Get Social! Using Social Media to Advance
Your Mission, Raise Awareness, and Provide
Peer Support
Presenters: Julio Brionez, Jeneé Darden,
and Eric Jensen
March 2, 2012
Agenda
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Welcome, introductions, and housekeeping –Leah Harris
Presentations:
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Julio Brionez, Mental Health America of Montana
Jeneé Darden, Peers Envisioning and Engaging in Recovery Services (PEERS)
Eric Jensen, Project Return Peer Support Network
Q & A session and close
Questions?
At the end of the webinar, there will be a Q & A session. You are
invited to ask questions at any time through the “question”
function. During the Q & A session, you may ask a question via the
“hand raise” function, if you wish to ask a question verbally.
Questions will be taken in the order they are received.
Archive
This webinar will be recorded. This PowerPoint presentation
and the webinar archive will be posted to the NEC website at:
http://www.power2u.org/information-technology.html
Social Media in Montana
E-Blast
• Weekly emails informing our subscribers of
news and events
• Benefits:
– Fast and effective way to communicate with your
audience
– Easy access to audience preferences
E-Blast
Track Your Results
• Find out the stats on your campaigns and
subscribers, so you can improve your content
with every send and tailor your newsletters to
your readers.
E-Blast
MailChimp.com
Free up to 2,000 Subscribers
12,000 Emails a Month
Facebook - Twitter
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Make regular updates
This first tip is vital. With Facebook pages popping up every day and twitter timelines
becoming packed, regular updates keep your audience tuned into your organization
Facebook Pages not Profiles*
This tip is pretty important. If your business has a Profile instead of a Page, then you
won’t be able to utilize most of the other tips we’ll be sharing. Pages have several
advantages for businesses over Profiles, including…
Promote Your Pages Offline*
If you build it, they will not come. You need to let people know about it. First, go to
http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php and https://twitter.com/signup to secure
a vanity URL for your Facebook and Twitter pages. Then, put that URL everywhere…
Offers, Discounts & Deals*
Facebook fans and Twitter Followers want discounts. In fact, it’s the number one reason
they’ll “Like” a Facebook page and “Follow” you on Twitter.
Facebook Video *
Video can be a great part of an online marketing mix. Many people upload and share
YouTube videos, but there are also advantages to Facebook Video as well…
Podcasts
• Weekly interviews with mental health
professionals, peers, and non-profit organizations
in Montana
• Benefits:
– Reach a new audience
• Unlike video podcasts, audio podcasts allow a listener to
multi-task, so they could end up listening to you on the way
to work on while they browse the web.
– Build a relationship with your listeners
• Because podcasts are also opt-in, it means that only people
who are interested in what you have to say will listen.
Connect with Us
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Email: julio@mhaofmt.org
Facebook - facebook.com/MHAofMontana
Twitter – twitter.com/MHAofMT
Eblast – montanamentalhealth.org/ebsub.html
iTunes – Search for Mental Health America of MT
– or visit montanamentalhealth.org/subpod.html
Presentation for “Get Social!” Webinar
Website Tips
 Figure out your audience. Who are you trying to reach?
 Have a nice balance of photos and word content. Too many/few
words or photos can lose users. The right balance will keep users
coming back.
 Keep language simple. If you want your org’s mission to reach a
broader audience, keep in mind not everyone knows terms or
words common in the peer-consumer community.
 Website should be user friendly and easy to navigate.
 Keep content updated. Websites with old content give off the
impression of little activity at your organization.
Facebook and Twitter
 Post information
about upcoming
events.
 Encourage followers
to invite their
friends to increase
your traffic.
 Keep it updated
daily.
 Monitor for spam or
inappropriate
comments.
Media Watch App
 Volunteer catches positive or
negative content about mental
health in the media.
 Contacts PEERS media team via
email with a link to the content. We
review it and post it online as an
“Action Alert.”
 Coming end of March is our Media
Watch App which will allow
volunteers to submit Action Alerts
through their smartphones.
