Social Media for Local Government (Canada)Listen, Engage and Inform June 9th , 2010

Agenda

• Introduction.• Present Landscape - Canada• Social Media and Canadians• Social Media• Have a Strategy - P.O.S.T.• Listen, Engage, React, Persuade, Measure• Social Media and Local Government• Open Discussion• Conclusion.• Q&A.

Canadians and the Internet

In 2009, Ipsos Reid recorded itshighest level ever for Internet penetration

at home in Canada.

Over eight in ten Canadians (82%) now have Internet access at home.

Ref. Ipsos Reid

Canadians and the Internet

Canadians and the Internet

Canadians and the Internet

For the First Time, Weekly Hours Spent Online (18.1 hours) is Higher Than the Number of Hours Spent Watching Television (16.9 hours)

Monday, March 22, 2010 Ipsos Reid

A Majority (68%) Of Internet Citizens Spend More Time during the Week on the Internet than Watching Television

Monday, June 07, 2010 Ipsos Reid

Social Media and Canadians

70% of Canadians say they use social media.

Canadians have long been known as one of the world's busiest users of social networking websites.

• LinkedIn has 2 million plus Canadian members.• 70% of people surveyed currently having a Facebook account. 16

Million Canadians on Facebook.• 47% of Canadians use Twitter.• YouTube & Flickr are the most popular social media sites with 38% &

29% (respectively) of people surveyed using the sites.• 58% of Canadians blog.• 61% of businesses said they track what people are saying about their

brand online.

Canadian Social Media DemographicsRef. Forrester

What is social media? Definition.

Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives.

Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video.

Ref. Wikipedia

Social Media is used for:From a business/organization perspective

Public Relations. Customer Service and Support. Loyalty-Building. Collaboration and Feedback. Networking. Thought-Leadership. Customer Acquisition.

Social Media Tools: What are the benefits? Blogging – free, able to customize, great for centralized thought leadership, no

competition, can syndicate. Examples: Wordpress, Blogger. Social Networks - are online communities where people meet, socialize, exchange

digital files, etc. Examples: LinkedIn, Facebook. Micro Blogging – link building, create following, interactive, found on most social

networks, quick updates. Examples: Twitter. Video/Audio Podcasting Casting – your commercial, creates credibility, easiest on

user, great viral potential. Examples: YouTube, BlogTalkRadio. Wikis – like a forum except significantly more diverse, great for creating an interactive

and focused network. Examples: Wikipedia. RSS Feed –good for syndication of content. Examples: Netvibes, Google Reader Bookmarking – link building; reach wider audiences, syndicating, not good for SEO,

developing a wider following. Examples: Delicious. Ezines/News articles – great for search engine and link building, syndication, external

RSS. Forums – simplified version of blogging, encourages simple and more frequent

audience participation. E-Newsletters – an enabler: brings people to your social media, reinforces the brand,

and builds potential loyalty. Examples: Constant Contact, MailChimp. Open Networks – encourages a loyal following to grow, becomes self perpetuating. Closed Networks – exclusivity, privacy, confidentiality, encourages exchange of

thinking, targets audience.

Social Media Big Picture

Social Media Strategy

A Four Step Strategy ProcessP.O.S.T.

People Customer/Constituent Profile, Target Audience. Assess your customer social activity.

Objective Decide what you want to accomplish. Listening, talking, marketing, generating sales.

Strategy Plan for how relationships with customers will change. Do you want your customers to be more engaged? Blog Centric.

Technology Decide which technologies to use. Once you know your people, objectives, and strategy, then

you can decide with confidence which technology to use.

Ref. Groundswell

The Phases of Social Media:

Listen.Engage.Respond.Persuade.Measure.

Phases of Social Media

The Phases of Social Media:

Listen. Use social media for research and to better

understand your customers and competition. Why Listen? People are talking and they are using the

social web - blogs, social networks, wikis, forums, and video - as their mouthpiece.

