PowerPoint Presentation

Social Media

for extension professionals

My name is Ashley Andrews.I have worked for Cooperative Extension since August 2006.I am just like you.First, introductions:

My mom is the heart and soul of our family.

I have a family

My dad and brother, both volunteer firefighters, are the entertainment.

I have a family

I have a family

I have a familyMy husband is the accident-prone one of the bunch.

I Have a Family

I Have hobbiesIm the nerd.I like to figure out how things work. I like the challenges of computer-building,

I Have hobbiesmotorcycle-riding (Ive always managed to stay shiny-side up),

I Have hobbiesand gardening in Nevadas high desert climate.

I know what youregoing throughBecause Im just like you, I understand the challenges Extension professionals face. For us, Work-life balance is suffering.Were doing more with less.Its hard to keep up.Were burning out.

I know what youregoing throughTo survive as an organization and as individuals, something has got to give. Something has got to change.

Why extension should use social mediaImagine that youve been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and that saving your life will involve adopting a series of far-reaching lifestyle changes. Would you adopt these changes?- Jim Langcuster, Mission Extension: The Weblog

The PastFor 100 years, Cooperative Extension has been an important player in American life (USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture).

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The Past

During the Depression, Claude Mud Townsend dispensed education where the clients were in saloons (Cooperative Extension).

Nevada Cooperative Extension Poultry Specialist V.E. Scott goes to great lengths to reach constituents in the early 1920s.

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The PresentExtensions knowledge landscape monopoly is gone.Only 27% of US adults know Cooperative Extension exists (2008 Copernicus Survey).The publics need for credible, science-based information has not subsided.

The FutureTo help others, to continue to exist, the organization must adopt a series of far-reaching changes: go online, listen, communicate and community-build (Mission Extension).

The Future

Extension has always gone great lengths to reach those who need them. Today, Extension must go online.This is Cooperative Extensions chance to add value to current programs, expand outreach efforts and reach audiences in impactful new ways.

Getting started with social media for extension outreachCooperative Extension focuses on people, not profit and consequently operates with limited resources.Social media is a great way for Extension to provide increased visibility and marketing on a budget.

Step 1: ID Your Target MarketAre they female or male?How old are they?Where do the live?What languages do they speak?

Step 2: Find out where they hang out onlineFacebook is popular across a diverse mix of demographic groups. Pinterest holds particular appeal to female users. LinkedIn is popular among college graduates and in higher income households. Twitter and Instagram appeal to younger adults, urban dwellers, and non-whites.- (Pew Research)

Icons by http://www.dreamstale.com/download-15-free-social-shadow-icons.21

Step 3: Pick 1-2 platformsYou dont have to use them all, and you will be more effective if youdont.Pick the top one or two platforms for your constituents and sign up to use them.

Photo by http://uiconstock.com/40-free-social-media-icons-pngs-ai-file-3/. 22

Step 4: create and curateSuggested posting schedules:Facebook: 3-10 times per week.Twitter: 5-???times per week.Linked in: 2-5 times per week.Pinterest: 5-10times per week.Google+: 3-10 times per week.Instagram: 2-10 times per week.

-Constant Contact

Step 4: create and curateSocial media is social.Seek out quality content and share it to save time, educate your audience and inspire reciprocal sharing.Follow other Extension colleges, offices and programs and visiteXtension.orgtodiscover content worth curating.

Step 5: promoteTell friends, family, colleagues,volunteers, program participants, etc. Include social links in anything and everything you do.Drive trafficto your website from your social media posts.

Facebook community building for extension professionalsYour effective use of social media influences Extensions outreach impact and fiscal future.

Facebook community building for extension professionalsFosteran online community to:Help others: Assess needs, respond with programs and monitor program impacts.Continue to exist: Nurture relationships with those who provide and control Extension funding.

Be NiceInternet users are accustomed to pervasive and often misleading advertising.Be polite, honest, consistent and genuine in your communications.

Be ActiveContinually post updates to have an impact.Post on weekends, holidays and during your audiences peak Facebook use hours. Schedule evening, weekend and holiday posts.

Facebook insights for extension professionalsWe need data, and there is a goldmine of it available through Facebook Insights.The information can be used to determine program need and impact.

Demographics and Needs assessmentFacebook Insights provides gender, age range, country, language and city demographic data to administrators of Facebook pages with more than 30 likes.

Demographics and Needs assessmentAssess audience needs in real-time.Discover who wants to interact with which program, when, where and in what language.

Reach, engagement and Program ImpactWhen you post information on Facebook, your impact is multiplied to deliver much-needed research-based information to more clients using fewer labor hours.

Reach, engagement and Program ImpactFacebook Insights lets you see how much your impact is increased.

Reach, engagement and Program ImpactOne recentGrow Your Own, Nevada!post on vegetable gardeningreached 55 people out of 139 total fans. The post inspired 9 post clicks and 7 likes/comments.One recentUNCE Master Gardenerpost on caring for trees during drought reached 131 people out of 352 fans, and inspired 21 post clicks and 3 likes/comments.

So how are we doing?Now that we know what we should do and how to do it, lets see how well were doing.

Cooperative extension offers outreachAll universities engage in research and teaching, but the nations more than 100 land-grant colleges and universities, have a third critical missionextension. Extension means reaching out, solving public needs with college or university resources through non-formal, non-credit programs.-USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

But does it reach out?

83% love Extension, but only 27% know it exists (2008 Copernicus Survey).Extension offers great outreach programs, but it is not effectively reaching out.

Website Performance

Inbound LinksIncoming links have a direct effect on search results, an effective way to reach new customers.Nevada- F: 73/278= 26.25%Idaho- F: 95/278= 34.17%Utah- A: 274/278= 98.56%Colorado- A: 278/278= 100%

Web AnalyticsOne single free tool cannot analyze all four sites due to their differing site structures.Since the same tool cannot be used to analyze all four sites, and since all four sites rank low on whichever tool is used, no one wins this round.

Social Media Performance

Facebook LikesSome use Facebook pages more effectively than others.Idaho- F: 296/1,365= 21.68%Nevada- F: 584/1,365= 42.78%Utah- F: 694/1,365= 50.84%Colorado- A: 1,365/1,365= 100%.

Facebook LikeAlyzer ResultsAccording to LikeAlyzer, Colorado is in jeopardy of losing its social media advantage over Utah, Nevada and Idaho.Colorado- F: 4/67= 0.05%Nevada- F: 28/67= 41.79%Utah- B: 54/67= 80.59%Idaho- A: 67/67= 100%

Overall Web PerformanceExtension once again proves that while itoffers great outreach programs, it is not effectively reaching out.Nevada- F:(26.25%+42.78%+41.79%)/3= 36.94%Idaho- F: (34.17%+21.68%+100%)/3= 51.95%Colorado- D: (100%+100%+0.05%)/3= 66.68%Utah- C: (98.56%+50.84%+80.59%)/3= 76.66%

So lets get betterResources:eXtension.org Social Media Strategist Anne Adrians blog, http://blog.anneadrian.com/ Beginners Guide to Social Media in Extension, http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Beginners_Guide_to_Social_Media_in_Extension.Twitter and Facebook Marketing: Building Engaged Communities, http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/facebook-marketing/twitter-and-facebook-marketing-building-engaged-communities/

LETS COLLABORATE

ashalee.andrewsashaleeandrewsashaleeandrewsashaleeandrewsashaleeandrewswww.ashleynickole.com