CIPR Artificial Intelligence (#AIinPR) panel kicks off – and we need your help!

#AIinPR group kicks off work with crowdsourced tool project

The CIPR has launched a panel to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on public relations and the wider business community.

The panel is kicking-off a much-needed discussion around the use of new technologies with a view to explore the potential opportunities and threats of AI on the PR workforce and the future of the profession. As part of this, we will aim to define a capability framework for AI in PR, which will showcase the most anticipated changes in PR and how we can best prepare for them, offering greater clarity and certainty around this for professionals.

In a nutshell, the panel will aim to tackle three projects in 2018:

1. A crowdsourcing exercise to characterise technology and tools that are helping public relations practitioners work smarter and more efficiently
2. A skills framework that will seek to estimate the likely impact of artificial intelligence on the public relations workforce. It will aim to produce a paper for the World PR Forum in April
3. A literature and content review to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the public sphere. This project will aim to produce a discussion paper for practitioners

The panel has started its first project by inviting practitioners to submit examples of tools that characterise the impact of technology on public relations. Everyone who participates in the project will be cited in the results.

The panel is made up of the following people all of whom have expertise in this developing area. It will be chaired by Stephen Waddington Found.Chart.PR, Hon FCIPR.

• Chris Dolan Dip CIPR, FCIPR, Independent consultant
• Kerry Sheehan MCIPR, Weber Shandwick
• Stephen Waddington Found.Chart.PR, Hon FCIPR, Ketchum
• Alastair McCapra, CIPR Chief Executive
• Matt Silver MCIPR, Ketchum
• Sharon O’Dea, MCIPR, Independent consultant
• Andrew Smith MCIPR, Escherman
• Maria Loupa, MCIPR, Liberty Communications
• Professor Anne Gregory Hon FCIPR, University of Huddersfield
• Jean Valin Hon FCIPR, Valin Strategic Communications
• Ben Verinder, Found.Chart.PR MCIPR, Chalkstream
• Dr Jon White Chart.PR, FCIPR, Independent consultant

The CIPR Artificial Intelligence panel will contribute and help lead the conversation around technology and public relations. It will publish guidance for practitioners from each of its projects during 2018.

The panel is a great step towards the right direction, with many opportunities for anyone who would like to get involved.

If you are a PR practitioner and you are using any ‘smart’ tools that make your life easier, feel free to add your recommendations to our crowdsourcing project or use #AIinPR hashtag on Twitter. More AI-focused content to follow soon!

 

PRstack – the ultimate guide to digital PR

The changing nature of the PR industry has been a topic of discussion and debate for years. Now, we’ve reached a point where it can’t be argued anymore whether going digital is the right move; it’s vital to be able to offer integrated communication services in order to not only survive in this competitive market, but to make sure you offer the best results possible for your clients across all platforms.

While attending relevant industry events, taking webinars or even digital training is always beneficial in terms of professional development and taking your business to the next level, what was missing was a hands-on guide, a PR toolkit where professionals can turn for advice and tips on how to modernize their workflow via the use of digital tools. Before PRStack no one had thought to bring these multiple technologies together for the benefit of PR practitioners, especially for free.

There are countless tools on offer, from those we use to engage with online influencers to how we manage online communities, and PRstack aims to cut through the noise that characterises the public relations third-party tool market, and help PR practitioners get the digital education they deserve and get better at digital PR.

So … the second PRstack book is out since the first of October and I couldn’t be prouder of being a part of this amazing project. If you’re in this industry and you’ re looking to find out more about how to be more digital, look no further – PRstack is an invaluable resource for anyone who works in PR circa 2015.

What you need to know

In case you are not aware, #PRstack is the largest crowd-sourced education effort in the history of PR practice, collecting 250+ PR tools and 48 guides in total.

Each agency or communications team has its own approach and favoured tools and vendors but there is limited understanding of how an individual tool fits into modern workflow. Vendors often push features over outcomes and the market is complicated by a huge number of options – PRstack was developed with that very thinking in mind, to help PR professionals make sense of the growing market of tools’ vendors.

The story so far

The first PRstack book started from Stephen Waddington ‘s idea of applying the cooperative spirit that exists in open source communities, especially when it comes to tackling issues that the industries are facing and aid learning and development.

