The scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.

Go to http://www.wichita.edu/newsline to get the current Wichita State University Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or cell (316) 204-8266 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs. If you have additional questions for Dotty Harpool after listening to the WSU Newsline, please contact her at (316) 978-6018 or dorothy.harpool@wichita.edu.

Background:
The use of social media continues to grow by leaps and bounds, but not all businesses are sure what to do with it. Wichita State consumer behavior and marketing expert Dotty Harpool says businesses can’t afford to ignore social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Voice wrap:
Announcer: The list of social networking sites continues to expand. From Facebook to Twitter, LinkedIn and a multitude of blogs, businesses are trying to figure out how to use social media to their advantage. Wichita State University consumer behavior and marketing expert Dotty Harpool says ignoring social media is not an option.

Harpool: “I think in 2011 and going into 2012, no you can’t avoid social media. It’s there. It’s the way a lot of people are communicating, and people need to really get in there and see what it’s all about.”

Announcer: Companies are discovering that having a Facebook page and monitoring Facebook is a great way to gain information, and it’s a great way to see what people want. At the very least, Harpool says, a company should monitor what’s being said about them in social media. This is Joe Kleinsasser at Wichita State University.

Sound bite #1
Harpool says that companies should monitor what’s being said about them in the social media. The sound bite is 16 seconds and the outcue is “for you to get.”

Harpool: “At least a company should be monitoring what’s being said about them in social media to look at what people are talking about on Facebook, because if you don’t, you’re going to miss a lot of really critical marketing research information that’s free for you to get.”

Sound bite #2
Harpool says people of all ages are on Facebook. The sound bite is 23 seconds and the outcue is “in social media.”

Harpool: “There is a misperception that Facebook people are all under the age of 21, and that’s just not true. There are a lot of baby boomers that are in to Facebook. Some seniors are into Facebook, so for a company that doesn’t target youth, you still have to be aware of what’s going on in social media.”

Sound bite #3
Harpool says companies are finding that having a Facebook page is a great way to gain information. The sound bite is 30 seconds and the outcue is “marketing strategies also.”

Harpool: “Well, companies are discovering that having a Facebook page and monitoring Facebook is a great way to gain information. It’s a great way to see what people want, what people are looking for in products such as yours. Also with Twitter, Twitter’s a great way to kind of announce events or to throw out ideas to get people to respond, and that can help you in marketing strategies also.”

Sound bite #4
Harpool says companies need to get on the social media bandwagon. The sound bite is 20 seconds and the outcue is “go for information.”

Harpool: “In the future, since a lot of people under the age of 21 have grown up with this way of communication, companies are going to have to get on the bandwagon pretty quick, because their future target markets are comfortable with communicating via social media, and that’s where they’re going to go for information.”

Sound bite #5
Harpool says many companies are trying to determine how to strategically use social media. The sound bite is 24 seconds and the outcue is “strategic level now.”

Harpool: “I think a lot of companies are starting to learn the tools needed to communicate via social media. Now it’s just a matter of trying to figure out where it fits in a marketing plan and how can you use it strategically. How can you develop employees to help this process and to monitor social media? It’s all starting to be more at the strategic level now.”