Ohio Contractors Association is offering their members a great opportunity to learn more about social networking. Beginning with introductory level instruction and discussion in the morning, participants will gain an understanding of why using social networking tools are valuable to their businesses and how to realistically handle the challenges of using the tools. After lunch, the second workshop will focus upon social networking strategies. They encourage attendance at both workshops. The training will be led and facilitated by Angela Siefer of ShinyDoor. Angela created ShinyDoor to assist small business, nonprofits and government agencies struggling with social networking.

Introductory Session

Participants of this three-hour session will:

• Develop an understanding of the purpose of social networks.
• Learn the unique structures of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
• Learn how to begin creating a professional online representation of themselves as an individual and their organizations.
• Openly discuss the challenges associated with professional use of social networks.
• Set up accounts in LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter during the workshop.

Strategic Session

Participants of the Social Networking Strategies Workshop are expected to already have user names and passwords for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Participants of this two-hour Social Networking Strategies Workshop will learn how to:

• Create a consistent, genuine professional online representation for themselves and their organizations.
• Build a strong network for personal use, organizational advocacy and community building.
• Integrate online and offline networking.
• Determine the unique purposes of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

It is preferred that participants have laptops (or willing to share with someone else from your company).  The cost is very reasonable - $50 for the morning session and $50 for the afternoon session for members.  $75 each for non members. 

Registration

Danah Boyd defines herself as an ethnographer. Most of us do not think of current day ethnographers existing (and if they did, how they would pay their mortgage?). Danah is a Social Media Researcher at Microsoft Research New England. She is in a unique position to research how youth use and view social media. I heard Danah speak at the 2010 Symposium on Youth and Social Media sponsored by the OSU Moritz College of Law.

Much of what Dana relayed was not a surprise but her depth of the issues was enlightening. For example, she discussed “replicability” of online information. We are all aware of how information online can be forwarded around but Dana relayed how, within the world of teenagers, the replicability makes it hard to determine what the original record is, for example it common for youth to forward an instant message, AFTER they change key words.

We are told to “know your audience” but when communicating online it is very difficult to speak to a specific population because we do not always know who our audience is. Dana defines this as collapsed contexts – The lack of spatial, social and temporal boundaries makes it difficult to maintain distinct social contexts. We used to be able to change how we speak to different audiences. When online our social contexts collide. Danah commented how a collapsed context usually only occurs offline when alcohol is involved.

This is a fascinating issue. Social media folks often talk about being genuine, being yourself. Are all of us exactly the same, always? Or do we change our behavior (sometimes slightly, sometimes intensely) depending upon to whom we are speaking?

Danah told a story of how a teenager said MySpace was for the black kids and Facebook was for the white kids. Danah was so stunned with the information that she rushed out to blog about it. She said she dealt with the information in a messy way, “which is how bloggers deal with it, not how academics do”.  Would she have phrased her response as such if she were talking to a room full of bloggers instead of a room full of academics? How many times have any of us felt the need to explain ourselves because a comment was misunderstood due to the listener not knowing the context of the comment?

Back to the content of her blog post, further research found the distinction between MySpace and Facebook to be less racially based and more class based. She noted the original creation of MySpace occured in LA while Facebook was created at Harvard. It makes sense that when Facebook opened up to teenagers, those first to head over would be those who know college students using the application.

Danah Boyd was incredibly impressive. Her research has gone beyond traditional surveys. She goes out and talks to kids about social media. She goes to the source. Impressive? Oh, yes! Am I jealous? Oh, yes!

If you have an option to hear from "expert" or hear from someone who deals with the same challenges as you do, what would you choose?

Because we believe we all learn more when we participate than when we are passive listeners, ShinyDoor and MORPC organized the Government Social Media Conference as an interactive event. 80 participants learned from each other, figured out which Ohio government agencies are doing what in regards to social media, and got to know each other.

The "got to know each other" piece is super important. The biggest issue we heard at the conference is needing to convince management of the value of social media. Government employees (regardless of being state, local, large or small) need real examples of other government agencies experimenting with social media and struggling with the same challenges (such as access to online applications, time requirements, public records laws, message control).

The participants did not paint a rosy social media picture. They painted a realistic picture. Multiple folks explained how they ended up experimenting with social media. The story told by Scott Varner of ODOT was particularly entertaining (and genuine!). He shared a Cleveland Plain Dealer article in which ODOT was hung out to dry for not using social media. After the article came out, Scott was inundated with friends, colleagues and the general public telling him to join the new digital world and offering to assist ODOT. Where are they now? Six months later? They have a 3C Passenger Rail Facebook Page promoting a passenger rail system and 6 regional Twitter accounts posting winter weather road conditions and a YouTube channel.

For us, holding an interactive conference meant going beyond Q&A. The day held only one panel of speakers and one powerpoint (which, btw, was created by the City of Dublin and is fabulous). The rest of the day included roundtable discussions (facilitated by social media practioners), a Facebook Face Off between Mid-Ohio Foodbank and COSI, an informal discussion of setting up Twitter at an event and Q&A with Sheriff Jones of Butler County via video.

