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Workshop: Using the Internet and Social Media to
“Gain and Retain”
VFC ConventionApril 13, 2015
By BJ Thomas McMillanVFC Membership Chair
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
• A platform to build social networks among people who share interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.
• A means of SHARING – thoughts, news, photos, etc.
• A means of CONNECTING (or RE-CONNECTING) with family, friends, family and friends of your family and friends, strangers – and members of a group.
A social media site may be:
• Individual-centered -- the social action starts with one person and his/her profile – then fans out to his/her family and friends – and possibly their family and friends.
• Group/community centered -- individual taps into a pre-set group of like-minded persons (similar to what was called bulletin boards, listserv’s, or forums).
Social Media Sites May Allow Users To:
• Use tools to find people – or let people find you.• Share thoughts and news• Post photos/videos• Post articles/photos/videos from websites you
visit• Comment on the posts of others• Send private emails/messages• Engage in chats/IM (some w/live video)
So HOW Can Social Media Be Used to “Gain and Retain” Members?
• Post news of your Chapter, links to newsletter.• Alert members and potential members to
Chapter meetings and activities.• Post photos/videos of Chapter activities.• Post “clipped” articles – from NARFE HQ,
newspapers, other websites – of interest to Federal workers and retirees.
• Alert people when advocacy actions are needed.• Members and potential members can write
comments, ask questions – start a conversation.
Social Media Sites of Potential Interest for NARFE Chapters
• Networking:– Facebook – 1 billion users– Google Plus – 300 million users
• Visual bulletin board– Pinterest – 250 million users
• Short Messages– Twitter – 500 million users
Social Media Sites (cont.)
• Video: YouTube – 800 million users
• Blog: Blogger (owned by Google)
• Schedule Events: MeetUp
• Photo-mail: Instagram – 300 million users
Can be set up as a Page or a Group• Page – One to many and many to one
– Can be set up as Regular, Community, or Non-profit/Organization
– Postings can be visible to public OR limited to members of an organization
– Regular Page – postings distributed to those the Chapter has approved as “friends”. Friends are shown on Chapter’s Page.
– Community/Organization Page - postings go to individuals who “like” your page.
Facebook (cont.)
• Group – Many to many
– Can be public, Secret (known only to members), or Closed (existence is public, but must be approved to view postings)
– Group members can submit comments, hold chats, collaborate on docs, issue invites to group events
Facebook Examples
• Regular Page: Las Cruces, NM Chapter
• Community Page: Colonial Beach; Peninsula
• Non-profit Page: NARFE Region X; Strawberry Chapter 1224 Plant City, FL
• Public Group: MD Chap 1888 White Oak
• Closed Group: MO Chap 1457 Lees Summit
Google Plus
• Google’s answer to Facebook – you receive the posts of people you “add” to your Circles. – Unlike Facebook, where you can
approve/decline “friend requests”, people can add you to their Circles without any approval.
• Examples:– Chapter 65 San Francisco– Federal Employee Benefits Coordinator
Best Uses: Facebook/ Google Plus
• Updating Chapter Members about Chapter meetings/activities – past and upcoming.
• Sharing photos of Chapter activities
• Republishing – and sharing with your “friends” -- info of importance to members – and potential members.
• Encouraging short comments – in response to postings.
• “Pin” good stuff you find on the Internet to boards. Can have separate boards with different themes/categories for each.– Ex: Create one board for Congressional actions,
another for your Chapters activities, etc.
• DEMO: YouTube video on Pinterest.• Linda McMillan’s site – her boards.• DEMO: How to “pin” an item.• Must find people to “follow” your boards.
Pinterest – Best Uses for NARFE Chapters
• “Pinning” and then “sharing” articles found on the Internet of interest to Federal employees and retirees. Ex: Articles from Washington Post, from Causey, from NARFE Hotlines, etc.
• Can also share photos/news of your Chapter
• 140 character messages called “tweets”. (Can also embed photos, videos, and links to articles)
• Designed primarily for smart phones.• A substitute for email blasts.• Each new user is assigned an @name.
– In basic search, can find people only by their email addresses OR their Twitter @name.
• Tweets from users you follow will show up on your home page. Conversely, your tweets will show up at your followers’ home pages.
Twitter – How It Works
• You can follow people, companies, news entities, your Chapter, NARFE HQ, etc.– You may get emails for each Tweet you receive.
• Interesting tweets you receive can be re-tweeted to your followers.
• Tweets can be assigned a “#hashtag” – which is then used to collect together tweets – from anyone – on that same topic.
Twitter Examples
• NARFE HQ -- @narfehq
• NARFE NY Federation -- @narfeny
• Hashtag Federal Employee -- #federalemployee
Twitter – Best Uses for NARFE Chapters
• Quickly distribute info – via smart phones.
• Create hashtags for topics of importance to NARFE – and start a virtual discussion.
• Re-tweets: Chapter members following your tweets may “retweet” your info to potential NARFE members that you aren’t even aware of.
Blogs
• Blogger.com (Google) – others
• Can post extensive comments/thoughts about a topic – and encourage others to respond with their thoughts.
• Example: eChapter blog
Apps for Smart Phones/Tablets
• Many Social Media sites have versions designed for use with Smart Phones/Tablets
• Examples: Facebook, Twitter.
The UPSIDES of Using Social Media
• Reach younger members and potential members
• Better means of reaching out to unknown, potential members – than posting flyers.
• Can share important information:– more frequently -- than via a Chapter
newsletter– more easily – than blasting an email out to
individual members
The DOWNSIDES of Using Social Media
• Must find someone to create your Chapter’s “presence” on a site.
• Must create awareness of your site – and entice people to “friend”, “like”, “follow” your presence.– Can be difficult to FIND persons to invite to follow you.
• Need to update and refresh your Chapter’s presence. • May need to assign someone to respond to
comments/messages left by others.• May need to monitor for “undesirable” or embarrassing
content.• May get bombarded with emails – from sites you’ve
registered on.
TIPS
• When registering, think twice about providing accurate info – e.g., birthdate.
• Create a separate email account – and password -- for use in registering/creating social media accounts/profiles.
• May want to limit who can SEE or MAKE posts/comments.
• May want to limit who has “management” rights.• Use a “Dummies” or similar book as a manual. (Most
sites have skimpy/no manual.)• Ask for help/share advice – via the VANARFE
Membership Google group.
Cautions
• Can be huge privacy issues.– In who can find you or see your info– In what the site does with your info
• Can lead to spamming and phishing• May need to monitor your Chapter’s
“presence” for undesirable content (e.g. comments posted by others)
• Research the social media site before you join (news articles, Wikipedia, etc.)
Final Thought
• You can also use Google Sites to design and post a Website for your Chapter– Chapter 92 Montgomery, AL– sites.google.com/site/narfe92/
• Can also design and maintain a website through NARFE.org– BUT this website might not be found by
Search Engines
