Beginners Guide to Social Media in Extension

2009-05-26T18:28:35Z

1 A Beginners Guide to Using Social Media in Extension

A Beginners Guide to Using Social Media in Extension

Social media: Online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

Today, if you're not staying current with Web 2.0 technologies' impact on business, then you're just not staying current. Period. Sarah Perez of ReadWriteWeb http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/businesses_cant_hide_from_20.php

Social Media in Plain English, a video introduction from Common Craft http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia

1. Use a newsreader

Why?

Software applications called newsreaders aggregate news feeds from multiple web sites to bring articles of interest to your desk top. That saves you time!

Learn about newsreaders:

RSS in Plain English, a video introduction to using news readers from Common Craft

http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

Feeding Frenzy, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Beth Raney, extension http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p51525211/

Use a newsreader, http://aafromaa.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-to-use-news-reader.html

Hint: Ignore the techie stuff.

You'll see terms like RSS, XML, and ATOM in discussions about news feeds. These terms refer to ways that news feeds are formatted. Unless you work in IT, the terms shouldn't matter much to you.

Newsreader applications:

There are many good newsreader applications. For a nearly overwhelming list, see http://www.newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators

Web-based newsreaders are very convenient; you can read your news feeds from any computer. And, they're free.

Google Reader, http://www.google.com/reader, is a widely used web based news reader.

How should you choose a newsreader? Ask your news reading colleagues what newsreader they prefer and why. Or, search the web for recommendations. See results from a May 2008 LifeHacker.com survey at

http://lifehacker.com/390619/best-rss-newsreaders

2. Comment on others’ work

Why?

Commenting on others' work helps you become comfortable expressing yourself on the Web. Most people find it less intimidating to comment on other people's ideas than to start their own blog. Also, sharing your perspective on a blog post helps inform the topic being discussed. Give it a try!

Learn how to comment effectively:

How to comment like a King (or Queen) from teacher and blogger Vicki Davis

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-comment-like-king-or-queen.html

3. Share content, knowledge, ideas, and products openly

Why?

Sharing as a means to educate the public is our job! Social media tools make it easier than ever to reach the public in a variety of ways.

Sharing your content, knowledge, ideas and products with your colleagues helps you as much as or more than it helps them. You'll build relationships, enhance your professional reputation and broaden your professional network.

Viral Content Sharing Report, marketing scientist Dan Zarrella's report on how and why people spread content online. http://danzarrella.com/viral-content-sharing-report-table-of-contents

Learn about sharing content:

Blogs in Plain English, a video introduction to blogs from Common Craft

http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs

Getting Started Blogging, 2008, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Kevin Gamble, extension : http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p60812266/

Starting a Blog: How to blog, comment, manage your brand, a slide show from Corinne Weisgerber, Public Relations Assistant Professor, St. Edwards University

http://www.slideshare.net/corinnew/blogging-managing-your-personal-brand-presentation/

Blogs being used in Extension:

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Social_Media_in_Extension#Blogs

SlideShare, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Kevin Gamble, extension http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p98187081/

Flickr, An eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Henrietta Ritchie-Holbrook, eXtension http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p84678380/

Where to share:

Photos:

Flickr: http://flickr.com/

Presentations:

SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/

Videos:

YouTube: http://youtube.com/

Blogging:

Blogger: http://blogger.com

Content:

eXtension: Get started with an eXtension ID at http://people.extension.org

Wikipedia: http://wikipedia.org

4. Write for the web

Why?

Writing for the Web presents new challenges compared writing for print publications. Readers tend to scan when they're reading on the Web. Search engines need to find your content.

Learn how:

Developing Quality Web Content, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Craig Wood, extension

http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p75195714/

How to write for the Web, from USC Online Journalism Review

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/writing/

Writing Content, by Darren Rowse for ProBlogger

http://www.problogger.net/archives/category/writing-content/

Writing for the Web, Research based information from usability expert Jakob Nielson

http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/

Writing for the Web Blog, resource maintained by Canadian novelist, professor and author of Writing for the Web 3.0, Crawford Kilian

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/ckbetas/

5. Participate in online communities

Why?

In the physical world, Extension employees work in rural and urban centers throughout the country. We go where the people are. Shouldn't we go where the people are in the online world, too?

