Aligning the Nuclear Energy Industry on Social Media

I have the privilege of speaking about NEI's alignment activities on social media at the 2014 U.S. Women in Nuclear Conference this Tuesday. I'll be joined on the Social Media in Action panel by Curtis Roberts of AREVA, Suzy Hobbs Baker of PopAtomic Studios and Paul Harwood of Twitter, with Susan Downs of PPL Susquehanna serving as moderator.

We are just a handful of the communicators in the nuclear energy industry who recognize the necessity and value of engaging with stakeholders through social media. The web has evolved into a social space where platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube allow multidirectional, unfettered conversations to occur across physical boundaries and social constructs. As a result, the marketplace of ideas has never been easier to access.

Nuc-le-ar nuc-le-ar nuc-le-arrrr! (Rufio chant in prep for #USWIN2014) @WomenInNuclear @popatomicstudio @paulgharwood @sadowns369 @AREVAus
— Tara Young (@taryou) July 26, 2014

With increased access, of course, comes increased volume. The noise on social is at full blast, with endless opinions and updates being lobbed at us from every corner. Smartphones are within reach at all times as new channels for sharing words, photos and videos pop up each day. Despite the overwhelming growth and clutter, social remains a space where real discussions happen, where minds and hearts are won, where everyday folks are moved to the point of action. It is a space where we must be active in order to reach our stakeholders and inform and persuade them on the benefits of nuclear.

That is why NEI is working to align member companies on social. The industry's stakeholders—proponents and opponents alike—are active online and we must meet them there, but we must do it in a smart way. The goal is to instill a "ducks fly together" mentality so that our messages have greater impact and cut through the noise. Another goal is to get hesitant communicators on board with social and to embrace the noise rather than fear it. Here are examples of the strategies and tactics we are using:

NEI's Social Media Digest: An email is distributed every Monday to social practitioners filled with content and best practices for Twitter and Facebook. The digest includes an overview of upcoming industry events and the latest news in digital media.
Training NEI employees on Twitter: Internal experts like Ted Jones serve as advocates on Twitter, giving credible input to online debates around top issues.

Lipman: with pro-nuclear US trade policies, US nuclear suppliers can compete on global tenders and win.
— Ted Jones (@TJinDC) July 10, 2014

Storytelling: We want nuclear communicators to persuade with less logos and more pathos. This means showcasing more of the human side of the nuclear industry.
Hashjacking: We let communicators know which tags are popular and when to use them in order to join the conversation stream, such as on Earth Day and during live chats like the White House Climate Chat.
Newsjacking: This involves capitalizing on the popularity of a news story to amplify our messaging. We alert members to upcoming events and news items, and prompt them to place messaging on social before interest peaks. NEI has successfully done this ahead of the release of Pandora's Promise and the premiere of Years of Living Dangerously.

Source: David Meerman Scott

Follow along with the social panel and entire WIN conference using the tag #USWIN2014. Find my tweets at @taryou, and introduce yourself if you will be in the crowd.

See you online!

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