A centre of expertise in digital information management Maximising the Effectiveness of Your Online...

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk

Maximising the Effectiveness of Your Online Resources:

Exploiting the Social Web to Promote Your Resources Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath, UK

UKOLN is supported by:This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using Twitter, blogs, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using Twitter, blogs, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/sca-seo-20100602/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/sca-seo-20100602/

Twitter:http://twitter.com/briankelly/http://twitter.com/ukwebfocus/

Email:[email protected]:http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/Gowalla:http://gowalla.com/users/briankelly/


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About Me

Brian Kelly:• JISC-funded Web adviser to UK HE/FE sector• Based at UKOLN, a national centre of expertise in

digital information management• Involved in Web since Jan 1993• Over 300 presentations given since 1997• 700+ blog posts since Nov 2006• Current areas of interest include Web 2.0, Web

standards & Web accessibility• User of various Web 2.0 services: blogs, micro-

blogs, social sharing services, social networking services, …


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UK Web Focus blog : main user engagement & dissemination channel


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Talks given in 2009 covered Web 2.0, accessibility & standards.

More Tools I UseUse of Web 2.0 technologies & approaches:

• RSS feeds for structured information

• Geo-location data• Exploitation of 3rd

party services• Openness of

resources• Risk assessment /

management approaches


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Revisiting SEO

Summary of key approaches:• Apply various techniques to Web resources to

make resources easier to find in Google, …• Resources may include organisational Web

suites, third party Web sites, databases, …• Resources may also include real world objects

and ideas (i.e. your museum, your research ideas, …)

• Based on understanding of importance of Google to end users

Summary of key approaches:• Apply various techniques to Web resources to

make resources easier to find in Google, …• Resources may include organisational Web

suites, third party Web sites, databases, …• Resources may also include real world objects

and ideas (i.e. your museum, your research ideas, …)

• Based on understanding of importance of Google to end users

Databases

Web sites

Real world

Directories

Google(Live Search

Bing, …)


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Beyond SEO

Summary of key approaches:• Make use of social networking services which

people may use of discuss your services• Services may include Facebook, MySpace,

Slideshare, Twitter, …• No need to touch your Web sites (so useful if

you can’t!)• Based on understanding of popularity of SNs

and people’s interests in chatting and sharing

Summary of key approaches:• Make use of social networking services which

people may use of discuss your services• Services may include Facebook, MySpace,

Slideshare, Twitter, …• No need to touch your Web sites (so useful if

you can’t!)• Based on understanding of popularity of SNs

and people’s interests in chatting and sharing

Databases

Web sites

Directories

Social Services(Facebook, Slideshare, Twitter, …)

Real world


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Opportunities & ChallengesOpportunities & Challenges


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It’s About The Individual!

Focus of the Social Web is the individual. Challenges posed:

• ‘It’s my space’• ‘Sustainability• Privacy• Editorial control• Branding• …

Focus of the Social Web is the individual. Challenges posed:

• ‘It’s my space’• ‘Sustainability• Privacy• Editorial control• Branding• …


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Web2MemeMap, Tim O’Reilly, 2005

Characteristics Of Web 2.0

• Network as platform• Always beta• Clean URIs• Remix and mash-ups

Syndication (RSS)• Architecture of participation

Blogs & Wikis Social networking Social tagging

(folksonomies)• Trust and openness

Characteristics Of Web 2.0

• Network as platform• Always beta• Clean URIs• Remix and mash-ups

Syndication (RSS)• Architecture of participation

Blogs & Wikis Social networking Social tagging

(folksonomies)• Trust and openness

Web 2.0

What Is Web 2.0?

Marketing term (derived from observing 'patterns') rather than technical standards - “an attitude not a technology”

Web

2.0


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What Does Google Find?

Pages in Wikipedia are Google-friendly

• First 3rd party Web site for search for ‘British Library’ is from Wikipedia

Wik

is

• Similar results found for a search for ‘British Postal Museum’


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Exploiting Wikipedia (1)

Is your organisation listed in Wikipedia?