The PR industry tends to be quite introvert and competitive, but many professionals have gathered to prove that PR can too, do open source – and through collaboration and open learning, PR Stack was born. The project started with a Google doc as a crowd-sourced list of PR tools; a community gathered around the idea of making sense of the PR tools market and shared their favourite tools.

PRstack volume two

The second #PRstack book aims to improve the public relations workflow and comprises a series of case studies by public relations practitioners exploring modern aspects of PR practice. 30 contributors created over 40 practical examples of tools used in public relations, content marketing, and search engine optimisation (SEO).

Contributors share practical advice on different areas of public relations workflow including planning, content, engagement, and monitoring and measurement. There’s also guidance from experts on implementing change within an agency or communication team, and some simple hacks to get you started.

Anyone can now access the chapters online or download the complete book for free on prstack.co. It is also available in print from Blurb.

The 124-page book is distributed free under a Creative Commons license via the PRstack community. The second book, like the first, is available as an ebook (12MB PDF download) from Prezly and in print from Blurb priced £16.00.

During October, a new mini-chapter of the book gets published every day on the website as well, if you want to get a little digital nugget each time. I will do a separate blog post on my mini-section of the book focusing on Sysomos, after the post is live on prstack.co.

Contributors to the second #PRstack book

Many thanks to: Matt Anderson; Matt Appleby; Stella Bayles; Michael Blowers; Liz Bridgen; Stuart Bruce; Gini Dietrich; Erica Eliasson; Helen Laurence; Rich Leigh; Hannah Lennox; Tim Lloyd; Kevin Lorch; Maria Loupa; Rachel Miller; Lauren Old; Adam Parker; Laura Petrolino; Andy Ross; David Sawyer; Aly Saxe; Laura Sutherland; Max Tatton-Brown; Frederik Tautz; Abha Thakor; Frederik Vincx; Angharad Welsh; Livi Wilkes; Arianne Williams; and Michael White.

Will social media determine the outcome of the General Election?

//storify.com/mpfalangi/will-social-media-determine-the-outcome-of-the-gen/embed?border=false[View the story “Will social media determine the outcome of the General Election?” on Storify]

London Enterprise Festival – The place to be this March

London, being the innovation and enterprise hub that it is, offers a range of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

A festival running for the first time promises to take the focus out of the Silicon Roundabout and into the heart of Camden, and celebrate the diverse range of business opportunities available in London by going well beyond the traditional finance and tech sectors.

Why you should go: cool event, great venue, unparalleled opportunity to engage with big names in the enterprise world & network with like-minded people, get insights and tips on how to set up your own business, organised by and for inspiring local entrepreneurs.

When: Taking place between the 8th – 19th of March, the London Enterprise Festival (LEF) is a two week long bonanza of world-class discussion, debate and sight from global business leaders on topical industry themes.

What is it: The festival plans to hold a unique series of speaker events featuring 50 influential CEOs and senior executives from EMEA, who will share their vast knowledge on what it takes to start and grow successful companies in today’s business climate. Each day will cover a different industry, with sector-specific events designed to connect London’s aspiring entrepreneurs with the relevant knowledge and local networks they need to succeed in the industries they love.

The industry focused speakers include senior leaders and founders from RBS, Microsoft, Heal’s, The Big Issue, Dezeen, Time Out Group, Innocent, Jaeger, Sony, Etsy and more! For all the details and the full list of speakers, you can check out the LEF website directly and also the Eventbrite site where the tickets are currently on sale, and at a pretty accessible price too. The sectored events are focused on the specific enterprise themes below:

8th – Communications

9th – Education & Learning

10th – Social Enterprise

11th – Food and Beverage

12th – Financial Services

15th – Health and Wellbeing

16th – Design and Fashion

17th – Entertainment and Gaming

18th – Marketplaces

19th – Finale

 

Where: With intimate, informal-style Q&A session, and a stage set-up that resembles an underground late-night talk show, the Festival is taking place at The Foundry, set within the fantastic Camden Stables, which fits the freshness and innovative spirit of the event as a glove.

The festival launched this Sunday with the Communications event, and saw UK based PR and comms moguls such as Graham Goodkind, Chairman & Founder, Frank PR; Nicola Green, Director of Communications & Reputation, O2; Andrew McGuinness, CEO, Freuds; Jim Hawker, CEO, Threepipe and Richard Sunderland, Chairman & Founder, Heavenly.

