Navigating the Social Network

Navigating the

Social Network

Air Force Public Aairs Agency

AFPAA/PA

2261 Hughes Ave, Ste 157

Lackland AFB, TX 78236-9853

(210) 395-1794

[email protected]

http://www.facebook.com/USairforce

http://www.youtube.com/aluetube

http://www.ickr.com/usairforce

http://www. twitter.com/usairforce

http://www.airforcelive.dodlive.mil

AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCY

SOCIAL MEDIA DIVISION

The Air Force Guide to Effective Social Media Use

March 2012

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

SOCIAL

M EDIA

Introduction

Social Media for Airmen and eir Families

Social Media for Leaders

Social Media Considerations

Security

Common Social Media Platforms

Social Media and Your Public Aairs Program

Social Media and the Air Force Public Aairs Agency

Air Force Symbol

Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary

Acronyms

Produced by the Air Force Public Aairs Agency

AFPAA/PA

2261 Hughes Ave, Ste 157

Lackland AFB, TX 78236-9853

(210) 395-1794

[email protected]

Tanya Schusler, Chief of Social Media

Tech. Sgt. Karen Tomasik, Noncommissioned Ocer

in Charge of Social Media

Airman 1st Class Krystal Tomlin, Social Media

Journalist

Airman 1st Class Christopher Gere, Social Media

Broadcast Journalist

Billy Smallwood, Visual Information Specialist

Introduction

With the emergence of social media, information sharing continues to be dynamic and

evolving. Social media is a global cultural phenomenon, and for many Americans it has

become such a part of their daily activities they can’t imagine living without Facebook or

Twitter. According to comScore, a digital measurement company, one out of every six

minutes spent online is on a social network, and 73 percent of the U.S. Internet population

visits Facebook each month. Social media is not only a great avenue for staying connected

with family and friends; it is also a great tool for sharing the overall Air Force story and

the stories of our Airmen.

e Air Force Public Aairs Agency created this guide to help all Airmen safely and

wisely use social media. is guide provides simple, easy-to-follow tips to help you use

social media tools in your professional and personal life. is guide is for informational

purposes only and does not replace ocial Air Force instructions.

If you would like more information about using social media tools, contact the Social

Media Division at the Air Force Public Aairs Agency (AFPAA) at afpaa.hq.socialmedia@

us.af.mil or by calling (210) 395-1794; DSN 969-1794.

e

Power

Social

Media

In August 2011, the U.S. Air Forces Central Command band, “Sidewinder,”

performed Adele’s song “Rolling in the Deep” for a group of deployed Air-

men. An Airman captured the acoustic set on his mobile phone and Tweeted

the video. Within hours, the video went viral.

Lead singer Sta Sgt. Angie Johnson and the band received thousands of

positive comments. Many news organizations covered the story and featured

the band on their television shows. Practically overnight, many people dis-

covered two things: the Air Force has bands, and they are good.

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Increasing

the Reach

of Your

Story

In May 2011, a Las Vegas news station covered the U.S. Air Force

Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base. e news station, re-

porter and Nellis AFB all cross-promoted various products (stories,

blog posts and video) using their social media properties. is

cross-promotion increased the potential viewership of the weapons

school information.

Social Media

for Airmen and eir Families

Airmen

In general, the Air Force views personal social media sites positively and respects your

rights as Americans to use them to express yourself. However, by the nature of your

profession, you are always on the record and must represent our core values. When you

engage via social media, don’t do anything that will discredit yourself or the Air Force.

Use your best judgment because your writing can have serious consequences. Remember

that you are always on duty and your social media interactions are subject to the Uniform

Code of Military Justice. Also, don’t forget your operations security (OPSEC) consider-

ations.

Consider how a post can be interpreted by the public. Be cautious about crossing the line

between funny and distasteful. If you have doubts about whether you should post some-

thing, err on the side of caution. If the post in question concerns the Air Force, discuss

the proposed post with your supervisor or your local PA oce. Ultimately, you alone are

responsible for what you post.

Airmen and Families

Don’t give criminals a chance to get your information. Be careful of the personal details,

photos and videos you post to your prole on social networks. It’s highly recommended

that you set privacy settings so that only “friends” can see specics. Even aer establishing

privacy settings, don’t assume your information will remain private; there’s no guarantee.

Always use common sense: For example, don’t inform potential criminals you’re going out

of town!

It’s a good idea to always operate under the assumption that anything you post online

might be stolen by criminals or adversaries. Social content shared by Airmen and families

is a major target for those looking to impersonate them to gain access to sensitive infor-

mation, blackmail or intimidate. While there is a denite benet to using social media

to help with support networks, be wary of posting detailed information about support

groups. Posting unclassied sensitive information could be just as dangerous as posting

classied information.

You may also want to keep in mind future career opportunities. Potential employers

search social media sites. Your inappropriate photos or comments could cost you a job.

Consider occasionally performing Internet searches on yourself and your family members

to see what information is publicly available. ere are databases that continually archive

social networking websites and public records. Even if a prole was deleted, it’s very

possible it will still be stored in a database online. ese databases oen include an option

to delete personal information if you send an email request.

Corporate policies are taken seriously on social media sites, so read through a site’s terms

of service before clicking “accept” to start an account. Inappropriate posting and copy-

right infringement are two of the most serious infractions. Keep in mind, these policies

are not written to restrict postings; rather, they are written to protect and help keep you

out of trouble.

Airmen and their families need to practice operations security (OPSEC) in all social

media activities. See the Security section in this guide for more information.

Social Media

for Leaders

Because social media allows information to spread quickly through global audiences, it’s

understandable that some Airmen may be wary of its use in an ocial capacity. However,

educating yourself on the capabilities of social media platforms will help your organiza-

tion become more eective in using them to communicate with key audiences.

How Can Social Media Help Leaders?

Social media is a quick way to communicate to your Airmen, your stakeholders, the

media, families, the local community and the American public with information on events

and issues that aect them. Using social media can help bridge the gap for people who

aren’t in close proximity to an installation or know very little about the military.

Social media is incredibly dynamic and engages people in a way that feels informal, real

and transparent. It aords leaders the opportunity to connect with others on a personal

level. By its very nature, social media allows everyone to have a role in shaping

conversations.

Social media is only one of the tools in your public aairs communication toolbox, which

includes your base website, base newspaper, email and commander’s calls. Each tool

should provide unique, complementary information to support your priorities. Identify

the audience you want to reach and the message you want to convey, and then determine

which social media platform(s) will most eectively reach that audience. See the Com-

mon Social Media Platform section for more in-depth descriptions of social media plat-

forms or page 18 for a quick reference chart. Regardless of which social media platforms

are used to help communicate to key audiences, they should be supplemented by other

tools to meet overall communication goals.

Consider scope. e communication strategy and corresponding communication tools

a major command uses will be dierent from wing-level units. Use a tailored approach

to balance the needs of senior leaders with the needs of key audiences. Remember that

social media is not just for pushing information – share interesting content and engage

frequently.

Social Media Use

When using social media in an ocial capacity, it’s important to be honest about who is

posting information on behalf of senior leaders.

If you’re using social media to keep in touch with family and friends, it might not make

sense to allow subordinates access to your personal accounts. If your personal social me-

dia accounts are publicly viewable and show your Air Force aliation, you must consider

what your photos, videos, posts and comments say about you, your values and beliefs and

your Air Force image.

As leaders, keep in mind that if your Airmen violate regulations, policy or the UCMJ,

you’ll need to deal with the situation appropriately.

Do’s and

Don’ts of

Social

Media for

Leaders

• Dolistentoyourfollowersandengageasnecessary.

• Dobehonestaboutwhoismaintainingasocialmediasite.

• Dokeepyourinteractionsconversationalandinformal,yet

professional.

