Active Is…Getting the Word out Using Social Media
Simply put social media is user-generated information sharing websites that can be thought of as interactive conversations. These conversations are constantly growing as new users join-in and share their thoughts, videos, photos, links and more. Social media content is collaborative, authentic, dynamic and ever-changing.
Website marketing goals can be to convert visitors to stakeholders, build relationships, increase awareness, attract partners and support offline strategies.
Social media websites can be divided into the following categories:
Lifestreaming or social networking
- These sites include micro-blogging sites like Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed and more. Users create online profiles and update them with messages about their interests or what they are doing, photos, videos, audio clips which can be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group of their choosing.
- Follow this link to discover what the BC Healthy Living Alliance is tweeting about.
- These sites can help you raise campaign awareness, update stakeholders, plan events and more.
- Video or photo sharing websites include YouTube, Flickr and Google Videos. Check out BC Recreation and Parks Association’s YouTube channel.
Click on the Fresh Air On Campus image to see how a Facebook page can help you promote to your target audience. You can add an image to your email signature that will link to your page. Provide one line of text to engage users to follow the link.
Become a fan of Fresh Air on Facebook and see how you can help make BC post-secondary schools the healthiest in Canada.
Social News Sharing Sites
- These include Digg, Delicious, Reddit and more. They are places where users can discover and share content from anywhere on the internet. User upload links and news stories and can vote on submissions which are then ranked according to the votes received.
Blogs and Podcasts
- These are websites, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.
- Blogs can be very influential especially on niche topics and provide a lot of campaign exposure.
Nedra Weinreich’s blog Spare Change is a great example of a Social Marketing blog.
Some keys to success on the web
- Learn how your community gets information
- Are they on Facebook, Twitter?
- Determine what your goals are for being on the web
- Posting event or program information
- Running a contest
- Engaging your community to learn what inspires and motivates them to get active
- Engaging your local media
- Decide how to engage your audience
- Create your own content – a blog
- Create a group page on Facebook to attract a wider audience and be able to share information quickly
- Post videos of active events to inspire new participation and the next one
- Creating an online community takes time
- Be patient and allow time for your online marketing strategies to engage your target audience and elicit responses