If not you are missing out on a (free) marketing opportunity.

Wik

is


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Your entry may have created by someone who doesn’t work for your organisation

Here’s a simple example of a Wikipedia entry.

Looking at the page history we can see when it was created and by whom.

The original page may have been embarrassing.

How long might this page have been promoting your museum?

Conclusions: Doing nothing may not be an option! And would you allow inaccurate information to be published in a popular print publications?

Conclusions: Doing nothing may not be an option! And would you allow inaccurate information to be published in a popular print publications?


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How to proceed:• How to create pages: See Museums and

Wikipedia paper, J Bowden from MW 2007.• No Wikipedia reputation: Get ID and be a

good Wikipedia citizen first. • Entry flagged as ‘marketing’: You’ve copied

your marking material, haven’t you! Work with your peers to avoid ‘the best’, ‘the leading’, …

Wik

is

Note: This is now fixed


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DBpedia

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DBpedia: • Linked Data version of

Wikipedia info boxes


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DBpedia Relationship Finder

Find relationships between items in Wikipedia

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Wikipedia: ConclusionsConclusions:• Good for SEO• A way of

joining Web of Linked Data

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Note that relationship isn’t described in entries for Oxford or Cambridge, but is provided externally


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Why Blog?Multiple reasons for blogging (not all to do with maximising access to resources and ideas):

• Reflection• Dissemination• Engagement• News and alerts• Note-taking• Experimentation• ‘Think out loud’• Personal development• Syndication• …

Blo

gs

Jo Alcock (librarian at Wolverhampton University) has a blog which allows her to engage with her users on library developments and solicit feedback

Jo Alcock (librarian at Wolverhampton University) has a blog which allows her to engage with her users on library developments and solicit feedback


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Why I Blog

Reasons mentioned previously.

In addition:

• Talk about plans for new ‘stuff’ (events, papers, ideas, …)

• Talk and ‘stuff’ I’ve delivered (as illustrated)

Use of a blog allows this to be:

• Commented on

• Syndicated

• Repurposed

Blo

gs


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The Paper In The Repository

The paper in the repository can fail to engage with potential interested parties (especially if the paper is embargoed)

The paper in the repository can fail to engage with potential interested parties (especially if the paper is embargoed)


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Facilitating The DiscussionThe blog post about the paper can engage a wider audience …

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and encourage discussion and debate ..

and provide links to discussions taking place elsewhere


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Best Practices For Bloggers

Examples of best practices:• Have a blog policy (e.g.

‘Don’t be stupid’)• Define the scope and

target audience• Link to others• Allow comments• Respond to comments• Decide on team or

individual blog• …http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/documents/

See UKOLN’s Cultural Heritage IntroBytes briefing documents


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From A Distance BlogB

log

s

Chris Sexton, IT Service’s Director at University of Sheffield & current UCISA chair

Her blog:

• Outlines senior management strategic thinking

• Embed title and link to my most recent blog post


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Reading, Even If Not Blogging

Negative impact – the bad things they say about your stuff

Can be useful to monitor:

• Your brand• Your ideas• Your reputation• Your stuff• ….

Blo

gs

Some minor criticisms from Stephen Downes, a well-read Canadian e=learning guru

Some minor criticisms from Stephen Downes, a well-read Canadian e=learning guru

A speedy reply, and a positive response

A speedy reply, and a positive response


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What Can Twitter Offer? T

wit

ter


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wit

ter

Promoting blog post about possible event.Brief - designed for retweeting (RT)Should you add “Please RT”?


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wit

ter

“OMG they’re criticising us – and this is being retweeted to new groups!”Note you don’t have to respond (but you may address issues raised)


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Rationale:• Allow retweeting in entirety• Clause which can be removed

(“in light of #digitalbritain report”) to allow for commentary (e.g. “great post”)

Twitter Writing Style

New blog post published which I hope to gain a wide audience for.

Announcement tweeted.

