Disclaimer: The statements and opinions that I am presenting in this forum are strictly my own personal or professional views and my lessons learned. The content here does not necessarily represent or align with the views of others. Nor does it represent the views of Booz Allen Hamilton, my former employer.

Background: In February 2009, I had been an Associate at Booz Allen for only nine months working in strategic communications. I had worked on the change management team handling the firm-wide launch of hello.bah.com, an internal communications initiative. I felt very fortunate to get assigned to work as the Social Media subject matter expert on the start-up of the online Real Warriors Campaign. The campaign, itself, had begun during 2008 in the Department of Defense before there was any Web presence for Real Warriors. In the early weeks of my work on this campaign, I was a leading presenter in a brown bag entitled “Using Social Media to Reduce Stigma” for which I started a wiki and an accompanying online forum on hello.bah.com to share the ongoing development of this campaign with my fellow employees.

Purpose: This analysis appeared in the online forum and extended my original use of hello.bah.com with a wiki and a forum on the subject of the Real Warriors Campaign. Although in 2009 I was no longer assigned to work on the Real Warriors Campaign, I wanted to share lessons learned during the start-up of the campaign’s use of Social Media channels. For employees who find they are assigned to a US government client where the use of Social Media channels is part of the contract, my lessons learned from the start-up of the Real Warriors Campaign online can be informative.

Website: Before I joined the team working on Real Warriors Campaign, in 2008 the client in the Department of Defense had given approval for Booz Allen to set up a public-facing site in the civilian sector of the Internet instead of the more common practice of having a US government domain name that ends with dot mil. The client approved RealWarriors.net as the official campaign domain name. Unlike other military sites that Booz Allen operates for US government clients such as DCoE dcoe.health.mil, the dot net domain name gave the Real Warriors site a distinctively different kind of brand. One lesson learned is that if you are providing consulting services to a US government client that include creating and launching a new public-facing site, careful consideration should be given to branding benefits that can be derived by having a civilian–rather than military–domain name.

Branding: The name that one chooses for a public-facing campaign is very important for branding efforts and marketing. The name “Milky Way” is not uniquely distinctive, for example, and could be used to mean either a candy bar or a galaxy. Sometimes the effort to own a uniquely distinctive brand can lead to coining new words. One example is how NBC Universal recently chose the brand “SyFy” to replace the previous
brand “SciFi” on the cable network devoted to science fiction. The name “Real Warriors” was not a brand that is uniquely distinctive, nor was it owned by the Department of Defense. Online searches using those keywords produced results that are unrelated to the Booz Allen work on behalf of Defense Centers for Excellence in Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE).

Social Media Channels: DCoE, the client, approved the use of five particular Social Media channels for the Real Warriors Campaign, which specifically provide national and worldwide promotion online. The public-facing site was approved for having both a blog and an online message board. In addition, the client approved a Real Warriors Campaign presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

YouTube: One of the most powerful and compelling aspects of the Real Warriors Campaign are the video profiles produced by Dick Phillips. Actual military veterans appear on camera to speak candidly about how combat stress changed their lives. One US Army medic knew the warning signs of depression and PTSD, yet didn’t recognize them in herself.

I set up a Real Warriors Campaign presence on Google’s YouTube for sharing both profile videos and public service announcement videos, but both the profiles and the PSAs are also available on the campaign site realwarriors.net. If, as with Real Warriors Campaign, you provide consulting services for a military client, you should also consider using trooptube.tv an online video site designed to help military families connect and keep in touch while miles apart. The benefit of using your own site for sharing videos as compared to using YouTube or TroopTube is that you can maintain control over your brand and contain the visitor traffic on your site rather than sending traffic externally to someone else’s site. But, what you should aim for first is widespread exposure of your videos. Having videos available on YouTube can be a big plus for a new campaign because of the big built-in audience that presently uses YouTube.

Blog: During my time working on the Real Warriors Campaign, the intended public-facing blog was not launched on RealWarriors.net for a variety of logistical and technique reasons. I prepared a full plan with blogging policies for Real Warriors Campaign for my fellow Booz Allen employees to follow.

Message Board: The Real Warriors Campaign message board at realwarriors.net/forum was launched shortly after the website. My initial concern was that few public visitors would actually use this online forum because the Real Warriors Campaign was so new and relatively unknown. I have many years of managing content on blogs and online forums, and my experience has taught me that many months can pass before any visitor activity kicks in. I set up the Real Warriors online forum to have the same five-part organization of content as the website, itself. This meant setting up individual message boards for active duty, National Guard & Reserves, Veterans, families, and health professionals.

