1. Social Media Building
Blocks and Breadcrumbs
Karen Jeannette
Consumer Horticulture CoP
eXtension Content Support & Military Families
Liaison
@kjeannette, karen.jeannette@extension.org
Kathy Reschke
eXtension Alliance for Better Child Care CoP
MFLN - Military Families Child Care
University of Georgia

2. We assume that by having an
What does account on Facebook, Twitter,
and other social media
“Go Where the accounts people will find us
and use our information and
People Are...” insights.
really mean?
Will you find people and be
found in the crowd?

3. ….how a discussion in the
Military Families CoP
Concentration Leader meeting
via Google+ Hangout led to
the title of this session.

4. “What value are you finding in using social
media?”
“Sometimes I feel like I’m just casting
breadcrumbs…. yet I’ve made some
really important and valuable
connections….they have become
like building blocks in our CoP”

5. Is casting breadcrumbs
worth my time?
Is social media worth my
time?

6. Turning breadcrumbs
into building
blocks…UNIQUE
recipes to be
discovered

7. Case study 1:
Where are the military child care
helping professionals?
How can we reach and support
them?
Initiated in late 2011
Blog: eXtension MFLN Blog
Facebook: Child Care and Military Families
Twitter: Military Child Care
LinkedIn: Early Care & Education for Military Families
MFLN Child Care Webinars
Print Media
Newsletter articles for associations
Conferences

8. Casting Breadcrumbs– The first story of
making a personal connection for Military
Child Care using social media

9. Great – an
Where are the association
Military Families focused on
Helping After many web Miltary Childcare.
Professionals? searches…. I’ll send the chair
an email

10. Hello Rachel, I am
with the MFLN She joined! ! I’ll
through eXtension. Rachel joins send her a
We have a group at Linked In…. welcome message
LinkedIn like I always
Would you like to do….
join?

11. Thank for your
welcome Kathy…these
are my
experiences….I’m
writing a childrens That’s really
book on deployment.” interesting…we
would love to
share your
expertise on one
of our Webinars
I can’t make that date you
suggested, but what’s your
email, maybe we could get
together another time? That would
be great,
my email
is….

12. Breadcrumbs to building blocks?
Participate in Webinar
Exchange insights at a conference
Relationship with someone in a large child care
management corporation (who cares about and
values our work)
Experiences that complement eXtension work
Offered input on learning module

13. Casting breadcrumbs…another story of
making a personal connection for Military
Child care using social media

14. …she’s a social
I need to do …Wow, this
worker &
another search for person, Wendy
counselor with
childcare and wrote a workbook
a Twitter
military family on military
account. I’ll
helping children
follow her.
professionals relocating
Kathy followed Wendy
on Twitter and shared
one of Wendy’s tweets.
This led to a discussion
on Twitter…

15. Thanks for the
Retweet!
Your work
looks
interesting
Twitter
Thanks for the
I’d like to know more
invite…I was a
about MFLN Would you military kid…
childcare! like to talk I bet that is
on helpful for
Facebook? others to
hear and
Facebook relate to…
Yes, I’ll look forward
to connecting with
you on Twitter again
…

16. Through Twitter, Kathy and Wendy
kept in touch….
Kathy invited her to a Webinar,
where she attended , tweeted, and
participated (to her bigger audience
of 8000 followers)
Kathy, then asked Wendy if she
would write a blog post for MFLN –
she agreed!

17. Breadcrumbs to building blocks?
Participate in MFLN Childcare Webinar
Tweet Webinars to 8000 Followers
Discuss Military Child Care via Twitter
Agree to be interviewed or write a blog post for
MFLN blog
Relationship with another professional
Meet at future conference

18. What was interesting to you in these two
examples?
• How and where were these personal connections
initiated, nurtured, sustained?
• What does it tell us about finding people and being
found on the Internet and through social media?
• Are any parts of these two stories something you
expect from using social media?

19. Case study 2:
Where are the Extension Master
Gardeners (nation-wide)?
How can we a)get their attention and
b)provide opportunities for
interaction?
Initiated in 2010
eXtension Master Gardener Blog
EMG Facebook
eXEMG on Twitter
Social Media Team
Bookmarks
Conferences – Evaluation posters
Monthly Email Updates
Coordinators List

20. Casting Breadcrumbs– A story of a learning
how to attract personal connections with
Extension Master Gardeners through
storytelling and engagement opportunities

21. A discovery of what should guide our blog posts

22. My North Carolina
Insect Experience (by
Connie Schulz)
• Shared experience of
learning to garden in NC
• Learning process involved
with new insects
• Resources for identification
and treatment (organic)

23. Blog: US Compost
Council
• Shared US Composting Council’s new
consumer labeling program.
• Received their enthusiastic support
and a suggestion for another blog
• They in turn linked to our blog for
their community

25. How one
comment led to
four blog posts

27. Sharing
another
pages’
photos and
posts can
help you
offer variety
and value to
your page…

28. Summarize
monthly
interactions
in social
networks
Distribute to
program
coordinators
by email
More visits
than
interaction

29. Building blocks to expanded menu
offering?
Personal approach invites more interaction
Attained critical mass, more reach, more engagement,
more awareness
Gain new ideas, new blog posts from engagement
continually
Made new relationships with other organizations
Ideas for new products, (blogs posts, monthly update
via email list)
Helps convince other CoPs to use ‘channels’

30. What was interesting to you in these two
examples?
• How can engagement lead to building blocks?
• What does it tell us about finding people and being
found on the Internet and through social media?
• How could this unique recipe become helpful in
making your recipe better (or what recipes can you
share)?

31. Need to learn more about engaging and
connecting with others in social media?