August Social Media Star: Ryan Johnson

Say goodbye to the days of wondering what your local government is up to and hello to a more social and Internet-savvy group of officials.

Ryan Johnson, the public information assistant to the mayor of North Charleston, Keith Summey, is using social media to not only provide information to residents, but to also quickly and easily receive and respond to questions or input from the citizens of North Charleston. Johnson credits social media with helping him to provide a more open and accessible government.

The City of North Charleston is a rare municipality that is truly up to date with social media, currently offering residents information through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, BlogSpot, Flickr and of course, their own website.

Here’s what Ryan had to say about social media:

What was the first social media technology you used?

My first experience with social media was with Facebook when it was exclusive to college students. I was completely unaware of the professional scope in which I would later be using social media. As many still believe, I thought it was an incredibly convenient path to information overloading on your pals’ lives.

What is your favorite social media tool?

If you take a peek at my internet browser (Chrome), you’ll always find Hootsuite in one of the tabs. The Hootsuite social media dashboard aggregates your various social media accounts into a single destination, no clicking or browsing necessary. The features I most utilize include the keyword filter (keywords of choice: North Charleston, N. Charleston, #nchs), allowing for brand monitoring, scheduled posts, integrated Twitter lists and, of course, the link shortener.

How have you used social media for your job and how has it benefited?

Social media has opened up a new realm of public information for the City of North Charleston, allowing instant access with no boundaries to anyone with an internet connection. The once standard forms of communication were pushing information out. Through social media, we are able to turn a former one-way street into a two-way street, providing information, yet receiving input from the citizens of North Charleston. Social media has provided a more open and accessible government.

The City’s Social Media efforts culminated with the launch of our redesigned website (http://www.northcharleston.org).  Most of our information placed on the web is pulled back to a central location, turning the City’s website into a destination instead of an occasional reference source.

How much time would you say you spend a day engaging social media?

Time spent varies from day to day, but typically I am engaged 30 minutes to an hour. However, I’ll monitor various feeds throughout the day for news, events and other information pertaining to North Charleston. If you call me on my office phone, I will probably be hitting CTRL+R with my other hand.

How do you incorporate it into your day so it’s not a time waster?

Multitasking, keyword searches, lists and aggregators cannot be underestimated as time savers. Centralizing incoming and outgoing information is a necessity for me. I also schedule posts throughout the day so as not to inundate users or followers, inputting most information at once. While on the go, utilizing your smart phone is a great way to maximize your time.

Social media can bring your productivity to quick halt. You must learn to manage your time and filter your information.

Is there a social media tool/technique that you think is underutilized that you would like people to know about?

I feel that companies, entities and individuals place their website and their social media accounts in two separate realms. Websites remain static while updating social media accounts frequently. North Charleston has woven its social media into the City’s website and homepage. Our goal is to make NorthCharleston.org a launching pad and destination for all North Charleston information. Integrating all of your online efforts has powerful potentials.

Where can people find you online and via social media?

http://www.northcharleston.org

http://twitter.com/northcharleston

http://cityofnorthcharleston.blogspot.com

http://www.youtube.com/northcharlestonsc

http://www.facebook.com/northcharleston

http://www.flickr.com/northcharleston

http://www.ustream.tv/northcharleston