2. Progress update
• Social Media 101 to management
• Completed May 16
• Continued Facebook campaigns (Green Cart)
• Green Cart monthly reach - 1,005
• Calgary.ca content adjusted based on FAQs
• Communications will put forth a strategy on how to
further integrate social media into the work that we do
• Social media strategy (full)
3. Desired State: UEP & Social Media
• Align UEP social media activity with the bigger City of
Calgary conversation
• Monitor online conversations and key influencers (e.g.
Mayor and Council)
• Update communications tools for consistent use across
the department
• Utilize social media monitoring, alongside qualitative and
quantitative research to guide our level of involvement in
social media
4. Strategy #1: Integration of social media
Social media channels do no exist on an island,
rather they augment, accelerate and amplify
conversations. Accordingly we need to integrate
them where appropriate but also manage our
return on investment versus other
communication channels
5. Strategy #2: Social media monitoring
Monitoring social media to ensure a regular pulse
check on online conversations (find out where and
when conversations are happening, monitor tone
of public conversations and public levels of
engagement).
6. Strategy #3: Leverage existing channels
Contribute content to existing City
of Calgary social media channels.
If there is a communications need
that Corporate channels cannot
fill, commit to assessing the real
need before jumping in.
7. Strategy #4: Utilize best practices with
respect to social media
Develop, share and maintain guidelines that
incorporate relevant best practices and govern
the use of social media across business units.
8. Strategy #5: Embrace a citizen-centric
approach
Continue to explore the use of social media
channels to both achieve business goals and
improve the citizen’s experience
9. Strategic implementation
• Actively manage UEP’s role in social media by
maintaining this flexible social media strategy to guide the
integration and development of these channels
• Identify steps we need to take to get to our desired state:
monitor social media landscape, deliver relevant content,
build trust with citizens, create relationships
• Recognize that social media is a slow build, and proceed
with the expectation that engagement is the end goal
10. Tactical implementation
Short term:
• Continued social media monitoring and reporting
• Guide to social media (for clients)
• Social media toolbox (for communicators)
• Appropriate resources and training
• Identify key projects complimentary to social media
• Define UEP level of participation
11. Tactical implementation
Long term:
• Monitor stakeholder engagement and identify
research opportunities
• Continue to enhance our customer service
experience, facilitate customer & stakeholder
relations, and support issues management
What we said we’d doWhat we’ve doneWhat we’re doing
We last presented to UEP in February 3 takeaways Social media 101 Continued usage / monitoring Develop a social media strategyReach - The number of people sharing stories about your page. These stories include liking your Page, posting to your Page's Wall, liking, commenting on or sharing one of your Page posts, answering a Question you posted, RSVPing to one of your events, mentioning your Page, phototagging your Page or checking in at your Place. (Unique Users)
Align UEP social media activity with the bigger City of Calgary conversation Be proactive: Monitor online conversations and key influencers (incl. Mayor and Council)Regular depends on the quality of conversations and the potential for issues to ariseEnsure we are monitoring key influencers and conversations, and using the research available to us to ensure our collective communications efforts (on and offline) are meeting or exceeding citizen expectations. Update communications tools and educate communicators that help ensure a consistent use of social media across the department Develop consistent communications process for administering UEP online presence, including the use of social media. Incorporate social media into communications planning: Utilize social media monitoring,alongside qualitative and quantitative research to guide our level of involvement in social media Ultimately to leverage the strengths of social media to enhance our communications Key take away: Social media efforts support our 2012-14 Communications Plan and Digital Strategy. We want to ensure we are being effective and efficient in our communications efforts, ensure we are not communicating to the point of distraction – and always planning with citizens in mind.
The point: The integration of social media Most importantly, the quality of information on UEP’s web presence... We need to make sure information on calgary.ca is easy to find, understand and share. Social media compliments other digital communications. Social media channels do not exist on an island; rather they are secondary sources of information to our “one point of truth”: our corporate website. Communications Tools: The UEP Communications team will provide expertise and lead the integration process, which requires that we provide them the resources and training they need to integrate new communications channels. Resourcing: We will monitor and re-evaluate UEP social media presence on a regular basis and assign resources accordingly. Monitoring, reporting, sustainment, governance, strategy, planning and implementation.
Our level of participation in social media will determine our ongoing social media monitoring needs. (Both departmental needs as well as project-based needs). Our monitoring efforts increase as our involvement does.In the short term:We have reviewed Corporate level tools, and supplementary tools (Radian 6, Google Alerts, etc.) Evaluating the platforms and opportunities available to us in order to better define our role in social media Issues or questions follow the established corporate media relations process and 3-1-1 intake UEP web team will continue to incorporate departmental social media monitoring reports into our existing monthly report (integrated reporting) Snapshot of usage in different mediums (@Nenshi on Twitter, Tone of FB Comments, # of blog visits)Over the long term: Use the results from Social media monitoring for both business planning and communications planning purposes Require a point person to gather qualitative and quantitative information, and share it across the department
Corporate channels have been created/promoted, and they are aligned and monitored alongside established 3-1-1 and media relations processes. Contribute operational updates and information about programs and services through existing City of Calgary social media channels.Through them we have the opportunity to communicate to a broader audience, one that includes media contacts. The Corporate team has done the leg work and the testing for us. It would take a significant gap in service for us to strike out on our own.
The point: Ensure we are not only committing to use social media channels, but that we need to be using social media effectively and efficiently by setting guidelines for the department / based on corporate policy and social media guidelinesGet input from comms team on various social media tools, to identify knowledge gaps, and develop training modules around that, should corporate training programs not existTraining & resources: Developing a High Level Guidance document that outlines what social media is and how it works. Create Social Media Toolbox that guides implementation of social media channels – best practices, evaluation and planning tools. Customize training programs to support these documents – when no corporate training exists, and All to ensure Communicators are well-equipped and the department is properly resourcedGuide to social media (for clients)Social media toolbox (for communicators)
UEP has short term and long term social media goals; social media requires sufficient consideration and resourcing to be successful. Make sure we are meeting the expectations of citizens, around communications, engagement, research and customer service. Clearly define what success looks like in our social media endeavors and make sure we learn from what we’ve done
The work we do today, will allow us to develop a strong foundation and to grow and evolve our communications in the future – keeping up with the evolving communications landscape. Like any communications tool social media requires an evaluation/risk assessment and sufficient planning to identify the appropriate steps to reach our desired state … research, engagement, reputation management, customer service, communications, or a combination of those things. While simple to set up, it’s quite difficult to build a following. And even more difficult to build relationships.
In the short term, we will continue to monitor and report on social media as outlined earlierProperly equip the Communications team to better serve their clients. Define UEP level of participation based on content complimentary to social media.
Over the long term we want to use the right inputs to guide our communications planning process and ensure we are developing citizen-centric programs and services. The goal is to better manage UEP’s web presence as a whole: to deliver a cohesive story and build relationships.