First draft “Respect Copyright (and Subvert It!)" My thoughts on copyright and openness in light of the #digitalbritain report http://bit.ly/4XOMJ”

Second draft:“Respect Copyright (and Subvert It!)" Thoughts on copyright & openness in light of #digitalbritain report http://bit.ly/4XOMJ”


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Evidence of the importance of Twitter for driving traffic to blogs

The Evidence

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Evi

den

ce

UK Web Focus Blog: Total of 250,00+ views.Average 250/day over 3.5 yearsBut how do they arrive at the blog?

UK Web Focus Blog: Total of 250,00+ views.Average 250/day over 3.5 yearsBut how do they arrive at the blog?


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“The Power Of Passed Links”The Value Of Twitter Is In “The Power Of Passed Links” Wilson predicts that at current growth rates, Twitter “will surpass Google for many websites in the next year.” And that just as nearly every site on the Web has become addicted to Google juice, they will increasingly try to find ways to get more links from Twitter. Because Twitter equals traffic. …Moreover, he asserts that these Twitter links “convert better” than search links because they are often pre-filtered and come in the form of a recommendation from someone you are following.

TechCrunch, June 2009


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Twitter Alerts

Twitter alerts for keywords, etc available using:

• Columns in Tweetdeck

• Email alerts• …

But this doesn’t provide a historical perspective

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Note ukwebfocus Twitter account is used for automated announcements of posts


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Exploring The EvidenceTwitter can be a significant driver of traffic

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Where would blog be now without Twitter? Twitter seems to have decimated RSS traffic.


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Further EvidenceScreenshots from

http://twitoaster.com/briankelly

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Aim: get people to provide suggestions for TwapperKeeper.Aim: get people to provide suggestions for TwapperKeeper.Aim: to get feedback on ideas in post (… and to get post read)Aim: to get feedback on ideas in post (… and to get post read)

Aim: to get feedback on ideas in post – but received valuable feedbackAim: to get feedback on ideas in post – but received valuable feedbackWhat does the evidence tell us about (a) success of aims &(b) how to achieve aims? What does the evidence tell us about (a) success of aims &(b) how to achieve aims?


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Beyond The Individual

Twitter is used to support IWMW event with IWMW and IWMWlive accounts (and sword_app)

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This news function was initially carried out using RSSOfficial transcript of plenary talks is useful for remote audience. We also intend to use it for captioning videos of talks


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Observing Patterns

Twitter used by Mimas

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Twitter used by EDINA for several of their services


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Next Steps: ImplementationHistory:

• Use by early adopters• Use to support events• Claiming ‘ukoln’ Twitter ID• Gathering evidence of benefits / ROI

Now:• Planning use of ukoln and ariadne_ukoln Twitter

accounts• Agreeing responsibilities and scope• Documenting and sharing best practices:

the ‘voice’; the scope; do we follow; do we auto-follow; do we respond; …

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Further Benefits

Further benefits include the paper.li daily newsletter – see http://paper.li/ariadne_ukoln

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http://paper.li/ariadne_ukoln


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Collective ApproachesWhat benefits can be gain by actively collectively:

• Sharing best practices and experiences

• Exploiting virality of social networks – services that get better as nos. of users grow

What about the ethical aspects?

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ukwebfocus Twitter account follows JISC Twitter accounts. paper.li provides daily newsletter based on links posted – see<http://paper.li/ukwebfocus>


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Slides To Engage Users

Slides designed to allow users to make use of content and links:

• AUP giving permission to reuse content & exploit WiFi network to discuss content

• Hyperlinks in slides

• Link to master copy provided in title slide and footer in handout

• Tag used in del.icio.us to bookmark resources (no need to copy URLs)

Sli

des

The PowerPoint file is a live resource which can be easily accessed, discussed and provide links to relevant resources during a talk and subsequently.

The PowerPoint file is a live resource which can be easily accessed, discussed and provide links to relevant resources during a talk and subsequently.


