Live coverage by these two social media pros #CJSavesCLE

Instead of the standard public safety vs media fight, do you want to see two social media pros live tweet how Christmas in Cleveland gets saved?

Sur and Steer: Telling the live story on how a star saved Christmas.

Sur and Steer: Telling the live story on how someone special saves Christmas.

Mark your calendars now: Thursday December 17, 2015

Follow along with me on Twitter: @CLEPolice or Facebook: ClevelandPolice

Or tune in with Jen on Fox 8 news (WYW-TV) for live breaking news or on Twitter or Facebook.

  
@rusnivek

 

Facebook looking more Twitterish or Tinderish or SnapChatish Safety-PIO-SM-15-005

15-005: Facebook looking more Twitterish or Tinderish or SnapChatish
Agency: Facebook platform Topic(s):         Facebook (personal)
Date: 10-02-15 Platform:        Facebook

A few hours ago, Facebook just rolled out a few new features you should be aware of.

First, right below your personal profile picture, you can see they have added an additional sentence so you can add a description about you.

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For this specific feature, Facebook has limited you to 101 characters, attempted imbedded emojis or other linking directives (like Twitter handles outside of Facebook world) do not work.

Why is this important? Three things:

  1. It allows Facebook to gather more information about you by allowing you to place topics that best reflect you (aka self-identified targeted words).
  2. They can use these descriptors to serve you more ads and/or grow your networks to those with similar word associations.
  3. Hyperlinks do not work in this descriptor box.

And if you think this is familiar, this description feature box parallels Twitter’s description box which is also located below your twitter name and Twitter handle.

Facebook has also added a new feature where you can add 5 additional pictures about yourself. Think of this as an enhanced profile picture. This allows you to showcase 5 different profiled images of yourself on your personal Facebook page.

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This feature obviously makes it look more Tinderish. Gawd – *swipe left* please!

Why more pictures? Better facial recognition. User contributed best profile pictures of themselves for identification.

A few days ago, Facebook crashed as they were pushing for the launch of their 360-video, but if you thought this feature could lead to a few seconds of video profile picture of yourself, you would be SnapChat correct.

Two new features on Twitter….I mean SnapChat….I mean Tinder….I mean Facebook.

You get the idea…Zuck’s blurring the lines again.

Keep your social media tools game sharp peeps!

@rusnivek

Or download the one-pager FacebookLookingMoreLike-Safety-PIO-SM-15-005

Are you violating Facebook’s Terms of Service? Safety-PIO-SM-15-004

15-004: Are you violating Facebook’s Terms of Service?
Agency: Various public safety agencies Topic(s):         Facebook organization page
Date: 07-31-15 Platform:        Facebook

Facebook has a wide audience and many public safety agencies have taken to Facebook to promote their efforts. However, many agencies have created the wrong type of account on Facebook.

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By creating your agency’s page as a person on Facebook, you are violating Facebook’s terms of service. And if you are going to ask, Facebook administration has the right to immediately delete everything. Yikes.

By registering your agency as an ORGANIZATIONAL PAGE, you can take advantage of Facebook’s analytics. This information is incredibly valuable as you evaluate who, what, at what time, and most importantly the how and why they are searching/visiting your agency’s organizational page.

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Facebook readily asks if you know people and displays their basic account information. Facebook’s goal is to increase your networks by showcasing people that are similar to you. If you happen to see one of your neighboring public safety agencies who may have incorrectly registered a Facebook personal account, take the time to inform them on changing their account from a personal page to an organizational page.

Likes? As an organization, can I like other pages? Yes, as an organizational page, you can like other agencies too. Through Facebook likes, you can showcase to your trusted network of similar public safety agencies.

Remember, social media is about how you can amplify your networks and positively engage your constituents. We are constantly strengthening our relationships with similar groups – all in the name of safety.

Look, we all need to be good stewards of our public safety brand. All Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) need to constantly support each other and help agencies who need some social media guidance.

By double checking your agency and your partner agencies.

  1. You can be compliant with Facebook’s Terms of Service agreement.
  2. You can ascertain detailed visitor demographics free from Facebook’s organizational analytical information.

Time is valuable, so post good stuff.

@rusnivek

To download the one-pager, click on the link here: Safety-PIO-SM-15-004-PersonalOrOrganizationalOnFacebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safety-PIO-SM-15-001: Maximize your digital real estate

15-001: Maximize your digital real estate
Agency: Sheriff Patricia Ninmann Topic(s):         Writing for Facebook
Date: 01-16-15 Platform:        Facebook

Immediate posts are important, but using valuable social media space is way more important. This was evident when this press release was plainly copied and pasted into this Sheriff’s Facebook page.

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On social media, people already know that your posts are for “immediate release” because Facebook puts your status in the timeline and then time/date stamps it for everyone. Also writing with all caps infers YELLING or SCREAMING. As public servants, we strive to bring peace to stressful situations including in messaging.

