Using Social Media to Get Your Message Out

It can be a real struggle to get important messages out to the people we target. At times it feels like yelling into the wind. I know that social media is an important element of any communication plan, yet our social media efforts at the OREA Centre for Leadership Development have been lukewarm at best. That’s why I was very interested in talking with Ken Anderson at Delta Media about using social media to get your message out.

View a short video interview with Ken Anderson.

In this interview Ken refers to our natural tendency as readers to self-select; that means that we seek out those stories and articles that are of most interest to us. Now that’s not new – we’ve been doing that with newspapers and magazines since their inception. With social media, however, people aren’t always exposed to a wide breadth of stories to select from, as the process of selecting takes place before the stories are even presented (think search engines).

Although Ken doesn’t believe that social media has replaced traditional media, he sees that social media news releases offer some unique elements that provide depth and interest to your story. These include elements that enhance the information you provide, including hyperlinks, ready-made graphics and multi-media elements. Social media news releases often also include a list of organizations and sites that journalists and readers may use to validate your story.

The key, Ken says, is to really know your audience, including where they hang out on social media. That may take a little homework, but it will increase the chance that your message is selected and read. Ken certainly has the background to know about getting messages read. He’s been a reporter, broadcaster, communication manager and involved in media for over 30 years. Check out the full video interview for more insights from Ken.

Title:  Using Social Media to get Your Message Out.
Featuring:  Ken Anderson, V.P. and Director of Training, Delta Media
Length: 5:47 minutes
Check out more podcasts from the OREA Centre for Leadership Development.