Everything we did came with an explanation so as to be a learning experience for the attendees. After Sheriff Jones participated via ustream from a law enforcement conference in Washington DC, we explained the logistical details:

1. Sheriff Jones does not have a laptop with a webcam so a friend of mine (Mickey) who lives in DC met the sheriff at his hotel with a web cam enabled laptop.
2. The video with the sheriff streamed live (via ustream) so anyone could participate.
3. Mickey is a techie but the way we set it up did not require IT skills.
4. The ustream is super simple to set up. An account is needed but its free.
5. Anyone watching while the video streamed live could ask the sheriff questions.
6. We could have used Skype. We did not so that folks who wanted to participate but were not physically at the Government Social Media Conference could easily do so.
7. We meant to record the video. We forgot. :-)

Recurring themes we heard:

• Our IT does not understand and does not want to understand social media so we figure it out ourselves.
• We are blocked from using Facebook, Twitter and many other online applications.
• We had to get special permission to get a Blackberry.
• We've been working on a social media policy. For a long time.
• I wish my boss were here.

What did we hear near the end of the day? "What's next?, Will there be another event? Can I get a list of the attendees and their contact info?"

An email we received from Karen Fahy, Community Relations Specialist at the City of Grove City -
"Fantastic event today! We really learned a lot from the presentations as well as the communication we had with participants! Thank you for putting together a great conference." 

So, yes, we will hold additional avents and we will arrange a means for the participant to continue to talk to each other. Unfortunately since many government agencies block social networking tools, whatever communication we choose will need to be one allowed by government IT departments. We're thinking a listserv. I kid you not.

Tweet, Post, Comment: Engaging Ohioans Online

What: A one day interactive conference discussing government successes, challenges and strategies for using social media to engage and educate the community. Social media is being integrated into all aspects of our society and government is no exception. Since social media encourages us to build relationships, its only fitting for a social media conference to do the same. Come prepared to participate both in person and online. Bring your questions, your ideas and your PDAs!

Date: January 22, 2010

Location: Dublin Rec Center, 5600 Post Road, Dublin, OH 43017

Cost: $60/person, includes breakfast and lunch

Registration is now closed. If you would like to attend, please contact Angela.

Agenda:

8:30-9:30     Registration & Bagel Mingle

8:30-9:00     Live demo of Twitter set up for event

9:00-9:30     Facebook Face Off between Mid-Ohio Foodbank and COSI

9:30-9:35     Welcome

9:35-10:30   Why Social Media for Outreach & Advocacy - Panelists: Laura Koprowski of MORPC, Christa Dickey of City of Westerville, & Scott Varner of ODOT. Moderated by Angela Siefer of ShinyDoor.

10:35-11:35  Morning Roundtable Discussions

11:40-12:15  Open Networking Lunch

12:15-12:35  Lunch Presentation by City of Dublin

12:35-12:45  Blackberry Break

12:45-1:45    Afternoon Roundtable Discussions

2:00-2:30      Richard K. Jones, Sheriff of Butler County, speaking to us via Ustream from Washington DC.

2:45-3:45      Free Social Media Clinic

Sponsored By:

Hosted By:

When I searched Facebook Pages created by and/or for Ohio cities, the most impressive Page I found was the City of Westerville.

Why is it so impressive?
Its engaging. The tone of the posts made by the City are friendly and welcoming (that is - they do not read like press releases). They read like a real person posted them, someone you'd like to chat with. Turns out, the primary admin of the City of Westerville Facebook Page is Christa Dickey, the City's Community Affairs Administrator (that is, she does PR). Yet she does not talk in PR speak on the Facebook Page. How can this be? Because she's smart. Her primary job is not social media but she did some research, used her PR savviness and came to the conclusion that a successful Facebook Page will engage current, past and potential residents.  Christa's posts are informative about the community itself, not just the city. This is important - she does not only post about trash pickup or city council meetings.

Why is the Page so active?
According to Christa its successful because the community of Westerville is engaged and active. Of course, that's her job to talk about how engaged and great the community is! From the outsider's viewpoint I'd say, yes, the community is active but its certainly easier to be engaged when the City asks your opinion, cares what you say and responds to you.

How do we know the Page is engaging?
Scroll through the City of Westerville Facebook Page and you will rarely find a post that does not have some thumbs up and or comments. All those replies are not made by the same 3 people. And, Christa replies when appropriate to posts by the Page's Fans.

What about negative posts?
Biggest concern I hear from government representatives regarding Facebook Pages is "What if we get a negative post???" According to Christa, the City of Westerville has had two negative posts. That's it? Yep.  One said Westerville has too many parks (oh, what a terrible problem) and the other was about the City's recycling program. She considers serious complaints posted to their FB Page an opportunity for customer service. She responded to both, engaged both individuals. She understands she will not win every battle and she is ok with that.

Christa's advice to municipalities setting up FB Pages:
Get the support of the city's management. The more they understand, the more supportive they will be.

Know of a municipality doing a great job with FB Pages? Please share! Would love to see it.