Social
Media Overview
University of Oregon Clean Air Project
Social Media Overview
The University of Oregon Clean Air Project would benefit from engaging in social media, because its target audiences are active users of social media networks. Social media would allow the Clean Air Project to learn about smokers and non-smokers’ opinions. This would broaden the group’s perspective and understanding of its target audiences. Public meetings intimidate some people and discourage those people from expressing their thoughts. Social media would allow people who are uncomfortable with public speaking to voice their thoughts and share their knowledge. Aware publics are more likely to read information and discuss their ideas on the Internet than they are to attend a public meeting or forum.
It is crucial that the Clean Air Project makes smokers feel free of alienation to reduce public criticism. Social media is limitless, because the group can provide Internet users with online resources and information. By reaching out through social media, the Clean Air Project will show its target audiences that it is willing to listen to others’ concerns and suggestions. Because technology is highly used on campus, the group would be able to reach out to much of its target audience. Social media’s massive amount of traffic would also guarantee extensive outreach for the campaign.
Social media will aid the cause, because the Clean Air Project will be able to participate in every online discussion about the group and the issue. Social media connections will allow the group to have personal conversations with individuals. They will also allow the group to become involved in more general group discussions.
Active publics’ suggestions for the Clean Air Project will allow the group to learn how it can change its approach. The group can use any constructive criticism to strengthen its campaign. It would be beneficial to gain inspiration from and listen to suggestions from bloggers who have helpful ideas for the campaign.
An additional benefit of social media is that technology will track blog activity, which will help the evaluation. Internet resources will also serve as an alarm that will tell the group when information that is specific to its campaign pops up online. This will save time and effort for the Clean Air Project that could be used to build relationships with bloggers. Positive relationships that the group can build through social media networks will enhance public awareness and discussion surrounding the issue.
Target Audiences
Non-Smokers
Non-smokers should be the primary focus of this campaign. The group should focus on students, faculty and staff on campus who are aware of the smoke-free campus campaign and those who are already active. By rallying aware and active non-smokers’ support around the campaign, more people will serve as advocates for the Clean Air Project and a smoke-free campus. Through social media, the Clean Air Project will be able to educate students who are aware but do not know how to become involved in the campaign. It will also provide resources for active students to create more campaign hype and to rally other students.
Smokers
Smokers should be the secondary target audience for this campaign. Smokers who support the habit enough to blog are part of an active audience. Active smokers will provide the Clean Air Project with alternative viewpoints through their blogs. The Clean Air Project should engage active smokers’ blogs in its campaign by using active smokers’ ideas to gain perspective and create positive responses.
Objective
To gain support
for a smoke-free University of Oregon main campus so that the UO
campus is free from second-hand smoke exposure.
Strategy
Blog
A weblog is a mutually engaging form of social media that will provide lasting benefits for the organization. Blogging is a useful form of social media, because the Clean Air Project will benefit from posting its own ideas, listening to others’ perspectives and responding to supporters and non-supporters’ posts. The blogosphere is full of opinions and information. This social medium will allow the Clean Air Project to engage its target audience.
It is important to monitor other blogs to understand the concerns that surround the campaign. The Clean Air Project should connect with other bloggers by reading, subscribing to and commenting on other blogs. The group should create relationships with bloggers who have various opinions about the issue. Bloggers are more likely to connect with the Clean Air Project if the group is making an effort to actively engage with other bloggers. It will increase the group’s social network and encourage those bloggers to provide helpful campaign feedback on the Clean Air Project’s blog. The observation of others’ blogs will give the Clean Air Project insight about how opinions have changed, what potential steps of action exist and how opinions have evolved.
Members of the Clean Air Project should manage the blog. Group members should blog about the group’s mission and how it developed. Blogs should include how the campaign will benefit health and education. The Clean Air Project should blog about individuals’ concerns, opinions and testimonies. A variety of opinions will engage publics.
The Clean Air Project should set up a Google Reader account, which will highlight every use of the group’s name on the Internet. The organization will be able to monitor discussion about the issue. Members of the Clean Air Project will also be able to read what other people have said about the campaign and publish positive responses to posts.
The organization should also create an account on Technorati, which is a blog search engine. Technorati will track how many people have viewed the Clean Air Project’s blog. It will also enable people to find the Clean Air Project’s blog when they search online. The resource will enhance blogger awareness and allow more people to read about the campaign and its advocacy.
Facebook is a social networking tool for college students that provides many opportunities to engage with aware and active publics. It will allow the group to connect with aware and active smokers and active non-smokers. The group should create friend connections with as many students as possible. It should create a Facebook group about the Clean Air Project, its mission and its blog. The group can use Facebook as a way to draw Internet users to its blog.
The Clean Air Project should send event invitations to users about upcoming events. The group should join other groups that are relevant to its campaign and participate in other groups’ discussions. The Clean Air Project members should manage the page. The group should monitor discussions about the issue for campaign feedback.
In both forms of social media, the Clean Air Project members should respond to negative buzz respectfully and genuinely. When the group responds to bloggers, it will draw more attention to and generate more talk about the campaign. Writers will have various opinions, but they will likely listen to the group’s ideas if the group is considerate of others’ feelings and opinions. The group should discuss the most effective ways to positively respond to negative blog comments as it receives more blogger feedback.
Tactics
Blog
WordPress is a platform to build a blog that the group can personalize and easily manage. Publishing a blog will engage readers from different publics. The blogosphere is a great way to understand how people have formulated their opinions and to express the Clean Air Project’s efforts. It will allow participants to become involved in issue discussion without thrusting into the spotlight.