• Doconsideryourpublicimagewhenusingsocialmedia

professionally and personally.

• Dopicktherightcommunicationtoolsforyouraudiences.

• Don’trelyonsocialmediaalonetocommunicateyourmessages.

• Don’tstieconversations.Ifacommentorpostdoesn’thurt

anyone and doesn’t violate your comment policy, don’t delete it.

• Don’tbeafraidofnegativecommentsoropinions.It’sjustfeed-

back and a potential opportunity to educate people about a topic.

Social Media Considerations

Once it’s out there, it’s gone forever

 • Onceyoupostsomethingonsocialmedia,youcan’t“getitback.”Evendeleting 

the post doesn’t mean it’s truly gone, so consider carefully before you hit enter.

No classied information

 • Don’tpostclassiedorsensitiveinformation(forexample,troopmovement, 

force size, weapons details, etc.). If in doubt, talk to your supervisor or security

manager. “ink OPSEC!”

Replace error with fact, not argument

 • WhenyouseemisrepresentationsmadeabouttheAirForceinsocialmedia, 

you may certainly use your social media property or someone else’s to correct the

error. Always do so with respect and with the facts. When you speak to someone

who has an adversarial position, make sure what you say is factual and

respectful. No arguments, just correct the record.

Admit mistakes

 • Bethersttorespondtoyourownmistakes.Ifyoumakeanerror,beupfront 

about your mistake and correct it quickly. If you choose to modify an earlier

post, make it clear you have done so (e.g., use the strikethrough function).

Use your best judgment

 • Whatyouwritemayhaveseriousconsequences.Ifyou’reunsureaboutapost, 

discuss your proposed post with your supervisor. Ultimately, you bear

sole responsibility for what you post.

Avoid the oensive

 • Don’tpostanydefamatory,libelous,vulgar,obscene,abusive,profane,threatening, 

racially and ethnically hateful or otherwise oensive or illegal information or

material.

Don’t violate copyright

 • Don’tpostanyinformationorothermaterialprotectedbycopyrightwithoutthe 

permission of the copyright owner.

Don’t misuse trademarks

 • Don’tuseanywords,logosorothermarksthatwouldinfringeuponthetrade 

mark, service mark, certication mark or other intellectual property rights of the

owners of such marks without owner permission.

Don’t violate privacy

 • Don’tpostanyinformationthatwouldinfringeupontheproprietary,privacyor 

personal rights of others.

No endorsements

 • Don’tusetheAirForcenametoendorseorpromoteproducts,politicalpositions 

or religious ideologies.

No impersonations

 • Don’tmanipulateidentiersinyourpostinanattempttodisguise,impersonate 

or otherwise misrepresent your identity or aliation with any other person or entity.

Use disclaimers

 • OcialAirForcesocialmediapropertiesmusthaveadisclaimersuchas:“e

appearance of external links on this site doesn’t constitute ocial endorsement on

behalf of the U.S. Air Force or Department of Defense.”

 • Statethattheviewsexpressedareyoursaloneanddon’tnecessarilyreecttheviews 

of the Air Force. For example, “e postings on this site are my own and don’t

necessarily represent Air Force positions, strategies or opinions.”

Link

 • YoumayprovidealinktoanAirForcewebsitefromyouraccount.

 • Organizationalpagesmayalsolinktoexternal,non-militarywebsitesthatare

relevant to the organization and mission. Again, include a disclaimer.

Adhere to federal law, Department of Defense directives and instruc-

tions, Air Force instructions, and the UCMJ

 • Youmustkeepfederallaw,DepartmentofDefensedirectivesandinstructions,Air 

Force instructions and the UCMJ in mind when using social media in ocial and

unocial capacities. As an Airman, you are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Be aware of the image you present

 • Anytimeyouengageinsocialmedia,you’rerepresentingtheAirForce.Don’tdo 

anything that discredits you or our Service.

Stay in your lane

 • Discussingissuesrelatedtoyourcareereldorpersonalexperiencesareacceptable 

and encouraged, but you shouldn’t discuss areas of expertise where you have no

rsthand, direct experience or knowledge.

Be cautious with the information you share

 • BecarefulaboutthepersonaldetailsyoushareontheInternet.Maintainprivacy 

settings on your social media accounts, change your passwords regularly and don’t

give out personally identiable information. Also, be mindful of who you allow to

access your social media accounts.

Don’t promote yourself for personal or nancial gain

 • Don’tuseyourAirForcealiation,ocialtitleorpositiontopromote,endorseor 

benet yourself or any prot-making group or agency. For details, refer to Code

of Federal Regulations, Title 5, Volume 3, sec. 2635.702, Use of Public Oce for

Private Gain, in the Joint Ethics Regulation or Air Force Instruction 35-101, Public

Aairs Responsibilities and Management.

Follow the terms of service set by each social media site

 • Becomefamiliarwitheachsocialmediasite’stermsofserviceandfollowthem. 

For example, Facebook will not permit you to have more than one personal prole.

If a personal prole is being used for your organization, it can be taken down with

out notice. Your unit needs to create a Facebook page for the organization, not a

prole.

Don’t be a bandwidth hog

 •Aeryounishworkingonasocialmediasite,pleaselogo.Helpuspreserve

military bandwidth usage.

Security

Operations Security

e primary concern for Airmen using

social media is maintaining operations

security. Information moves and evolves

quickly via social media, which means OPSEC

awareness is more important than ever before. Make

sure you understand the risks and communicate them

to other Airmen. Information about social media awareness is

provided in annual computer-based training.

Review all content (photos, videos, links to articles, etc.) for OPSEC violations prior to

posting. Remember to take a holistic approach when evaluating whether or not your

content violates OPSEC. Don’t provide adversaries any advantage by posting classied,

controlled unclassied information or sensitive information (for example, troop move-

ments, force size, weapons details, etc.). When compiled, such details can potentially cost

the lives of your fellow Airmen or jeopardize missions.

is

Checklist

Can Help

Ensure

OPSEC Is

Maintained

0 Ensure OPSEC training is current.

0 Make sure social media content is reviewed and approved.

0 Make sure your content follows your organization’s public

aairs guidance.

0 Monitor your social media properties to make sure fans have

not posted OPSEC-violating material.

0 Make sure your social media administrators are trained on

OPSEC.

0 Help fellow Airmen and their families understand the dangers

of revealing OPSEC information.

Geotagging

If you’re using smartphones or tablets to take pictures and access social networking sites,

you or your family could be inadvertently posting the exact geographic location of your

home, workplace or even daily travel patterns. is technology is known as geotagging.

Many phones, tablets and digital cameras are set up to geotag by default. If deployed and

using your phone or digital media devices in this capacity, you must disable this function.

You may want to consider turning it o for home use.

Impersonations and Criminal Usage of

Online Information

e Air Force Oce of Special Investigations has seen an uptick in the number of senior

leaders impersonated online. ese individuals are particularly susceptible to online

impersonation. eir leadership role in the military generally means personal and profes-

sional information is abundant and

readily available. eir institutional

and social stature also provides cy-

bercriminals with the reputability and

plausibility necessary to make these

online scams appear credible.

Although impersonation can easily be

used to facilitate criminal activity, the

mere act of online impersonation does

not in itself constitute a crime, and

law enforcement authority is limited.

Despite the fact that they are seldom

victims of scams themselves, senior

leaders should remain vigilant against

these types of online activities and report any improprieties regarding their personal

information to appropriate authorities.

AFOSI provided the following case studies. Specic details were modied to protect

ongoing investigations and operations, but the information can still help you use social

media sites safely.

 • In2010,acybercriminalassumedtheidentityofaDoDgeneralocer 

in an eort to perpetrate an online romance scam. Using a

high-ranking Air Force ocer’s public online information

(including photograph, name and biographical information),

the perpetrator created fake social networking proles to interact with

potential victims. One female victim lost more than $5,000.

