U.S. Navy Media Blog
By Jason Kelly ( @JasonKellyPAO )
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
It is easy to just post information on your social media sites.
However, social media is about more than just posting information. It is about having a conversation.
As a Navy public affairs specialist, you need to be prepared to engage your audience. Think of yourself as a community manager who represents both your commanding officer and the U.S. Navy. Every time that you post or respond to a message, you are making an official statement on behalf of your CO and the Navy. This is no different than responding to a media or legislative inquiry. So, while the medium may differ between the physical and virtual worlds, the same principles that you learned at the Defense Information School apply – with some exceptions.
- Listen. Think. Reply.
- Ensure that you understand the question or comment.
- Acknowledge the user’s concerns if appropriate. This is not the same as validating the user’s concerns.
Wrong:
Better:
(User’s name), thank you for sharing your concern with us….
- Be polite, honest and professional. Do not argue with a user. Do not use “text speak” such as ur, j/k, etc. You wouldn’t argue with a reporter or use slang during an on-camera interview. So, don’t do it on social media.
Wrong:
Better:
The Directorate of Public Works is repairing a water main break at the intersection of Main Street and Hometown Avenue. Please avoid this area until further notice.
- Answer fully and concisely, ensuring you maintain security, accuracy, propriety and policy limitations.
- Respond uniquely to each post. Don’t copy and paste or sound like a robot. Those messages will come across as insincere.
- Staff a user’s question if you do not know the answer. Let the user know that you are researching the answer. Social media doesn’t keep business hours. However, your users are more likely to understand that you need additional time to research their concerns if you tell them you’re looking into the issue. Otherwise, if you don’t respond, it might appear as though you are ignoring the issue. Post the response after it has been cleared by a release authority.
Example: (User’s name), thank you for sharing your concern with us about the dog park. We are forwarding your concerns to our environmental division. We’ll update you as soon as we know anything.
- Understand that social media is not the appropriate venue to discuss all concerns. Encourage users to use Interactive Customer Evaluation surveys or the commanding officer’s open-door session. Provide them as much information as possible such as the link or hours and location of the open door. Educate and empower your users.
Example: (User’s name), thank you for sharing your concern with us about the pharmacy wait times. While social media is great resource to provide feedback, it is not always the most effective. Did you know you that can submit an Interactive Customer Evaluation survey at http://yournavywebsite.mil or talk to the patient advocate at 301-555-1212? If you still need assistance, the garrison commanding officer has an open-door session every Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. in his office, 123 Any Street.
- Understand when it is the appropriate time to leave a conversation. If, after you’ve completed the above steps and the conversation is still unproductive, leave the conversation. You’ve done your best to engage, educate and empower the user. Don’t post that you’re excusing yourself from the conversation. That could be viewed as a confrontational.
- Don’t delete posts or comments unless they violate the standard DoD Social Media user agreement – even if they are critical of your command or organization.
- Don’t delete your own posts if you made an error in fact. You essentially released a 21st century press release. It is possible that a significant percentage of your audience has already seen it. If you delete the post, it may appear that you are trying to hide your error. Instead, correct the record by posting a new comment to the original post that acknowledges the error and provides the correct information.
Example:
Social media has blurred the lines between command information, media relations and community outreach. Your social network’s audience likely includes users from each of those categories: Sailors, military families, reporters, as well as internal and external community members.
Your social network provides these audience members an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas with you. Listen to them. You may not be able to solve everyone’s problems over social media, but you can understand what issues matter to them.
By Jason Kelly ( @JasonKellyPAO )
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
Last Tuesday, the Associated Press’ verified Twitter account sent a false tweet that explosions occurred at the White House and President Obama had been injured. There were no explosions; the President was fine. However, the tweet was enough to send the stock market sharply lower before it recovered. The AP reported that the false tweet was preceded by phishing attempts on its corporate network.
The false tweet demonstrated:
- News spread using social media may be - at first - considered credible even without corroboration
- Social media users need to have a plan to prepare for and respond to a compromised account
Justin Herman, the lead for Social Media in the General Services Administration Center for Excellence in Digital Government, wrote a great blog about protecting your account from hacking, repairing your account after hacking and responding to rogue tweets from a hacked account. I encourage you to read and bookmark it.
In the event of a compromised account, the blog recommends you notify the Center for Excellence in Digital Government. You should also notify the Navy’s Emerging Media team at usnsocialmedia@gmail.com.
