rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio Women Building California and the Nation May 19 th, 2012

Why do you personally use sites like Facebook YouTube Twitter Blogs Or your favorite social media site? rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Discover why and how workers and unions are using social media every day Learn the nuts and bolts of some of the most popular social networks Understand the “Dos” and Don’ts” of social networking Have fun! rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

In recent years, grassroots campaigns of all types have been constantly evolving to take advantage of the ever- changing and increasingly popular new media tools. Websites Lists YouTube Facebook Twitter Blogs rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

It’s cheap and easy. Everyone’s doing it. It complements and supplements our existing work. It’s where we can find more like-minded supporters.

Share news and dispel misinformation rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Start a conversation rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Promote events and mobilize supporters rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Share opportunities to take action and reach targets directly rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Share photos and videos rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Spread your own message rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Between January 09 and October 09, Twitter grew almost ten-fold, from 2.4 million tweets a day to 26 million tweets a day. By January of 2011, there were more than 200 million Twitter users (the majority of whom are women) sending upwards of 110 million tweets per day. The majority of users (54%) access Twitter through their mobile phones.

rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio In August ’08, Facebook reached 100 million users. Now, there are more than 800 million active users. The majority of them are women. More than 50% log in every day, and users spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. Baby boomers age 50 and up are the fastest-growing demographic on Facebook.

71% of Americans are YouTube users. On any given day, 28% of us are visiting YouTube, and 22% consider themselves “addicted”. Parents are the biggest YouTube demographic; 81% of parents visit YouTube; 61% of non-parents do. As of May 2012, the most popular YouTube video of all time (a Justin Bieber music video) has received more than 731,822,454 views. rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Where do I start? rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Does your union/group already have a social media presence? rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio Who’s the point person (or team) who will be responsible for growing and managing your networks? How can you incorporate social media into your existing work/campaigns? How can you set realistic goals that support your objectives? What about a social media policy? Consult your legal team to find out if you have any restrictions.social media policy What’s the approval process?

Once you’re ready, friend, fan, like, comment, follow and join potential supporters, then invite them to your network (Use CLF’s Facebook favorites and Twitter lists to get started).Twitter lists rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio Promote your new social networks in your signature, on your website, in your newsletters, industry blogs, by word of mouth, etc.website Try smartphone apps for easy updating, and incorporate an AddThis button to your website for easy sharing AddThis If you’re new, be a ‘lurker’ and learn the ropes of each program before populating your own network.

Stick to your established message/media policy, and don’t post anything that could be construed as false or libelous. rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio Avoid social networking during work hours or from an employer-owned computer unless you have permission from the employer. Establish a review process and always proofread your posts. On most social networks, you can’t edit a post after its up. Police your page often to monitor activity and responses. In case you ever need to remove or filter posts and users, it pays to establish and publicize your comment policies to your networks.comment policies

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that discussions on social networks between workers about their working conditions is “protected concerted activity.”“protected concerted activity.” Facebook’s privacy settings and lists allow you to hide your personal information and control what your new contacts see.privacy settings lists Remember, social networks are public forums, and lots of news media use social media as a source, so don’t post anything you wouldn’t want to see in the news. rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

Questions? rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio

California Labor Federation on Twitter California Labor Federation on Facebook Contacts: Rebecca Greenberg Band, California Labor Federation Mia Rivas, IBEW 595 rgb/tng39521cwa/afl-cio