  

With the Education event already under LEF’s belt, there’s still plenty to look forward to! The festival will culminate in a forward-looking finale that brings everyone and everything together, aspiring to be the biggest entrepreneurship celebration to date.

Disclaimer: Having worked with LEF, the event is definitely something I would have attended either way as it is spot on on my personal interests, and as you will know by now I support causes I am passionate about.

x M

How to land your first job (in PR)

Photo credit: Kent University

So you graduated from your undergrad or just started a MA and you begin to realise  how much of a competitive market this is.

Well hello there!

Don’t freak out – the market is much broader than you may originally think, if you are a dedicated and hard-working individual that is.

At work, like in life, there isn’t always time and space – but you can make time and create space. If you mean business, you will get business – as simple as that. But enough with the cliches.

I have been in comms for about 3 years now; I did start from scratch coming from a different country, where PR is sadly often linked to a club opening or free shots. However, I have been lucky enough to meet a lot of talented and supportive people along the way, who helped me realise what my dream was and pursue it.

In a nutshell, by no means an expert myself, I am just offering a few bits of advice which I thought you may find useful on your PR journey:

Seek experience 

While still at uni, get as involved as you can with external and internal projects. Volunteer to participate to anything from online and print outlets, to ad hoc small projects within the university, the community etc. You would be surprised by the amount of opportunities which can pop up if you look around. A good starting point would be to ask at your university, and explore ideas you normally wouldn’t – even a journalism project can work wonders for your confidence, your CV and your writing skills. You can also ask for paid placements, which will also earn you a little extra something something to keep you – partially – financially supported.

You may do it for the sake of your CV at first, but you will eventually get the greatest sense of joy and personal fulfillment in the process, while helping others and building on strong connections.

Be curious

Use all existing support and resources. Your professors are -usually- great and supportive people who are there to help you and offer their wisdom. For me, luckily they were there to answer all of my – gazillion – questions. Don’t be afraid to ask – I’ve been asking so many questions that it was like a class joke, which I never minded.

I heard as a joke recently that there are no stupid questions, only stupid people – while I find this extremely funny and true at times, I was always a supporter of the notion that it’s better to seem stupid than ignorant; you may run the risk of being politely annoying, but you will also be memorable – which means you’re half way there.

Live & Learn

Yes, life-long learning is a thing. Don’t consider a degree your “get out of jail” card; it’s not a destination, just a stop of your journey. Take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way – lectures, webinars, events. For instance, there are many universities offering free online courses, such as Coursera etc. which can help you dig deeper in whatever it is that interests you.

Be relevant 

Read; read online, offline, stay informed on topics you consider important and  that you would like to work on. However, make sure to get all-rounded knowledge as well, which is an absolute must in our profession. You will find this particularly useful during job interviews as well. Research successful comms campaigns – what worked, what didn’t work, what inspired you.What’s in the news, how you can use existing knowledge to move ahead. There is no virgin birth if you ask me – we are all the combined effort of everyone and everything we’ve ever known, so don’t be afraid to use this as a starting point.

Be present online. Yes, you know you will eventually have to produce and share content on all platforms so it’s crucial that you familiarise yourself at least with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Social media and digital skills are completely transferable and are growingly not considered  an advantage but a pre-requisite, so make sure you are on top of your game. A good starting point would be comms professionals and bloggers, such as http://wadds.co.uk/, http://adaywithoutoj.com/,

http://www.comms2point0.co.uk/ among others and media outlets.

Network, network, network

I find the UK a fair market – if you’re good, sooner than later you will be recognised. To put it simply, it’s not about who you know most f the times, however, it is always good to broaden your network as you never know who you may cross paths with. Someone may end up being a client, a colleague, a journalist. This will not help you get ahead; it will help you learn from others, meet like-minded people and may help you get a foot in the door – i.e. for a job opportunity or a reference.

Build your online community; start following people who you consider influencers online, try and get engaged in conversations, listen and learn. It’s like everything else – no one will will ask you to join their club, come up to you and ask to be friends or offer you a job out of nowhere. You will have to earn it, by putting yourself out there.

Industry bodies are always a good option to help you grow as a professional and network, such as CIPR and PRCA.

Last but not least, be memorable, be creative, be yourself.