On Facebook, Sheriff’s name is listed right at the top so it isn’t necessary to repeat it again in the content. Email address in a post? Most likely, people will just click the “Comment” button below your post and respond back. They will likely not email you questions.

That space you are using is PRIME digital real estate. Do not repeat already posted information as readers will rapidly lose interest in your post. But DO write a concise and interesting status update with picture(s) to draw more interest from your audience. Remember that social media is a visual medium.

A more effective Facebook post could have read

Today, Dodge County Sheriff’s Officers responded to an auto crash with severe injury involving… <insert picture from crash>

By phrasing it this way:

  1. You identify the agency responding to the incident and the incident itself.
  2. You pull the reader in with a leading headline and help news reporters write their story.
  3. You use a picture from the incident that helps increase interest in your post.
  4. You use Facebook’s prime digital real estate in everyone’s timeline and push good information.

Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.

@rusnivek

 

To download the one-pager, click here: Safety-PIO-SM-15-001

 

 

 

 

We got a #FacebookDown-Safety-PIO-SM-14-009

14-009: We got a FacebookDown
Agency: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. Topic(s):         Non-related current event messages
Date: Fall 2014 Platform:        Facebook and Twitter

Just like any other service, social media platforms are bound to go down. And when that happens, a small amount of the population does NOT know how to react appropriately. Some residents of California decided that calling 9-1-1 was their only resort to getting logged back into Facebook.

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Ahem. Clearly, this is NOT an emergency. Sgt Brink is right in making it very clear to his audience (on Twitter) that Facebook’s non-service is not a Law Enforcement issue. Common sense right?

Most agencies should have an easy contingency plan when this type of situation happens. Social Media postings and engagement will help decrease calls to various public safety agencies…including during non-emergency times. So having this type of canned responses ready to push out when a major social media platform has the hiccups, might help your constituents navigate their (loss of) digital life. Additional use of a trending hashtag will bring more visibility to your post by informing others of actions, or in this case, non-actions.

A more effective tweet could have read:

#Facebook is NOT a law enforcement issue. Pls don’t call us about it being down, we don’t know when FB will be back up #facebookdown

By phrasing it this way:

  1. You sternly address that this social media platform is NOT a law enforcement matter (duh).
  2. You use a hashtags that is trending (#Facebookdown) that will help increase visibility in your tweets.
  3. You highlight the importance of being current and active on recent news/events.
  4. You stress the importance of engaging with your social media users on various social media platforms.

Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.

 

@rusnivek

 

***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this file:

WeGotAFacebookDown-Safety-PIO-SM-14-009

 

No complaining-offer solutions-Safety-PIO-SM-14-008

14-008: No complaining – offer solutions
Agency: Long Beach Fire Topic(s):         Public Perception and Solutions
Date: Fall 2014 Platform:        Twitter

Complaining or venting on social media is fairly common. However, as an official agency, public displays of affliction does not portray the best image. Long Beach Fire expressed some displeasure on Twitter when discussing the their pilot program.

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After reading this tweet, the public’s perception is that if 9-1-1 is called, no ambulances will respond. This is irresponsible and wrong. (Almost all emergency services have mutual aid agreements or memorandum of understandings in place.)

 

Positioning your agency as a fear mongerer or the Harbinger of Evil will only further distance yourself from people who would be willing to help your cause. Inform them of dangers, but more importantly, engage them publically on social.

 

If there is internal displeasure with the new staffing models, be proactive and offer transparent solutions in the tweet. Cite websites that provide industry information. Publically share statistical data that supports changes with current programs. These online tactics will help direct and educate the general public on how to be better informed on other program and possible other options yet unexplored.

 

Additionally you can rally your constituents behind better initiatives by engaging with them publically via social media. It demonstrates that your department’s community involvement is a key part of a better solution.

As an official account, Twitter’s 140-character limit is really no place to moan/groan.

A more effective tweet could have read:

LBFD resources are maxed out. #Firefighters cannot provide adequate #Paramedic service to our communities. Help us find a solution <insert link here>

By phrasing it this way:

  1. You identify that resources are…well…maxed out.
  2. You use hashtags (#Firefighters and #Paramedic) that will help increase visibility in your tweets.
  3. You stress the importance of providing dedicated service to your community.
  4. You provide a traceable/measureable link that informs and helps bring visibility to this critical situation.

Time is valuable, so tweet good stuff.

@rusnivek

***To download this as a single-page printable format, click this file:

No complaining-offer solutions-Safety-PIO-SM-14-008

LinkedIn’s flawed new custom background

If you haven’t checked out your LinkedIn profile in a while, you should.

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The new feature JUST added is supposedly this background image (similar to Facebook’s Cover Photo or Twitter’s Header) will make you more appealing business minded individuals.

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LinkedIn uses the term, “Make your profile stand out with a custom background”

Ahem.

IMHO: It sucks. If your image you upload is not 1400 x 425 pixels, programming will  distort the image. Big time fug.

No one likes fuzzy pictures.

Unless of course you are a bear. Bears like fuzzy pictures.

And we all know, bears do not use LinkedIn regularly.

@rusnivek