 People can “take action” by
contacting the media agency in the
Action Alert. They can send e-mails
of thanks or disappointment.
Media Watch App
App Tips
 User friendly
 When working with app developer
make sure he/she clearly and
thoroughly explains how apps are
tested.
 Keep checking apps for bugs before
launching
 Make sure developer follows
through on timetable
Blogging Tips
 Set the tone based on your audience and stick with a
theme for consistency.
 Edit for content.
 Update, update, update – You’ll lose regular followers
if the content is stale.
 Remember whatever you put on the internet, stays on
the internet.
 Remind bloggers to be mindful of the things they
write. If they want to keep something private, don’t
put it on a blog.
 Monitor comments section, follow up with people who
left comments.
 Monitor comments for inappropriate content or spam.
YouTube Tips
 Be Creative, have fun.
 Video should accurately reflect the image of your organization.
 Create video to promote and inform viewers about your org,
campaign, mission, etc.
 Create videos to promote fundraisers or events.
 Share links to video with followers on Facebook and Twitter and
ask them to spread the word.
 Keep videos at a nice length. Not too long where the audience is
bored, but not too short where information is left out. Of course the
time limit depends on the nature and type of video. For example 15
minutes may work for a short documentary, but is too long for a
promotional video about an upcoming poetry night fundraiser.
Podcast Tips
 Invest in a good microphone and digital recorder for sharp sound
quality. A good recorder can easily cost you $500+, but talk to
experts at professional electronic stores. They may refer you to more
affordable alternatives.
 Editing software like ProTools and Adobe Audition will also cost
you hundreds. For Mac users, depending on the age of your
computer, you can use Garage Band for editing. It’s already
installed in your Mac computers.
 Podcasts are great for recording interviews, audio documentaries,
oral histories
Final Thoughts
 Be creative, think outside of the box, have fun.
 Don’t totally abandon using paper for media and marketing. There
are still a lot of people without computer access.
Contact PEERS:
Web: www.peersnet.org
Twitter: @peersorg
Facebook: search for PEERS (Peers Envisioning and Engaging in
Recovery Services)
Eric Jensen
Executive Assistant/Communications Coordinator
Project Return Peer Support Network
www.prpsn.org
www.facebook.com/prpsn
ejensen@prpsn.org
Project Return Peer Support
Network…
 1980 – CA’s first staff-facilitated peer support
program for people with mental illness
 1992 – Transitioned to client-operated program in
response to the need for a greater voice in
designing and running our own programs
 2010 – Became an independent, client-run 501c3
 Primarily funded by LA DMH and SAMHSA
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
What We Do…
 Over 100 peer run self-help groups in Los Angeles
County
 After-hours Warm Line
 Three tiers of Peer Advocate Training
 Community Integration Program
 Community-based Spanish language center for
families and individuals
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
So, what is “Social Media”
anyway?
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Old vs. New Media…
 Old Media: TV, Radio, Newspapers, etc.
 “One-To-Many”
 Information and communication channels control by
large media companies
 Passive audience
 New Media: (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
 “Many-To-Many”
 Information can be mashed-up and personalized by
anyone
 Engaged, interactive audience
 Huge potential for viral spread of information
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Some key aspects of social
media…
 Access: Free, Fast, Easy, Everywhere, Always On
 Collaborative: Anyone can personalize content
and join the conversation. Communications are
not just driven by companies/organizations
 Customize: Personalized content delivery
“Storytelling 2.0 uses social media tools to convey how your organization’s
programs have made a difference in the world…The best stories are
participatory, ongoing threads, and the most useful ones for non-profits are
not created by the organization itself.” – Beth Kanter, CEO Zoetica
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
How can social media impact
advocacy?
 Susan G. Komen Foundation reversed a major
policy decision in days due to public outrage
expressed through social media
 In 2006 it would have taken years for advocates
to achieve a similar level of policy change using
email, blogs, etc.
 The speed and reach of social media allows
people to respond emotionally. “This is
outrageous!” … SHARE
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
What are your social media
goals?
