Communicating with your audiences in a 2.0 world

Melanie Moran

Vanderbilt University News Service

August 5, 2008

Today

•How online communications have changed

•Questions to ask about your Web site

•Definitions of social media

•The importance of conversations

•Audience expectations

•New tools and opportunities

Now…• We still write press releases but…

• 24/7 news cycle

• 55 percent of Americans have broadband at home

• 62 percent of Americans use wireless, mobile devices

• Blogs, Video, Podcasts

• Two-way

• No direct control

• Anytime, anywhere, anything, any device

What is social media / Web 2.0?

• Driven by RSS

• Digital tools and services that allow content creation with little to no technical knowledge

• Consumer-created content

• Personal profiles

• Shared interests / online communities

• Repurposing of content

Social networks

• Facebook

• MySpace

• YouTube

• Flickr

• Blogs

• LinkedIn

• Del.icio.us

• Twitter

• Wikis

• Second Life

• And on and on…

“Join the conversation”

• Dozens / hundreds / thousands of conversations taking place every day online about your organization

• Who is talking? Who is listening?

• What are they saying?

• What are you saying in response?

• Examples: Dell, Target

Why join the conversation?

•To correct misconceptions

•To provide less formal interaction with your organization

•To strengthen connection to your organization

•To build community

•To strengthen your brand

•To empower your community to speak for you

• Improve search engine rankings

•The media listens, too

But before you start talking…• Listen

• Read

• Ask

• Plan

• Implement

• Listen / Monitor

• Regroup

• Revise

Vanderbilt & Podcasts

• History of online audio

• New “content” generated everyday

• Omnivore approach

• Partnered with the Big Brand

Online Video• Over 60% of

American Internet users on broadband

• 57% of internet users have watched video online

• 76% of 18-29 year olds watch video online

• Most share what they watch with others

Why would our university want to be part of this?

Why universities want to be part of this

• Audience

• Ease of use

• Creativity

• Academic mission

• Inevitability: We are already a part of it

Vanderbilt and video

• Identified growth area

• Corralled talent

• Again, leveraged partnershipswww.youtube.com/vanderbilt

• Video caveat - Remember, you’re not Spielberg, and you don’t have to be!

Twitter

• Immediate, brief, global

• Social messaging

• Mobile

• Mini, constant blog

• Increasing news use

• Learn more from Common Craft

Going mobile• 62% of American adults

have used mobile devices to access internet, take photos, text, etc.

• Market will continue to grow, particularly with 18-24 year olds

• Content is being captured by mobile devices

• Align your content with these devices

• Check out Qik - live video streaming from your phone

Challenges

• Building buy-in: overcoming fear

• Partnering with IT

• Time management

• Changing paradigms

Some final thoughts• Use tools to support the overall

strategy, not just to say you’re using the next cool thing

• Find allies on campus

• Be willing to experiment (low-risk investment)

• Be a consumer of new media

• Focus on transparency, authenticity

Contact

• Melanie MoranAssociate DirectorVanderbilt News Service(615) 322-NEWSmelanie.moran@vanderbilt.edublogvu.wordpress.comtwitter.com/melaniemoran

• www.slideshare.net/melaniemoran