One of our news:rewired speakers, Justin Kings – also known as @newsleader – spent a morning tweeting some excellent social media and broadcasting tips, all tagged #newsrw. In case you missed them, here they are in full.
(Read more about Justin and his work at this link. His own blog is http://newsleadermediaconsultancy.blogspot.com/)
1. Big picture stuff first. Understand why you’re using social media in your news room. You need a focus, so know the strategy.
2. Users go to facebook to say something – albeit briefly – be friendly, encourage conversation and the exchange of views.
3. Use facebook to generate fast leads. See Radio 1 Newsbeat’s fb page for good examples via http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/default.stm
4. RT @paul_a_smith If you use Twitter and Facebook, maintain a dialogue with your followers. Don’t just broadcast headlines…
5. RT @paul_a_smith …or use it only when you want something. Converse and answer questions. They’ll trust you more, and come to you with stories.
6. Posting your content on facebook exposes it to people who may not visit your web site or indeed listen to you.
7. RT @brettsr make sure the social media output is reflected in the on air output. It shouldn’t live in isolation.
8. RT @brettsr 5 live now is bringing social media closer to radio news. Also gets us links from News Online, all helps get new ears http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/live-now/
9. RT @brettsr get the talent to engage make sure they know its a conversation not one way traffic
10. On-Air talent – use twitter as a way to reveal your personality to followers.
11. British talk radio presenter @richardpbacon says twitter provides the DVD extras to his show i.e. behind the scenes access etc.
12. More on @richardpbacon talking twitter etc. http://bit.ly/EhGtr (via @jemstone)
13. RT @brettsr make sure the talent sounds natural. It shouldn’t sound like a foreign language when they talk about it.
14. RT @UCFJourno Be transparent, share process. Use Twitter as communications tool within newsroom + between newsroom / roving news teams
15. Any ‘real’ relationship has laughter and tears (!), so provide light and shade in your tweets. Don’t be one dimensional.
16. RT @UCFJourno sound conversational – spoken not written word #newsrw
17. Can you use your picture rather than a logo on your avatar? = more personal = users more likely to connect with you.
18. RT @tomkingham use twitter/facebook often but don’t bombard people’s feeds
19. Search hashtags to pick up leads e.g. #snow. See http://tinyurl.com/ygfx2pv
20. RT @soofuk Although it’s easier to link twitter feed to facebook – people can get annoyed if you tweet a lot
21. To add to that, twitter shortcode can confuse non-tweeter facebook users.
22. RT @brettsr feed your social media activity into your own website to bring it all together
23. Blogs enable the audience to read the story behind the story. Explain how you found a story or the editorial dilemma you faced.
24. Blogs and other social media require you to be open and personal but guard your credibility and impartiality.
25. Link to other blogs and encourage like mind bloggers to link to you.
26. RT @chatters79 I use Google Reader and Byline on the iPhone for monitoring & sharing feeds. Byline is great and caches for offline use.
27. Provide ways to subscribe and share with other social media sites.
28. RT @brettsr clever aggregation can push people around your networks. http://www.cbc.ca/bc/community/tweetcentral/
29. Produce a page on-line outlining the social media tools the audience can use to contribute to your show or station.
30. RT @journotutor Social media another tool in the newsgathering & publication kit. J’istic principles of impartiality, accuracy etc still apply
31. @UCFJourno agrees on accuracy and impartiality but says don’t let it prevent you sounding human.
32. In your breaking news planning, is there a role for a journalist to monitor and edit content from social media?
33. Investigate audioboo as a simple way to record & send quality audio on the move.