what's a government department doing on twitter?

What’s a government department doing on Twitter?

How social media helps BIS to listen, discuss and promote

Steph Gray, Head of Digital [email protected] 3300 8166

Believe it or not, it’s not all about Twitter…

Digital communications at BIS

But also…

Social media = conversations

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Profiles

Self-publishing

Networks

Sharing

Comments

Reuse

Photo credit: Howard.Gees on Flickr

How many 16-19 year olds regularly watch videos from YouTube?

a. 33%b. 66%c. 75%

Source: Forrester for DIUS, Aug 2008

What proportion of young people have friends over while they use the internet?

a. 20%b. 40%c. 55%


How many 13-15s regularly post reviews of products and services online?

a. 10%b. 40%c. 55%


What proportion of employers use wikis for business purposes?

a. 12%b. 34%c. 50%

Source: Jigsaw for DIUS, Apr 2009

How many employers said: “These kinds of services encourage timewasting”?

a. 37%b. 54%c. 81%

Source: Jigsaw for DIUS, Apr 2009

Why this matters

Changing media consumption trends News, debate, events moving online Trust in peers, rather than marketing Customers talk, campaigns mobilise faster People want to be heard Do more with less, faster, broader (etc)

Digital engagement =

public service use of social media to discuss ideas with customers & partners, deliver information and services, or prompt action

Just another channel…

but a two-way channel.

With new benefits and risks…

which puts more control in the hands of individuals, rather than organisations

Listening and identifying

Gathering and understanding

Designing solutions & building support

Extending communications and supporting delivery

Sustaining relationships and tracking progress

Our website

Directgov& Bus. Link

Our intranet

PRIVATE PUBLIC, MANAGED PUBLIC, INFLUENCED

Corporatesocial media

Onlinecollaboration

spaces

Our partners’networks

Our audiences’networks

Listening Reading blogs, searching social networks, subscribing to feeds

ExplainingPublishing documents and data, uploading podcasts and photos

EngagingCommenting in forums, blogging, answering questions

Convening Developing partnerships, drafting documents, facilitating 3rd party activity

URL: netvibes.com/bisgovuk

URL: twitter.com/LordDrayson

URL: audioboo.fm/profile/lorddrayson

URL: interactive.dius.gov.uk/innovationnation

URL: bis.gov.uk/creditconsultation

URL: thelearningrevolution.ning.com

URL: direct.gov.uk/sciencesowhat

URL: thestudentroom.com/maturestudents

URL: altogethernow.ning.com

1. Interactive websites need interactive organisations

2. Focus on the content, not the platform

3. Be honest about purpose, scope and boundaries

4. Moderate sensitively and respond openly

5. Fun, simple, timely beats slick, clever, slow

Lessons learned

So what does this mean for colleges?

Listen to what’s being said about you & develop a process to reply

Match right tools to the job

URL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/CNWL/56/163/26/?title=CNWL Sandbox

URL: http://twitter.com/gloscol

Find & cultivate your community

URL: http://www.facebook.com/solihullsixthform

URL: http://wwh.lincoln.ac.uk/universityoflincoln

Solve problems in the open

1. Try out Twitter:FE colleges: http://twitter.com/EMPRA/uk-fe-colleges

2. Set up a Google Alert or Netvibes page for your college:http://www.google.com/alerts http://netvibes.com

3. Look at some public sector social media examples: http://sandbox.bis.gov.uk/digitalgovuk

4. Resources about Web 2.0 in FE & HE from JISC:http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/topics/web2

5. I write a personal blog about these issues:http://blog.helpfultechnology.com

What now?

http://twitter.com/EMPRA/uk-fe-colleges

http://www.google.com/alerts

http://netvibes.com/

http://sandbox.bis.gov.uk/digitalgovuk

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/topics/web2

http://blog.helpfultechnology.com/

what's a government department doing on twitter?

Technology