Back channel engagement for online organizers, networkers, connecters and influencers.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA SECRET SAUCE
Back channel engagement for online organizers,
networkers, connectors & influencers
By Sarah Granger, PublicEdge
@sarahgranger

2. WHY USE BACK CHANNELS?
• Share ideas, resources, information
• Crowd source in a closed environment
• Collaborate
• Make new connections
• Promote work – articles, projects, press releases, speaking
engagements, etc.

3. WHERE TO START
• Social media practitioner groups (FB, LinkedIn, G+)
• Blogger networks, lists (E-mail, FB)
• Organizer lists, groups (E-mail, FB)
• Shared documents (Yahoo Groups, DropBox, PBWiki)
• Online chat tools (G+ Hangouts, Skype, Jabber)
• Instant messaging (AIM, YIM, MSN, Skype)
• Online conference call tools (Freeconference.com)

4. HOW IT WORKS
Act Intro
Trust Share
Engage

5. BEST PRACTICES
• Personal touch: private e-mail, Twitter direct messages, FB
messaging, text messages
• Regular participation in groups, lists
• Genuine engagement
• Sharing of resources, ideas
• Favor swapping
• Be a helper, giving and asssisting
• Don’t ask for too much too often

6. BUILDING TRUST
• Authenticity
• Sharing
• Personal, personable
• Interesting
• Moderation (vs. minimal or excessive engagement)

7. INFLUENCE EXPANSION
• High quality content spread across networks
• Well written post gets shared, highlighted
• Reputation develops over time
• Can be subtle – traffic ≠ influence

8. RAPID RESPONSE
• Negative Incident – minor criticism, defamatory comment, public
argument, bad review
• Positive Incident – major announcement, big publication, special
timely event
• Response in order to direct (vs. control) public reaction online
• Engage trusted networks
• Ask with authenticity, brevity & suggested remarks
• Provide example text (for Twitter, blog, etc.)
• THANK for assistance

9. QUESTIONS?
Contact Sarah Granger
@sarahgranger on Twitter
sarah (at) sarahgranger (dot) com