Twitter is reportedly working on a two-step verification system. Both Facebook and Google offer verification besides your password.
Below are some other resources for account security and compromised accounts:
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at usnsocialmedia@gmail.com or 703-614-9154.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
Facebook recently launched a new feature that is designed to improve conversations on Pages.
As seen in this screen shot from the Navy’s Facebook Page, users now have the ability to reply directly to Comments left on Pages and start conversation threads.
Those aren’t the only changes.
The Reply feature also moves the most active and engaging conversations to the top of the Comment. How does this work?
According to Facebook, conversation threads are re-ordered by relevance to viewers, and may appear differently to each person based on their connections, specifically:
- Positive Feedback: The amount of positive feedback based on the total number of Likes and Replies in a conversation thread, which includes Likes or Replies by the Page owner.
- Connections: Connections to participants in a thread may move the conversation higher. For example, conversations with Comments left by friends may appear at the top.
- Negative Feedback: The total number of spam reports in a thread, as well as marks-as-spam made by the Page owner. Facebook also may down-rank Comments made by frequent spammers.
So, what does this mean to you as a Page administrator?
- Not all Comments will be displayed in reverse chronological order.
- You can reply directly to a user’s Comment. This can be helpful when hosting a live event such as a chat or town hall on your Facebook Page.
- A Comment that is critical of your command may be the first thing users see because Facebook ranked it higher based on the above factors.
There may be the desire to hide or delete a Comment because it is critical, but you shouldn’t do that unless it is graphic, obscene, explicit, racial, abusive, hateful, may defame anyone or any organization, or violates Operations Security. By the way, these guidelines are in your user agreement that must be displayed on your Facebook Page.
Instead, engage the user by replying to the Comment. If you don’t know the answer, let the user know that. Treat it as a response to a query. Reply again to the user when you know the answer. Remember that your Facebook Page doesn’t keep business hours and it is better to say something than nothing at all – in most cases.
All Pages will have the feature enabled July 10, 2013. Until then, you can opt-into Replies through the Page admin panel in the Manage Permissions section using a prompt to activate Replies.
Right now, the feature is only available on Facebook desktop - not your mobile Apps.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at usnsocialmedia@gmail.com or 703-614-9154.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
It’s that time of the year for spring cleaning, and the Navy’s Emerging Media team is dusting off the social media command directory, which contains almost 1,200 entries.
I’m in the process of emailing everyone who is a registered POC for all Navy social media presences in the directory. The automated email asks POCs to verify they’re still the contact for each presence, and verify the presence’s information (i.e. its URL).
This is important because:
- All Navy commands are required to register their official social media presences with the command directory.
- Updates need to be submitted when new personnel assume responsibility for the presence. While the scrub is underway, the preferred method to submit changes is by email to usnsocialmedia@gmail.com until further notice.
Best practice tips: Ensure that your social media presence is registered and you are the registered POC when you transition into a new PAO leadership position. Add these steps to your continuity book to ensure a smooth transition.
- The command directory allows the Navy’s Emerging Media team to contact a social media administrator to coordinate public affairs projects or to address an issue with the social media presence.
Why update the directory?
The ability to tell Navy social media administrators about policy guidance is one goal. For example, did you know there’s a revised social media disclaimer? The disclaimer is required for all sites that allow for public comments.
Other goals include Navy-wide social media coordination and professional development.
If you manage an official social media presence, expect an email by the end of April. If you don’t receive an email by then, contact usnsocialmedia@gmail.com.
What makes a good video for social media? There’s no single blue-print answer.
By MC1 (SW/AW) Arif Patani
Lt. Shawn Eklund, former director of U.S. Navy Emerging Media, once told me, “Produce how you consume.” I think that statement gets to the answer of what makes a good video for social media. In fact, you already know the answer because you’ve been consuming it.
What kinds of videos do you watch when you are on Facebook or YouTube? Are you into documentaries or are you more of a “Gangnam Style” consumer? Either way, you know what entertains you. So, take a deeper look and ask yourself some questions the next time you like a video:
- How does it keep me engaged?
- How long is the video?
- What are some of the techniques the shooter or editor used?
- What message or story am I getting out of this?
- How and why do I relate to this story in both an entertainment and information way?