What are we listening for? o Customers/Constiuents and Prospects. Need!o Our Brand. Compliments/Complaints.o Competitors. Strategies and Customer Views.o Our Company/Organization name or personal name.o Key Industry Terms and Experts.

How to Listen?

The Phases of Social Media:

Engage. Using social media to spread messages about your

company or organization. Build a following with customers/constituents. Cultivate relationships.

o Blogso LinkedIno Facebooko Twitter

Final PhasesRespond, Persuade, Measure. Respond

Respond to both negative and positive discussion. Energize word of mouth.

Positive discussions should be used as testimonials and pushed across your network.

Negative mentions, have a plan on how to address. Take offline. Remember your network will support.

Persuade Influence customers/constituents by providing value

and engaging them with your products/services/message.

Building relationships with customers by gaining their insight in product or service development to win over.

Measure -Track and Monitor.

Social Media for Local Government

Social Media provides new and promising ways for governments to communicate the value they provide their constituents.

It offers cities/towns a way to create additional value by providing more targeted, useful, information and opportunities for additional discussion.

Ref. Fels Social Media for Local Government

Why Local Governments adopt Social Media

• Inexpensive channel for PR.• Direct line of communication with constituents.

Instantly.• Increase Accountability.• Promote Transparency• Encourage Participation. Crowd Sourcing.• Reach younger audiences.• Extend reach to people who might not get their

news from more traditional sources. • Budget cuts recently for traditional methods of

marketing and advertising.

Why Local Government has not adopted social media

• Scepticism about its usefulness.• Hassle of management.• Legal concerns.• Workload – creating content takes time.• Security and productivity concerns.• Potential for political embarrassment .• Will your efforts degenerate into negative

complaints and criticisms or will they encourage positive citizen engagement?

What are Local Government using social media for:

• Reach new younger audiences with events and contests – Facebook.

• Announcing community events – Twitter.• Live coverage of Council meetings – Twitter.• Share current issues, news and hot topics – Blogs.• Public forum to facilitate discussions, feedback –

Twitter and Facebook.• Recruitment - LinkedIn• Updates on public projects – Twitter.• Broadcast events and ceremonies - You Tube

How to use Social Media for Local Government

• Keep it Social.• Post regularly.• Be open, honest, transparent.• Know the tools. Don’t overwhelm.• Find creative ways to communicate and

interact with your audience.• The best approach, posting relevant

content, facilitating conversation in a productive manner and being proactive in addressing conflict situations.

Steps to Implementing Social Media

• Create Strategy – P.O.S.T.• Create Policy. Guidelines.• Consult legal council• Interdepartmental Workgroups to meet

around issues and strategies.• Implement. Consider a pilot as proof of

concept.• Monitor, Monitor, Monitor.• Continually build on successful strategies.

Promoting Social media to the community

• Integrate your social media presence with existing outlets. Websites, print publications.

• Press Coverage.• Main Website - local governments should publish a

centralized list of channels available to residents and visitors: audio, video, RSS, Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

• Cross Promotion.• Existing newsletters and (e)mailings distribution of

electronic newsletters, saving paper and increasing audience.

• Be innovative and creative:- Advertise Twitter account on signage for major capital works projects. Residents whose communities, for example, are affected by major road reconstruction can get regular updates on each projects progress.

Open Discussion

• Social Media Strategy (POST):– People

o What is your ideal constituent profile?o Who are we targeting with our message?

– Objectiveso What are your goals? To inform and educate?

– Strategyo How do you want the relationship with your

constituents to change?o Do you want them to become or enaged with your

organization?– Technology

o What tools should you use?

Conclusion• Have a Strategy – People, Objective, Strategy, and

Technology.• Phases: Listen, Engage, Respond, Persuade, Measure.• Do your homework: Start listening, read Groundswell.• Social Media is fun, So have fun!

Q & A

Richard Bolton

www.centricity360.comcentricity360.wordpress.com

twitter.com/rbolton