Look professional & engage with your community online

James WhiteInTouch with Communities

About InTouch with Communities

• Providing councils with– Professional & personalised websites– Tools for community engagement– E-Newsletters– E-Forms– E-Forums– E-Polls– E-Alerts– Help with website updates– System training– Website hosting– Friendly & knowledgeable support

• All done simply, cost effectively and with a smile!

Common things we hear! We have answers to these

• I already have a website• I don’t have time to update it• My local community is too old for the internet• We don’t have any money in the budget• I’m not very good with computers• No one wants to look at our website• No one is interested in our communications• Our website looks old and out of date• We have a local councillor doing something themselves

“Local Councils are vital to re-invigorating local democracy. The Quality Parish  and Town Council Scheme has played an important role in improving the

quality of management and administration of parish and town councils. The Government welcomes the revision of the Scheme and encourages local

councils to consider  seeking accreditation”

Hazel Blears - 2008

In order to achieve Quality Status, parish and town councils must demonstrate that they have reached the standard required by passing several tests. These are:

•Electoral Mandate, Qualifications of the clerk, Council meetings

•Communication and Community Engagement •Annual Report, Accounts ,Code of Conduct

•Promoting local democracy and citizenship ,Terms and conditions , Training

The Importance of Communication

“Communications and Community Engagement test (Mandatory): Councils will be required to have a website which provides a list of council members and

officers, details of how they can be contacted and which also provides access to the annual report.

Councils will also be required to have an email address that is publicly available.

Councils now have the option of either producing their own newsletter or contributing to a community newsletter. The information that is required to be included in the

newsletter has not changed nor has the requirement that the newsletter is made readily available at public sites.

Communications and Community Engagement test (Discretionary) - Two new options have been added;

A Community Engagement strategy has been formulated; and Councils provide a regular weblog on their website about council activity or encourage

the community to talk to them through an online forum or through surveys on the website

Engagement = Strong use of Technology

How can technology make a difference?

• Raise the quality of life through engagement• Engage with communities to stimulate discussion• Provide simple ways to communicate• Provide cost effective ways to communicate• Enable the sharing of ideas and thoughts• Reach out to different types of users within your community• Ask questions and seek answers!

Communication throughout the generations

Each important

Each have a role

Trend is clear

however

16-40

Electronic

Generation

40-75

Offline but

moving to

online

Can you afford to not engage

large proportions of your local

community?

Different technologies – Some popular ones

Second Life

A Virtual World

15 Million Registered Users

Facebook

Social networking

200 Million Registered Users

Twitter

Social networking and

microblogging

Approx 12 Million Users

YouTube

Publicise Videos online/

create TV channels

350Million unique visitors

Flickr

Photo sharing

Nearly 4 billion images stored

Skype

Voice over the internet

450 million users worldwide

Did you know?

• The elderly are the fastest growing population group• Many elderly live alone and mobility can sometimes be difficult. The internet (and e-

engagement) makes communication far easier. • One quarter of all UK internet users are over 50, and over-50's account for 30% of the

total UK time spent online. • Approximately 16% of over 65's use the web, and these spend an average of 42

hours online every month, 50% longer than the UK average.• The most popular internet activity among older people is ‘communication’ (using

email, instant messaging and chat rooms for example); 63% of over-65s say they communicate online, compared to 76% of all adults.

• The elderly are just as likely to engage in internet transactions (42%), news (22%) and contributing comments to someone else’s weblog (21%) as any other population group in the UK.

Source - Ofcom Report - The Communications Market 2007/2008

Growing use of the Internet in the over 50’s

Can you afford to not

engage

large proportions of

your local community?

• High speed broadbandaccounts have increased

400% within the last fiveyears to around 12bnand are expected to increasefurther to 20bn in 2011.(sources: UK Online, Oftel, Ofcom)

The growth in the use of the Internet will continue to grow

Why websites & e-newsletters are useful

• Quick, easy and cheap way to contact many – Websites are low cost and social networking sites are free

– Compare the price of 1,000 letters to 1,000 emails?

• Target only those you know are interested = Much higher response rate

• Contact your audience through a range of mediums – Across the Generations:

– video, audio, text, images. What will work?

• 76% of all adults [and 67% of those aged 65+] who use the internet are interested in finding out about local services including council, hospital and leisure facilities etc – Source Ofcom

Modern Day Life = Engage on my terms!

You think that

I have time to regularly

access your website

and community pages

without notifications!!!

How to take Advantage

1. Discuss your e-Strategy with members2. Review what you have now?

1. How much interaction do you have?2. Be honest with yourself – Your population will be honest with you

3. Ask your local population to get involved1. What can it offer them?2. Local businesses? 3. Local groups/schools/clubs?

4. Define a plan to go forward with agreed owners5. Utilise what’s free but invest in wider community portals6. Free = Value??7. Ensure the technology is sound – Your website is unavailable =

community frustration

Always Remember -Its not just the website!

What do you want to be seen as?

or

How can we help?

Turn this Into this

Attractive Websites

Attractive ‘measureable’ emails

How we can help you

1. If you don’t have a website we can help you set one up

2. If you have a website but think it looks old and out of date we can help

3. If you have a website and are happy then great but have you considered e-Newsletters?

4. If you have a professional looking website, do e-Newsletters, regularly engage with your community then FANTASTIC! We may not be able to help but feel sure your community are likely to be happy!

In Summary

• Communication methods have continually evolved• Change is essential in the development of communities• Over 43 Million people access the Internet in the UK currently!• Over 16 Million people are connected to broadband in the UK

currently! • 81% of people start a search for something through the Internet• 68% of people over the age of 55 have a broadband connection and

they spend over 8 hours per week online

Source - European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA

The importance of a strong e-Strategy has never

been more important than now!

Some of the councils that haveput their Trust in us

• Puriton Parish Council (L)• Bleadon Parish Council (L)• Hutton Parish Council (L)• Calne Town Council (L)• Southwater Parish Council (L)• South Kirby & Moorthorpe TC (L)• East Huntspill Parish Council (ID)• Launceston Town Council (L)• Liskeard Town Council (L)• Marlow Town Council (L)• Sutton Parish Council (ID)

We would love the

opportunity to work with you and your

council/s !

What others think to our work

Bruce Poole, Parish Clerk – Puriton & Bleadon Parish Councils

The Parish Council is delighted with the new website and e-Newsletter and have already placed on record our thanks to CRM. They have met all of the promises that they made and they have understood our needs as a Parish Council to deliver something

attractive and informative but which is cost effective’

Katherine Joy – Deputy Clerk Marlow Town Council

Marlow Town Council are thrilled with our new web and e-Communication system. The website is very professional and the

tools to maintain the site are very easy to use. The support from the team at InTouch with Communities has been excellent and we would recommend the system and the company to any other council that is

looking to build a stronger online presence

Finally....

For the opportunity to present

and highlight e-Engagement

Review what you have & let us quote you

for something new!

Your Questions?

James.white@intouchcrm.co.uktwitter.com/ITwCfromCRM

0845 310 9973

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