 • In2010,acriminalnetworktolditsaliatestouseopensource

information found online to target Air Force ocers and their

families. e criminals recommended pulling geographic coordinates

from the metadata of pictures posted online and using Google

Maps to nd the home addresses of the ocers, as well as social

networking site information to gather personal information about the

victims. e criminals then recommended their aliates use the

information to blackmail both the Air Force ocers and their families.

Several resources are available for victims of online impersonation such as the Internet

Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov, and the help pages of social networking sites.

When clicking on links to ocial military or government sites, double-check the

URL is a .mil or .gov address and pay close attention to information contained on

the site. If you aren't paying attention and visit a spoofed site, you open yourself

up to phishing and malware set up by hackers.

Common Social Media Platforms

It can be dicult to keep up with the social media realm because it seems that a new

social media platform like Storify or Pinterest is born every day. is section covers some

of the most commonly used social media platforms in the Air Force.

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a free social networking site that allows users to post updates about them-

selves, commentaries on issues important to them and share links, photos and videos with

friends. Interacting with users is an important part of the platform.

Anatomy of an Eective Facebook Post

 • Photos,videooralinktocontentthat’sappropriatefortheaudienceora  

short, relevant and interesting status message.

 • Short,professionalandconversationaltexttoaccompanyandtease  

content. No need for a long paragraph.

 • Eye-catchingthumbnail.

 • Relevanttagtoanotherpageifappropriate.

Organizational Facebook Page Considerations

1. Develop a strategy before creating your Facebook page.

2. Identify the types of content you will post.

3. Consider interests and preferences for obtaining and retaining followers.

4. Ensure information posted is approved for public release; remember security

(e.g., OPSEC), accuracy, propriety and policy (e.g., Privacy Act considerations).

5. Listen to your fans and plan for feedback.

6. Have a legal contact on stand-by as situations arise.

7. Track metrics and conduct analysis. Use this information to modify your strategy.

Organizational Facebook Page Security

 • Designateatleasttwoadministratorswhowillhavetousetheir

personal Facebook proles to become administrators of the organizational

page. Don’t create a fake prole to create your page.

 • Createacommentpolicyanddisplayitonyourpage.SeetheUnitedStates 

Air Force Facebook page for an example.

 • Denethepage’srulesofengagementforAirmen.Considerreminding 

Airmen to use the chain of command for issues or problems, not the

Facebook page.

 • Postanexternallinksdisclaimer.

 • Reviewcommentsregularly,anddeletecommentsiftheyviolateyour

comment policy or Facebook’s terms of service.

 • Willyouallowpostsfromfans?Pictures?Videos?Ifso,you’llhavemore 

content to review.

 • Willsomeoneberesponsibleforreviewingcommentsaerhours?

What to Post on Your Facebook Page

 • Createauniqueexperienceforyourfollowersbyoeringamixtureofcontent.

 • CreateonlineeventstogetmoreparticipationsuchasaQ&Asession,factoid 

of the day, tip of the day, etc. Ask people to send in content. Be as creative as

you want.

 • Occasionally,askgeneralquestionsoffansoroeracall-to-actioninyour 

posts to encourage participation.

 • Tagrelatedpagesasappropriate.

 • SendcontenttotheAFPAASocialMediateamforconsideration.

 • UseaURLshortenertotrackmetrics.Someexamplesaretiny.cc,tinyurl.com,etc.

How to Interact on Facebook

 • Beconversationalandinformal.Mostofall,befun.

 • Beauthentic.Presentation,content,styleandtoneareimportant.

 • Followerswanttobeintheknow.Wecanprovidepeoplewiththeright

information by communicating relevant material with edge and punch so it’s

memorable. e facts alone won’t always cut it.

 • Giveboththebadandgoodnews.You’llberespectedmore.

 • Lookateventsthroughsocialmedialenses.Whileyou’relookingatanevent 

from the traditional public aairs perspective, also think about how you

can create a special experience for social media users.

 • Activelymonitorcommentsandpostsandrespondtothem.Mostanswersare 

already on www.af.mil or www.airforce.com, so point followers to the right place.

 • Considerusingyourinitialsonposts.isnotonlyenhancesaccountability,but 

it also helps followers connect with the way each person writes. It’s a little detail

that adds extra personality.

Tips for a Successful Organizational Facebook Page

 • Choosethegovernmentcategoryforyourpage.

 • Yourprolephotoshouldincorporateyourunitshieldtomakeyourpagelook 

ocial. Carefully consider choosing an interesting cover photo.

 • Updateyourproleandcoverphotosperiodically.

 • Completeyourtimelinewithappropriatemilestones.

TWITTER

 • ShootforatleastonepostdailyMondaysthroughFridaysataminimum.Consider

posting on weekends too. Space out your posts to allow ample time for your

content to get attention and to avoid annoying your followers. Only you will know

what your key audience needs.

 • Engagewithfollowersonatimelybasis.

Twitter is a microblogging site that revolves around 140-character long posts called tweets.

Twitter users communicate status updates, share links to content and post photos and

videos for their followers. Twitter users who want to share another user’s tweet may

retweet (commonly seen as RT) it to their followers, which makes it important to write

tweets no longer than 120 characters, so they can be retweeted easily. Twitter users who

follow one another may send direct messages (commonly seen as DM) to communicate

more privately.

Photos and videos are popular tweets, and hashtags and mentions are vital components

of Twitter. A hashtag is a word or phrase with the “#” sign in front of it (e.g., #airforce or

#Airman). Users can follow specic events, communities, topics or items by following a

specic hashtag. You can mention another Twitter account with an “@” prex (e.g.,

@usairforce or @usafpressdesk).

Twitter is useful for quickly sending out updates in crisis situations or sharing important

information with followers. It doesn’t work exactly like Facebook though. While only one

to a few posts per day are recommended for Facebook, your Twitter handle should have

more tweets.

e Anatomy of an Eective Tweet

 • Short,descriptiveandconversationaltext

 • ShortenedURL

 • Acoupleofrelevanthashtags

 • Appropriatementions

 • Properlyidentifythetypeoftweet(e.g.,     

retweet, modied retweet)

Organizational Twitter Considerations

 • Haveashortexternallinksdisclaimerposted.

 • Plantospendacoupleofhoursperdaytotweetandfollowactivity.

 • Followrelevantaccounts(toyourorganization)andgeneralnews.Don’tjust 

follow everyone who chooses to follow you; be selective and choose those who

regularly tweet about you or provide you with useful information rather than

someone who posts something once a year about you.

 • Customizethelookofyourpage,butpicksomethingthatwilllookgoodon

various monitors. Designs too close to the feed might be cut o depending on

screen resolution.

 • Inyourbackgrounddescription,beconcise,yetdescriptivewiththelimited 

room you have.

 • Choosehashtagswisely.Youcanuseexistingonesorcreateyourown.Createa 

unique hashtag for specic events, so you’ll be able to follow the chatter about it.

 • ToolslikeHootsuiteandTweetdeckcanhelpyoutrackmentions,hashtags, 

retweets and other information.

 • KeepOPSECinmind.

What to Post on Your Organizational Twitter Page

 • Itisgenerallypreferredtohavelinksinyourtweetsratherthanjusttext.Links 

make your tweets more interactive and less static. Share information with

followers but also give them a link to check out more information.

 • Trytopostrelevantphotosandvideoswhenyoucan.

 • Don’toverwhelmyourfollowerswithtweets,buttweetenoughtoremindthem 

you exist. You have many more chances to post on Twitter than you do on other

social media sites.

 • Don’tdropnamesjustbecauseyoucan.Haveareasonforallofyourmentions.

