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Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59614
like me Like Me NEW YORKER JOURNALIST, SUSAN Orlean thinks of all social media platforms as different kinds of parties, with Twitter being a "noisy cocktail party, with lots of chatting and quick interactions, a kind of casual free- for-all", and Facebook being a "combination high school and college reunion and therapy group." So, if Twitter and Facebook are the parties, your business' goal as new party-goers is to become part of the popular crowd by tapping on the shoulders of all the 'cool kids', and attempting to ride in on their coat tails. As a social change movement, Chief Executive, Minnie Baragwanath and her Be. Accessible team are delving into the world of social media to spread their message of creating a 100% accessible society for us all. One in 5 New Zealanders live with a disability of some kind, and we will, in fact, all have access needs at some point in our lives as we age, have children, or travel the world. So the dream of a fully accessible world is one that will benefit every single one of us. Having only launched officially in May 2011, Be. is still trying to find its place in the social media party, but would like to share what they've learnt so far, from getting sucked into the gossipy people at the party, to the disadvantages of sitting in the corner not talking to anyone. LESSON #1: REMEMBER YOUR BRAND Never before have so many people and businesses come together in one place to compete for attention in the form of 'likes', 'followers' and 'retweets'. So it is absolutely crucial that your brand stands out from the crowd by always looking and sounding impeccable. (Picture that guy at the party with the perfectly pressed suit, and smooth- talking charm). Whether your brand is intellectual and serious, or witty and light- Lessons on joining the social media party hearted, the most important thing is that it is consistent. Be. Accessible has aimed to pitch itself as the inspirational voice of accessibility issues, always providing optimistic and positive stories, rather than bagging the status quo. Recently, our ability to stay true was challenged when a frenzy of tweets and articles were posted about Mojo Mathers (Green Party MP who is deaf) potentially being denied funding for an electronic note- taking device to assist her to participate in Parliament. We were faced with a dilemma: join in with the #sacklockwood trend and potentially gain more likes and followers, or stay true to our brand values. As an organisation, we made a decision to provide information to the public that is constructive and looks towards a brighter future, and in this circumstance, without any official reports or decisions coming from Parliament we had to freeze our fingers and hold fire until more facts were available. LESSON #2: BE A HUMAN FIRST AND MAKE REAL FRIENDSHIPS Be. Accessible is a relatively new organisation that is still making itself known in New Zealand. With our new and unique message about accessibility, we decided it would be better to spend the first six months physically getting out there, and talking to people face-to-face about our social change movement. So through events, meetings, speaking engagements, and a nationwide roadshow, we spread the word the old-fashioned way. And we've found that this is a good base to start from for social media. We collected nearly 2,000 names for our database, and from there people have chosen to follow us on their preferred social media tool. What this means is that our online friends are actual friends who truly care about what we are doing and saying. They're not fair- weather friends who will 'unfollow' us when they get sick of hearing about accessibility, or the kind of friend who uses you to win a prize then leaves you high and dry. If you build your online network from the solid foundation that you have created around your brand in the world of paper, pens, handshakes and hugs, you will be much more likely to hold on to them for a long time. LESSON #3: ENGAGE MEANINGFULLY The wallflowers at the party are always ignored; and you will be too if you sit by and watch social media pass you by. Creating a profile for your business is the first step – it gets you into the party. However a lack of truly engaging and meaningful content will see you shunned to the corner of the room. Remember that social media is just that – social. It's about engaging with others through fun and exciting conversation. Be. Accessible tries to find like-minded organisations online, and creates new and exciting conversations with them. You'll be amazed at how much information you can gather and learn when you are sitting on the pulse of whatever your interest is. Stories and ideas are broken on Twitter before any other media channels (but beware of sensationalism – see lesson #1!). LESSON #4: OPEN- DOOR PARTY POLICY Social media has truly changed the pace and level of interaction between people. However, it's important to remember that not all social media is fully accessible for all people. As we have a sharp focus on accessibility at Be., we are constantly trying to ensure that we are allowing as many people into the social media party as possible! For example, many in the Deaf community are 20 | www.hermagazine.co.nz