What’s New in Communication:

Emily EubanksEducation and Media Coordinator

Kim TaylorSenior Information Specialist

The Basics of Social Media

2009 Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference Session C-3 – Monday, Nov. 2, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Information then

Information R/evolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM

Information now

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmicblog/3616741504/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhook/2431704208/

Web 2.0• “Social media is social which means relationships,

engagement, connectedness, and collaboration.”– Anne Adrian, Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative Extension

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31273527@N00/3622169669/

Where is our audience?

Google

• 1 trillion - unique URLs in Google’s index• thefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-

web-20-internet-numbers-stats/• 49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet

Stats

Wikipedia

• 75,000 - active contributors • 13 million – number of articles contributors have

worked on• ~57 million 2008 monthly visitors• ~65 million 2009 monthly visitors

YouTube

• 70 million – videos (March 2008)• 95.4 million – videos (May 2009)

Blogosphere

• 346 million – people read blogs (comScore March 2008)

• 900,000 - average number of blog posts in a 24 hour period

• 77% - active Internet users read blogs

What’s the point?

Where to start?

• What’s being said on the Web• What people are saying on the Web• Pick a tool• Use filters

What’s being said on the Webhttp://google.com/alerts

Know what people are sayinghttp://search.twitter.com

Social media tools (start with 1, 2, or 3)

• Photo sharing

• Video sharing

• Social networks

• Blogging

• Microblogging

• eXtension

Choose the right tool

• What do you like to do?• How do you like to share information?• How much time do you have?

Sharing

Blogs & Microblogs

Podcasts

Instant Messaging

Feed (RSS) Readers

Texting

A more in-depth look

• Facebook• Twitter• Blogging

Facebook

• Fourth largest population in the world (>300 million active users)

• 50% of users long on to FB on any given day• Women older than 55 make up the fastest-

growing age group on Facebook• 40 million status updates• 2 billion photos and 14 billion videos uploaded

each month• 70% users outside of US

Fan Pages on Facebook

Data from fan pages

Group Pages on Facebook

Twitter• Twitter is a micro-blogging service, which is text-

based• More than 25 million accounts• 3 million Tweets/day (March 2008)• Tuesday – most popular day

– Wednesday – close 2nd popular day

Twitter

• Tweets are updates or a mini blog– Announcements– ReTweets– Direct Messages– News Reporting– Marketing

TwitPic

• Quick sharing of photos on the go from a mobile phone

• TwitPic.com almost seems like it was developed for Extension

• Easy way to get a photo out for diagnostics or comments

Photo Sharing

• Set up a group and encourage readers to share photos or videos of projects

http://www.flickr.com/groups/thefloridabotanicalgardens/

Photo Sharing

• Also a place for interaction and discussion

Video Sharing• Upload

demos showing gardening techniques

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTAEvOEAxl4

Video Sharing• Embed videos

into blog posts

http://fruitscapes.blogspot.com/

Blogging• Journal about

gardening experiences

• Highlight new books, articles, appearances

• Feature great garden photos

• Embed how-to videos

Be Successful• Read• Comment• Write• Respond• Converse• Connect• Rinse & Repeat

Create buzz

• Seed swap• Books• Garden gift

giveaway

Going mobile

• iPhone, Blackberries, and smart phones

• Connected ALL the time• Many platforms/applications to

choose from

Tools to manage the information• Consider using an aggregator (RSS feed)

www.google.com/reader

Who are you reaching?

• How do you know who’s stopping by? • Once you know who’s visiting, how do you know

what they’re reading?• What do they WANT to be reading?

Web Analytics

• Many service providers (google.com/analytics)• Helps to drive content direction• Keyword searches• Where are people visiting from?• What are they looking for?

Other considerations

• Do you offer ways for people to keep up with news about your MG program (plant sales, garden tours, other events)?

• Do you have ways for readers to comment?• Look for other groups, forums, social networks

that are being used by your clientele.

Things to Remember

• Keep it professional• Post what is meaningful• Make sure your information is current• Make sure your information is correct• Make sure your information is relevant• Take care in the use of autofeed services• Follow many others, but use filters• Remember, social media is social and PUBLIC

What is the point?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skipnclick/2945026921/

Dig In!

Contact Emily

• Twitter: em_eubanks• Slideshare: em_eubanks• Flickr: em_eubanks• YouTube: em_eubanks• Facebook: emily.eubanks• Blog: emeubanks.blogspot.com

Emily Eubankseee@ufl.edu

Contact Kim

• Twitter: sassycrafter• Slideshare: krtaylor• Flickr: gardeninginaminute• YouTube: UFGardening• Facebook: sassycrafter• Blog: cannasandbananas.blogspot.com

Kim Taylorkrtaylor@ufl.edu

Resources

• Intro Social Media for Cooperative Extension Directors http://www.slideshare.net/aafromaa/intro-social-mediafor-extension-extdir

• Ohio Farm Bureau Social Media Guide ofbf.org/uploads/social-media-guide.pdf

• 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/

Resources

• Twitter Guide: How to, Tips, and Instructions mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

• How to Use Twitter for Business flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/08/06-twitter-for-business.php

• Deciding who to follow in Twitter (and Friendfeed) and who to friend in Facebook blog.anneadrian.com/2009/07/decide-who-to-follow-in-twitter-and.html

Resources

• RSS in Plain English, a video introduction to using news readers from Common Craft commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

• Use a newsreader blog.anneadrian.com/2007/05/how-to-use-news-reader.html

• Poscente, Vince. The Age of Speed. (2007)

• Aral, Sinan and Van Alstyne, Marshall W., "Network Structure & Information Advantage: Structural Determinants of Access to Novel Information and Their Performance Implications" (January 18, 2007). Available at SSRN: ssrn.com/abstract=958158

Resources

• Clay Shirky "It's not information overload. It's filter failure" at Web 2.0 Expo NY web2expo.blip.tv/file/1277460/

• Not information overload--filter failure blog.anneadrian.com/2008/10/not-information-overload-filter-failure.html

• Misconception about web technologies blog.anneadrian.com/2009/06/misconception-about-web-technologies_26.html

Resources

• Engaging Communities on their on Turf: Secrets of Social networkers hconnect.extension.iastate.edu/p79426457/

• Feeding Frenzy eXtension 30-Minute recording by Beth Raney, connect.extension.iastate.edu/p51525211/

• Beginner’s Guide to Social Media in Extension collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Beginners_Guide_to_Social_Media_in_Extension

Resources

• Hampton, K. (2002). Place-based and IT mediated “community.”Planning Theory and Practice, 3(2), 228-23.

• Hampton, K. & Wellman, B. (2003). Neighboring in Netville: How the Internet supports community and social capital in a wired suburb. City and Community, 2(4), 277-311.

• Ellison, N. B. Steinfield, C., and Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer Mediation Communication, 12(4), Article 1.