Free Tips on Social Media and Broadcast News

I have just tweeted the first free tips of 2010.

As a warm up for next week's news rewired conference discussing multi-media journalism, I have sent a collection of tips for using social media in broadcast news.

As usual, many fellow tweeters joined in by contributing their own advice. A big thank you to each of them.

It is not too late to add your own tips - please feel free to share in the comments section below.

Big picture stuff first. Understand why you’re using social media in your news room. You need a focus, so know the strategy.

Users go to facebook to say something – albeit briefly – be friendly, encourage conversation and the exchange of views.

Use facebook to generate fast leads. See Radio 1 Newsbeat’s fb page for good examples

RT @paul_a_smith If you use Twitter and Facebook, maintain a dialogue with your followers. Don't just broadcast headlines...

RT paul_a_smith ...or use it only when you want something. Converse and answer questions. They'll trust you more, and come to you with stories.

Posting your content on facebook exposes it to people who may not visit your web site or indeed listen to you.

RT @brettsr make sure the social media output is reflected in the on air output. It shouldn't live in isolation.

RT @brettsr 5 live now is bringing social media closer to radio news. Also gets us links from News Onlline, all helps get new ears

RT @brettsr get the talent to engage make sure they know its a conversation not one way traffic

On-Air talent - use twitter as a way to reveal your personality to followers.

British talk radio presenter @richardpbacon says twitter provides the DVD extras to his show i.e. behind the scenes access etc.

More on @richardpbacon talking twitter etc. http://bit.ly/EhGtr (via @jemstone)

RT @brettsr make sure the talent sounds natural. It shouldn't sound like a foreign language when they talk about it.

RT @UCFJourno Be transparent, share process. Use Twitter as communications tool within newsroom + between newsroom / roving news teams

Any 'real' relationship has laughter and tears (!), so provide light and shade in your tweets. Don’t be one dimensional.

RT @UCFJourno sound conversational - spoken not written word #newsrw

Can you use your picture rather than a logo on your avatar? = more personal = users more likely to connect with you.

RT @tomkingham use twitter/facebook often but don't bombard people's feeds

Search hashtags to pick up leads e.g. #snow. See this blog post for more.

RT @soofuk Although it's easier to link twitter feed to facebook - people can get annoyed if you tweet a lot

To add to that, twitter shortcode can confuse non-tweeter facebook users.

RT @brettsr feed your social media activity into your own website to bring it all together

Blogs enable the audience to read the story behind the story. Explain how you found a story or the editorial dilemma you faced.

Blogs and other social media require you to be open and personal but guard your credibility and impartiality.

Link to other blogs and encourage like mind bloggers to link to you.

RT @chatters79 I use Google Reader and Byline on the iPhone for monitoring & sharing feeds. Byline is great and caches for offline use.

Provide ways to subscribe and share with other social media sites.

RT @brettsr clever aggregation can push people around your networks. Check out this example..

Produce a page on-line outlining the social media tools the audience can use to contribute to your show or station.

RT @journotutor Social media another tool in the newsgathering & publication kit. J'istic principles of impartiality, accuracy etc still apply

@UCFJourno agrees on accuracy and impartiality but says don’t let it prevent you sounding human.

In your breaking news planning, is there a role for a journalist to monitor and edit content from social media?

Investigate audioboo as a simple way to record & send quality audio on the move.

In 2010 I will be presenting Social Media and News Master Courses for the European Broadcasting Union. If you are interested in receiving more details, please email me, justin@newsleadermediaconsultancy.com