Author: WWPR

If I were looking for news about NASA, I would probably turn to trade magazines, or science publications. Yet the space agency has managed to secure wide-ranging media coverage from unexpected outlets such as Mashable.com. Thanks to a creative Twitter campaign, NASA has carved out an impressive niche in the social media realm.

Communicators from the DC area gathered on January 10, at Porter Novelli for an intimate discussion and presentation from NASA Social Media Manager Stephanie Schierholz on the department’s innovative use of Tweetups. Schierholz explained how she managed to craft a social media campaign to gain 1.7 million followers, host 17 live Tweetups in one year – and achieve all of this without a formal budget.

The goal of the campaign was to spread the word about NASA’s work to as many people as possible. It was clear that social media presented an opportunity to reach new audiences, and engage with communities that were not previously active. In addition, NASA had something to offer in return: insider access to the most cutting edge technology in the world. They decided to experiment with Tweetups, inviting a select number of followers to NASA facilities to attend lectures, tours, and in one case, view an actual spaceship launch.

#NasaTweetUps

Using the hashtag #NasaTweetUps, the team announced the first event to the Twitterverse. They lined up some keynote speakers, and carefully tackled the registration process–especially complicated due to the governmental regulations with which NASA has to comply. They learned a lot from the first few rounds of registration, eventually posting an FAQ page to cut down on the amount of anxious emails. Aside from a few system crashes due to the flood of enthusiastic applications, the Tweetups moved forward successfully.

Results

The brilliance of this campaign was in connecting fans of the agency with the very people who do the cool work they care about. These groups may not have come into contact otherwise, and their combined enthusiasm made the events a memorable experience for the speakers and followers alike.

In addition, the followers became a great asset in telling NASA’s story. Before each Tweetup the communications team at NASA issued a formal press release. Then, through Twitter, Schierholz encouraged followers to individually make contact with their local press and explain that they had been selected to attend this exclusive event. This individual outreach was far more authentic, and generated more coverage than the NASA team could have done alone.

The community took on a life of its own, launching the separate wiki site Nasatweet.com for “Tweeps & Space Geeks” in which they share stories and photos, and keep track of rumored Tweetups-to-come. Schierholz emphasized that social communities “will always have better ideas than you do” and encouraged PR teams to foster the creativity that followers can bring to the experience.

For PR professionals concerned about relinquishing control to unknown masses in social media, Schierholz offered an inspiring piece of advice. Focus on making the event truly “awesome” so that people will want to Tweet about the great time they had. Make the event so remarkable that it lends itself to being shared, and you will have the best chance of generating positive buzz about your work, and continued interest in your mission.

Have you organized a Tweetup? What are your top tips?

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jan. 25, 2012 – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), the premier resource for communications professionals in the nation’s capital, announced its 2012 board of directors to serve its over 300 member organization during its annual meeting at the National Press Club today. The slate is as follows:

Out-going president Kendra Kojcsich was honored for her many years of service to WWPR. The 2012 incoming president, Tina McCormack Beaty, previously served as the vice president of the organization as well as co-chaired WWPR’s 2010 pro bono client, Children’s Law Center.

“I am thrilled to be guiding WWPR into a new year with a strong group of industry leaders by my side,” said Beaty. “2012 is going to be an exciting year for the PR trade and the board looks forward to ensuring WWPR is a resource for communicators in D.C., helping them navigate the changing waters with high-quality programs, as well as volunteer and networking opportunities.”

In addition to voting on its board, WWPR event attendees enjoyed a keynote by former Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton advisor and current global head of public affairs and managing director of Porter Novelli, Kiki McLean. McLean spoke of the importance of women supporting women and shared her unique climb up the corporate ladder in communications. WWPR will host other high caliber speakers at events throughout the 2012 year. Also in 2012, WWPR will continue to serve its current pro bono client, Thrive DC, whose mission is to provide meals, personal care, case management and other support services to men and women dealing with homelessness.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is the first and only D.C.-based professional organization advancing women in the communications industry. WWPR is committed to delivering outstanding professional development, networking, marketplace positioning, and leadership opportunities to area communicators. Visit us at wwpr.org, “Like” us on Facebook.com/WashingtonWomeninPR, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR.

By 2012, most organizations in DC have discovered how to have a presence on social media and get their messages out to their key constituencies. But as many legislative battles heat up, the stakes are raised and PR professionals must find new ways to leverage and carry the message. In today’s digitally-heavy nation’s capital, a robust social media effort demands more vibrant, resonating images to support other content. The emotional power of an image can put your message atop the rest.

But what should you recommend to your clients? Here I take a look at two dominant online photo sharing sites – to help you decide whether they hold promise for your organization’s communications goals.

Flickr

Flickr is a promising avenue for a corporate client or conservative organization that wants something clean and controllable, or a site that is easy to access for anyone whether they are registered with the site or not. Like YouTube, it has made efforts into becoming more social and generating its own “Flickr contacts” within its system rather than relying on Facebook friends or Twitter followers.

My favorite Flickr feature for organizations is the slideshow you can embed on a web site or blog. It is a great way to make a post about an event or story much more dynamic and is easy for any user to view. 

Flickr, owned and operated by Yahoo, identifies itself as “almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world”. Well almost, certainly. But in the roaring age of smart phones and their advanced camera features, Flickr may have taken a backseat when it comes online photo sharing by not taking advantage of the mobile transition. While Flickr has a mobile app, it has only a 2.5 out of 5 stars average rating on the Apple App Store, with several reviews complaining about its limited functionality.

Instagram

For Instagram, sharing and being social was in its digital DNA. As a photo-sharing app that operates more exclusively to mobile, it becomes a sort of on-the-go artistic swap, a gritty approach to capturing life’s images (hence its name’s origin from “instant”). Playing off of Facebook’s gigantic success with social photo sharing, the 2011 Apple “App of the Year” adds the extra element of allowing the user to enhance the photo through image filters, giving the photo more of a mood or personality. Only about a year old, the photo sharing app already has 15 million users.

When it comes to advocacy groups trying to reach the policy shaper and sphere of influence in Washington, this approach could be seen as a way to capture a new point-of-view on issues, or better envision the real world impact. And while Instagram is inherently social in itself, it has always encouraged users to share Instagram-created images on different online portals, including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and even Flickr. A grassroots campaign could have a lot of potential based on the handiness and prevalence of camera phones with Instagram.

Flickr, Instagram, or both for advocacy work?

Although they try to compete with one another on both web and mobile platforms, it’s clear that Flickr owns the web share and Instagram dominates the mobile audience. Flicker prides itself on its categorical, album-like nature, while Instagram thrives on a real-time feed.

When it comes to gaining traction in the DC market, the message as well as the image makes a difference. This is where Flickr can provide greater dividends for the PR professional looking for ways to promote a certain position through illustration. With the ability to add tags (keywords associated with your advocacy topic), Flickr helps categorize each photo as well as help others find them in relevant searches.

If you can’t decide between the image enhancing, convenience of Instagram and the sorting, slideshow abilities of Flickr: don’t fret. Use the Instagram app and then share those photos on your Flickr site, bringing the ease of mobile and a streamlined web presence together in a satisfying, happy medium that will make your online advocacy meet its expectations.