Similarly, do not use hashtags just to garner more attention. Make sure they are

relevant, and do not use too many hashtags per tweet (otherwise, your tweet

will look too busy and unfocused).

 • UseURLshorteningservicestosavespaceinyourtweets.Useonethatprovides

you with metrics.

How to Interact on Twitter

 • ankpeopleforretweets,mentionsandfollowingyouasappropriate.Usea 

tweet or direct message to thank them.

 • Althoughyoucanuseupto140characters,trytogonolongerthan120toallow

people an easier time retweeting your messages.

 • BecomefamiliarwithTwitterlanguage.Notonlywillyoulooklikeapro,you’ll 

also communicate better. Social media books and online resources can help.

 • Bebrief,butprofessionalwithyourtext.

 • InteractonTwitter.Avoidtweetingonlyyourownnewsandinformation.See 

what your followers and other relevant people have to say. Retweet and

comment on other people’s tweets and answer questions as appropriate.

While URL shortening services

are valuable tools for sharing

links on platforms like Twitter,

they are vulnerable to

phishing and viruses. Services

using generic top-level domains

(like those ending in .com, .net,

.org, etc.) are recommended for

use rather than domains owned

by foreign national governments.

FLICKR

BLOGS

YouTube is a video sharing website that allows users to upload, share and view videos.

When posting a video, it’s important to include a description along with a short, descrip-

tive title. Be sure to provide specic tags as well. Tags are keywords that apply to the

video, such as objects and subjects in the video or words that help describe what’s in the

video. e purpose of tags is to help your video appear during a Web search.

Anatomy of an Eective YouTube Video

 • Interestingvideowithmassappeal

 • reeminuteslongistheideallength,butextremelyinterestingvideoscanbe 

longer

 • Gooddescription,titleandtags

YouTube Channel Considerations

 • Haveacommentpolicyandexternallinksdisclaimerposted.

 • Checkyourinboxdaily.Respondtousersasappropriate.

 • Reviewandapprovecommentsbeforeposting.

 • Customizethelookofyourchannel.

 • Uploadvideosregularly.

 • Postshortandinterestingvideos.RememberOPSEC.

Flickr is an image hosting and sharing website. Users can embed the images they host

into other social media sites such as Facebook or blogs. Like with video, it’s extremely

important to keep OPSEC in mind. Get in touch with your local PA oce to ensure your

images are releasable or follow the guidelines laid out in AFI 35-109, Visual Information,

sections A5.2 and A5.3.

Air Force imagery must follow DoD standards. Users must also provide a caption and

tags. Photo captions require slightly more information because the subjects in the photo

can’t speak for themselves, unlike with a video. Captions require at least two sentences.

e rst sentence contains a who, what, when, where and why. e second sentence

expands on the rst, placing the image in a larger context.

Anatomy of a Good Flickr Photo

 • Actionshotwithmassappeal

 • Relevantanddescriptivetagsthatwillhelpusersndthephoto

 • OcialphotosmusthavecaptionsthatfollowtheDoDstyle

 • PhotocontentmustnotshowviolationsofregulationsorcompromiseOPSEC

 • Mustbepubliclyreleased

Flickr Considerations

 • Haveacommentpolicyandexternallinksdisclaimerposted.

 • Checkyourinboxdaily.Respondtousersasappropriate.

 • Reviewcomments.

 • Uploadphotosregularly.RememberOPSEC.

Blogs are websites with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or other

material such as graphics or video, self-published by bloggers. Entries are commonly

displayed in reverse-chronological order. A typical blog combines text, images and links

to other blogs, websites and other media related to its topic. e ability of readers to leave

comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Personality or

“voice” is what makes blog postings dierent from standard news stories.

e Anatomy of an Eective Blog Post

 • Catchy,descriptiveheadline

 • 300+words:informalandconversationalrsthandaccountofanexperience– 

this is not a news article

 • Atleastonephotowithacaption

 • Embeddedhyperlinkstorelevantcontent

 • Usetitlestoseparatesectionsasappropriate

 • Askaquestiontoreaderstosparkconversation

 • Keywordsortags

YOUTUBE

Blog Considerations

 • Carefullyconsideryourdesign.

 • Haveacommentpolicyandexternallinksdisclaimerposted.

 • Reviewcommentsdaily.

 • KeepOPSECinmind.

 • Postregularly.

Social Media and Your Public

Aairs Program

Only units with a compelling need to communicate with the public may have an ocial

Air Force social media property. With few exceptions and in concert with Air Force

public Web policy, this means only wings and higher may have an ocial Air Force social

media presence. Ocial properties must adhere to quality assurance standards outlined

in AFI 35-107, Public Web Communications and register with the Social Media Directory.

If a unit below the wing has a compelling reason to communicate with the public, it must

submit a waiver request to AFPAA Social Media for approval of an exception to policy.

Calling it

“Ocial”

Eligible:

 • Wingorhigher(automaticallyapproved)

 • Compellingneedtoreachgeneralpublic(belowwing

requires waiver)

 • MustberegisteredwiththeSocialMediaDirectory

maintained by AFPAA

 • Commandersareultimatelyresponsibleforpostedmaterials

Ineligible:

 • Belowwing

 • Intendedforinternalaudiences(squadronmembers,spouse

or booster clubs)

 • Shouldbe“closed”or“private”property

Registration of Ocial Social Media Properties

According to the Department of Defense Directive-Type Memorandum 09-026, Respon-

sible and Eective Use of Internet-Based Capabilities, ocial social media properties must

be registered. To register your ocial property, submit it to the Air Force Social Media

Directory, http://www.af.mil/socialmedia.asp, which helps af.mil visitors nd and verify

the authenticity of ocial social media properties.

For any questions regarding social media platforms or ocial social media properties,

consult the AFPAA Social Media team.

Creating

Ocial

Social

Media

Presence

 • Includesocialmediainyourcommunicationplan.Establishgoals

and audiences for each social media presence.

 • Obtainapprovalfromyourcommanderbeforeestablishinga 

social media presence.

 • Setupyourocialpresenceasagovernmentorganization.

 • Chooseyouraccountnamewisely.Itshouldbedescriptiveyet

succinct in order to remain memorable and easy to use in posts.

 • Haveanexternallinksdisclaimerandcommentpolicyonyour

social media property.

 • Keepyoursocialmediapropertiescurrentandfreeofspam,

oensive material and items that violate your comment policy.

 • ClearlystatethatyourpropertyisanocialAirForcesiteinthe

information or account section. Provide a link to your ocial Air

Force website.

 • SubmityourocialAirForcesocialmediapropertyfor

registration in a timely manner with the Air Force Social Media

Directory, http://www.af.mil/socialmedia.asp. Do not register

informal or internal social media accounts with the social media

directory.

e organic nature of social media makes it easy to use; however, the basics of public

aairs still apply. Have plans and processes in place and invest time in developing your

program. Some eective ways to use social media are:

 • Usesocialmediaplatformsonlyifyoucanfullycommit.Ifnecessary,pickonly 

one social media platform and use it well rather than spreading your resources

too thin across multiple platforms.

 • Makesurethatyou’llhaveenoughcontenttosustainasocialmediapropertyon 

a regular basis. Consider having your messages promoted through existing Air

Force social media properties if you won’t have enough regular content to sustain

your own social media presence.

^ By selecng privacy sengs in the tool, informaon will not be available to the

public or will be only available to some. You may also be able to create a private group.

Friends--just so you know--yes, we are watching....

Tropical Storm Katia is gradually strengthening

but is still not forecast to impact CONUS at this

time.

 • Donotauto-feedpostfromoneplatformtoothers.It’snoteectiveandcan 

actually confuse your followers. In one case, an ocial unit

Facebook page posted a tropical storm tracker and text in reference to the storm:

is text was auto-fed to their Twitter account, and this is what Twitter fans saw:

 • Keepthespiritofsocialmedia.Beinformal,conversational,transparent&fun.