The main lesson learned regarding the use of a message board for Real Warriors is this: Better to bring in willing participants to post their candid commentaries on the message board rather than sitting back and waiting for visitor activity to begin on a new online forum. I found the most compelling content on the message board certainly to be the commentaries about suicidal ideation by a senior colonel and former chief of surgery at a combat support hospital who served multiple tours of duty in Iraq.

Having an online forum like Real Warriors provides a powerful means to serve the client because the posted commentaries have a unique flavor of truth and openness. Unlike official US government press releases or other official documents that frequently appear on military websites, a message board like Real Warriors has allows for relatively unfiltered communication to take place between commentators and the website visitors.

One lesson learned was that having an unmoderated message board can be unwise. My initial recommendation was that Real Warriors should start with a moderated message board from day one. That is what happened. I, along with other members of our team, read and then choose to provide a go or no-go to all inbound posts on the message board. The public never got to see the scores of posts from spammers offering access to prescription drugs and body enhancements because such posts were rejected by me and the team during the approval process. It may seem restrictive and represent the opposite of openness to moderate a message board in this way. Yet, if you are providing such services to a US government client, setting up an unmoderated message board or blog is an invitation to trouble. All one needs to do is looking around at the many unmoderated message board and blogs online today to see such things as hate speech, angry outbursts, and other unsavory messages that your client does not want to provide space for on their website.

Having a moderated message board does not provide complete assurance of avoiding potentially controversial content, however. And sometimes there may be events in the real world that could have some impact upon Booz Allen’s efforts to provide online services for US government clients. One such event happened in 2009, just as we were finalizing our efforts to launch the public-facing website for the Real Warriors Campaign. There was a shooting inside Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq. This shooting by a US Army soldier resulted in five service member fatalities and brought considerable attention to the subject of combat stress at the very time when the online portion of the Real Warriors Campaign was just a few days from starting. See the CBS News coverage. The launch date of the Real Warriors site was delayed. By intent, no mention of the Camp Liberty shootings appeared on the site after it launched.

Several of us on the team at Real Warriors Campaign held candid discussions after what happened at Camp Liberty about preparing ourselves and the campaign efforts for potential real-world incidents that might have some impact upon our efforts to serve the client, DCoE. One focus of our internal discussions was to ask this question: What should we expect as far as public commentary using external sites such as Facebook and Twitter? Moreover, we also asked ourselves what kinds of actions should we consider taking to manage the public’s use of the Real Warriors Campaign’s use of Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter: Because of the delay in launching the Real Warriors site following the Camp Liberty shootings, both the Twitter and Facebook accounts that I set up to support the Real Warriors Campaign actually were made available online days before the website realwarriors.net became available. But, we on the team were confident in our decision that the Social Media channels Twitter and Facebook would serve the primary function of promoting the existence of the then-new Real Warriors website and drive visitor traffic there.

One of the first matters of routine business in having a Twitter account is something that brought upon several lessons learned. Anyone who sets up a Twitter account by default enables others to choose to follow your tweets–the name of the posts on Twitter. You can also choose whom you want to follow. One essential trait of Twitter is a social outcome. When you choose to follow someone on Twitter, the accepted behavior is for them to reciprocate and choose to follow you.

I am happy to report that by working smart to choose to follow particular Twitter accounts which had large numbers of followers, I was able to boost the number of Twitter followers for the Real Warriors account to hit the one thousand mark within the first four months using Twitter. It is easier to have a Twitter account and just let the organic process work in which people choose to follow you on Twitter or not. But, that approach will not allow you to hit one thousand followers in your first four months using Twitter like I accomplished for the Real Warriors campaign.

This social transaction process on Twitter is very different from what happens when you set up a website. A website can be an entirely passive product on the Internet. Visitors can choose to visit your website or not. One of the essential drawbacks of setting up a website is that there are so many sites available online nowadays that yours can easily get lost in the crowd unless you spend considerable time and effort to promote the site. In contrast, Twitter accounts are specifically social in that you set up a Twitter account because you want to reach out to other people in a highly interactive way.

I wonder what is the point in setting up a Twitter account if you then do not work on your engagement of other Twitter users so that you generate a high number of Twitter followers? Also, what is the point if one does not interact with other Twitter users in the tweets, themselves? I believe that Twitter should not be used by people who only want to post mundane things like what their cat did that was so cute this morning. Nor should Twitter be used unless one is ready and willing to jump in and interact with other Twitter users. Others may disagree with me about that.