Who is your audience?
What do you want to say?
 Raising cause/organizational awareness
 Becoming a valued source for information
 Creating a personal voice for your organization
 Fundraising
 Providing direct service
 Building online community around your cause
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
How are you measuring
outcomes?
 Facebook Insights
 Google Analytics (website traffic)
 Number of followers
 Number of online comments, phone calls, emails,
etc.
 Successful fundraising
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
What’s the most effective
content?
 Photos: People love to see themselves and to be
tagged in photos
 Videos can be even better as long as they are
short and easy to stream
 Be authentic
 Be personal
 Have fun!
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Social media today at PRPSN…
 Social media is a new experiment for our agency. We just
jumped in to see what works!
 Part of an agency-wide re-branding and marketing
initiative
 Facebook Page
 Company blog & presence on Mad In America blog.
 Extensive use of Twitter (@keriswithak)
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Social media successes:
Facebook, community
outreach, and blogging…
 PRPSN Facebook Page www.facebook.com/prpsn
(please Like us! )has engaged Los Angeles peers
and connected us with national peer and mental
health organizations
 PRPSN Blog and Mad in America webzine have
established our CEO Keris Jän Myrick as a peer and
mental health thought leader
 Bringing WiFi equipped laptops to Los Angeles
homeless population
 Supporting social media interest in our self-help
groups
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Twitter…
 Regular engagement in national mental health
policy Twitter chats has increased agency and
cause awareness
 Twitter engagement has led to new
partnerships and opportunities
 Recent Twitter chat discussing mental health
policy issues hosted by Representative Grace
Napolitano
 “This Is Our Time” teleconference. Simultaneous
Twitter chat allowed listeners to participate
and ask questions in real-time
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Follow
Advocacy
Barbie on
Twitter!
@keriswithak
Challenges…
 Social media is most effective as part of a
comprehensive marketing and communications
strategy
“Telling your story via social media won’t have much impact if
you lack the clear objectives and accurate identification of your
audience (s) that comes with research and strategy formation.
The other pitfall that nonprofits fall into is failing to realize that the
use of social media must be part of a multichannel strategy that
includes email, a strong website presence, face-to-face events,
reaching out to the mainstream media, and Google ads.” – Beth
Kanter
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
More challenges…
 Digital divide: many constituents are not tech savvy
and have limited communication skills and/or Internet
access & experience. How do we reach people where
they are?
 Need for experienced in-house, marketing, media
production and fund development resources & staff
 Concerns about privacy and boundaries between
personal and organizational communication
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Our approach…
Despite the lack of a mature communications/fund
development program we are using Facebook and other
social media daily to:
Advocate
Reduce stigma
Discuss our programs and successes
Connect with others:
 Family members
 People in need of services
 Legislators
 Donors
 And most importantly… each other!
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Tips…
 Get photo releases before posting
 When posting pictures, don’t use names unless the
individual has given their consent
 Post fresh content often and monitor which posts are
most engaging to your followers
 Remove questionable posts if there are privacy
concerns
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Looking toward the future…
 Exploring new ways to integrate social media into
our existing programs such as our Warm Line
 Exploring other social media channels (Linked In,
Pinterest, FourSquare, YouTube, etc.)
 Integrating social media into our developing
marketing and fund development plans
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
How can we best use social media to
tell our stories?
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
“We live in a world where more individuals have access to mobile
phones than to clean water…How can we feed children, lift
communities out of poverty, and create lasting, sustainable,
positive global change with the high-powered technological
tools at hand? The answer lies in the individual.” – Claire DíazOritz, author of ‘Twitter for Good’
Eric Jensen
Project Return Peer Support Network
www.prpsn.org
www.facebook.com/prpsn
ejensen@prpsn.org
2012: Project Return Peer Support Network
Contact Us
National Empowerment Center
Web: www.power2u.org
Email: info4@power2u.org
Tel: 1-800-power-2-u
IT resources:
http://www.power2u.org/information-technology.html
http://www.power2u.org/socialmediaguide/index.html