Social Media

What Impact Will Social Media Have on the 2012 Elections?

A couple weeks ago, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) asked me to share my perspective on the elections this fall and the role that social media will play in the outcomes. The full interview can be found here, but I wanted to share some relevant excerpts below and get some conversation going onRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Local governments ranked on social media engagement

On GovLoop I’ve read plenty of anecdotes about cities getting involved in social media, from a local Department of Transportation that responds to inquiries on Twitter to a local power authority dealing with its namesake being used on social. But what cities are best at social media? A study by the University of Chicago recentlyRead… Read more »

Identify the Right People to Manage Your Social Media Initiatives

A version of this post originally appeared on this blog last year. I’m re-posting it with a few minor modifications because I’m giving a presentation based on this content next Tuesday at 10:15am EST at PRSA’s Digital Impact Conference. If you’ll also be attending, let’s get together. Who leads your organization’s social media initiatives? IsRead… Read more »

Social @Work – “How tos” vs “Don’t dos”

As an Air Force vet, it’s hard humbling to point to another service and say, ‘Damn, they do that right.’ It’s especially hard humbling when I have to say, “Damn, the US Army* did that right.” The US Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Online and Social Media Division created a handbook onRead… Read more »

Would you “Like” Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce?

Here’s the question, right up front. How would Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce use social media to promote their clients’ products? (Before you say, “they would have no use for it, as advertisers in the 60s,” let’s just pretend.) Obviously, they’d use it. It’s a great marketing tool, and their clients would expect a great socialRead… Read more »

Password Please

At the beginning of the month, I wrote a blog about how a study showed that Facebook may just be a reliable assessment tool for recruiters. It sparked a conversation about whether employers should be using Facebook to screen applicants. Flash forward a couple of weeks, and stories about job seekers being asked for FacebookRead… Read more »

Keeping Our Hats in Separate Boxes: How We Manage Our Civic, Personal, and Professional Online Lives

Recently, I was in an auditorium waiting for a distinguished lecturer. He came out to a standing ovation, and when everyone was seated, said: “Your applause is humbling; an hour ago my 14-year old daughter told me in no uncertain terms that I was cruel, unreasonable, and didn’t know anything about anything.” A few weeksRead… Read more »

DIY government holiday

We’ve all pretty much accepted that St. Patrick’s day is a new American holiday, regardless of the amount of Irish whiskey blood pumping through your veins. Around the country, we observe this day by drinking beer and wearing sparkly green pants and shamrock sunglasses. What do we do to observe non-religious holidays? President’s Day, MemorialRead… Read more »

How to Not Get Fired Using Facebook at Work: The Writing’s on the (Wrong) Wall

Last year, a couple colleagues and I put together a workshop (full slides below) entitled, “How to Use Social Media and Not Jeopardize Your Job.” I delivered a variation of it at the Philadelphia Federal Executive Board’s EEO and Diversity Day back in November. During the workshop, participants break into small groups to grapple withRead… Read more »