Social Media Primer

Jesse Stanchak over at SmartBlog on Social Media wrote an interesting post on Monday on the ABCs of pitching to influencers (the media, basically). His theory: The widespread use of Web 2.0 technologies doesn't automatically equate to the effective use of those tools. Can his tips for using social media apply to federal agencies hoping to reach the general public?

Nextgov's take on Stanchak's ABC(D)s:

• Appeal on a personal level: Stanchak says that a pitch letter is personal, not a business transaction. Agencies also need to figure out how to relate to their audience and break down perceptions of bureaucracy, anonymity and heavily-guarded headquarters here in Washington.
• Be a problem solver: Stanchak asks how a pitch solves a problem or addresses a concern for the recipient. When agencies "pitch" to the public, how can they move beyond talk and actually do?
• Create curiosity: Be provocative, but not confusing or misleading, Stanchak says. Sure, the public would probably like to know more about government. Hence, the transparency movement. The key for agencies is not to mislead under the guise of openness.
• Don't oversell it: "You can't badger them or expect to wow them with hype alone," Stanchak says. For government, this means honesty -- do what you set out to do and promote it as such.

As agencies continue to build audiences on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, they should consider the ways in which they are "pitching" to the public. The lack of strategy and thoughtfulness about the use of Web 2.0 technologies could hinder the whole initiative.