Objectives• Define new and social media– Provide examples of the tools

• Friends Groups and new media– Which tools will be the most useful to

Friends Groups for reaching young, diverse audiences

– Provide suggestions on how to use new media to recruit new members

– How to use the tools to compliment USFWS’s usage

– How to use new media to better engage the public with the refuge

But Why?Why is using social media

useful for your Friends Group?

Does it really help you reach a broader, more diverse audience than traditional methods like pamphlets and a simple website?

Will it help you connect with the next generation of conservation-minded individuals?

Ok, maybe we’re space-minded, but we are The Next Generation!

The Statistics Say It All• 8% of teens use Twitter

• 38% of teens share content online

• 73% of adult profile owners use Facebook

• 175 million people use Facebook every day

• YouTube has over 100 million viewers in the U.S.

• Men, women, whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics are all equally likely to use social networks

Stats from Pew Internet & American Life Project

Textbook Definition of New and Social Media

“New media is used to educate, organize, share, communicate, coalition build, and as an alternative to traditional print and broadcast news media.”- Wikipedia

“A group of internet-based applications … that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.”- Andreas Kaplan, Michael Haenlein

Let’s Make this Simple!• Facilitate

communication• Online• Interactive• Customize,

personalize• Reactive• Always fresh

New media isso fresh!

Not All Tools are Created Equal

• Different social media tools were created for different reasons

• Some may work better for growing your Friends Group than others

• But which ones? And how?

Think about what you want to accomplish first, then choose the

proper social media tool.

You won’t accomplish your goals if you don’t start in the right places!

The Usual Suspects

TwitterFacebook

Flickr YouTube

Constant Contact

iTunes

Facebook• Who’s the popular-est of them all?

– #1 social network in the world since August 2008

– Coincidence? Facebook started out as a popularity contest!

• It’s not about agencies, places, or things. It’s about people.– You cannot manipulate the medium to

serve your purposes. You serve its purposes.• Connecting, gossiping, “stalking”• Making yourself look good

So how can your FG use Facebook?

Facebook• Create a Facebook group for

your Friends Group– Facilitate discussion, sharing, and

create a sense of community

• Post photos from FG sponsored events to your profile– Embed links to your FG page in the

caption

• Create Facebook events for refuge events– Invite family and

friends, and tell them to bring others!

• USFWS on Facebook

Twitter• Broadcasting tool

– Lots and lots of links– Very broad audience– Daily updates required to

be successful– Funnel for lots of

information– Large scale– Ideal for general

information

• USFWS Twitter usage• Not recommended for FGs

Flickr• Community for photo-

sharing– Free or $25/yr for

unlimited space– Connect with nature

photographers• Network

– Promote the refuge or your Group events

– Easy to use, easy to maintain

USFWS Flickr Usage

USFWS accounts upload photos taken by employees on refuges. They are all public domain.

Ways to Network on FlickrJoin Flickr groups and network with photographers. Maybe you can generate interest in joining your FG!

YouTube• Video sharing site

– USFWS will have “official” channel to upload USFWS employee generated content

– Free flowing, search-based tool

– Got a video? Upload it!– Can create a channel to

house FG videos, or share them on your personal channel

iTunes• Podcasts– Must have an

RSS feed

– Good for developing a radio/video show for iPods

– Best for frequently updated content

iTunes• Create content that

can be added to iTunes and synced on an iPod

• Don’t need to use the iTunes Store

• Create downloadable video or audio files that can be synced with an iPod, then share them with everyone you know, anywhere, any time!

• Tours, exhibits, interviews!

Constant Contact

“Ding” on the Wing

“Ding” on the Wing

Earthcaching