When it comes to what we as mass communication specialists and public affairs officers do for the Navy, it’s all about the messaging and packaging. And when it comes to messaging, there are some tried and true tactics.
Know your audience. Is this story for Sailors, for the families of Sailors, or are you trying to reach the American public? In any case, be able to know for certain that your audience has a reason to consume it. An aircraft mechanic may have a great story about his job fixing helos day in and day out, but how will your audience be able to relate to him? The messaging may be there, but the packaging may just not be right.
Trace your messaging and packaging through your storyboard. For us, the Navy’s Emerging Media team, our audience includes Sailors, their families, and the American public who all want to know that we are protecting them, defending them and spending their tax dollars efficiently.
It’s your job as the storyteller to bridge this gap from the Sailor working on a helo to Americans who have little interaction with the Navy. To relate to the American public, it could be as simple as showing them how their sons and daughters are instrumental in maintaining the ships, aircraft or submarine. For example, the Sailor who fixes helos enables them to fly and provide security to the carrier, making it safer for the other 5,000 Sailors aboard, and ultimately keeping the bad guys away from our shore here at home.
See how you can take your story and wrap it back to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert’s tenets: Warfighting First, Operate Forward and Be Ready. To the average viewer, the CNO’s tenets may be hard to relate to. But, they don’t have to be. As proof, watch MC1 Brett Cote’s video about the CNO’s tenets at http://ow.ly/iVjcO.
To make communicating Navy messages a little easier, use this suggestion from creative agency Mekanism. In order to generate massive views, Mekanism uses something it calls “Candy with the Medicine,” a philosophy that recognizes a message is best received within entertainment. Therefore, the first item on the agenda is to entertain – the “candy” – the packaging. The second step is to inject the message – the “medicine.” For more information about this philosophy, visit http://ow.ly/iVjGP.
Don’t let the “candy” detract from the “medicine” by starting with a goal of going viral. You may generate a tremendous amount of traffic with a “Gangnam Style” video, but that visibility may damage your command’s credibility by significantly deviating from your mission to tell your command’s story.
Like most aspects of social media, brainstorm, be creative and focus on creating a quality product that helps your audience understand and relate to your unit, its mission and our Navy.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at usnsocialmedia@gmail.com or 703-614-9154.
This blog was published in the spring edition of Navy Imagery Insider.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
It might be one of your most valuable assets both on and off the Internet – your identity. How can you protect yourself, your unit and your commanding officer? Start with a search.
A single search revealed about a dozen impersonator accounts on Facebook and Twitter for Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert. You may not have to have to deal with as many impersonators – ever or at once, but there are some things that you can do to protect your online identity.
- Register your identity on a social network by establishing a presence there. It can be much harder to take down an impostor account if the official presence isn’t there.
- Ensure your unit’s official social media presence is registered with the Navy. Even though it is a requirement, confirm that your predecesor fulfilled that requirement by checking the Navy’s social media command directory.
- Report impersonators to the appropriate social network.
Facebook Pages (not personal accounts)
- Go to the Page you want to report
- Click the gear menu
under the Page’s cover photo - Select Report Page
Facebook (Fake personal account)
- Go to the timeline
- Click the gear menu
and then select Report/Block - Follow the on-screen directions to file a report
- Use Twitter’s Help Center to report the account.
Twitter’s policies require that the report comes from the individual being impersonated or someone legally authorized to act on his or her behalf. So, if you are reporting an account on behalf of your commanding officer, you will need to prove that you are authorized to act on his or her behalf.
Google+
- Submit an impersonation report to Google.
- Submit a False Profile Claim.
In some ways, this may feel like a game of Whack a Mole where impersonator accounts resurface as soon as you request to have other accounts taken down. Don’t be discouraged though. Incorporate a search of social networks into your workflow. Report accounts as you discover them.
It is important to note that impersonator accounts will not suddenly disappear from the Internet once you report them. The social networks have their own procedures that they need to follow as well.
If you are acting on behalf of a flag officer who is dealing with impersonator accounts, please contact the Navy’s Emerging Media team at 703-614-9154 or usnsocialmedia@gmail.com for additional assistance.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
If you aren’t thinking visual when you update your Facebook or Google+ page, start now.
On Thursday, Facebook announced its redesigned News Feed to “reduce clutter and focus more on stories from the people you care about.”
What should you expect? The News Feed will feature bigger images, multiple feeds and mobile consistency.