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Slideshare To Promote IdeasS

lid

esh

are

I use Slideshare to maximise awareness of ideas in papers presented at events. Approaches:

• Slides uploaded in advance (accessibility benefits)

• Allow slides to be embedded in blogs, Web pages, …

• Text, tags, links & metadata to support searching & provide context

I use Slideshare to maximise awareness of ideas in papers presented at events. Approaches:

• Slides uploaded in advance (accessibility benefits)

• Allow slides to be embedded in blogs, Web pages, …

• Text, tags, links & metadata to support searching & provide context


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The Researcher

Carol Gole’s slides

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Slides uploaded on behalf of Professor Carole Goble


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What About Video?Increasingly users want video content – and are likely to use Google or YouTube to find videos

Google Video might have been an obvious place to store videos – but it is how being deprecated


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YouTube

Want to make your University appealing to potential students?

They’re likely to look at YouTube

What will they find?


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YouTube

Want to make your University appealing to potential students?

They’re likely to look at YouTube

What will they find?

From Apr - Oct 2009 Sheffield Uni ran competition encouraging students to upload videos to YouTube (£3000 prize). Aim was to get the students to express in own words what they thought of the University & how Sheffield had made them.

From Apr - Oct 2009 Sheffield Uni ran competition encouraging students to upload videos to YouTube (£3000 prize). Aim was to get the students to express in own words what they thought of the University & how Sheffield had made them.

IWMW 2010 session


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Your Institutional Video

Is it worth trapping your marketing videos in your institutional Web site?

The SEO tips for enhancing the visibility of your videos in YouTube follow well-established guidelines (e.g. title, description, tags, …)

“Given that YouTube is by far the most popular video website, you should be publishing videos there (even if you are a B2B company like HubSpot ”


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What About Facebook? (1)

Should you have a Facebook presence for your organisation?

What are the reasons for having a presence in Fb?

What are the concerns?

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Nos. in June 2009 – 24,200 in May 2010


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Social Web & Linked DataWill Social Web services help- to popularise Linked Data?

Notice how sig.ma provides access to structured content from many Social Web services

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It knows my name … but can get it wrong!


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Risks of Doing NothingWebinar held on 16 June 2009

Advice for US Universities on how to exploit social networks

What are the risks of being left behind?

Must a service be 100% ‘pure’ before choosing to use it?


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What About My Organisation?50 Social Sites That Every Business Needs a Presence onSocial-Media/Social-Bookmarking SitesShare your favorite sites on the Web with potential clients and business partners by commenting on, uploading and ranking different newsworthy articles. You can also create a member profile that directs traffic back to your company's Web site.

Reddit, Digg, del.icio.us, Stumbledupon, Technorati, Ning, Squidoo, Furl, Tubearoo, Wikihow, YouTube, Magnol.ia

Professional-Networking SitesSign up with these online networking communities as a company or as an individual to take advantage of recruiting opportunities, cross-promotional events and more.

Linkedin, Ecademy, Focus, YorZ, Xing, Facebook, Care2, Plaxo, …

General Social-Media SitesThe following social-media sites provide excellent opportunities for businesses to advertise; promote specials, events or services; and feature published, knowledgeable employees.

Wikipedia, Newsvine, 43 Things, WetPaint, Twitter, Yahoo Answers

Don’t go for them all!Don’t go for them all!


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Conclusions

The Social Web:• Can be used to enhance access to digital

resources, real world resources and ideas and concepts

• Ignoring the potential may mean you lose out to your peers, competitors or rivals

• Can form part of your organisation’s mission and not just an added extra for dissemination

• But there are risks


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Questions and Discussion

Any questions?

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Discussion

Possible areas for discussion:

1. Who’s already doing this: What experiences can you share?

2. Who’d like to do this: What barriers do you envisage?

3. Who feels that more evidence is needed: What evidence is required?

4. Who thinks this is a wrong approach: What concerns do you have?

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A centre of expertise in digital information management Maximising the Effectiveness of Your Online...

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