 • Researchnewtools.Ifyouwantyoursocialmediaprogramtoevolve,carveout 

time to learn about new tools to help you communicate more eciently.

 • Gettoknowyouraudience.Socialmediaisaboutsharinginterestinganduseful

information with your followers and cultivating a community. Conduct online

research and monitoring to more eectively develop audience-centered content.

 • Findcreativewaystoengagefollowers.Socialmediasitesshouldn’tsimplyuse 

base website information. Post unique content to your social media properties

to generate interest. Don’t focus solely on driving trac to your website – you

should also share products from external sources about your units and people.

Content

Source

Ideas

 • FactsheetsonAirForcewebsites

 • Highlightalittleknownfact

 • Quizfollowers

 • Historicalinformationandtrivia

 • PhotosandvideosonAirForcewebsites

 • Posegeneralquestionstotheaudience

 • User-generatedcontent

  • Specialevents

  • Postspeciccontentrequestedbyfollowers

  • Spotlightsonpeople

  • Adayinthelife…

  • Guestblogpostsfrommilitaryfamilymembers

  • Blogsfromseniorleadersandteammembers

  • FindanAirForcetietoaneventinthenews

 • Caption,videoorphotocontest

 • Hostatweetchat

 • Highlightnewtechnology

 • Helpfultips

  • Haveaguestcontributoranswerquestionsonaspecictopic

 • SharepostsfromotherAirForcesocialmediasites

 • Measureyoureectiveness.Considertrackingmetricstoseeifyouaremeeting 

your goals and tweak your strategy. Taking the time to measure your

performance will allow you to better meet your commander’s objectives.

  • ereareplentyoffreetoolsandpaidserviceproviderstohelpyougather 

the raw numbers you will need. Some social media platforms have built-in

metrics trackers.

Measurement

Ideas

 • Totalfans,followersorsubscribers

 • Commentsandlikes

 • Clicks

 • Uniquevisitorsandpageviews

 • Mentionsandretweets

Measurement

and Analysis

Here are some possible ways to analyze your data:

1. Spike in unlikes => Possibly due to media events,

too many posts, dull posts or lack of interaction with

fans.

2. Click referrers => Do followers prefer external, unique

  orAirForcewebsitecontent?Whattypesofcontent 

  performbetteronFacebook,Twitter,etc.?

3. Retweets => What types of tweets are being retweeted

  andwhichonesarenot?

 • Collaboratewithotherorganizationsdaily.Yoursocialmediacontentwillreach

more people if you collaborate with other organizations such as your MAJCOM

and/or AFPAA, who can help promote your content. For major events, involve

other organizations early in the planning process.

 • Interactwithfollowers.Socialmediaisinherentlyconversational,andfollowers 

expect to have conversations with you. Unlike your unit’s ocial website, simply

pushing out content is not acceptable. You will quickly lose your audience if you

fail to interact.

 • Reviewcommentsandquestionsandrespondaccordingly.Taking 

interest in your followers’ stories will increase their goodwill toward

you, while providing you an opportunity to gain invaluable insight into

their needs and interests.

 • Moderateyoursocialmediasites.Consistentlymoderatingactivityonyour 

social media sites protects you and your followers. We recommend checking

your sites at least once every 24 hours including weekends.

  • Moderatingyoursitesincludesremovingspam,OPSECviolations,

irrelevant content, foul or oensive language and anything else that

violates your comment policy. e purpose of moderation is to maintain

a professional and open exchange of ideas, not to stie conversations.

Negative comments are acceptable. Followers appreciate moderated social

media sites because it helps them feel comfortable. Banning or deleting

followers should only be done in extreme cases as a last resort.

Quick Tip

A site full of spam demonstrates that administrators aren’t responsive

and don’t maintain their page.

 • Usesocialmediaduringacrisis.Inacrisis,socialmediaisavitaltoolinthe 

public aairs toolkit. It’s a quick, direct way to communicate information

instantaneously to mass audiences so they get accurate information directly from

the Air Force.

Japan

Earthquake

and

Tsunami

Social media served as a key communication tool during the

Japan earthquake and tsunami in early 2011. On a global level,

social media was the rst stop for general information on the

welfare of loved ones. Victims let friends and family know they

were safe via Facebook, and others looked to social media for

rsthand accounts of conditions in Japan. Fans appreciated

having a central location for information during a crisis. Social

media was used for base-wide internal announcements at a time

when other forms of communication were down.

Suspicious

Package

In August 2011, a suspicious package was found on Scott AFB, and

the public aairs team used social media as its primary communica-

tion channel to release information and answer questions. ey were

able to proactively control rumors and prevent panic.

Tips for

Using

Social

Media

During

a Crisis

 • etraditionalrulesofcrisiscommunicationapply.

 • Earnthetrustofyourfollowersbypostingbothgoodandbad

news. When you have a major crisis the audience is more likely

to trust your information and appreciate your openness.

 • Shareaccurateandapprovedinformationasquicklyas

possible. Don’t wait for an article or press release to be

available.

 • Activelymonitorconversationsandquestionsonyoursocial 

media properties. Answer questions and direct them

to credible, approved information.

 • Establishamonitoringscheduleandassignrolestoteam

members. Be prepared to monitor outside of regular duty

hours.

 • Monitorothersocialmediaandwebsitestohelpyoudecide 

what to post to your properties. You may address inaccurate

information or rumors.

 • CollaboratewithotherAirForceunitstohelpspreadyourmessage.

Share information with one another.

 • Completeanaer-actionreport,anduselessonslearnedtohelp

when the next crisis arises.

 • Promoteyoursocialmediaproperties.emorepeoplewhoknowaboutthem,

the greater the chances you have of reaching key audiences with your messages.

Ways to promote your properties include:

 • Interactingonsitesotherthanyourown.(Don’tspamothersitesor

shamefully advertise your sites.)

 • Listingyourpropertiesinyouremailsignatureblockoronyourbusiness 

card

 • Creatingaquickresponsecodewithlinkstoyoursitesandputtingiton 

your products

 • Discussingyoursiteswithinternalaudiences

Quick

Tip

Do not overwhelm your audience by posting too frequently.

 • Managesocialmediarecordsasappropriate.OcialAirForcesocialmedia 

properties should be archived in some manner until an ocial records

management policy for social media is available. Content that resides on an

ocial government site is already accounted for as a record, but new content or

information, such as non-government or third party, should be archived. You

should archive any social media posts related to specic missions or

activities that have their own records management requirements. Some ways

to maintain records include:

 • Copyingandpastingcontentintoadocument

 • Savingscreenshots

 • Sendingyourselfemails

 • KeepingRSSalertsfromyoursocialmediasites

 • Usingbackup/archivingsoware

 • Haveapostingschedule.Consideryourresources,theamountofcontent

available and workload, but also think about your audiences. Consider peak

engagement times and frequency when building your schedule. For instance,

if the majority of your audience is at work or school all day, you could post

during lunch time, in the evening and on the weekend.

 • Establishaneditorialcalendartomanageposts,planforthefutureandreach 

goals. Some days there will be an abundance of content to share, while at other

times there won’t be as much. Prioritize content and be prepared to switch gears

when big events or crises occur.

Social Media Posting Checklist

Consider the following items and adjust this checklist to t your strategy:

0 DoesitfulllanAirForcepriority?

0 Willtheaudiencescare?Isitvalue-addedinfo?inkattention-interest-desire- 

action.

0 If the information doesn’t show the Air Force in a positive light, is it fairly

  reported?Ifpostinganexternalpiece,isitaccurate?Ifit’srelevant,ties 

into Air Force goals/messages or shows transparency, it’s acceptable to consider

posting.

