This document provides an introduction to e-participation and using social media and digital tools to engage citizens. It discusses how digital technology has led to social and cultural changes, and the benefits and challenges of e-participation. Key points covered include defining e-participation, the digital divide in Wales, attitudes of online and offline users, examples of social media tools for engagement, planning engagement activities, getting people to interact online, measuring success, and following national principles for public engagement.
7. Web 2.0
• Getting the best rate on our car insurance
• Buying a holiday
• Choosing a restaurant
• Communicating with friends
• Learning
• Even how we date
8. Social media
tools
• Free
• Available to anyone
• Flexible
• Easy to use
• Quick – to set up and update
• No more ‘Webmaster’
9. Web 2.0
• Recent developments in digital technology have
led to huge social and cultural changes
• Benefits are not experienced by all
10. Terminology
E-participation
• Using Information Communication Technology
(ICT) to involve service users, citizens and
communities in decisions, services and design.
• ICT includes technologies with which users can
share information and communicate using
technology. This might be across a virtual
network (e.g. email), or in the same place (e.g.
an electronic voting system).
12. Wales
• 23% adults digitally excluded in Wales
• 18-25 yr olds – 9/10 access the internet
• Older people, those with lower socio-economic
status, individuals with limiting disabilities and
those with lower educational attainment are
more likely to be digitally disengaged.
13. Wales
• Take up of internet lower in Wales than UK
• Geography of Wales
• Broadband / mobile coverage
• Language
14. Wales
• An important distinction is made between digital
disengagement through personal choice and
through socio-economic or health
constraints.
• Digital disengagement through personal choice
is closely linked to age and life stage of an
individual, with those who are not interested in
using the internet tending to be older and retired
people.
15. Wales
• Six out of ten non-users report they had no need
or desire to have household access.
• In comparison, three out of ten non-users
reported that equipment or access costs were
too high
• And two out of ten reported lack of skills as the
main reason.
26. Before you start
• Brand
• Who are your stakeholders?
• Which media are your stakeholders most likely
to use?
• Some ground rules/structure
• Start small
27. Planning
• Draw up a calendar of what you will post and
when
• Use management tools like Hootsuite to link
accounts and save time
28. Type of content
• Resourceful content - links to 3rd party articles,
tutorials, tips & tricks for your industry
• Interactive content – questions for your
audience, polls, fill-in-the-blanks, trivia, contests
29. Type of content
• Visual media - videos, images, infographics,
presentations
• Company news - blog posts, links to press
mentions, events (including online events like
podcasts & webinars)
Taken from http://www.blueglass.com
30. When
• Email – mid-week, morning
• Blogs - morning, tapering off during day
• Facebook – end of week/Saturdays
• Twitter – end of week, afternoon/evening
(Tweriod.com)
33. Getting people
to engage
Exercise:
1. How will you get people to come to your
site/follow you/like your page?
2. How will you encourage them to interact with
you?
34. Engage
genuinely
• Use your own voice – not a corporate one
• Engage in conversations
• Respond to comments
• Comment on other blogs / sites
• Be genuine
• Don’t just market your services
35. Make it ‘sticky’
A sticky website is one where a first time reader
arrives and finds it difficult to leave… because
something about the site motivates them to
explore it further – and more importantly to make a
decision to (and takes some steps to ensure that
they) return again to it.
Taken from www.problogger.net
36. Make it ‘sticky’
• Sticky content
• Good design
• Clear branding
• Make it personal
• Posting frequency
Taken from www.problogger.net
37. Make it ‘sticky’
• Interaction: comments, competitions, surveys,
polls
• Incentives: giveaways, prize draws
• Respond to comments
• Highlight your best content
39. WIIFM?
• Being part of change, the opportunity to be
involved
• Having a voice / being heard
• The convenience of using ICT to engage
• Belonging to a (social) network
• People feel validated when their comments are
responded to
• Being the first to know – about events, free stuff
40. Marketing
• Advertise / promote new opportunities using
existing mechanisms (newsletter, website, face-
to-face, events / forums / networks)
• Invite people to enter a competition, and ask
their consent to keep them up to date with future
opportunities to engage
41. Marketing
• Complete a form – include a tick-box to give
consent
• Word of mouth
• Link from other websites, partner organisations
• Add links to information leaflets, reports,
business cards etc
43. Measuring
success
Numbers of followers or fans doesn’t mean
anything
Exercise: How will you measure the difference
your use of social media is making?
44. Measuring
success
• Number of comments / re-tweets / likes
(quantitative)
• Content of comments (qualitative)
• How the comments/interaction have made a
difference to services
45. National
Principles
• National Principles for Public Engagement apply
to all forms of engagement/participation
• Just because social media is quick and easy
don’t forget to engage properly
• A mix of engagement methods is best way to
reach everyone – don’t rely on just one