Social Media
Eric Martin
Vision Maker Media
Interactive Media Specialist
visionmakermedia.org/blogs/eric
eric.martin@unl.edu
linkedin.com/in/emartin11
@martineric
visionmakermedia.org/interact/social-media-links
bit.ly/vmmsocial
Which Post Was More Successful?
A
B
Which Post Was More Successful?
Likes: 16 Comments: 0 Shares: 19
Reach: 1,600+
Likes: 76 Comments: 6 Shares: 176
Reach: 17,000+
Organization Objective  Method
Action Plan #1
Objective
Social Media Tactic
Measurement
Benchmark
Method/Tools
Action Plan #2
Action Plan #3
Quantitative Metrics (Examples)
• Number of click-throughs for shared links (HootSuite, Google URL Builder)
• Percentage of referrals to the Vision Maker Media sites (Google Analytics)
• Page and Post Likes (Facebook Insights, YouTube)
• Post Reach, Clicks and Engagement (Facebook Insights)
• Weekly Total Reach (Facebook Insights / weekly admin e-mail)
• “Talking About This” (Facebook page)
• Video Views (Facebook Insights, YouTube, Vimeo, blip.tv statistics)
• Number of Followers (Facebook, tumblr, twitter, YouTube, Pinterest)
• Number of shares of newsletters (ConstantContact)
Qualitative Metrics (Examples)
• Comments & Timeline Posts (Facebook, YouTube, Blog Posts)
• @mentions & #FF (twitter, HootSuite)
• Sentiment (positive, negative, neutral) (socialmention)
• Demographics (Age, Gender, Country, City, Language, etc.) (Facebook,
YouTube, Twtrland, Hootsuite, Website, Surveys)
• Online video viewing habits and engagement (YouTube Overall and Individual
Video Insights – HotSpots, Average Time Spent Watching, Etc.)
Organization Objective  Method (Sample)
Action Plan #1
Action Plan #2
Action Plan #3
Objective
Increase carriage and overall
viewership for Vision Maker
Media programs
Growing the base & increasing the
professionalism of Native media
makers
Develop content for initial release
on the Internet
Social Media
Tactic
Raise awareness of local and
national broadcasts. Let stations
know that promotional support
comes with carriage of programs.
Connect Native media makers with
opportunities online.
Promote online content within
social networks. Give producer
feedback of engagement levels in
order to strengthen content.
Measurement
•
•
Number of telecasts
RTs/Shares
•
•
•
Views
YouTube HotSpots
Benchmark
•
20,000 telecasts of Vision
Maker Media programs
RT/Share for each
broadcast
• 10% increase for tweeted links
click-throughs
•
•
18,000 Views
Audience Retention scores
higher than YouTube average
Tagging stations & locations
Scheduling posts at best
times
• Find & follow Native media
makers on Twitter
• Find relevant opportunities for
re-posting
•
Targeting interested
audiences through tagging
Smart integration of cross
platform
•
Method/Tools
•
•
Clicks on opportunities
•
Willow Blythe
Multimedia Journalist
@WillowBlythe
WillowBlythe@gmail.com
www.WillowBlythe.com
Social Media Best Practices
• Digital/social media strategy should be a top priority for any
media entity
• “How can we use social media better?”
• Consistent and effective strategies attract attention and
engagement
Advantages of Social Media
• Connection with viewers on a personal level
• Quick and easy feedback
• Fast delivery of content
Challenges of Social Media
• Significant planning and management
• Social media never sleeps
• Dealing with criticism
Key Tips for Enriching Your Social Media
Strategy
• Quality > Quantity
• New research is showing that the best time to post is between
8 p.m. and 7 a.m. (14% higher interaction). Don’t forget
weekends!
Best approach= Mix it up
• Posts should be driven by content
• Post your strongest content meaning…
• SEO, Search Engine Optimization* Make sure any “About,
Mission, Company Descriptions, etc” are filled out
Key Tips for Enriching Your Social Media Strategy
Continued…
• Use recognizable links
• Shorten for long links
Example: http://bitly.com
Key Tips for Enriching Your Social Media Strategy
Continued…
• Ask questions, but at the end of your comment/post. 15%
higher overall interaction rate and 2x higher comment rate
• Use call to action! “Like, Caption This, Share, Yes or no, etc,”
but not with every post.
• Photo posts get 39% higher interaction rates.
• Avoid large blocks of text
• Avoid posting multiple times in a short time span
• Tag relevant pages of other organizations (hastags, @, etc) to
expand audience reach
• Most importantly, provide feedback in a professional manner
Remember…
• Planning and scheduling are essential to social media success
• Don’t be afraid to try new methods and approaches
• Monitor progress and note both positive/negative trends
• Consistency is key *