, Pew Research Center, Sept. 2011

Betsy Overkamp-Smith, APRBetsy Overkamp-Smith, APRYork County School DivisionYork County School Divisionbsmith@ycsd.york.va.us

757.898.0391757.898.0391

Navigating the Social Media Navigating the Social Media LandscapeLandscape