0 Does it imply an endorsement of a certain political aliation, religious ideology

  orcommercialenterprise?Ifso,donotuse.

0 Whatangleareyoutakingwiththisstory?Areyoufocusingontheright

  messageandtherelevantandcrucialinformation?

0 HaveyoucreatedashortenedURL?Doesitwork?

0 Check for proper spelling, grammar and format (e.g., spacing, names).

0 Check for proper OPSEC. If in doubt, get higher review and approval before

posting.

0 Remember security, accuracy, policy and propriety.

0 Haveyouchosenanappropriatethumbnail(forFlickr,YouTubeandFacebook)?

0 Have you chosen the appropriate text to show alongside the thumbnail in

  Facebook(especiallyforFlickr)?

0 Are the Airmen being featured within regulation (e.g., using proper protective

  equipment,inthecorrectuniforms,etc.)?

0 Isthereanyoneyoushouldtagormention?Haveyouusedproperhashtags?

0 Areyourinitialsonthepost?

0 Get a second pair of eyes to review before posting. You can’t catch everything.

0 If you’re not sure you should post it, channel it up for review!

0 Watch the post for at least 15 minutes aer publishing (to catch any errors and

interact with people commenting/sharing your content).

0 If you’ve made a mistake, apologize and make a correction promptly aer

publishing a post.

Social Media and the Air Force

Public Aairs Agency

Airmen at all levels and grades are encouraged to tell the Air Force story and send content

to AFPAA for consideration. Content intended for Air Force social media must not

violate OPSEC or security, accuracy, policy and propriety, and should be of interest to a

large audience across the U.S. and international community. For example, followers deem

stories about Airmen and their experiences popular. AFPAA reserves the right to choose

what will be posted and edited to meet the needs of followers and strategic Air Force

themes and messages.

Quick Tips for Submitting Social Media Content

to AFPAA

 • Contentmusthavemassappeal.Anythingtoonarrowinscope,foravery

specic and small audience or location-specic is not appropriate.

 • Don’twaituntilthelastminute!IncludeAFPAAinyourplanningprocessto

allow adequate time for posts to be developed.

 • Sendcontenttoa[email protected]forconsideration.Ifpossible, 

submit the following information (but not required):

 • Preferredpostingdate

 • Messageorangle

 • Whototagormention

 • Requestedtext

 • Whensubmittingphotosorvideo,includecaptionsthatcoverthe5Ws.

 • Articlesmustbewrittenclearlyavoidingacronymsandjargon.

 • WatchAFPAA’ssocialmediaproperties,particularlyFacebook,foryourcontent,

and jump in to interact with followers as appropriate.

 • Tellfriendsandfamilytocheckoutyourcontentandshareit.

While AFPAA runs several social media properties and tests new tools oen, the

following platforms are actively used by AFPAA on a regular basis.

 • eAirForce’socialFacebook

account is www.facebook.com/usairforce.

With this page, the Air Force posts links to

written, photo and video material that rep-

resents the Air Force. Let AFPAA know if

you have a Facebook page, so your page can

be tagged when content from your orga-

nization is posted. Also feel free to tag the

Air Force Facebook page, but if you have an

interesting story with broad appeal, contact

AFPAA directly instead, so that AFPAA can post the content to its timeline directly. Your

content will be seen by more people.

 • WhenrequestingtheAirForceshareinformationonitsTwitterhandle,

www.twitter.com/usairforce, keep in mind the audience is very diverse. Events that are

very limited in scope may not be eective for the account but may work on a MAJCOM or

wing account with a specic group of followers. AFPAA is willing to help where possible

and has been able to post content specically intended for an area by using a regional or

topical hashtag (e.g., #DC). A Twitter handle will not work for all bases, so consider your

unit’s mission, surrounding community and the pros and cons of maintaining a content-

hungry platform before jumping into this particular social media platform.

 • AFBlueTubeistheAirForce’social

YouTube account. With this channel, the Air Force

posts video material that represents the Air Force.

e following settings are recommended for the best

results:

  • ExportedinH.264format

 • Frameresolutionforhighdenition

(HD) set at 1,280x720 for 16:9 and

640x480 for 4:3. For video shot in standard display (SD) change display

resolution to 640x360 for 16:9 and 640x480 for 4:3

 • Framerate(fps)shouldbesetat29.97fps

 • Fieldorderisprogressiveornonprogressiveifshotontape

 • Maximumbitratesettingsat5,000kbps(5Mbps)with2passencoding

 • AudiosettingsforH.264videosetatAdvanceAudioCoding(AAC)witha 

sample rate of 48 khz and bitrate set at 320 kbps

 • Describeeventsinthevideoandprovideashort,descriptivetitle

 • Includespecictags(keywords)

 • AFPAAhasaFlickrphotostreamatwww.ickr.com/usairforce.AFPAAfocuses 

on photos with mass appeal showing Airmen performing the mission. Airmen

at all levels of their organizations and units are encouraged to submit

pictures that tell the Air Force story to AFPAA along with proper captions.

 • Whenwritingablog 

post for potential submission

to the Air Force Live blog, there

are some things to keep in mind.

Write from a rst-person view.

Your post shouldn’t be too

lengthy. We recommend 300-600

words, but more is acceptable as

long as it’s an interesting personal

story. Include at least one photo or a short video if possible.

Blog posts typically have keyword tags associated with them, so send your blog in

with relevant keywords: category, content, job title, general location, topic, etc.

Provide a few sentences about yourself as an introduction to your blog, such as

information about your job, where you work, how long you’ve been in the Air

Stretching or distorting the symbol or the signature is prohibited. Other prohibited altera-

tions include, but are not limited to: changing the symbol’s texture or color, varying the

symbol’s distinctive shape and adding shadows or special eects. For more information on

the approved symbol colors, visit http://www.trademark.af.mil/symbol/colors/index.asp.

Force and anything else interesting that sheds light on why you wrote your blog

post. It’s important to provide photos or video with your blog submissions, but if

this isn’t possible, at the minimum provide a prole picture.

 • Mobileapplications(commonlyreferredtoasapps)oeropportunitiesto 

educate audiences or provide services to streamline functions. Air Force policy

does not prohibit organizations from developing mobile apps related

to their missions. However, potential creators must be aware of pitfalls such as

OPSEC vulnerabilities and costs associated with the development and

maintenance of apps.

Anyone looking into developing an app for ocial purposes must consult with

the AFPAA Social Media Division for guidance.

Air Force Symbol

e Air Force Symbol visually represents our service’s brand identity. Using the Air Force

Symbol on an ocial social media platform is authorized; however, maintain its integrity

by using the guidelines below.

When using the Air Force Symbol, it’s not mandatory to use the logotype “U.S. Air Force.”

If the logotype is used, the preferred position is beneath the symbol. It’s also acceptable to

place the logotype on the right or le side of the symbol. Placing the logotype above the

symbol is not approved.

Stand-o space around the symbol or the symbol with logotype, known as the signature,

is required at all times except when cradling approved emblems between the wings. Only

MAJCOM, FOA or higher-level emblems approved and registered with the Air Force

Historical Research Agency are permitted inside the wings of the Air Force Symbol. Only

one emblem may be placed inside the wings. Cradling an approved emblem in the Air

Force Symbol is for ocial use only and requires the emblem to be held in a set propor-

tion to the symbol.

e symbol may be used in a ag or header as long as the concept design is pre-approved

by the Air Force Trademark and Licensing Oce. e symbol should add to the overall

design. For more information on the symbol, visit www.trademark.af.mil. If you have

any questions regarding the Air Force Symbol or other trademarked logos, contact the Air

ForceTrademark&LicensingProgramat[email protected]f.mil.

Policy

e following Department of Defense and Air Force publications contain information to

consider when using social media:

1. DTM 09-026, Responsible and Eective Use of Internet-Based Capabilities: Covers

applicability, denitions, policy, responsibilities and releasability regarding Internet-

based capabilities.

