S i l N t kiSocial Networking and Youth Work

Jess Nichols

AgendaAgenda

What are Social Networks?

Benefits of using Social NetworksBenefits of using Social Networks

Setting Up Social Networksg p

Commonly Used Social Networks

Managing Social Networks

What are Social Networks?

D fi itiDefinitionS i l ki i h i f• Social networking is the practice of expanding the number of one's business p gand/or social contacts by making connections th h i di id l 1through individuals. 1

• Social Networking Sites are the Websites dedicated to Social Networking.

1 http://bit.ly/DoOmS

Benefits of Social Networks

Setting up Social Networks

Commonly Used Social Networks

B b P filBebo Profiles

• One to One Relationships between users

• Customised page

• Profiles defined by member number or• Profiles defined by member number or username

• Integration with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)(AIM)

Wh B b P fil ?Why use Bebo Profiles?

• Still heavily utilised with youths

• User‐friendly timeline approach

• Ability to customise site to fit in with brand• Ability to customise site to fit in with brand

• Multimedia integrationg

• Integration of preapproved games and functions

M S P filMySpace Profiles

• One to One Relationships

• Focus on communication with other ‘friends’

• Customisation of page• Customisation of page

• Integration of preapproved games and g p pp gfunctions

Wh M P fil ?Why use Myspace Profiles?

• Still used heavily with youths

• More commonly used than Bebo

• Ability to customise site to fit in with brand• Ability to customise site to fit in with brand

• Multimedia integration (primarily music)g (p y )

• Integration of preapproved games and functions

F b k GFacebook Groups

• One to Many Relationship

• Users join based on interests

• Users are ‘Members’ of groups• Users are  Members  of groups

• Includes a wall and discussion board

• Must be a Facebook member to create a group

Wh F b k G ?Why use Facebook Groups?

• Allows for private groups to be established

• Ability to email members of the group (up to 5000 members)5000 members)

• Users can contact administrators directly

• Appoint Officers as key contact points

F b k P filFacebook Profiles

• One to One Relationship

• Must accept friendships directly

• Ability to include status updates photos• Ability to include status updates, photos, applications etc.

Wh F b k P fil ?Why use Facebook Profiles?

• To build up individual bonds between users

• Provides ability to contact users on a one to one basisone basis

• Can invite users to Youth events

WHEN NOT TO USE PROFILESWHEN NOT TO USE PROFILES

According to Facebook:

Profiles can only be used yto represent an individual, p ,and must be held under anand must be held under an 

individual name.individual name.

F b k PFacebook Pages

• One to Many Relationship

• Only public

• Users are ‘Fans’ of pages• Users are  Fans  of pages

• Includes a wall and discussion board

• Do not need to be a Facebook member to create a page

Wh F b k P ?Why use Facebook Pages?

• ‘Profile’ for businesses and organisations

• All posts appear as the brand/organisation

• Ability to update members of the group• Ability to update members of the group through notifications

• Users cannot contact administrators directly via Facebook profile but can provide emailvia Facebook profile but can provide email addresses for users to contact.

T itt P filTwitter Profiles

• One to Many Relationship

• Users follow interesting profiles

• Broadcast news links and events through 140• Broadcast news, links and events through 140 characters

• Creating conversation with other users

Wh T itt P fil ?Why use Twitter Profiles?

• All posts appear as the brand/organisation

• Providing the latest news on your Youth OrganisationOrganisation

• Can connect and directly communicate with other Youth Organisations

• Build up conversations and relationships with• Build up conversations and relationships with youths

• http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/

W d BlWordpress Blogs

• One to Many Relationship

• No direct relationships, allows you to broadcastbroadcast

• A collection of ‘posts’ – short articles with multimedia components relating to a topic

Wh W d Bl ?Why use Wordpress Blogs?

• Free web hosting site (only need to purchase d i )a domain)

• Easy web publication suiteEasy web publication suite

• Broadcast events and news articles relevant to your Youth Work

• Allows conversations through comments• Allows conversations through comments

Managing Social Networks

KEEP IT YOURSKEEP IT YOURS

KEEP IT SIMPLEKEEP IT SIMPLE

KEEP IT LOW

KEEP IT CONSISTENTKEEP IT CONSISTENT

Check at least TWICE a dayCheck at least TWICE a day

U d t t l t ONCE kUpdate at least ONCE per week

Ensure there is a distinction between yourEnsure there is a distinction between your personal and business accounts

P i t t h iblPrivate accounts where possible

Never post phone numbers, addresses, email accounts or photos you would like your 

grandmother to seegrandmother to see

Never log into a website where the URL does t l th d inot equal the domain

Constant checking is key to maintenanceConstant checking is key to maintenance

Manually remove offending material

Bl k ff dBlock or remove repeat offenders

Consider writing user guidelines for staff and youths

Email out a maximum of once every two daysEmail out a maximum of once every two days

Don’t repeat content in consecutive posts

Check integration settingsCheck integration settings

Ensure passwords are secure

h // b bhttp://www.bebo.com

http://www.myspace.com

http://www facebook comhttp://www.facebook.com

http://www.twitter.com

http://wwwwordpress comhttp://www.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/jessnichols

http://facebook.com/jessnichols

http://jessnichols.wordpress.com

j k t @ iljess.kate@gmail.com