This presentation is an updated overview of how NASA organizes and manages social media.

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Social Media at NASA
John Yembrick and Jason Townsend, Office of Communications

2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Social Media Foundation at NASA
According to the National Aeronautics and
Space Act (Pub. L. No. 111-314, 124 Stat. 3328
[Dec. 18, 2010]):
• Sec. 20112 (a) The Administration, in order to
carry out the purpose of this Act, shall—
– (3) provide for the widest practicable and
appropriate dissemination of information
concerning its activities and the results thereof
http://www.nasa.gov/connect

3. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Social Media by the Numbers
2 full-time social media managers
467 social 10 NASA Centers:
each with social media leaders
media 2 full-time leads at one
center
11 part-time leads at other
locations
accounts
and
100+ account
counting… managers
http://www.nasa.gov/connect

4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Social Media Universe
Professional Flagship accounts
accounts
Programs/Projects Centers
http://www.nasa.gov/connect

5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Evolution of the Social Media Universe
It all starts very
nebulously…
You dive in to
social media with
few constraints
You learn
through lots of
trial and error
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6. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Evolution of the Social Media Universe
Over time, the need
for order begins to
peak through…
You measure social
media use
You develop guiding
strategic plans
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7. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Why Bring Order to the Social Media Universe?
• Clarity of voice and message
• Protecting your brand
• Avoiding duplicative efforts
and use of resources
• Capture the creativity
• Synergy: sum of the whole is
greater than that of the parts
• What will you do in a crisis?
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8. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
How Do We Create Order?
• Give to get: provide an incentive in exchange for account
information, such as an official listing
i.e.: http://www.nasa.gov/connect
• Create a support or working group – most people doing
social media on their own want to do it better
• Become the expert and train the trainers to build
capacity
• Build allies and pool resources
• Use the authority you have
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9. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
An Orderly Social Media Solar System
• Much like the solar system -- Rock solid planets on
close orbits, with gaseous giant planets further out
• Determine the desired structure and processes
• Where will the center(s) of authority lie?
• Who can establish accounts and how?
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10. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Rules of our Social Media Universe
There is NO social media policy, rather:
social media is viewed as a medium where the message is what matters.
Instead, we apply existing rules, guidelines
and policies employees are already familiar with:
• NASA Policy on the Release of Information to News and Information Media
• NPD 2540.1, Personal Use of Government Office Equipment Including
Information Technology
• NPR 2810.1, Security of Information Technology: Chapter 11, Section 3.9,
Internet Publishing Content Requirements
• NPD 2810.1, NASA Information Security Policy
• NPR 1600.1, NASA Security Program Procedural Documents, Section 5.24
Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) Controlled Information
• NM 1382-42, NASA Principles and Policies on Scientific Openness
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11. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Rules of our Social Media Universe
That said, you must get an officially recognized account to:
• Use the NASA logo or name
• Represent yourself as official
• In some cases, get a verified account on the platform
• Get listed on the NASA.gov Connect page
• Be followed or liked by the flagship accounts
• Ensure that the NASA Social Media team won’t mistakenly get your
account shutdown for a terms of service violation as impersonating NASA
• Have advertising and other limits removed on accounts
To get an official account, contact your Center social media lead in the
Communications or Public Affairs Office.
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12. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Where does this leave NASA?
Harness the power of the flagship Create a ecosystem of niche, single-
agency accounts purpose accounts
• Carefully curate this and reach the largest • Curated by embedded account managers
number of social media followers specializing on a particular mission, topic, or
• Provide a well-rounded view of everything program
NASA has going on • Develop followings of users interested in a
• Shine light onto things that are unlikely to particular slice of the NASA pie
make news otherwise • Allow for experimentation and trying out new
ideas
We do big things from the top-down AND from the bottom-up.
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13. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
What all has this resulted in?
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14. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2008: @MarsPhoenix
• 2008, 5th most popular
Twitter account
~75,000 followers
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15. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2009: First Tweet from Space
• 3rd mst popular Twitter
account - ~75,000
followers
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16. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2009+: Integration into NASA.gov
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17. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2009+: Integration into Mobile Apps

18. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2010: First Live Tweet from Space
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19. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2010: First Foursquare Check-In from Space
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20. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2011: First Government Agency on Google+
Joined Google+ in Nov.
2011 as the 1st federal
agency
Currently we’re circled by
~450,000 users
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21. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2012: First Foursquare Check-In from Mars
Throughout the 23-
month exploration of
Mars, Curiosity will
continue to check in on
Foursquare so you can
follow along as it roves
the Red Planet
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22. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
So what happened?
@NASA on Twitter
• 2009 - ~1,000 followers
• Today - ~3.4 million followers
• 43 astronauts on Twitter
• @Astro_Mike has 1.2 million
followers
NASA Page on Facebook
• 2009 - ~150,000 likes
• Today - ~1.6 million likes
NASA Page on Google+
• 2009 – Didn’t exist!
• Today – We’re in ~325,000 circles
• Astronaut Ron Garan is in 2+ million
circles
NASA on Foursquare
• 2009 – Didn’t exist!
• Today - ~450,000 followers
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23. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
How did this happen?
• Provide GREAT content that will get people talking.
• Social media is a conversation – spend as much time
listening as you do speaking.
• If you start a conversation, participate in it;
don’t start it and walk away.
• Ask for and enable feedback – respond to mentions
on Twitter, comments on blogs, Facebook, etc.
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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24. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
We Keep it Simple: Use Existing Ways to Engage
• Webchats
• Ustream chats
• Tweetchats
• Google+ hangouts
• Comment forums
• Web Streams
• News Conferences
• Ask a scientist events
• Public Events/Outreach activities
• Tours and open houses
• Online contests and submissions
• Expert interviews on other media
and social media sites
• Hashtags
• Etc…
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25. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
We Take it Offline: NASA Socials
• NASA has had great
success with inviting our
social media fans to in-
person, behind-the-
scenes opportunities at
NASA centers and
facilities
• Events range from two
#NASASocial
hours to two days in
length
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http://www.nasa.gov/social

26. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
We Make Events Special and Memorable
Provide unique or exclusive:
Information
Speakers
Access
Setting
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27. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Successful Events Rock Logistics
 Short, interactive sessions  Your Online Audience
 Connected (WiFi)  Powered
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28. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
But Why? How does this help?
• Spreads the word as widely as possible by going directly
to members of the public to tell your own story
• As news organizations cut staff and trim coverage, we get
more news coverage…
…in more places, especially smaller, local outlets
• The diversity of participants helps connect us to non-
traditional audiences to further share our message
• We get impactful in-person AND virtual participation
leading to significant levels of worldwide…
ENGAGEMENT
http://www.nasa.gov/social

29. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
But Why? It Moves Followers From…
ADVOCATES,
Fans,
AMBASSADORS,
Followers,
CREATORS,
Consumers
COLLABORATORS
http://www.nasa.gov/social

30. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Where we are going with social…
• Adding more opportunities for online engagement activities
• Evaluating new platforms and tools to engage new audiences on
• Creating more of an internal social media community – including a
listserv and an agency-wide social media resource site
• Integrating social media with traditional media activities
• Measuring our effectiveness through analytics of events and
campaigns
• Conducting more social media campaigns
• Continuing to improve the quality of social media messaging from
all levels of NASA
• Engaging new audiences in new ways
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31. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Challenges for NASA and Social Media
Measurement Resources
• More than just followers – • Effective use and engagement
reach, influential followers, is not cost-free
retweets • Duplication of effort (right-
• With so much noise, what hand/left-hand)
works?
Control
Time • Easy to share information
• One more platform to ahead of release
repurpose info on • Makes spokespeople out of
• Social media is 24/7, but work is those who aren’t
a 9-5 world • Overlapping accounts
• Inaccuracy spreads fast, hard to
correct
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32. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
“You may not have a spaceship, but your
company has a fan base. They won't think of
themselves as fans until they're in a room with
like-minded people. They won't think of
themselves as members of a community until
YOU bring them together.”
- David Rosen, @davidhrosen
(group VP, Makovsky + Company)
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33. Follow the social media team at @NASASocial for the
latest opportunities to connect and collaborate with NASA
Your Title Here 33
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