2. AFI 35-101, Public Aairs Mission: Covers the overall public aairs mission and how

to correctly implement it.

3. AFI 35-107, Public Web Communications: Addresses the public Web program and

social media.

4. AFI 35-113, Command Information: Section 15 covers social media.

5. AFI 33-129, Web Management and Internet Use: Details proper and improper uses of

Internet-based capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. WhydoestheAirForceusesocialmedia?Whyshouldmyorganizationusesocial 

 media?

Social media is a very inuential communication tool that many people use to nd

and share news and information.

Your organization should use social media because people who are interested in you

are already using it. Social media allows you instant feedback from your audience

and gives you a direct communication line to it. Don’t underestimate the ability

of your audience to share your news with an even larger audience by sharing it with

their friends and family online.

2. Doesmyorganizationneedapprovalbeforeusingsocialmedia?

Yes, a commander must decide if his or her unit is going to have a social media site.

Only organizations at the wing-level or above can have ocial social media sites. See

question 9 for more information.

If you want to communicate to an internal audience, you may want to consider

something like a closed Facebook group or any other private social media site.

Just keep in mind that privacy is not guaranteed on any social media site so you

should not post classied or sensitive material to them. Your wing public aairs oce

is a great resource to nd out more information.

Regardless of the type of organization you are, you rst need to think about what you

want to accomplish with your social media program. Ocial properties are the

responsibility of a public aairs oce to ensure they meet commanders’

communication objectives and requirements.

3. I want the ocial Air Force social media team to help promote my content. Where

 doIsendit?

You can send requests to afpaa.hq.socia[email protected] for consideration. Requests

will be reviewed for relevance to audiences of AFPAA social media tools. Posts will

be edited as necessary for the audience.

4. I’mafraidtousesocialmedia.Whatifpeoplemakenegativecomments?

Negative comments are acceptable. Allow your audience to openly communicate

with you, so you can address concerns. is fosters an environment of open

communication, which is essential to earning and maintaining public support of

your people and mission. You have the ability to moderate comments by putting a

comment policy in place and consistently enforcing it.

5. My unit wants to use social media, but we don’t have enough time or resources.

 Whatcanwedo?

Don’t feel like you have to use social media just because everyone else is using it. If

you don’t think that you can commit or you don’t have enough content to sustain

a social media property, there are other ways to get your content and message out

through social media. AFPAA and your parent organization’s public aairs oce can

promote your content as appropriate.

If you have a compelling reason to use social media, it’s possible to be eective on

little to no budget. You don’t need to use every platform available. Pick the best

platform for your situation. You might need only one person to manage a simple

social media program.

It’s dicult to say how much time you need for your program because it depends on

how many platforms you’re using and what your goals are. For a simple program that

consists of only Facebook, you might need only two hours per day.

6. HowdoIsetupsocialmediaaccountsformyorganization?

Setting up social media accounts is very simple as most sites have step-by-step

instructions. We recommend that you play around with your personal social media

accounts rst before creating them for your organization. If you have specic

questions, you can perform a quick Internet search for your answer, or you can

contact your local public aairs oce or AFPAA.

7. Whatshouldmyunit’ssocialmediacommentpolicylooklike?

See the Air Force comment policy in the “about” section here: http://www.facebook.

com/USairforce. You can customize it for your own unit’s page.

8. WhatfollowercommentsmayIdelete?CanIremovefollowers?

In general, you shouldn’t stie conversations or feedback. Let people express

themselves even if their comments are negative as long as they don’t violate your

comment policy. You’ll use your policy to determine whether or not to delete

comments or posts from your followers. We recommend taking screenshots of

content before deletion. You can also remind followers to adhere to your

comment policy if you see a conversation heading toward the wrong direction. If

someone posts a good comment, but only a small portion of the comment violates

your comment policy, you can tell him or her to edit and repost it. Banning

followers should be a last resort. Give people opportunities to correct their mistakes,

and if they continue to violate the comment policy, you might consider removing

them.

9. Mysquadronorgroupwantstousesocialmedia.WhatdoItellthem?

Organizations below the wing-level may not have ocial properties and will not

be registered with the Social Media Directory. Unocial presences should be closed

or private in order to limit exposure just to an internal audience. If a unit below the

wing-level has a compelling reason for communicating with the general public it

must apply for a waiver from AFPAA. Unit commanders will

be ultimately responsible for all content posted to their social media properties.

10. WhatdoIdoifsomeonecreatesafalseocialsocialmediapresence?

Organizations do not have the right to remove unocial presences unless they falsely

portray themselves as an ocial presence. If there is a false account, you may report

it to the social media platform’s help section, or you can contact AFPAA for help

at afpaa.hq.socialme[email protected].

11. HowcanIsetupablogformyunit?

Contact the AFPAA Social Media team at a[email protected] to discuss

options and begin your request. Maintaining a blog requires a lot of time, dedication

and preparation. If your unit is interested in having its own blog, rst consider

becoming a guest blogger on the Air Force’s blog to get the feel for it.

Glossary

• ADMINISTRATOR

 • Apersonwithlogin,publishingandaccountmanagementrightsforasocial 

media property. Commonly called an admin.

• AUTHENTICITY

 • esensethatsomethingorsomeoneis“real.”Socialmediaenablespeople 

to publish content and engage in conversations that show their interests and

values while communicating in an authentic human voice. Airmen should

always be transparent and authentic while online.

• AVATARS

  • Graphicalimagesrepresentingpeoplewithinthesocialmediaarena.Youcan 

build a visual character with the body, clothes, behaviors, gender and name of

your choice. is may or may not be an authentic representation of you.

• BACK CHANNEL COMMUNICATION

 • Privateemailsorothermessagessentbythefacilitatororbetween

individuals during public conferencing. ey can have a signicant eect on

public conversations.

• BANDWIDTH

 • ecapacityofanelectronicline,suchasacommunicationsnetworkor

computer channel, to transmit bits per second (bps).

• BLOGS

 • Anabbreviationof“Weblog,”blogsarewebsiteswithdateditemsofcontent 

in reverse chronological order, self-published by an individual. Posts are

typically about a particular subject, are usually available as feeds and oen

allow commenting.

• BLOGOSPHERE

 • AtermusedtodescribethetotalityofblogsontheInternetandthe

conversations taking place within that sphere.

• BLOGROLL

 • Alistofsitesdisplayedinthesidebarofablog,showingwhotheblogger 

reads regularly.

• BOOKMARKING

 • Savingtheaddressofawebsiteoritemofcontent,eitherinyourbrowser,or 

on a social bookmarking site like Del.icio.us. If you add tags, others can easily

nd your research too, and the social bookmarking site becomes an enormous

public library.

• BROWSER

 • Atoolusedtoviewwebsitesandaccessallthecontentavailableonscreenorby

downloading. Microso Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Silk and Chrome are a few of

the many Internet browsers available.

• CATEGORIES

 • Pre-speciedwaystoorganizecontent(e.g.,asetofkeywordsthatyoucanuse

but not add to when posting on a site).

• COLLABORATION

 • Socialmediatoolsfromemailliststovirtualworldsoerenormousscopefor 

collaboration. Low-risk activities like commenting, social bookmarking,

chatting and blogging help develop the trust necessary for collaboration.

• COMMENT POLICY

 • Guidelinesforfollowers’behavioronsocialmediaplatforms.Createdbythe 

property’s owner.

• COMMENTS

 • Feedbacklebyreadersunderposts.Socialmediasitesmayprovideafeedfor

comments as well as for main entries.

• COMMUNITY BUILDING

 • eprocessofrecruitingpotentialcommunityornetworkparticipants,

helping them to nd shared interests and goals, use the technology and

develop useful conversations.

