Social Media Opportunities & Pitfalls
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Transcript of Social Media Opportunities & Pitfalls
Social Media Opportunities & Pitfalls: Twitter, Facebook and
Blogs
Andrew PowersPublic Information OfficerCity of Thousand Oaks
JoAnne SpeersExecutive DirectorInstitute for Local Government
Agenda Overview:i. Our Background
ii. Overview of Social Media
iii. Legal Issues Relating to Social
Media
iv. Why & How
v. Q & A
What is Social Media . . .
* Social media is any form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations in or around the content on the website.
What is Social Media . . .
* Social media is the use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co-create value.
What is Social Media . . .
* Social media are works of user-created video, audio, text or multimedia that are published and shared in a social environment, such as a blog, wiki or video hosting site.
Twitter:• Twitter is a social networking and
microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets.
• Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers.
Twitter:
• 44 million Twitter users• 73% joined during first five months of
2009• 53% women / 47% men• Demographics:
- 25-34 = 20%- 35-49 = 42%- 55+ = 17%
Facebook:
• Mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.
• A social networking site that was originally designed for college students, but is now open to anyone 13 years of age or older.
Facebook:
• Users can create and customize their own profiles with photos, videos, and information about themselves. Friends can browse the profiles of other friends and write messages on their pages.
• Each profile has a "wall," where friends can post comments. Since the wall is viewable by all the user's friends, wall postings are basically a public conversation.
Facebook:
• Over 400 million active users• Over 200 million log on at least once a day• 2/3 are outside of college• Fastest growing demographic = 35 and up• 70% outside of the United States• People spend over 500 billion mins/mth on
site
• YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos.
• Unregistered users can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos.
You Tube:
• 24 hrs of video uploaded to YouTube every minute
• 1 Billion views per day
• 51% of users go to YouTube weekly or more often
• 52% of 18-34 year-olds share videos often with friends and colleagues.
YouTube:
• A blog ("web log") is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary
• Worldwide there are @ 113 Million Blogs
Blogs:
www.technorati.com
Blogs:
Legal Issues and Social Media
One Frame: Types of Legal Issues (p 2)
First Amendment—Local Agency Use of Social Media
Use of Public Resources (Personal/Political)
Employee Activities on Social Media
Other HR Issues Screening employees Discrimination and harassment
Types of Legal Issues
Open meeting laws
Public records
Procurement, gift and contract issues
Equal access issues/§ 508 issues
Another Frame: User
Individuals’ Use of Social Media
Agency’s Use of Social Media
Individuals’ Use
Employee use
Elected official use
Bottom Line: Issues are the same as other forms of
communication Apply familiar legal principles to new
media
Example: Employee Activities
Employee personal (non-agency) posts
On agency time: Personal use of public resource
(p 6)
Right to comment on issues of public concern (pp 8-9)
Disciplinary issues
Harassment Conduct unbecoming an officer
Elected Officials Activities
Brown Act Using technology to discuss
issues in agency’s subject matter jurisdiction
Political Use of Public Resources City email on ballot measure
advocacy DiQuisto
Agency Use of Social Media
First Amendment Issues
Public Records Act Issues
First Amendment Issues (pp 2-6)
Conventional website (web 1.0) Nonpublic forum One-way communication Vargas (n. 18)
Informational
First Amendment Issues (pp 2-6)
Web 2.0: Interactive media
Designated public forum or limited public forum
Bottom Line: Can’t delete posts because one disagrees with message
Strategies (p 4)
Key: Adopt a social media policy Notice to public (link) -”designates” public
forum Guidance to staff
Excerpts pp 5-6/links in footnotes
Whole policies available at:www.ca-ilg.org/socialmediapolicies
Social Media Policies
Prohibit:
Commercial posts
Profanity Possible caveat: If one is commenting on
the Draft
Campaign posts Caveat: Unless the agency includes links
Public Records Issues
Retention
Disclosure
Public Records Retention
No statutory definition
AG Definition: “Lasting indication” “for future reference”
Social media content ≠ records subject to retention requirements
Say so in retention schedules
Records Disclosure (pp 12-16)
Postings on social media sites
Not in possession of agencies
Not maintained or retained by agency
Transparency Strategies
Use social media to drive traffic to (section 508 compliant) agency website
Use settings so “everyone” can access content (not just friends)
Synch privacy policy with approach to public records disclosure
For More Issues & Analysis
See paper Has lots of footnotes, sample language and
links “Dos and Don’ts”
Also see website: www.ca-ilg.org/cgitechnology
Key Questions:
Why does my organization want participate in social media?
How will social media be incorporated into my overall customer experience?
Do you have a long-term strategic vision for utilizing social media tools?
Developing a Social Media Strategy:1) Create a cross functional / mixed
generational team
2) Listen to what’s already out there – www.socialmention.com
3) Determine your tools
Tips for Developing a Social Media Strategy:
4)Review and modify existing policy -- utilize “Best Practices” and plan for future growth
5)Determine roles & responsibilities for lasting success
6)Develop a style + tone that’s uniquely yours
7)Monitor, re-evaluate, augment
Twitter:
Facebook:
You Tube:
Ever evolving …
Social Media Opportunities & Pitfalls: Twitter, Facebook and
Blogs
Andrew PowersPublic Information OfficerCity of Thousand Oaks
JoAnne SpeersExecutive DirectorInstitute for Local Government
Q & A