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Social Media: It’s Not Just For Fun

Minnesota Food Access ConferenceAugust 2013

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AgendaSocial Media: It’s Not Just For Fun

• Intro• Communications: Past, Present, Future• USDA & Social Media

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Communications: Past

• One-way• Slow, static, labor intensive• Gatekeepers• Shared sources

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Communications: Present• Transitional• Quick, ever-changing, dynamic• Brief• Interactive• Fewer shared sources, communicating by community • Gatekeepers role is diminished • Arab Spring• Trayvon Martin

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Communications: Future

Less traditional? No traditional?

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Food & Nutrition ServiceUse of Social Media

• Facebook• Twitter• Partners• USDA Blog• YouTube

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Food & Nutrition ServiceUse of Social Media

Case Study: Summer Food Service Program CampaignSpring & Early Summer 2013

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There were 47,773 visits to theSFSP website during this campaign

As we ramped up our engagement in traditional and social media, our site traffic increased.

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The SFSP website received 289 referrals from social media

• Over half of socially-referred visitors are getting to the SFSP site from Twitter

• One-quarter of socially-referred visitors are getting to the SFSP site from Facebook

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#summermeals appeared in Twitter users’ timelines 16,194,669 times!

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Twitter Town Halls were great conversation drivers

Food & Nutrition Coalition’s Twitter

Town Hall

FNS’ Twitter Town Hall

Use of partners increases reach

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Twitter Town Halls also enabled us to positively influence the conversation

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FNS was the top influencer of the #summermeals conversation on Twitter

We’re hustling!FNS has been

very influential in the discussion

about #summermeals.

Feeding America is a very

influential (and, thus, valuable)

partner for FNS.

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FNS’ SFSP webinars live on YouTube, with 1,449 views

Local Economic Development through SFSP in North Carolina

Afterschool At-Risk Centers and SFSP

Partner with UPS or Transit Authority to Deliver Meals

Use Volunteers to Deliver Summer Meals

Transporting Kids to Sites

Local Elected Officials and SFSP

Being a CACFP and SFSP Sponsor

Florida Department of Agriculture's Amazing Summer Food Service Program

Transitioning from CACFP to SFSP When School Ends

Share Our Strength on Raising Awareness about Summer Meals

Faith-Based Sponsor Success Story

Using USDA Foods (commodities) in SFSP

CACFP At-Risk Center and CACFP Sponsors and SFSP

Mobile Summer Meals Sites

Recruiting Sites and Sponsors

Addressing Transportation Challenges

Ohio Department of Education Presents the Summer Food Service Program

State Elected Officials ans SFSP

Grants Available to SFSP Sponsors

How I Became a Sponsor

Faith-Based Organizations and SFSP

Como Su Organización Puede Ayudar a Alimentar Niños Necesitados este Verano

How You Can Help Feed Hungry Children This Summer

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Food & Nutrition ServiceUse of Social Media

Case Study: The Role of Partners

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5 Tips:Social Media: It’s Not Just For Fun

• Set up accounts, promote your presence• Follow/like/engage with peers & leaders• Use it regularly• Tweet at partners/peers/leaders• Hold a Twitter Town Hall

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Social Media: It’s Not Just For Fun

• Follow/Like us! • Twitter: @USDANutrition, @USDA• www.facebook.com/USDA

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Social Media: It’s Not Just For Fun

Alan Shannon, Public Affairs DirectorUSDA Food & Nutrition Service, Midwestalan.shannon@fns.usda.gov312-353-1045