• CONTENT

 • Text,pictures,videoandanyothermeaningfulmaterialthatisontheInternet.

• CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

 • SowaresuitesoeringtheabilitytocreatestaticWebpages,documentstores,

blogs, wikis and other tools.

• CONVERSATION

 • Blogging,commenting,postingorcontributingtoforumsisthecurrencyof 

social networking, which puts the “social” in this form of media.

• COPYRIGHT

 • Asetofexclusiverightsgiventothecreatorofapieceofwork.eserights 

oen include copying, distributing, altering and displaying the work.

• CROWDSOURCING

 •Crowdsourcingreferstoharnessingtheskillsandenthusiasmofthoseoutside 

an organization who are prepared to volunteer their time contributing content

and solving problems.

• DEMOCRACY

 • Asystemofgovernmentcontrolledbythewholepopulationorbyamajority 

of the population. Social networking and media are potentially attractive to

those who want to revive representative democracy, and those who

promote participative approaches or both. Social media oers politicians and

their constituents another communication channel. It also oers a wide

range of methods for people to discuss, deliberate and take action.

• EMAIL ALERTS

 • Noticationssetuptobesenttoauser’semailinboxaboutactivityonasocial 

network or new items in a search result.

• EMAIL LISTS

 • Importantnetworkingtoolsoeringtheabilityto“starburst”amessagefroma

central postbox to any number of subscribers and for them to respond.

• EMBEDDING

 • eactofinsertingalink,videoorphotostoawebsiteoremail.

• EXTERNAL LINK DISCLAIMER

 • AdisclaimerstatesthatneithertheAirForcenortheunitendorsesthe 

product(s) or organizational entity at the hyperlink destination. e

disclaimer must also state that the Air Force does not exercise any

responsibility or oversight of the content at destination. Required by

AFI 35-107, Public Web Communications.

• FACE-TO-FACE

 • Usedtodescribepeoplemeetingoine.

• FACILITATOR

 • Someonewhohelpspeopleinanonlinegrouporforummanagetheir

conversations.

• FEEDS

 • emeansbywhichyoucanread,vieworlistentoitemsfromblogsandother

RSS-enabled sites without visiting the site by subscribing and using

an aggregator or newsreader.

• FLASH

 • Animationsowareusedtodevelopinteractivegraphicsforwebsitesaswellas

desktop presentations and games.

• FORUMS

 • Discussionareasonwebsites,wherepeoplecanpostmessagesorcommenton 

existing messages asynchronously—that is, independently of time or place.

• GEOTAGGING

 • Providinggeographicallocationinformationtophotos,videosandotherles.

Information appears as a le’s metadata. People may also geotag their

whereabouts.

• GROUPS

 • Collectionsofindividualswithsomesenseofunitythroughtheir

activities, interests or values. ey dier from networks, which are dispersed,

and dened by nodes and connections.

• HASHTAG

 • Wordsorphrasesprexedwitha#symbol.UsedinTwittertotracksimilar 

tweets and conversations.

• HYPERLINK

 • Text,imagesorgraphicsthatwhenclickedwithamouse(oractivatedby 

keystrokes) will connect the user to a new website. e link is usually obvious,

such as underlined text or a “button” of some type.

• KEYWORDS

 • Capturestheessenceofthetopicofadocument,videoorphoto.Provideseasy

retrieval of a piece of content from a search engine.

• LOGOTYPE

 • Textinaparticulartypefacecreatinganidentiablemark.

• LURKERS

 • Peoplewhoreadbutdon’tcontributeoraddcommentstoforums.eone 

percent rule-of-thumb suggests that one percent of people contribute new

content to an online community, another nine percent comment, and the

rest lurk.

• MASHUPS

 • Mixesoftechnology,audio,videoandmaps.Involvescombiningseveraltools

to create a new Web service.

• METRICS

 • Rawnumbersorstatisticsthattrackacommunicationcampaign’seectiveness.

• METADATA

 • Datathatprovidesinformationaboutoneormoreaspectsofcontent.

• MICROBLOG

 • Socialmediasite,suchasTwitter,thatallowsuserstosharesmallelements

of information such as short sentences, individual images, video and

website links.

• MOBILE APPLICATION OR APP

 • Programdesignedtorunonamobiledevice,likeasmartphone.Designedto 

quickly access information, games, tools and other helpful programs.

• MOBILE WEBSITE

 • Awebsiteversiondesigned&formattedspecicallyforusebymobiledevices.

• MODERATING

 • Actofpatrollingasocialmediaproperty.Involvesinteractingwithfollowers 

and ensuring appropriate use of the property by followers.

• NETWORKS

 • Structuresdenedbynodesandtheconnectionsbetweenthem.Insocial 

networks, the nodes are people, and the connections are the relationships they

have. Networking is the process by which you develop and strengthen

those relationships.

• ONLINE COMMUNITIES

 •Onlinecommunitiesaregroupsofpeoplecommunicatingthroughthe

Internet, mainly through the use of online forums, or other social media sites

(e.g., Facebook).

• OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE

 • Sowareavailableunderalicensepermittinguserstostudy,changeand

improve the soware, and to redistribute it in modied or unmodied form. It

is oen developed in a public, collaborative manner.

• PEER-TO-PEER

 • Referstodirectinteractionbetweentwopeopleinanetwork.Inthat

network, each peer will be connected to other peers, opening the opportunity

for further sharing and learning.

• PERMALINK

 • eaddress(URL)ofanitemofcontent,forexampleablogpost,ratherthan 

the address of a Web page with lots of dierent items. You will oen nd it at

the end of a blog post.

• PHOTO SHARING

 • UploadingimagestoawebsitelikeFlickr,addingtagsandoeringpeoplethe 

opportunity to comment or even re-use your photos if you add an appropriate

• PODCAST

 • Audioorvideocontentthatcanbedownloadedautomaticallythrougha

  subscriptiontoawebsitesoyoucanvieworlistenoine.

• POST

 • Itemonaforumorsocialmediasite.

• PROFILES

 • Informationthatusersprovideaboutthemselveswhensigningupforasocial 

networking site as well as a picture and basic information. is may include

personal and business interests, a “blurb” and tags to help people search for

like-minded people.

• PROPERTY

 • epropertermforasocialmediapresence,platformor“site.”eseareyour

social media accounts. (e.g., www.facebook.com/usairforce is the ocial

Facebook property of the United States Air Force.)

• QUICK RESPONSE (QR) CODE

 • AtypeofbarcodethatcanbereadbymobilephonesbyusingaQRcode 

reading application. QR codes contain a URL and are used to direct users to

an online destination.

• RSS

 • ShortforReallySimpleSyndication.isallowssubscriberstoreceivecontent

from blogs, websites and other social media sites and have it delivered through

a feed.

• SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY

 • Usingsocialmedianetworkstocreateamovementofnet-uencersto

inuence conversation, actions or motives in support of one’s objective.

• SOCIAL MEDIA

 • Toolsandplatformspeopleusetopublish,converseandsharecontentonline.

• SOCIAL NETWORK AGGREGATION

 • GatheringcontentfromblogsandwebsitesthroughRSSfeeds.Typically 

displayed in an aggregator like Google Reader, Digg, Reddit and Yelp,

among others, or directly on your desktop using soware. Benecial for

breaking news and gathering content about specic topics or keywords.

• SOCIAL NETWORKING

 • Onlineplaceswhereuserscancreateproles,andthensocializewithothers 

using a range of social media tools including blogs, video, images, tags, lists of

friends, forums and messages.

• STREAMING MEDIA

 • Videooraudiothatisintendedtobelistenedtoonlinebutnotstored

permanently.

• TAGS

 • Keywordsaddedtoablogpost,photoorvideotohelpusersndpeople,