If you are an individual and you set up a Twitter account, you probably won’t concern yourself with who chooses to follow your tweets. But, if you set up a Twitter account for a US government client, should your thinking be different because you are representing someone other than yourself? If you set up a Twitter account for a military client, should you be concerned with managing who chooses to follow your military client’s presence on Twitter?

Spammers (those who send out unsolicited messages to make money from selling products or services) are able to thrive by using the Internet. Each new online tool is quickly accepted by spammers who are happy to have additional ways to have their messages seen by millions of Internet users. Spammers took to Twitter quite readily. Some spammers use Twitter to conceal their true identities while pushing out messages that attempt to sell products and services. Other spammers are open about their efforts to sell stuff and it is not difficult to find Twitter users whose purpose of being on Twitter is to sell sexually-oriented services or products. This is just one of the realities of today’s Social Media.

Should you concern yourself with sexually-oriented Twitter followers? If you have an individual Twitter account just for your own personal use, you really are totally free to decide that on your own. But, what if you set up a Twitter account for a government and/or military client? Should you allow sexually-oriented Twitter followers on your client’s Twitter account, or, should you use the built-in Twitter capability of blocking followers? These are not hypothetical issues. During the first few months after I set up a Twitter account for Real Warriors Campaign, it didn’t take long before there were Twitter followers of an obvious sexual nature. Some Twitter followers of Real Warriors Campaign in the initial months posted a profile picture with nudity. Other Twitter followers posted a profile picture with drug-related imagery such as a marijuana leaf. One of the Booz Allen employees was very angry with me when she saw these profile pictures on Twitter. I will never forget her raising her voice to me and saying, “Woody, get rid of the hookers!” I was unable to understand how anyone could tell whether a Twitter account is owned by a hooker based solely on their profile picture.

One argument today is that there is no negative impact upon either you or your client if Twitter followers have either a profile picture or a Twitter username that seems controversial. The Internet is wide open today for the most part. You will find that there are varying degrees of openness across the Internet and acceptance of controversial images or words. Unless one has signed up for a Twitter account, it is not possible to see who is following whom on Twitter.

It may be best to think of Twitter usage this way: If you do sign up on Twitter, you implicitly are accepting the rules of the road that some followers may come along that you would prefer not to have around. But, it is definitely true that there currently is no global consensus as to what is considered controversial online versus what is not. The standard–if there is one–as to what is controversial or undesirable may also be in continuous flux. I think that there may come a day when vetting your Twitter followers will be considered outmoded. Perhaps the desirability of vetting Twitter followers is one of those many things whose value exists primarily in the eye of the beholder?

Facebook: Unlike with Twitter, Facebook currently does not have the same fluidity of following, so to speak. After I set up a Facebook fan page for Real Warriors Campaign, I discovered that I could not see the profiles of the people who had chosen to become fans of Real Warriors. Facebook keeps upgrading their capabilities and I suspect that some day it may be possible for Facebook fan page administrators to have the kind of control over vetting followers that currently exists on Twitter. Facebook also enables opportunities for users to post content (text, pictures and video) that is not limited to 140 characters like Twitter is limited. There are also message boards and blogs that can be used without ever having to leave Facebook.

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Woody Goulart
Woody Goulart is a thought leader and innovative pro in both traditional and digital media public relations and strategic communications management.

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One working journalist disagreed in a well-written statement worth reading.

I take issue with the label of “useless” in referring to majoring in journalism, not just because I majored in journalism. Truth and beauty and what is “useless” are all things that are strictly in the eye of the beholder. A long time ago, one Star Trek episode from the original series wanted us to ask, “Is truth not truth for all?” Wise is the person who understands the correct answer to that question is “No!”

I feel that I was fortunate to have studied journalism in a polytechnic environment. That’s an unusual word that basically describes an institution of learning that offers students instruction and hands-on training in industry-specific and technical skills in an applied sciences format. So it is that I became biased in favor of a polytechnic institution. If you major in journalism specifically at a venue where you can learn industry-specific, technical skills in an applied sciences format, your major will NOT be “useless” when you graduate.

Why? The elusive truth is that your major is not as important as what you can do with it after you are no longer a university student. What you study is less important that whether you emerge from a university with new skills that allow you to use your mind effectively so that you behave in ways that will help you survive in the 21st century.