Take a moment to look at your own News Feed. It is likely that it includes updates with photos. This isn’t random.
Look at the U.S. Navy’s Facebook page. It is our best practice to include a photo with all of our posts, which are likely to reach more people if they include a photo.
As Facebook shifts to a more visually engaging News Feed, you should do the same when you post an update. Post a relevant photo with each Facebook status update.
The second update includes multiple News Feeds such as:
- All Friends: Shows you everything your friends are sharing
- Photos: Nothing but photos from your friends and the Pages you like
- Music: Posts about your music
- Following: Latest news from the Pages you like and the people you follow
Right now, Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm – which tries to predict the content that you want to see – offers News Feeds split into Top Stories and Most Recent.
Don’t be surprised if the News Feed design looks similiar to your mobile experience. Facebook has brought its mobile design from tablets and smart phones to laptops and desktops. Facebook is expected to introduce the new design over the coming weeks. If you can’t wait, you can add yourself to the waiting list.
Not to be out done, Google+ announced changes to its pages before Facebook unveiled its News Feed redesign – including cover photos up to 2120px by 1192px in 16x9 when fully expanded.
Notice the change in the U.S. Navy’s cover photo on our Google+ Page.
After the upgrade…
Are you seeing a trend here? Think visual!
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
Something exciting recently happened for federal – including Department of Defense – social media community managers.
The General Services Administration-led Federal Social Media Community of Practice released “Social Media Metrics for Federal Agencies” during Social Media Week. Think of it as a framework for understanding and analyzing metrics on various social networks as well as establishing a common baseline for evaluating social media. The important phrase is “common baseline.”
As a member of the interagency working group that created this baseline, I can tell you that a lot of work went into developing the right framework:
- Social Media Metrics and Social Data: Why They Matter
- How to Use the Metrics
- Baseline Social Media Metrics, by Category
- Resources, Training and How to Provide Feedback
The framework establishes a common picture for understanding social media metrics across the federal enterprise. At the same time, the framework is a living document that is meant to evolve as social media develops.
If you want to learn more, you should consider attending GSA’s free webinar “Social Media Performance Metrics: What You Need to Know” on Wed., March 13 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. ET. The webinar will cover:
- A walk through and basic understanding of the metrics
- Resources and tools to measure your efforts
- Information about the Social Media Community of Practice and how you can join
I encourage you to review the framework and ask yourself how you can apply it to your command’s social media platform.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
Facebook announced last week it discovered bugs in Pages Insights that impacted impression and reach reporting, and planned to correct the problem. What does this mean for Navy Facebook Page Administrators?
According to Facebook:
- The bugs did not affect the delivery of posts – just reporting.
- The bugs’ impact will vary based on factors such as how often you post and when.
- Most Pages will see their total reach remain the same or increase.
- Most Pages will experience a change in their organic reach depending on their fan base and how often you post and when. Organic reach is the unique number of people who saw your post in their news feed, ticker or on your Page.
- Most Pages will experience a change in Insights metrics such as engagement rate and virality.
What should you do?
Starting today, Facebook recommends you start monitoring your organic and viral reach and impressions for your Page and posts over the next few weeks.
If you notice posts that were successful in the past are reaching fewer people or are less engaging now, you should reevaluate your messaging. On the other hand, if a previously less successful post is now reaching more people or is more engaging, consider keeping the messaging.
You can read Facebook’s announcement at https://www.facebook.com/business/pages_insights_update.
By MC2 (AW/SW) Kelly A. Allen
Defense Media Activity-Navy
After attending “Tweets Taking Flight,” there are several different techniques to possibly work into a social media strategy. This event, part of Social Media Week DC, was about creating personal experiences through experiential marketing that can be used as content for social media mainly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.
Experiential marketing is the idea that people can become a brand advocate if enticed to engage with your brand through personal experiences and trying your products. Instead of using the imagination, it allows a person to experiment on their own and make a more informed decision. So, how can the Navy use experiential marketing to better inform America about what we do and who we are as a globally deployed service? That my friend was what I was asking myself.
Virtual Presenter
Often we want big, well known, Navy leadership at events to speak in their dress whites. We know they have plenty of great, informative, engaging topics and they look good on a stage. However, the travel, their time and taking them away from their actual job can be costly. So instead of having them their in-person, what if you could create a virtual presenter.
