Grow Into Your Social Media Strategy – PR Tactics Journal
My October Digital Dialogue column for PR Tactics, a publication of the Public Relations Society of America, is a Q&A piece titled “Grow into your social media strategy” that also appears on the newly redesigned www.prsa.org site (tip of the hat to PRSA’s editorial and design teams). I interviewed Lee Aase, Mayo Clinic’s manager of syndication and social media about his efforts getting Mayo involved with podcasting, blogging, and YouTube. He described his approach to social media as developing a balanced communications diet, and I rather like the analogy because it emphasizes the benefits of educating and pacing yourself along the way.
The Tactics article gives a quick snapshot of Lee and his team’s journey since that’s what space limitations of the print journal permit (and the online version mirrors; though with the site redesign I’m told we’ll have more opportunity to “explore the space”). The press page of Aase’s personal SMUG site highlights additional Mayo social media achievements and contains more detailed examples of the tools in use.
SMUG, or Social Media University Global, is Aase’s personal contribution to the social media community. He started his “Lines From Lee” blog in July 2006 and in January 2008 morphed it into SMUG. Lee says SMUG allows him to unleash some creativity. “I’m the chancellor,” he notes for example, and his “Old Main” campus facility is actually a photo of his house.
Lee initially used his blogging as a way to get hands-on experience with social media and, over time, was asked by colleagues to give a Facebook 101 course. Eventually he received more complex questions so he designed a 201 course and subsequent curriculum. ”This set me about using the college course format to organize all the material,” he explained.
SMUG is a helpful site for communicators or anyone wanting to learn more about popular social networking formats, and it seems to be building community too with activities like voting on logo designs for the “University,” and of course blog comments and insights from students. Definitely worth a look when you’re able.
How about you? Are there some go-to sources you consider essential for keeping your social media mindset sharp?
Thanks, Ryan. I enjoyed getting to talk with you for the article, and appreciate you highlighting SMUG here. I really believe it’s essential for professional communicators to understand social media tools so we can be effective in a changing world, and SMUG is a place to experiment and learn.
I also liked your “grow into your social media strategy” phrase, because I think it’s almost impossible to have a full-blown strategy up front. You need to just start trying some things to get familiar with them, and see what works. When you have a better handle on it, then you can take a step back for strategy. But too often, strategic thinking is an excuse for inaction.
Amen to all of that, and thanks for stopping by to share your comments Lee.