Don’t think for once that you will have to change who you are to fit the industry. There will be a bunch of compromises to be made, but don’t let your talent get suffocated. You will not get to make the rules – at least not just yet, but  as mentioned previously, you can bend them and make room for your aspirations if you work as hard.

Be polite; be respective; find your own style and pace to do things. There will always be someone more organised, or more creative, or more skilled on the phone. So what? Try and learn from them, and make that an incentive to get better – you will find your own way of delivering everything else in the process when working on your craft. Think of how you want to be perceived and be it.

* #iworkinpr is a pretty fun blog which can give you a taste of PR every day shenanigans – imagine it with the Benny Hill soundtrack on the background.

WEARABLE TECH SHOW 2014: TRENDS TO WATCH

By Maria Loupa

One of the biggest European Wearable shows took place in London’s Olympia last week, on the 18-19 March. In this year’s expo, we saw a variety of companies tapping in the wearable market, from smart watches, fitness trackers, face-mounted computers, and smart jewellery. Differentiators depend on capability, design and of course, price. Taking a variety of forms, from clip-ons and wristbands to “smart” onesies, bras and socks, the list was endless.

The two-day conference saw speakers and vendors from around the world. It’s definitely an exciting time for wearables, and we were there getting our hands on as many smart devices as possible.

The different types of wearables covered fashion, sports and fitness, health and M2M, which more often than not crossed paths. There was also a developer hack fest and a business start up track, as well as live product demo and an exhibition, giving companies the chance to show off products to anyone attending the event. Finally, the event also hosted ‘The Wearables’, an awards ceremony recognising the UK’s leading large and small companies in the sector.

Smartwatches and wristbands

Plain and simple, bulky or sophisticated, one thing is for sure:  smartwatches have potential but their success will be directly proportional to how easy they will be to use and of course, whether they are serving a useful purpose. Additional elements would be being fashionable, comfortable and supporting a wide variety of apps.

Among others, a screen-less, seemingly traditional watch that works with a SIM card and a handful of pressable keys and can both place and receive calls caught my eye. Ideal for a night out without having to worry for anyone nicking your £600 phone I’d say.

One of my favourite gadgets will have to be the gesture band concept which looks as if taken out of the movie “Click”. Working on simple pointing and waving gestures, with receivers hooked up to appliances around the home or office, its application can expand on pretty much any field but can be incredibly beneficial for healthcare purposes.

Fitness trackers

Smart clothing is a seemingly peculiar but promising area. With a lot of the items at the expo resembling super-hero costumes, the tight kind, it’s obvious that the focus is on tracking and feedback based on data from sensors close to the body. Tracking pretty much everything that uses current applied through the skin, you can keep track of your heart-rate, sleep, perspiration, skin temperature, stress levels, fat content, muscle strength and so on. The same goes for wristbands as well.

Health-related recommendations are taking a more practical approach. Smart clothes with inbuilt heating system to keep you warm when your temperature lowers; super-thin stainless steel fibres that feel like wool; smart bands that can be snapped around your wrist; UVA measuring wrist-bands that can measure light and UV exposure can support a variety of smart features. Trackers that can be attached on any piece of sport equipment like a snowboard can provide an accurate reading of measurements of each move of an athlete’s performance.

Jewellery & fashion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fashion is gradually becoming more important in the world of wearable tech, as more gadgets take fashionability, wearablility and durability into consideration. But as the Expo proved, they can work the other way around too, with predominantly fashion items borrowing tech elements. Interactive NFC technology can be used to imbue jewellery and skirts with a personal emotive message, video or photos, while seemingly normal shoes can light up upon a camera flash.

Eyewear & Ear wear

Augmented reality goggles are definitely a strong player in wearables. From riding a roller-coaster to checking if a chest of drawers you want to order can fit in your apartment, the simple and cool 3D headset along with an augmented reality app held a special place in my heart. From gaming to interior design, whatever it may be that you want to experience, you can basically customise your own virtual reality by downloading the app, sliding your own smartphone across the front of the goggles and enjoy!

 

Another notable series of eyewear, brings sci-fi movies to mind due to its design and capabilities.  Aimed mostly at enterprise, it offers hands-free access to information; it’s built around an Android smartphone without the cellular connectivity, camera complete with zoom, responds to voice commands and allows headset to headset communication. Additionally, experimentation with lenses on the inside and the outside of the frame and tiny high-res screens that won’t draw unwanted attention are definitely a great platform for innovation in the field.

