News organisations say they no longer need social media editors, or community programmes, because all their journalists use those platforms. But is that really the case? Have news organisations REALLY understood why they're using social tools and do we know whether we're being successful?

1. So, that online
community stuff...
...it’s all sorted now, right?*

2. *Some names and anecdotes
have been tweaked to protect
the innocent (...and the guilty)

3. • New York Times gets its first “social media
editor”
• Meg Pickard moves from “head of
communities and user experience” to “head
of social media development”
• I start at The Times as “web development
editor”
<<< Errrrr
• Sky appoints a “Twitter correspondent”

6. 5 key questions to ask:
• Your editor
• Your social media/community manager
• Yourself

7. QUESTION 1

8. Why are YOU doing it?
• “Common practice should be a
factor that we consider...”

9. Why are YOU
• Improve your journalism?doing it?
• Increase your traffic from social platforms?
• Get people spending more time on your
site?
• Improve customer relationships?
• Get customer data?
• (it can be more than one!)

10. QUESTION 2

11. Howyourselfyou measuring- that?
Get are some proxy metrics more
•
than one is fine (we have a few).
• Qualitative data’s ok too (we’re working on
that).
• Just make sure you know the strengths and
weaknesses.

12. The Britney Dilemma
If all you care about is unique browsers, then this
will be the pinnacle of your accomplishments

13. QUESTION 3

14. Are you paying attention to the
results?
• Experiments = A GOOD THING
• if you know what success looks like
if you actually look at the results
if you draw some useful conclusions
if you don’t use distraction techniques

15. QUESTION 4

16. Are you sharing what works?
“Stand ups” in morning conference
Lunch time talks
Community Clinics
Informal training
Formal training
Daily and weekly emails with good examples
Rinse, Repeat UNTIL YOU’RE
BORED OUT OF YOUR
BRAIN!!!!!
(and then teach others how to
spread the word)

17. QUESTION 5

18. Are you supporting them once
they get the message?
WORKFLOW
WORKFLOW
WORKFLOW

19. In Summary
• Decide why you want to do community
• Find a way to measure it
• Record what works
• Share what works (repeatedly)
• Focus on tools to make it easier to do

20. QUESTIONS?
@guardianjoanna