Weapons of Social InfluenceWeapons of Social Influence

Social Media for the MilitarySocial Media for the Military(C) 2011/12 by LTC U.M. Janßen, NSO/ISTAR

Anti - Gov

Pro - Gov

What isSocialMedia

Weapons of Social InfluenceAgenda

• Social influence versus … what?

• Social Media– What it is and what it isn’t

– The Social Media Landscape

– The power of Social Media

– What’s in it for NATO and for the Military

– Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

– Requirements

• Conclusion

Weapons of Social Influence Social Media

• What’s a weapon?

• What’s social?

• What’s influence?

• What’s media?

• So what..?

Why should I care..?

Starting a Conversation

• Word of Mouth � World of Mouth

– Connectivity more important than content

– Trust to people rather than to content

– Audience will verify ‘facts’

– Officials lie

– Democratizing Communications

– A new power to consider

There is more in it

• Public Relations

• Customer Service

• Loyalty-building

• Collaboration

• Networking

• Thought-Leadership

• Customer Acquisition … making friends

Social Media and the [US] Military

US DOD Social Media Websitehttp://www.defense.gov/RegisteredSites/SocialMediaSites.aspx

US Army Social Media Handbook, Jan 2011

NATO ACO Dir 95-3 Social Media, Dec 2009

We - NATO, Mar 2012

for the Military

• The brutal simplicity of thought• meme

• 6 principles for SUCCESs-fulmessaging• Simple

• Unexpected

• Concrete

• Credible

• Emotional

• StoriesDebbie Weil: Social Media 101

• V.I.T.A.L. for success• Video• Images• Text• Audio• Links

Meme - Social Media Narrative

A meme is an idea that behaves like a virus, that moves through a population, taking hold in each person it infects.

Malcom Gladwell

•promulgated through the World Wide Web

•hyperlink, video, picture, website, hashtag, or just a word or phrase

“google” for …

#ArabSpring

#AskWeNato

#WeAreThePopulace

Link Analysis and Segmentation

Link Analysis and Segmentation

Social Media Landscape

Social Media Landscape

Most commonly used

Debbie Weil: Social Media 101

Social Media in Operations

The grey side of using Social Media

• Information overload � IKM

• Non credible sources � INTEL

• Loosing control � COS/J3

– IM Plan

– Things go wrong

– OPSEC

• We must replace the delusion of control by reality of influence.

• Sharing information is a responsibility rather than a risk. (Gen Abrial, SACT, 2010)

When Social Networking Goes Wrong

What Social Media is NOT

• Magic or miracle

• Expensive … compared to costs of not engaging in Social Media

• Difficult to learn

• A military capability

• Purely a PA tool

• Subject to education or individual training in NATO

• Considered in comprehensive operations planning

• Properly resourced

Social Media SWOT Analysis and Risk Assessment

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

Risk is when threat meets opportunity.

SWOT AnalysisAn example

Social Media Risk Assessment

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

Risk is when threat meets opportunity.

Options for the Military

• Operational relevance!

• Active or passive

• Effective..?

• Target Audience..?

• Information gathering

• Social Engineering

• Human Network Analysis

• Deception

• Sell / share own ideas

• Get feedback

Requirements

Requirements

• DOTMLPFI– Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership Development,

Personnel, Facilities, Interoperability

• Resources

– People

– Time

– Space / Infrastructure (static/deployable)

– $$$

• Bravery, courage, engagement, and enthusiasm

• Education & Training

• Trust & Empowerment

Conclusion

• Sexy tool

• Nice to have rather than need to have

• Analysis and assessment required to figure out operational relevance

• Effectiveness

– Challenging to measure

– Sufficient resources required

• Go ahead, see what happens!

– Shall we do it � How well we do

– Risk Assessment

Lt Col Ulrich M. JANSSENNATO School OberammergauDeputy Director ISTAR DepartmentSME StratCom, Mil Info Ops, PSYOPSJanssen.ulrich@natoschool.nato.intwww.natoschool.nato.int

Created and presented by

LTC Uli Janßen

Inspired by

David Bailey MBE

Students at NATO School

LTC Rosie Stone and MOG(V)

Thanks to

Giulia Aubry

Coleen Carrington

Chris Dufour

Marta Kagan

brandinfiltration.com

istockphoto.com