Let me tell you, the ones we saw looked very real and stopped us in our tracks. It was engaging. We were drawn to the light. Not only was it something out of the ordinary, but it looked cutting edge.
So, could we work on getting real-life Navy leadership to agree to become a “virtual presentation model?” I think we could and I think it just might get more engaged listeners than the real deal. It’s still their face, their dress whites, their message, but their virtual self would be able to give that information to people in more than one location, drawing in the audiences to something “flashy” and possible linking them to available tablets connected ready to provide additional information; all while saving the Navy money.
Yes, it’s exactly what is sounds like, but with a twist. People have their photo taken to have as a keepsake. As part of z marketing, the photo booth could, in real time, digitally brand the photo, perhaps with “Your Navy, globally deployed preserving peace and deterring aggression” and then, take the snapshot, and connect the user to Twitter or Facebook so they could…wait for it…share their experience. Depending on the event, again let’s use Navy Weeks, you could include hashtags and possibly even a link within the tweet. So, you’ve created a experience in which the person realizes they like the Navy, and then you create a brand advocate and give them an easy way for them to share their positive experience. . It’s just that simple.
Or is it? Are these technologies really cool? Yes. Would they work in creating either better informed people and or more brand advocates? Probably. But they also are a new technology that we need to figure out how they fit within our established communication objectives. (not to mention fund and train). Remember, a shiny new tool is just a shiny new tool until you figure out how and why you want to use it!
Do you have any ideas on how we could incorporate experiential technologies to enhance Navy events? We referenced Navy Weeks a lot in here, but we curious to hear your ideas!
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
If the Navy’s social media command directory is any indication, Navy public affairs professionals aren’t taking advantage of an established platform to reach their audiences – Twitter. The social networking service, which was created in 2006, lags behind registered command Facebook pages.
So, why should you consider establishing a Twitter account? Let’s start with the numbers.
- The Navy’s Twitter account (@USNavy) reached a potential 9.3 million Twitter users Feb. 3-9. (SproutSocial)
- The @USNavy account had 112,565 followers as of Feb. 10, 2013.
- 32 percent of all Internet users are on Twitter. (Source Marketing Land)
You’re probably asking yourself how did the Navy reach a potential 9.3 million users if 112,565 users follow @USNavy? Tweets, short bursts of information in 140 characters or less, spread virally through retweets when users share tweets with their followers. This underscores the power behind Twitter.
A lot of information can be shared in just 140 characters. Below are some recent tweets from the Navy’s account and their reach.
Reached 139,300 potential users (SocialSprout)
Reached 121,100 potential users (SocialSprout)
Reached 121,600 potential users (SocialSprout)
Besides the ability to share news about your command, Twitter allows you to interject your message into an existing conversation through hashtags (subjects, i.e. #GRAMMYs). This tweet pointed back to the U.S. Navy Band’s “Taps” video on YouTube.
Reached 175,900 potential users (SocialSprout)
Is Twitter right for every command? No, of course not, but it is definitely worth considering.
If your unit or command isn’t on Twitter, you’re likely missing out on an opportunity to join the conversation. There have been many times when I’ve tried to mention a command or unit on Twitter only to find that the unit isn’t on Twitter, or it isn’t actively or effectively using its Twitter account. One common mistake is to link a Facebook page to a Twitter account as seen below. Don’t do this!
Social networks attract different users. Take the time to understand the similarities and differences between your audiences on each social network. Some content may be more appealing to one network’s audience than another audience. For example, news articles on the Navy’s Twitter account receive more user engagement than on the Navy’s Facebook page. Experiment with different content and at different times to see what works and what doesn’t work.
So, how should you get started with Twitter? If you aren’t familiar with it, create a personal account and use it until you become comfortable with Twitter. Then, when you are ready to use it professionally, check the Navy’s social media registration checklist and register your unit’s Twitter account with CHINFO.
You may be surprised how you can reach more people by saying less - in no more than 140 characters.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Navy’s Emerging Media Team at usnsocialmedia@gmail.com or 703-614-9154.
By MC1 (SW/AW) Arif Patani
Navy Office of Information
What’s in the Navy Live blog for the MC or PAO out in the fleet you ask?