First, go to http://www.wordpress.com. Click on “get a free host on WordPress.com.” Create a blog and personalize it to the campaign. Add picture to add personality. Add a “search” box and “links” box to your “Widgets” section. These will allow bloggers on your page to easily navigate on your page. Drag any other boxes that the group would like to show up on its blog from the bottom to the sidebar. The group should also add text boxes so it can add a link to Technorati.
The “Dashboard” section is where the group can manage blog posts and approve blogger comments. After the blog takes off, the group can check the “Blog Stats” section to see how many people have viewed it.
The Blogroll Management section is where the group should maintain a list of other blogs to monitor. Click on “blogroll” to go to the section. This is where the group can also add links to other pages. For example, it might choose to add links to other blogs or health sites that would be beneficial to the blog’s readers.
Click on “write” to start publishing blog posts. The Clean Air Project’s first post should include an introduction about the group and its mission. It is important for blog posts to be of quality. They do not need to be long. This is where the group should publish blogs throughout the week. The group should also view and respond to bloggers’ responses to posts.
Facebook is a social networking site that students, faculty members and community members can access. It provides opportunities to connect with people, based on their interests, classes and other personal information. Go to http://www.facebook.com. Sign up and create a group profile. The group should add a profile picture to show its personality.
The Clean Air Project should invite people at the University of Oregon to become friends. It should create a new Facebook group that will allow students to join in its efforts. The Clean Air Project should also create event invitations that encourage active publics to attend meetings and community service events.
The Clean Air Project should join other campus groups. This will provide networking opportunities and create another way to listen to active publics. The group should join health, campus and smoker groups and monitor group discussion boards.
Most importantly, members should have fun with Facebook applications. There are many applications that the group should utilize to engage students and encourage participation. Members should consider creating a quiz about campus smoking and adding videos of group events.
Technorati
Technorati is a valuable tool, because it monitors blog hits and searches. First go to http://www.technorati.com. Create an account, and fill in the group’s Technorati profile. Link your account to your WordPress blog address. Add tags that describe your blog to increase search listings for your blog. For example, type “Clean Air Project” and “campus.” Highlight, right click on and copy a link image code. Add it to your WordPress widgets by entering the code into the “Text 1” box on your Sidebar. Now you can measure your blog hits.
Evaluation
The Clean Air Project would evaluate this plan in several ways. First, it should evaluate how blog discussions have progressed. It would measure the results by creating a blogger comment log and noting the progression each day. Additionally, the group would survey some of its Facebook friends and users who oppose the cause.
Next, the group should use Technorati and Wordpress “Blog Stats” to track blogger readership. At Clean Air Project events, it should survey how many participants learned about the events through Facebook and the group’s blog. Further, it would track individuals’ comments on the blog and on Facebook. It would read postings and follow-up with bloggers to see how their opinions have evolved.
Lastly, it would ask bloggers and group members to give weekly feedback about the group’s overall progression.
Code of Ethics
Below is an idea for a Code of Ethics that will help the Clean Air project monitor blog comments.
We honor a variety of opinions to provide different perspectives on the blogosphere. Bloggers’ opinions are not necessarily the opinions of the Clean Air Project, but we take responsibility for the standard of content posted. Please be respectful when posting blog comments. We welcome constructive criticism and positive thoughts, but we will not approve derogatory or offensive comments. Please be tasteful, fair in your judgments and considerate to alternative interpretations.
Blogs to Watch
Below is a list of blogs to monitor. The blogs provide a variety of insight about smoking and regulations. It would be helpful to listen to and understand opinions of smokers and non-smokers to resolve the issue.
Smokefree Wisconsin
http://smokefreewisconsin.blogspot.com
This blog provides information about Wisconsin’s effort to preserve tobacco-free air. The effort directly correlates with the Clean Air Project. The blogger also discusses other states’ efforts to go smoke-free.
A Smoker’s Blog
http://a_smoker.blogspot.com
This blog would be beneficial to watch, because the blogger is a smoker who does not want to quit. The blogger provides insight as to why he or she is addicted and not does intend to quit.
Stop Smoking Blog
http://smokeblog.net
The blog provides information about how society responds to smoking. The blogger provides information about reasons some people do not smoke and smoking effects.
Pro Smoking Blog
http://ineedsmokes.blogspot.com
This is a great blog to monitor, because the blogger discusses smokers’ rights, pro-smoker commentary and tobacco news. The blog would be useful in gaining insight to smokers’ opinions on public and legal issues. The blogger responds to taxation, employment and other controversial topics.
The Smoke-Free Movement
http://www.smokefreeillinois.net/blog
This blog discusses Illinois’ effort to go smoke-free. The information would be beneficial to monitor, because it also includes how the community has responded.
Smoke-Free Action Network
http://smokefreesc.blogspot.com
The blog supports the right to breathe clean air in public places and at the workplace. The blog provides information about smoke-free efforts and current legislation in South Carolina.
American Lung Association of Calif – SoCal Coast, Border & Inland Empire
http://alacsd.blogspot.com
The ALAC provides information about smoke-free public places, smoke-free campuses, health issues and outreach. The blog encourages and gives insight about spreading smoke-free efforts.
Cleaning the Air
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com
The blog would be a great blog to monitor, because it provides input from people who share opinions about not smoking. The blog goes further in depth about nicotine company operations and other legal issues.
Smoking Lobby Forum for Smoker’s Rights
http://smokinglobby.blogspots.com
It would be helpful to monitor this blog, because it is important to listen to opposing opinions. By understanding why others oppose smoking bans, the Clean Air Project might be able to create a compromise, provide non-smoker insight, and clear up misconceptions.
The Rest of the Story
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com
The blog provides updates about current tobacco control issues and news. The blog is helpful in providing information about legislation and current proposals.