What influence does social media have Westminster Communications Team

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What influence does social media
have?Westminster Communications Team
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Outline
Measurement of social media Some highlights of
my travels Some next steps
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Measurement
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61 of residents use websites for national
news but 64 of this is through traditional
sources
Internet users
BBC
Google
Yahoo
61 use websites for national news
Guardian Unlimited
MSN
Sky News
The Times/ Sunday Times
Question Which internet sites, if any, do you
use to find out about the national news
online? Source 800 Westminster residents 16,
16-27 March 2009
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25 use the internet for local news. Mostly the
BBC
Internet users
BBC
Google
25 use websites for local news
Yahoo
www.westminster.gov.uk
Sky News
Question Which internet sites, if any, do you
use to find out about local news online? Source
800 Westminster residents 16, 16-27 March 2009
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Facebook, facebook and facebook
Internet Users
Facebook
40 use social networking sites
MySpace
Twitter
Bebo
Question Which internet sites or social
networking sites have you used? Source 800
Westminster residents 16, 16-27 March 2009
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Blogs inconclusive but not influential
Every day
At least once or twice a week
Once or twice a week
At least once every two weeks
At least once every month
Less often
Never
Question How often, if at all, do you read
blogs? Source 619 Westminster residents 16,
16-27 March 2009
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Whats out there?
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The Missouri Accountability Portal
When Missouri put its government spending
database online, in 2007, watchdog groups
applauded. The Missouri Accountability Portal was
cleanly designed and easy to use. Anyone could
log on and see exactly where Missouris money was
going. Kristina Rasmussen of the National
Taxpayers Union explored the database and found
some
suspicious bills. The state had, for example,
spent thousands of dollars at Anns Bra Shop. On
inquiry, it turned out that Missouri was buying
undergarments for lady inmates. In the future,
she reckons, states should figure out a way to
put their expenditures in context. Link to it
at http//mapyourtaxes.mo.gov/MAP/Expenditures/
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• The U.S Airforce has a flowchart showing how to
  deal with electronic media. The broad actions
  are as follows
• State your council connection
• Provide evidence
• Respond quickly
• Focus on those sites/blogs that are most
  influential
• Do not take action for ranters
• If facts are wrong, correct them
• If from an unhappy customer, correct the situation

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Next steps Basic
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Ensure website access via Facebook, increasing
reach
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Next steps Advanced
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Social media can be an enormously powerful tool

• Barack Obama was able to raise 500MM through
  social media.
• Yes, thats...500,000,000
• Not facebook, not twitter, just emails and basic
  sales techniques.
• E-mail is the killer application.
• Over 7,000 emails were sent out.
• Emailing a group and asking them to do something,
  then seeing who responds enables instant
  segmentation i.e those who dont open e-mail,
  those who do, those who click on link
• E-mails should be prepared in advance enabling
  rapid response

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Identify the prospect, convert and retain

• Use standard channels. Only offer email reply
  address.
• Pre-prepared emails allow instant response.
  Replying within the day is critical to keep
  momentum.
• Ask people who reply to take specific action (can
  be simple as clicking on link) and identify those
  that do.

• Aim for face to face contact within 5 days
• Provide access to forum (managed by volunteer or
  already existing) where evangelists can talk and
  exchange information, keeping momentum and
  providing peer pressure

• Provide ways that people can continue to be
  involved
• Maintain regular contact

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How it might work with foster care (indicatively)
This method works best on single issues that
people are passionate about i.e presidents,
fostering, adoption, crime, not the council

• Prepare emails for
• Respondents
• Getting F2F contact
• Encouraging people
• to recruit

Suitable candidates to have F2F contact in 5 days
either through evening /talking to social
worker/meeting foster carer
Email respondents. Include short vetting process
to identify those interested suitable. Alert
them to forum.
Use traditional channels to get
prospects Print/Radio/Poster. Only provide email
address.
Research site that respondents can use.
Alternatively, set up Facebook/ yahoo group.
Once recruited, use personalised email sent to
database to get people to recruit other foster
carers and continue to be involved