I believe very strongly that anyone who has learned how to use their mind effectively so they can behave in ways conducive to survival will NEVER conclude their journalism major is “useless” based on the current employment possibilities within various journalistic professions or the typical annual salaries that people earn. A university degree is no guarantee of happiness or success in personal or professional life. But if you attain a polytechnic education, your mind will be trained in an essential combination of technical and intellectual skills that can shape how you process life in your head.

Part of that skill of using your mind effectively so that you behave in ways conducive to survival is that you must learn how to be adaptable. Equally important is that you must learn genuinely how to welcome change all around you and embrace change in your professional life. This is true whether your major is journalism or something else. The trick is to learn technical abilities that you can then repurpose to new technology as it emerges. At the same time, your intellectual skills (such as how you seek information and how you process what you find) must be fluid so that how your mind works is never outmoded as society keeps changing.

I speak from experience: I graduated with an undergraduate degree in journalism before there were personal computers or cameras that don’t use film or voice recorders that don’t use tape or the Internet or blogging or Facebook or Google Drive. Somehow I survived decade after decade of tumultuous changes in technology and in the journalism profession. You can, too. The only thing that can make your journalism major “useless” is if you somehow do not learn how to use your mind effectively so that you can behave in ways conducive to your survival.

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Search jobs then look inside. Company salaries, reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted anonymously by employees and job seekers.

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This body of work online demonstrates how well Woody Goulart provides specific public relations, communications and marketing communications solutions using online technology and traditional methods to meet a wide variety of client needs. What he has done for others shows what he can do for you and for your organization:

Corporate Communications and Writing for Executives

These selected works written by Woody Goulart demonstrate his vision and skills in corporate communications and writing for executives. He also has specific management and writing skills in internal communications:

• Advocacy organization annual report — A fresh new, highly visual and conversational approach to communicating an advocacy organization’s accomplishments and relevance: excerpt (PDF, 2.8 MB).
• My best work as an executive speechwriter — Inauguration speech for advocacy organization President — Evocative and intensely personal appeals used to motivate the listeners to embrace an advocacy organization’s future: full text.

Editorial Management and Writing for Print Media

These print media products written, produced, and managed by Woody Goulart demonstrate his editorial management skills, writing skills for print media, and vision for best practices in print media communication for target audiences:

• Daily Convention Newspaper: Las Vegas, Nevada (PDF)
• Health Communications Booklet for advocacy organization; excerpt (PDF)
• Advocacy Journalism for United States Army (PDF)
• Prescription Drug Importation Opinion Editorial (Web page)
• Aging of America Opinion Editorial (Web page)
• Prescription Drug Benefit in Medicare Opinion Editorial (Web page)
• Early example of my published news writing (pdf)

Website Creation and Online Writing

These selected websites written and produced by Woody Goulart demonstrate his creativity, design skills, online writing skills, and vision for best online communication practices:

• Ned’s Job of the Week (2012) Complete update/facelift of website
• Your DEFCON 1: Defense Careers (2012) Complete update/facelift of website
• Your Very Next Step travel website (2012) Complete update/facelift of website
• Abundant Edibles in Seattle (2010) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• LaPlantz Studios in Santa Fe (2010) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• The Shops at Seascape Village at Monterey Bay (2010) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• Stevton Consulting of Maryland (2010) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• Eat Like Jeannie health guidance in Washington, DC (2010) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• Oregon Trail Mobile Estates in Nebraska (2010) Concept development and implementation
• Breckenridge, Colorado Ski Vacation Accommodations (2010) Concept development and implementation
• Stagnaro Strategic Marketing Blog in Silicon Valley (2010) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• Frank & Pam Network, San Luis Obispo, CA (2009) Memorial website for Frank Calabrese (1946-2009) — Web 2.0 concept develop and implementation plus video production for online distribution
• Palette Dome Cuisine in Washington, DC (2008) Web 2.0 concept development and implementation
• AARP Issues Blog, Washington, DC (no longer online) (2005) National blog editor and chief national blogger for advocacy organization: blog archive 1 (pdf); blog archive 2 (pdf); blog archive 3 (pdf)
• Washington, DC Blogging: AARP Message Center (no longer online) (2001) Strategic communications, message management online using Web 2.0 tactics
• Body By Dan, Personal Trainer, Washington, DC (1999) Original site concept and Web 2.0 upgrade, information architecture, digital photography, development and implementation
• Neon Fun Jungle: Rock and Roll Radio History Original research, writing, concept development and implementation (uninterrupted online presence since 1996)