What can complement an augmented reality experience can also come from… the ears!  We tried on a smart headset with 3D audio, which was particularly fun when demoed as part of a live concert experience. 3D audio effectively means that you can hear sounds differently depending on how you’re positioned, thanks to location-aware technology. It would be interesting to see how this one evolves passed the obvious entertainment applications.

As an alternative to scanners and QR code reading apps, the concept of a piece of eyewear with an embedded QR code and barcode reader was also appealing.

Finally, nano-coating technology seems to be a definite emerging trend. With nanotechnology applied to the inside of devices that can protect electronics from failure due to full submersion in water and other corrosive liquids. This advancement can have many applications, including potentially a solution to the overheating and prolonging life span of computers.

Final thoughts

The majority of the gadgets at the Expo are already available at the market or being released after May this year. Eventually, we’ll see a retail price tag on most of them. With more and more big and small companies involved, the pressure will be on releasing a competing product from every aspect.

However, the real challenge with wearables would be to show some real end-user benefit. While the focus is largely put on the technology, a lot of these devices are taking tracking and measurement a step further. It will be interesting to watch the developments on how the data will be gathered and interpreted to enhance customer experiences.

*As it appeared on http://www.techbm.co.uk/wearable-tech-show-2014-trends-to-watch/.

For more information on the Wearable Technology show you can visit http://www.wearabletechnologyshow.net/.

 

Digital Communication Awards 2013

It’s been a while.. Since the last time I blogged, a lot has happened. The most significant change being that Tales from the North East moved South- I moved from Newcastle to London, therefore the name of this blog had to be changed slightly!

Another very, very important thing that happened in this time, is that I was shortlisted for a Digital Communication Award for my master thesis,  “Social media in the Public Sector: Hit or Miss? A comparative study on the effectiveness of social media as a PR tool”, which I consider a great honour and true testament that if you love what you do, great things can happen.

Hosted by the Quadriga University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, the Digital Communication Awards are the first awards in European PR and communications that exclusively honour outstanding achievements in online communication. There are 38 award categories that cover all disciplines from social media communications to digital public affairs and explore the full range of the profession, providing a comprehensive look at exemplary best cases. 

In its third year, almost 600 applications from 38 countries were submitted for the Digital Communication Awards, and we all presented our digital communication projects and campaigns to an international jury. Unfortunately, due to a series of unfortunate events, I was unable to showcase my work in the way I would have wanted to.

However, overall it was a great experience and I can’t thank Quadriga University enough for their kind invitation and impeccable hosting. Meeting a “jury of legends” -as they were called in my head- was humbling and thrilling at the same time. A massive thank you should also go to Northumberland & Monmouthshire County Councils, as well as many UK PR professionals who contributed to my research.

The gala ceremony was hosted at Berlin’s Meistersaal. Stars like David Bowie, U2 and Depeche Mode once turned the stunning Meistersaal into a modern legend. The charming presenter Hadnet Tesfai led through the evening, making every winner feel comfortable on stage and the show unforgettable. The event itself was a great opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people within the PR and Communications industry from around the world and talk about their work and their -shortlisted or winning- campaigns.

The experience of joining the Awards this year benefitted me more on an academic level- a few days after the ceremony, I was contacted by a person working on a project in the Energy Sector of US Government, interesting in my research. In my opinion, sharing best practice is one of the best things that one can do, that is why I was not only flattered but truly interested in helping. Digital media strategies in the public -and energy sector- is a very intriguing matter and to see more and more people looking into it is a massive step forward. As an extension to this, I was also invited to speak to a conference in Canada next year, and hopefully I will be able to share some information in the immediate future.

Going back to the event, do I wish I’ve done certain things differently? Every day. Would I do it again? Absolutely. And better.

For more information on the awards, you can visit http://www.digital-awards.eu/.

You can download the complete list of the winners 2013 here.

Local market lovin’

Here’s a guest post by one of our PR interns Maria (@mpfalangi) who has spent the last year working with our team. I blogged about our interns ages ago (see here) and they’ve proved a real breath of fresh air. Now that they’re about to leave we’re really going to miss them. Here, Maria talks about one of the projects she’d been working on.

