Paul Walker, special assistant to the dean on social media, put together a day-long UT Social Media Collaborative event yesterday. Here are some notes from my sketchbook.
![s-craig-watkins S. Craig Watkins](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/s-craig-watkins.jpg?resize=228%2C291)
S. Craig Watkins author of “The Young and the Digital” asks, Has social media made us TOO social?
![paul-walker Paul Walker](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/paul-walker.jpg?resize=166%2C218)
Paul Walker, Communications teacher and social media consultant to the Tower, says
- Do a strategy in 6 weeks, be ready for the new year
- In a nutshell: Create a strategy, listen for influencers, engage them, convert them to your mission, and manage the performance of your strategy
- Balance is key. Find the sweet spot in the intersection between
- your unit’s goals
- the channels available (and emerging)
- the conversations going on out there
- Tools like Radian 6 and Watershed are good, but not great at capturing the tone of the conversation
![nyleva-corley Nyleva Corley](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/nyleva-corley.jpg?resize=242%2C315)
Nyleva, Web Editor for the Office of Public Affairs asks the writer’s questions: who, what, when, where, why?
- Who’s talking?
- What are they saying?
- Where are the people, and the where are the conversations taking place?
- When do they occur?
- Why are people talking?
![brittany-paxman Brittany Paxman](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/brittany-paxman.jpg?resize=127%2C189)
Brittany Paxman, a student of Paul’s had a lot of great practical advise.
- Make a list of influencers, bloggers using Google blog search and Technorati (which gives an influence ranking)
- Keep asking, “How can I become part of the conversation.”
- Subscribe to Goolge alerts and your influencer blogs with your RSS reader
- Likes Quantcast.com for unique visitor tally, Factiva (available through library) for mainstream media mentions
- Google tip: use “link:[URL]” to see referring sites
- Order of importance: Technorati, Visitors, Media mentions, Referrers
![poe Edgar Allen Poe](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/poe.jpg?resize=199%2C225)
Jen Tisdale and Alicia Dietrich, Public Affairs reps for the Harry Ransom Center, created a campaign for their Poe exhibit “Poe Mania.”
- Began by targeting select media w/presspack teaser
- Scheduled daily reveals (automated ahead of time)
- 3 days of a Facebook add was cheap (~$400) and effective (fans increased by 1/3)
- 60% of the media they targeted ended up covering their event
- The click-throughs from Facebook and Twitter were about the same, 350 from each.
- Worked with local startup Social Agency’s tool Spreadfast. Liked it, continuing to use, partner.
![tim-hayden Tim Hayden](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/tim-hayden.jpg?resize=147%2C218)
Tim Hayden, CEO of GamePlan.
- “If you suck offline, you’re gonna suck online!”
- The audience isn’t just listening, they’re talking.
- The three screens: live, mobile, online (TV’s gone)
- Best to keep the cat in the bag: say “special guest” instead of “Mack Brown appearance”.
- Mobile SocNetworking: Foursquare, GoWalla (local Austin)
- 90% of word of mouth marketing takes place offline! – Keller-Fay
- Nothing, not TV, microwave, had been adopted as fast as social media
- This is a rising tide.
- There are no social media experts.
- Beware of mobile: the Web in your pocket or purse.
- It’s never too late to start your campaign.
- Formula: data > dialog, surprise, intrigue > ENGAGE: live, mobile, online > dialog, feedback, metrics, content
- Formula: Mobile devices + Online relationships = More happening OFFLINE!
Keene Haywood talked at lunch about what’s coming next.
- The Web is data driven, metadata organization
- Mobility and sensors are driving the Web. ie. Location (see Foursquare, Loopt)
- “The internet of things” is being realized. It’s not cyber, it’s REAL!
- Google’s iPhone app switches from text to voice input when you raise it to your ear. Cool!
- We’re just seeing the tip of the augmented reality iceberg. (ie. Layar overlays info on a location.)
- Online etiquette is a sign of a network’s maturity. Just look at the comments on Flickr v. YouTube.
- Google WAVE: program > platform > protocol. (you can embed in a post)
- Check out, watch out for: Yammer, Present.ly, Plaxo, Brizzly (cleaner Twitter)
Brooke Hovey, Managing Director of Cohn-Wolfe Digital, spoke about Facebook tips for fan pages.
- 40% of people on FB are fans of brands.
- Follow brands that are doing it well.
- Support your fans, be targeted (like gender or geography)
- Top Ten FB fanpage tips
- assign a dedicated, passionate mngr
- use tabs and apps
- use ads
- have a 2-3 conversation calendar
- read and respond to conversations, comments
- give em what they want: exclusive offers, info/entertainment
- contests (use 3rd party sites to get around new restrictions)
- photos: you and them, get them to submit
- create events and groups
- monitor FB Insights
![dave-holsten Dave Holsten](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/dave-holsten.jpg?resize=137%2C201)
![david-cook David Cook](https://i0.wp.com/blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/web-works/files/2009/12/david-cook.jpg?resize=137%2C201)
David Cook and Dave Hosten talked about what to measure.
- Ask “So What?”
- By asking questions we establish a mindset > is our investment worth it?
- Understand what the data means and doesn’t mean.
Hi, Jason,
Thanks for this excellent report. I’ve just recently joined the Social Media Collective, so I missed this meeting. DIIA just had it’s first All-Staff meeting via Adobe Connect this morning, as soon as I get it together, I’ll post results/screen shots to the Collective.
Great work on the McCombs SM as well!
Best,
Claudia