Social Media's Rise & Influence

At this year's annual conference, "Social Media Bootcamp," the rise and influence of social media will be the main topic of discussion. Like it or not, fear it or not, social media's rise in 2008 was enormous and in 2009 it is expected to continue to grow in users and in demand. As a school district, communicating in non-traditional ways is more important than ever. Research shows that teenagers, parents and other key constituents within your communities are utilizing the internet as a routine part of their days. Below are some statistics about social media that showcase the rising influence of social media as an important communications and marketing channel:

• 394 million people watch video clips online
• 346 million read blogs
• 321 million read personal blogs
• 307 million visit a friend's social networking page
• 303 million share a video clip
• 272 million manage a profile on a social network
• 248 million upload photos
• 216 million download video podcasts
• 215 million download audio podcasts
• 184 million started a blog
• 183 million uploaded a video clip
• 160 million subscribed to an RSS feed

Had enough? Or still not convinced of the power of social media? Here are some stats about online/social media trends:

• Blog reading has risen 66% on a global scale in a year
• 60.3 million Americans have read a blog
• 36% of consumers will think more positively about an organization that blogs
• 32% of consumers trust bloggers' opinions on products and services
• 43% of online consumers belong to a social network
• 74% of social network users message friends as part of their daily routines
• 64% of teenagers ages 12-17 engage in at least one type of online content creation, up from 57% in 2004
• 87% of parents of teenagers are online
• More than 40% of women in their 40s have social networking profiles (it's not just for teens), with more than 70% of women with children ages 13-17 engaged in discussions on social networking

These are statistics and figures compiled by Universal McCann, Pew Research Center and SheSpeaks about online trends and social media usage. It is clear that social media has been embraced by teenagers and is now becoming more and more common for adults, especially parents and women. It is not just a fad, but a new form of communication. How do school districts become a part of the online conversation in effective and safe ways? These issues will be discussed during our Annual Conference.

2009 NSPRA/Ohio Annual Conference March 12-13

NSPRA/Ohio’s 2009 Annual Conference & Achievement Awards Luncheon:
Social Media Boot Camp
Save the dates now: March 12-13, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio

School public relations professionals and educational leaders must keep current with changing practices and strategies. We need parent involvement and we need public engagement. To do this, we need clear communication to get the message heard and strengthen the connections between schools and the community.
During this day and half workshop you will connect with others and learn innovative ways
to deliver key messages about your schools. With skill-building sessions rich in resources
and ideas, the NSPRA/Ohio Conference, "Social Media Bootcamp," will provide you with cutting-edge communication tools and deal with issues such as using blogs, the benefits of podcasting, determining which social medium is right for your district, how the media is using social media, best practices for communications and marketing in challenging economic times, and more.
EXTEND YOUR LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY PLANNING TO COME FOR BOTH DAYS!
Thursday, March 12
Social Media Workshop 1:30-5:00 p.m.
Attend this practical and motivating half-day workshop and walk away with a strategy for how to incorporate blogging in your district’s communications plan.
FOCUS: Social media overview, blogs and blogging, myths and fears of social media, strategies for your district, RSS Feeds, and more. The workshop will be led by two social media experts from Columbus, Ohio. Angela Siefer is the chancellor at Shiny Door Consulting, a social media training and consultancy, and Nick Seguin, is web strategist at DynamIT Technologies, LLC, a a web engineering, design and development firm focused on creating usable, efficient web sites and applications. Both have been frequent presenters to businesses and organizations on the topic of social media and are well-known bloggers in Central Ohio.

Networking Social Event 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
After you learn about social media in the workshop, get social and network during our evening event! Join us for food and drinks!

Friday, March 13
Breakout Learning Sessions Starting at 9:00 a.m.
Take your learning one step further on Friday with our morning Breakout Learning Sessions! You will have six different sessions to choose from and will be able to attend two of them and walk away with practical information and strategies on topics like the media using social media, podcasting in schools, social media strategies, best practices and challenges and more.
Annual Achievement Awards Luncheon 12:30 p.m.
Enter your school district’s best PR, multimedia and marketing practices in our 2009 awards contest and join us as we honor the winners during our luncheon. Winners will be announced in categories ranging from PR plans and photography to e-newsletters, websites and more! Visit www.nspraohio.org for complete information on the Achievement Awards, categories, requirements, and to download entry forms.
Full conference registration information is available on the NSPRA/Ohio website. Download the form and send in your registration.
IF YOUR REGISTRATION IS POSTMARKED ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 4, YOU WILL BE
ENTERED INTO OUR PRIZE DRAWING TO WIN ONE OF THE LATEST MULTIMEDIA TOOLS ON THE MARKET TO USE IN YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT’S MARKETING, PR AND SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS!
The 2009 NSPRA/Ohio Annual Conference & Achievement Awards Luncheon will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel at 2700 Corporate Exchange Dr. in Columbus, OH 43231. You can receive a special conference room rate of $125 when you reference NSPRA/Ohio. Rooms must be reserved by January 25, 2009. Call 614.890.8600 to make your reservation.