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Social Media 101

LTC Kevin Arata

Director, Online and Social Media
Division

Online and Social Media Division Unclassified 11

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Social Media 101

What is your experience level with Social Media?

Why social media, why now, why the Army?

Why is the Army doing this social media stuff?

What platforms is the Army on?

What is the Army doing to help us?

What’s the real policy, anyway?

What can you tell me about what we are allowed to do?

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The story of Otto Rohwedder:

inventor of sliced bread
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Overview
• The changed audience
• How we approach the problem
• How we engage
• How to operate in the new
environment
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The changed audience

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The changed audience

• Tastes have changed
• More choices + less time = ignored
messages
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The changed audience

Old model of spreading ideas  Mass
media
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The changed audience

Used to focus on the middle section
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The changed audience

Now we must be “remarkable”
– Not just neat, but worthy of remark
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The changed audience

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The changed audience

Now PA focuses on the innovators
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How we approach the

problem
 How we approach the
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problem
Army FM 5-0!!!
– Army problem solving
 How we approach the
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problem
• Step 1: Identify the problem
– Media has changed
– DoD Principles of Information urges us
forward
– We need to reevaluate our practices
 How we approach the
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problem
• Step 2: Gather information
– DoD Principles of Information states we
need to “constantly review media
products”
– Investigate all social media tools
– Stay as current as possible
 How we approach the
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problem
• Step 3: Develop criteria
– What is your org goal?
– What is your command intent?
– How does it fit in with your org?
• Cost? Free?
• Tech staff?
• Policies?
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problem
• Step 4: Generate possible solutions
– Which socmed tools will work for you?
• Blogs?
• Podcasting?
• Feeds (RSS)?
• Wikis?
• Social networks?
• Content sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr)?
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problem
• Step 5: Analyze possible solutions
– Hosted externally/internally?
– Does it meet your functional
requirements?
– Easy to operate/maintain?
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problem
• Step 6: Compare possible solutions
– Make suggestion(s)
– Brief command
– Get input/feedback
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problem
• Step 7: Implement the decision
– Make the call
– Plan out how it will be implemented
– Plan training on changes to SOPs
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How we engage
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How we engage
• Innovators spread the message
• DINFOS example of “veterans”
– Otaku
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How we engage
• Viral marketing leverages otaku
– Forwarded email phenomena
• Riskiest thing now is to play it safe
• “Safe” is on the fringes w/ social media
– Free and complimentary to the mission
– President, DoD, flag officers all want it
• Intent already exists
– Junior troops already using it
– What’s the real risk?
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How to operate in the new

environment
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How to operate
• PA roles have shifted
– Content creation  Content
management
– Empower troops to participate
• It’s their story you used to tell; help them
tell it themselves
• Not a replacement of current
practices; but an amplification
– Reach more with less
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How to operate
• PA policies still apply, must be shared
with troops at all levels
– OPSEC
– Libel
– Slander
Social Media 101
Examples of engagement:
Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook
From Army News to Twitter
WWW.TWITTER.COM/USARMY

• Twitter is a micro-
blogging tool that
updates in 140
characters or less.

• Updates are often

referred to as
“Tweets.”
@USArmy on Twitter
WWW.TWITTER.COM/USARMY
• This article was
submitted to CORE on
29 DEC by a USAREC
PAO.

• @USArmy tweeted
the link to the article on
the same day.

• Views: 1,360 followers

• Clicks: 200 worldwide

• Reached an audience
that may have not
stumbled upon this
article.
Interaction & Feedback on Twitter
WWW.TWITTER.COM/USARMY

Users can easily share their

Feedback using Twitter.
 Implement: Twitter & PAOs
WWW.TWITTER.COM/USARMY

How to use Twitter as a PAO

Bounce ideas off of other PAOs
Gain feedback from your audience
Promote the Army story locally, nationally and internationally
Solicit information for stories
Monitor trending topics
 YouTube - video sharing
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM

• YouTube is
the #1 most
popular
video-sharing
Web site
• Watch,
comment and
share your
favorite video
clips
• Even upload
your own
videos!
YouTube - video sharing
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/SOLDIERSMEDIACENTER

• The Army YouTube

page allows a greater
audience to view video
products from SRTV,
AFN, DVIDS, and more
• Video Embed Codes
allow easy posting of
each Army video on
blogs, person Web
sites, and social media
networks
•YouTube also allows
comments, which
provides quicker and
easier feedback
 Implement: YouTube & PAOs
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/YOURNAMEHERE

How to use YouTube as a PAO

View videos for research
Upload your videos
Embed videos in your stories
Grow your audience
Reach out to a community of video producers and
commenters
Get content on ARMY.MIL
Flickr - photo sharing
WWW.FLICKR.COM