Who doesn’t love a good local market? This fortnight is an opportunity for both traders and shoppers to be part of something bigger.

Background
Northumberland’s markets are taking part in the 2013 national Love Your Local Market campaign which is led by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) and backed by Central Government and the wider market industry.

The idea for a National Market Day (which morphed into the Love Your Local Market fortnight) was one of the 28 recommendations of the Portas Review into the future of the UK’s High Streets. Love your local market is a celebration of local markets in the UK, bringing old and new traders together under the same brand.

The council is supporting the campaign, which is in its second year and is running for two weeks from May 15 to May 29. The fortnight aims to attract new market traders and to highlight the importance that markets play in the heart of the local community, not only for retail but as a valuable community asset that provides a focal point of many of the county’s town centres.

Where we are now
National Market Fortnight in Northumberland is celebrated in many ways: budding entrepreneurs had the opportunity to try out market trading for just a tenner to provide opportunities for new and start-up businesses. A number of free pitches were also available at Northumberland markets to small business owners who want to make their mark in the market and bring a new product to the towns’ shoppers.

Through a scheme called First Pitch, candidates were asked to submit an idea for a product or service that they thought they could sell at their local market. Small business owners of the future could trade on any market in Northumberland for up to 12 months at discounted rent and be given personalised support from the NMTF.

Graham Wilson OBE, chief executive of the National Association of British Market Authorities stated that their intention was to make Love Your Local Market 2013 the biggest and best market campaign the UK has ever seen. Indeed, the campaign has smashed all expectations with over 660 markets participating this year, creating nearly 3,000 events across the country during LYLM 2013.

The campaign
Love your local market is helping the high street evolve, nurturing new generations of entrepreneurs and bringing fresh ideas and new faces into local markets.

But it isn’t only about giving a start to a new generation of retail entrepreneurs. It’s about celebrating the role of markets in sustaining town centres and communities. They have a key role to play and can be a significant economic driver in the success of a town, as they help to increase footfall and bring extra business to the town, benefiting the local traders and complementing what’s already available.

Shopping at a local market is a social experience, a far cry from a rushed trip to a supermarket. Markets have the power to bring new life to an area and showcase wonderful rural products, which all need our support. From fresh fruit and vegetables to the finest fabrics – Northumberland’s markets have something for everyone!

So why not rediscover your local market this fortnight? Bag yourself a bargain, while at the same time helping to support your local town. New products are also always welcome as they are a breath of fresh air and Northumberland County Council’s award winning markets support new traders all year round.

Need any help deciding which market to visit? Get a taste of Northumberland’s markets (with pictures, location and product details, even vacancies) or visit our dedicated Pinterest board.

*As published in http://adaywithoutoj.com/2013/05/23/guest-post-local-market-lovin

Facebook versus Twitter in the public sector

Maria Loupa has created this insightful infographic exploring the use of Facebook and Twitter in the public sector as a means for Councils to connect directly with their audiences. It is based on her experience working in various local authority roles in the UK.

easel.ly

The infographic was created using easel.ly. Its a neat cloud based service for building online graphics.

About the author
Maria Loupa is a communications intern at Northumberland County Council. She is a highly motivated communications practitioner and advocate of social media as a means of audience engagement. You can connect with her via her blog Tales from the North East, LinkedIn or Twitter @mpfalangi.

*As published in http://wadds.co.uk/2013/03/13/guest-post-facebook-versus-twitter-in-the-public-sector/

Tips on social media for local government

 

In some cases local government and social media don’t mix. Many councils haven’t been actively using Facebook and Twitter and that has to change. It can be a long and complicated process. Here are some tips to get you started.

by Maria Loupa 

Plan ahead

• It is vital to understand that SM should form part of an overall comms plan

A comms strategy should be already in place and social media will be integrated gradually into it.

You need to comprehend the mentality behind each channel; each organisation is completely different and tools need to be customised to its needs. You need to experiment and see what works; different tools might apply to particular campaigns.

• You need to consider your social media involvement carefully; once you decide to go for it, you have to go all the way.

As we recently heard from #RUDay ‘You can’t be half pregnant’. If you are not prepared to put the resource and effort behind social media, maybe it’s not for you. Lack of time shouldn’t be an excuse, as social media are gradually becoming part of the press office duties at the very least. Tweetdeck, Sendible and the likes can be used to schedule posts.

