ineffective strategies for engaging the public via the web

Engaging via the webEngaging via the web

Presented by Craig ThomlerPresented by Craig Thomler

June 2011June 2011

Ineffective strategies Ineffective strategies for engaging the for engaging the public via the webpublic via the web


Who am I?Who am I?


Why we Why we shouldn'tshouldn't engage via the webengage via the web


Source: http://about.sensis.com.au/small-business/sensis-ebusiness-report/

Most Australians use the internetMost Australians use the internet


Majority of Australians use social mediaMajority of Australians use social media

Source: http://about.sensis.com.au/small-business/sensis-ebusiness-report/


Nielsen Online says Australians spent 6 hours and Nielsen Online says Australians spent 6 hours and 25 minutes using social media sites in February 25 minutes using social media sites in February 2010, 2 minutes less than Italians and more than the 2010, 2 minutes less than Italians and more than the British, Americans, Spanish, Germans or Japanese.British, Americans, Spanish, Germans or Japanese.

Melanie Ingrey, Research Director for Nielsen’s Melanie Ingrey, Research Director for Nielsen’s online business:online business:“Incredibly, nearly nine in 10 (86%) of Australian’s “Incredibly, nearly nine in 10 (86%) of Australian’s online are looking to their fellow Internet users for online are looking to their fellow Internet users for opinions and information about products, services opinions and information about products, services and brands”and brands”

Sources: http://mashable.com/2010/03/19/global-social-media-usage/ http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/global/australia-getting-more-social-online-as-facebook-leads-and-twitter-grows/

Australians very prolific social media usersAustralians very prolific social media users


Governments don't support online Governments don't support online engagementengagement

AGIMO Best practice Checklist:AGIMO Best practice Checklist:

12. Online Policy Consultation12. Online Policy Consultation

An objective of the Australian Government's e-government policy is to An objective of the Australian Government's e-government policy is to enhance closer citizen engagement. enhance closer citizen engagement.

Through the use of new technologies, agencies are engaging more Through the use of new technologies, agencies are engaging more widely with the public through online policy information, feedback and widely with the public through online policy information, feedback and consultation. consultation.

Online consultation provides opportunities to enhance and Online consultation provides opportunities to enhance and compliment traditional consultation mechanisms and generate compliment traditional consultation mechanisms and generate better policy outcomes.better policy outcomes.


Governments don't support online Governments don't support online engagementengagement

APSC Circular 2009/6: Protocols for online media APSC Circular 2009/6: Protocols for online media participationparticipation

Web 2.0 provides public servants with unprecedented opportunities to Web 2.0 provides public servants with unprecedented opportunities to open up government decision making and implementation to open up government decision making and implementation to contributions from the community.contributions from the community. In a professional and respectful In a professional and respectful manner, APS employees should engage in robust policy manner, APS employees should engage in robust policy conversationsconversations..

Equally, as citizens, APS employees should also embrace the Equally, as citizens, APS employees should also embrace the opportunity to add to the mix of opinions contributing to sound, opportunity to add to the mix of opinions contributing to sound, sustainable policies and service delivery approachessustainable policies and service delivery approaches. . Employees Employees should also consider carefully whether they should identify themselves should also consider carefully whether they should identify themselves as either an APS employee or an employee of their agency.as either an APS employee or an employee of their agency.


How to engage ineffectively onlineHow to engage ineffectively online

- Don't provide any information online- Don't provide any information online

- Create an information-only website - Create an information-only website (no interaction or contact us form at most)(no interaction or contact us form at most)

- Provide inaccessible and hard to use - Provide inaccessible and hard to use engagement mechanisms (lots of barriers!)engagement mechanisms (lots of barriers!)

- Pre-qualify contributors by paper- Pre-qualify contributors by paper



- - Ignore social media channels & other online Ignore social media channels & other online places your audience gathersplaces your audience gathers

- Treat unthreaded comments as engagement- Treat unthreaded comments as engagement

- Keep the moderation rules secret (no context)- Keep the moderation rules secret (no context)

- Apply extremely restrictive moderation rules- Apply extremely restrictive moderation rules

- Moderate everything really slowly - Moderate everything really slowly (once-per week at most)(once-per week at most)



- Don't promote your engagement- Don't promote your engagement

- Only invest in display advertising online- Only invest in display advertising online

- Avoid responding to anyone- Avoid responding to anyone

- Respond bureaucratically or dismissively- Respond bureaucratically or dismissively

- Keep the engagement process a secret- Keep the engagement process a secret


Worst practice examples Worst practice examples of ineffective onlineof ineffective online

engagementengagement


Over 270 Australian government TwitsOver 270 Australian government Twits

Source: http://www.twitter100.com


Discussion & QuestionsDiscussion & Questions

(Don’t be shy!)(Don’t be shy!)


Presented by Craig ThomlerPresented by Craig Thomler

June 2011June 2011

Ineffective strategies Ineffective strategies for engaging the for engaging the public via the webpublic via the web

ineffective strategies for engaging the public via the web

Education

online consultation

online places

online policy information

online policy consultation

online media participation

nielsens online business

social media source

mediausage http