The Navy Live blog is a place for stories of importance – stories that matter to the average everyday American. It’s a place where subject matter experts and more frequently our leadership share their command’s story firsthand, and it’s a place where the work of our MCs in print, still photo, video and other content types help produce a well-rounded story. Whereas legacy platforms like Navy.mil are primarily intended to provide information one-way to key audiences, NavyLive is designed to engage audiences and open a two-way conversation — one of Chief of Information, Rear Adm. John Kirby’s top priorities.
So what are we looking for?
A blog post is a first-person perspective on an event or issue using unique, relevant, and timely content (emphasis on timely). The content should do a few things:
- PROMOTE SHARING: We want people to talk about and share our stories.
- PROMOTE DISCUSSION AMONG KEY AUDIENCES: The best communication products move people to action. Your blog should inspire those who see it to talk about it, to share it, and ultimately to act on it.
- RESONATES ON ALL NAVY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: The blog is only one of many social media platforms managed at CHINFO. We extend the reach of your content by sharing it on other Navy flagship sites like U.S. Navy Facebook and U.S. Navy Twitter. Your blog should inspire discussion among Navy’s followers on those platforms.
A lot less rigid than news or feature stories, blog posts can be informal material or even short graphs with bullets. However, they need to focus on increasing understanding of the event or issue under discussion. Posted with related still and/or video content, the best blogs are multi-media products.
For those tackling a blog for the first time, it’s a good idea to approach it the way you approach writing a speech. You’re writing in the voice of your CO or commander; help him or her tell their stories.
And that’s the most important thing to remember — the audience. Sometimes your focus is the Sailor and their families, and other times the American people.
There may be 5,000+ stories on any given aircraft carrier, but let’s face it – not all of them are interesting. People want to hear about the stuff that matters to them. They want to know their country’s Navy is out there protecting them!
Our intent for the blog is to tell interesting and compelling stories about our people and our Navy to America.
Right now the Navy Live blog reaches 50,000+ individuals during a given month and this number has the chance to increase exponentially when we share it with our 800,000+ fans on Facebook.
For more information on writing blogs for Navy Live check out our best practices Tumbler account.
We live in a pretty cool age as communicators where we can reach people anywhere, anytime at the click of a mouse. We also work for an organization doing amazing and innovative things every day. If you want to get your story out, Navy Live is a great vehicle to get it there.
If you have any questions, concerns or ideas for blogs please feel free to call us or e-mail anytime at usnsocialmedia@gmail.com, navymedia@navy.mil or 703-614-9154.
This blog was published in the Winter Edition of Navy Imagery Insider.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
In our last blog, we discussed how to evaluate your command’s Facebook page strategy and administration. In this blog, we’ll cover content, page layout and recommendations, and integration and metrics.
Content.
Social media is about sharing useful and engaging information that is relevant to your community. Your posts should be relevant, timely and unique. Post status updates, photos, videos and links with a call to action; encourage your audience to share, like, comment, visit a website or answer a question in your post. This will help to spark a conversation and user engagement.
The work doesn’t end there. You need to monitor the conversation daily and keep it going. Thank users for posting content to your page if appropriate. If you don’t know the answer to a question, forward it to the appropriate subject matter expert. Then, let the user know you’re researching his or her question.
Consistency needs to be a part of your command’s Facebook content strategy. Post content on a regular basis - several times a week. Spread your posts throughout the week and day. You will lose fans if you overload them with content that was posted back to back. It is similar to a friend who posts too often.
Your posts should be conversational and brief - no more than two or three lines of text in most cases. Keep it professional; don’t use “text-speak.” Draft your posts in a word processor and spell check your messages. Check your links to ensure they work. You wouldn’t send out a news release without spell checking it or verifying a phone number. Social media shouldn’t be any different.
Page layouts and requirements.
Let’s start with your page’s name. It is how users will search for your page. Is it easily recognizable to your target audience? Even though an acronym may make sense to you, it may not be easily recognizable to family members, media and other interested parties. Try to use the full command name whenever possible and think about your intended audience’s level of understanding.
Do you have a vanity URL for your page? A custom URL such as Facebook.com/USNavy can make it much easier to find your page and to promote your page on other communication channels. To obtain a vanity URL, go to Facebook.com/Username. Be sure to select a username that stakeholders will logically type in when they think of your command. Avoid creating a vanity URL based on a specific name. If your command wants a Facebook page, create one based on the position. You can change the title of a page to match the individual, but the vanity URL can not be edited once created.
