Social Scene: Make sure your newspaper is "Top of Mind"
Saul Hansell, former tech reporter with New York Times, AOL, and Huffington Post, now entrepreneur-in-residence at Betaworks, will share the secrets of engagement using social media. Session sponsored by Businesswire and Newspapers Canada.
by CAJ20124/26/2012 11:35:43 PM
The hashtags for this event are #CAJ2012 and #INK12
by CAJ20124/26/2012 11:36:06 PM
Saul Hansell says the title "social scene" causes anxiety to a lot of news people.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:15:31 PM
Hansell: "There's a better way to deal with it" than worrying about keywords and portals... Just relax and do what makes sense.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:17:00 PM
Hansell: "The challenge is to be natural" in using all the tools that social media offers.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:19:34 PM
Hansell warns against having a checklist of requirements for your page. "I need to have twitter here, video here..." Says you have to consider whether people will actually appreciate those additions.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:22:53 PM
Social is not the new search, Hansell says. Search is when people are looking for an answer. Social is when people are looking for conversation.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:24:48 PM
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:26:49 PM
On the topic of search engine optimization, Hansell used a story from AOL. When Michael Jackson died people searched for info on the drug he was taking. It can help reporters to tell what people want to know more about.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:30:57 PM
Hansell says you have to pick and choose what you want to focus your SEO efforts on. Think what is important to you and your readers.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:35:33 PM
Just as important as your search ranking: how good are your answers when people do find you?
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:36:45 PM
Hansell: "The central core of [social media] is exclamation." As opposed to searching which is all about questions. Social media is about saying "look at this!", not "what's the answer to that?"
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:40:33 PM
Hansell compares social media to Junior High School "A share = Aren't I cool?"
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:43:19 PM
If you want people to share or retweet your content, you have to consider whether someone would want to associate with what you are posting.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:45:18 PM
Hansell: In the online world, your work is only half-way done when you finish writing the article. You have to see if people are talking about your story and try to find out what you need to do to get your story discussed.
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:47:41 PM
Hansell says that when you have a story with a lot of hits, you need to take advantage. "We've got a rocketship, we've got to ride it."
by Michael Baghel4/27/2012 2:50:15 PM
On taking advantage of hits: throw away the algorithms and focus on what is important when you have a story on your hands that has really taken off.