Don’t forget that social media channels have to run as a constant campaign, which is occasionally customised to each project’s purposes; messages have to be consistent and coherent and a combination of the tools helps achieve best results.

• There has to be at least one devoted social media person able to understand how social media work, and you might want to start considering implementing a social media policy or guidelines for the rest of the staff as well.

Tweets and posts can for sure be deleted, but once they go live they can be retweeted and shared, and there’s no recovering them. Also, people respond best to authentic communication; so it’s advisable to use a more personal tone even on official profiles- in moderation-.

Keep in mind that it is best not to have more than 3 accounts in each channel because it will be hard to keep them regularly updated, plus it will confuse people and discourage them from using them

• Evaluation and measurement

Evaluation is part of the planning procedure; what is the point of implementing a strategy if you can’t measure whether it’s effective or not? The key principles of social media presence are: Listen, Measure Understand and Engage, and you will definitely need an evaluation and measurement tool to follow them. The list is endless, you just have to find which one works for your organisation:  Google analytics, Tweetstats, Backtype, Nearbytweets Netvibes Social Oomph, Radian6, Sprout social, Hoot suite, Google Insights, Social Mention,  Sysomos… even Facebook Insights can get you started!

Most of them can produce reports, conduct comparison with competitors, search conversation history, etc. and give the opportunity to:

i.         check the competition- see how other councils are doing; there is hardly any virgin birth anymore, so why not see what worked best for someone else and give it a try.

  ii.         Monitor conversations about your council; what is your audience and what do they say about you? You could even use Twitter’s much under-estimated Search feature for that.- Understand your audience in order to be able to engage with them effectively.

Practical tips

Facebook:

1. Works best to promote future events/announcements, as it allows more long-term involvement on thread.
2. Competitions/surveys are also most effective on Facebook, as it allows for more visual elements; an image is more powerful and will generate much more click-troughs than plain text.
3. The first few lines are the most important ones; hook your audience, use capitals, slogans & abbreviations if necessary to keep their attention and click through to read more. If you are including a link (esp. to link back to your website or your other social media channels), make sure it’s within these lines.

If the link is too long or confusing use a Bitlly or Tinyurl to shorten links and make them more memorable. Customising links will make evaluation easier too as they can be better used by the relevant tools; by allowing you to access analytics and see how many people are clicking on your links. This is information that you often wouldn’t have access to when posting links on social channels.

4. There is a time and a place for everything. Avoid posting to Facebook after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m., and on the weekend.

Links posted from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. result in the highest average click through, with the peak time of the week being Wednesday at 3 p.m.

5. Communicate information without spamming; the last thing people want is log on to Facebook to find an endless line of posts from the council on their Timeline; they will most likely either unlike the page or they can now customise their settings to hide updates from your pages.

 For Twitter:

1. The old KISS rule applies (Keep it short and sweet) – Tweets must be under 140 characters, however try and keep it around 120/125 to allow for re-tweets.
2. Use abbreviations where possible to avoid wasting characters- use figures and symbols where possible.

Sometimes grammatical sins have to be committed, but due to the nature of the organisation they have to be kept at a minimum- opt for most widely used abbreviations instead of making new ones up!

Twitter works best with real time events/announcements and a more Q & A approach, and can be very effective to start conversations and initiate two-way communication. Since it is by nature much faster paced than Facebook, it is possible for people to skim past tweets and miss them. In order to tackle that and remind to your audience of an event, it is advisable to tweet about it multiple times with slight word variations but in moderation- avoid spamming.

3. Use dedicated hash tags for specific campaigns, or whenever you consider it appropriate, in order to increase the visibility of your tweets

4. Part of Twitter savoir-faire- If you retweet someone, add RT; if you RT  and edit it change the RT to MT

5. The best time to post to Twitter is in the afternoon, early in the week—from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.The peak traffic times, are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Last but not least, both Facebook and Twitter can be used to drive traffic to the website and as excellent customer service tool.

Any feedback or additional thoughts will not just be welcome but appreciated!

Maria Loupa is comms intern at Northumberland County Council.

*As published in http://twoheads.squarespace.com/comms2point0/2012/12/20/tips-on-social-media-for-local-government.html