One thing that should be regularly changed is your cover photo - a compelling photo that tells your command’s story. According to Facebook, it may not contain contact information, calls to action to like your page or promotional content. Ideally, the photo should be 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels tall.
Integration and metrics.
Your page should already contain the disclaimer text and a link to an official Navy website. If not, now is the time to add it. See the page requirements in the PAO handbook and on the Navy Social Media Directory page.
After you add the required disclaimer text, you need to register the page. We will review your page to ensure it meets the requirements. The most common reason for rejection is the lack of the entire social media agreement or a link to an official Navy website.
Your command’s website should include a link to your Facebook page and other social media presences. Integration goes beyond just your website. Work within your organization to obtain rich content that tells your command’s story. Let us know about content that might appeal to the Navy’s audience. We’re always looking for content that ties into the CNO’s tenets of Warfighting First, Operating Forward and Be Prepared. Contact us at USNSocialMedia@gmail.com.
Now that you’ve put all this work into your page, how do you know if you’re successful? At first, there’s going to be an emphasis on growing your audience, the likes. Eventually, you should shift your focus to the “People Talking About This” statistic, which indicates how many people are actually interacting with your page by sharing, liking or commenting on a post. Think of this number as the pulse of your page. Facebook pages with at least 30 likes have access to Facebook Insights to help you assess your audience’s size and engagement. Insights are only accessible to page administrations. To learn more about Facebook Insights, visit Facebook’s Help Center.
We encourage you to use our Command Facebook Assessment and Worksheet to determine what is and isn’t working. The worksheet looks at your page’s strategy, administration, content, page layout and requirements, and integration and metrics.
If you have questions, email the Navy’s Emerging Media team at USNSocialMedia@gmail.com.
By Jason Kelly (@JasonKellyPAO)
U.S. Navy Emerging Media Deputy Director
It may be one of the most frequently asked questions in social media, “How do you measure success.” While there’s no clear-cut answer, there are ways to know whether your social media strategy is working. We recently updated our Command Facebook Assessment and Worksheet, a tool that can help you grade your Facebook page.
The worksheet looks at your page’s strategy, administration, content, page layout and requirements, and integration and metrics. We look at the first two sections – strategy and administration – in this blog. We’ll discuss the other sections in our next blog.
Strategy.
Like any other communication product or tool, you should know your page’s purpose and audience. What are you trying to accomplish? Who are you reaching? Who do you want to reach? You should be able to determine some of your audience’s background through your users’ posts.
Another frequently asked question about social media strategy is directly related to your audience - What social networks should we use? Your command should be where your audience is communicating and where there is an opportunity to successfully communicate.
If you only have time for a Facebook page, do not create a Twitter account and link your Facebook page to it to have all of your Facebook content automatically posted on Twitter. While automatic tweets may sound like a great time saver, we don’t recommend it for several reasons. First, social networks appeal to different types of users. Second, the networks have their own “languages.” For example, Facebook users post, like and share while Twitter users tweet, favorite and retweet. Third, Facebook posts that are automatically sent as tweets are often truncated because of Twitter’s 140-character limit; your entire message is likely not being received. Finally and perhaps most importantly, you’re missing an opportunity to engage your audience on the platform itself.
Administration.
Do you have a written SOP for your page administrators? This sets guidelines for staff and allows for the smooth transition of personnel. The SOP should at least indicate what kind of content you will post, how often will you post, who has administrative rights, who will monitor the page, and who will respond to comments.
Facebook page administrators can have five different roles:
- Manager: Manage admin roles, edit the page and add apps, create posts as the page, respond to and delete comments, send messages as the page, create ads, and view Insights
- Content creator: Edit the page and add apps, create posts as the page, respond to and delete comments, send messages as the page, create ads, and view Insights
- Moderator: Respond to and delete comments, send messages as the page, create ads, and view Insights
- Advertiser: Create ads and view Insights
- Insights analyst: View Insights
Your page should have more than one administrator. This can be very important in case of an emergency or transitioning personnel.Deployed units should also have shore-side administrator to update page during times of limited connectivity such as a family readiness group or TYCOM representative, ombudsmen, or senior spouse.
We encourage you to download our Command Facebook Assessment and Worksheet and complete the strategy and administration sections. In our next blog, we’ll discuss how to evaluate your page’s content, layout and requirements, and integration and metrics.
If you have questions, email the Navy’s Emerging Media team at USNSocialMedia@gmail.com.
