Experimenting on Social Media and Adapting from Failure

Rebecca Matulka, Interior Department

Rebecca Matulka

Deputy Director of Digital StrategyInterior Department

@USInterior on Instagram and Facebook

@Interior on Twitter

Agenda1. Why do people share?

2. Defining success and failure

3. Tips for experimenting

4. Getting leadership buy-in

Why do people share?

ContagiousWhy Things Catch On

1. Social currency

2. Triggers

3. Emotion

4. Public

5. Practical value

6. Stories

From the book:

Examples:

Defining success and failure

Defining success

● Why are you doing what you do?

○ Education

○ Positive association

○ Take action

○ Engagement

○ News coverage

○ Correcting misinformation

Defining failure

● Not reaching your goals

○ Post is a dud

○ Negative engagement

● Technology doesn’t work

When mistakes happen ...

The response:

Tips for experimenting on social media

Tip 1: It’s not all about you

Tip 2: Listen

Tip 3: Be fans of your

community

Tip 4: Know your audience

Tip 5: Be human

Tip 6: Use humor

(when appropriate)

Tip 7: Get inspiration from others

Tip 8: Watch trends

Tip 9: Tag on to current events

Tip 10: Test content on differentsocial media platforms

Tip 11: Admit a mistake

Getting leadership buy in

All about building trust

● Walk before you run

● Open communications

● Give examples of others doing something similar

● Start small

● Point to past results

Warning: There will always be detractors

The response:

Questions?