• Flickr “is almost

certainly the best
online photo
management sharing
application in the
world”
•A community of
about 5,762 photos
uploaded per minute
•View, comment,
favorite, share and
upload your field
photography
 Flickr - photo sharing
WWW.FLICKR.COM/SOLDIERSMEDIACENTER

• The Army Flickr

page allows a
larger audience
to view photos
from DVIDS,
defenselink and
more
• Links back to
ARMY.MIL
• Gets fast
feedback from
comments
 Implement: Flickr & PAOs
WWW.FLICKR.COM/SOLDIERSMEDIACENTER

How to use Flickr as a PAO

Gather public domain images for your stories
Post your own photography from the field
Build relationships in the photo community
Share ideas, create groups, comment, make friends
Link back to your site/story to gain more publicity
Other ideas brainstorm…
 Facebook- connect & share
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/USARMY

More than 200 million active

users

4 million users become fans of

Pages each day

Largest demographic:
18-24

Fastest growing demographic:

35-54
 Facebook- connect & share
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/USARMY
Showcase additional
Share information

resources

Facilitate discussion
Implement: Facebook & PAOs
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/USARMY

How to use Facebook as a PAO

Share your organization’s unique story
Keep in touch with family & friends, build relationships
Raise awareness for your mission
Act as a landing page for your additional sites
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Army On-line and Social

Media Engagement
Case Studies
Using social media to build community

Online and Social Media Division Unclassified 41

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Blogger’s
Blogger’s Roundtables
Roundtables

Blogger’s Roundtables are phone

interviews with bloggers and
Army subject-matter experts.
They have proven to be a very
successful means of telling the
Army’s story.

The Department of Defense New

Media Division initiated the
blogger’s roundtable concept.
Army Public Affairs now
coordinates and facilitates one to
five blogger’s roundtables per
week in order to reach out to this
increasingly influential audience.

The Secretary of the Army has done

three blogger’s roundtables since
March.

www.defenselink.mil/blogger

Online and Social Media Division Unclassified 42

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Electronic
Electronic Warfare
Warfare Blogger’s
Blogger’s Roundtable
Roundtable

Online and Social Media Division 43

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Blog
Blog Engagement
Engagement

Pushing the envelope…

Bloggers =
Informal
Honest
Editorial

They will publish anything

you send them – including
your pitch. So, you have to
make it interesting and
appropriate.

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Blog Talk Radio

(www.blogtalkradio.co
m/United-States-
Army) and other Web
Radio programs allow
you to host your own
show with just a
telephone and an
Internet connection

Online and Social Media Division Unclassified 45

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www.facebook.com/USArmy
www.facebook.com/USArmy

•Dozens of commands,
installations and organizations
across the Army now use
Facebook as a means to
reach out the build
community.

•As one of the fastest growing

social networking sites,
Facebook has allowed Army
Public Affairs officers to plug
into an existing network filled
with young people.

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Commands
Commands on
on Facebook
Facebook
A fan page can be a value added way for leaders or
commands to connect with Soldiers or Family members.

Online and Social Media Division 47

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Using
Using Twitter
Twitter as
as a
a
spokesperson
spokesperson

•Quick media queries

•Pitches
•Linking queries with
subject-matter-
experts

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Old
Old Guard
Guard on
on Twitter
Twitter

“MISSION: 4th Battalion 3rd US Infantry will

initiate the use
of Twitter as a secondary communication
system 04 APR 09 for all officers 1SGs and
all necessary personnel”

• Standard unit SOP designates

user names: “TOG43A6” =
4th BN Alpha CO CDR
• Mandatory for 1SGs and above
to register
• “Praise Tweets”:
“With ceremonial TNG this
week
I am extremely proud of
everyone and our performance”
•Used to chastise performance:
“I will have CPT Bartran check
your stance and bearing the
Old next time…”
Guard on
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Don’t
Don’t Forget

• Just because we’re encouraging these tools, doesn’t mean

your command/commander/office needs to engage on each of
these platforms.

• As MG Bergner referenced yesterday, you can’t just engage,

you have to be relevant in the spaces in which you do
engage.

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LTC Kevin Arata, Director, Online and Social Media Division

– Kevin.Arata@us.army.mil; 703.697.1849

SSG (P) Josh Salmons, Defense Information School

– Joshua.Salmons@us.army.mil; 301.385.1266

Lindy Kyzer, Online and Social Media Division

– Lindy.Kyzer@us.army.mil; 703.697.4314

Meghan McCormick, Ctr. Online and Social Media Division

– Meghan.McCormick@us.army.mil; 703.602.7632

Emma Dozier, Ctr. Online and Social Media Division

– Emma.Dozier@us.army.mil; 703.602.6425

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