Learn how:

Engaging Communities on their Own Turf, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Kevin Gamble, extension http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p79426457/

Facebook, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Ray Kimsey, NC State University

http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p69533284/

Twitter, An Easy Way to Microblog and be Social, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Anne Adrian, Auburn University

http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p86156664/

FriendFeed, You Learned to Share in Kindergarten, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by James Robinson, extension : http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p20211468/

Where to find online communities:

Extension workers are:
- using Facebook http://www.facebook.com
  - look for groups such as the Cooperative Extension, Cooperative Extension Second Life, and 4-H Alumni
- using Twitter http://twitter.com
- creating and joining formal and informal eXtension Communities at https://people.extension.org/communities
- creating and joining social networks at http://ning.com
  - Garden Asheville http://gardenasheville.ning.com/
  - Agricultural Communicators http://agcommunication.ning.com/
  - Precision Ag forum http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/forum-view.asp?fid=6
  - Twit2Fit http://twit2fit.ning.com/
- joining Friendfeed http://friendfeed.com

Find other Extension social media users and help them find you:
- Extension Colleagues by Social Network:

https://people.extension.org/colleagues/socialnetworks (protected site)

- Extension Social Media Identities

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Extension_Professionals_Social_Media_Identities

- Social Media in Extension

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Social_Media_in_Extension

6. Use Creative Commons Licenses

Why?

Creative Commons (CC) licenses provide a way for you to easily mark your creative work with the freedoms you want it to carry. CC-licensed works such as videos, images, and recordings will enhance the content you create.

Learn about Creative Commons:

Get Creative a Flash animation summary describing the philosophy of Creative Commons http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/getcreative/

Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/

Wikipedia's Creative Commons page

Includes links to tools for discovering CC-licensed content http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons

7. Build content and products with others

Why?

As the saying two heads are better than one indicates, any product or solution developed by many will be better than if the product was built by only one of those individuals.

Learn about building content collaboratively:

Wikis in Plain English, a video intro to wikis from Common Craft

http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

Google Docs in Plain English, a video intro to Google Docs from Common Craft

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA

Google Presentation, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Kevin Gamble, eXtension

http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p77256386/

Google Spreadsheets, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Kevin Gamble, eXtension

http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p30951683/

Second Life, an eXtension 30-Minute session recording presented by Vishal Singh, University of Nebraska, Lincoln : http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p31238920/

Where to work together:

Documents

Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations and forms: http://docs.google.com

Wikis

Create and manage your own wikis. Here are a few public wiki sites:

PBWiki: http://pbwiki.com/

Google Sites: http://sites.google.com/

Wikidot.com: http://www.wikidot.com/

Wikispaces.com: http://www.wikispaces.com

Work in established wikis:

eXtension Collaborate wiki: http://collaborate.extension.org

Wikipedia: http://wikipedia.org

Wikiversity http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikiversity

Extension Content

eXtension Communities of Practice: http://people.extension.org

Virtual Worlds

Second Life: http://secondlife.com/

Are you already in Second Life? Visit Morrill Island: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Morrill/165/136/29 (Must have a Second Life account)

8. Learn more

Why?

Social media is evolving. Tools are being developed and refined. eXtension's Professional Development sessions offer new opportunities each month to learn about these new technologies. The sessions are also archived for later viewing.

See http://about.extension.org/wiki/Main_Page#Professional_Development

Who is doing this?

See examples of how your peers are already using Social Media in Extension.

Commercial sites referenced in this document are suggestions only and are not intended as endorsements of a particular social media application. Additional suggestions are welcomed.

Email presenters with questions and comments:
Anne Adrian, aadrian@auburn.edu , Associate Director, ACES/Ag IT, Auburn University
Rhonda Conlon, rhonda_conlon@ncsu.edu , Director, Extension Information Technology, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, NC State University

The poster is available: http://www.slideshare.net/aafromaa/why-social-media-presentation/ Attribution-Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0

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Beginners Guide to Social Media in Extension

Contents

A Beginners Guide to Using Social Media in Extension

1. Use a newsreader

2. Comment on others’ work

3. Share content, knowledge, ideas, and products openly

4. Write for the web

5. Participate in online communities

6. Use Creative Commons Licenses

7. Build content and products with others

8. Learn more