Local government is a cautious beast

by Lee Hopkins on January 19, 2012 · 0 comments

in clippings,miscellaneous,strategy

one piece of the jigsaw puzzle

I’ve been working with local governments over the last few months, helping them with their social media strategies and engagement tactics, and one thing that has particularly struck me is the disconnect between the people charged with carrying out the council’s online communication and the decision-makers themselves.

That is not, I hasten to add, any slur against either party, but is instead a reflection of the peculiar forces at play in any local government setting.

The people at the ‘sharp end’—the project managers and the professional communicators—are without any exception in my experience extremely sharp and able instigators of change. What they are up against is the painfully slow and democratic nature of local government.

Any initiative or idea needs to pass through several layers of management before it reaches the ultimate decision-makers, the councillors. Despite every good intention in the world, those councillors are hamstrung by the endless demands on their time from not only the council’s business, but also their own away-from-council business affairs. They are, after all, volunteers. Getting 15 or so grown adults to agree to anything takes a long process of hand-holding, education and trust-building. When those adults only meet once a month or so it becomes even harder to squeeze ideas and initiatives onto the agenda, and then get them heard and discussed.

Family-owned businesses can sometimes be like this, but rarely to this extent. There is usually a decision-maker—the CEO, perhaps—who tells people ‘yea or nay’ and instructs employees to ‘just get on with it’.

But councils don’t work in that fashion and thus my heart goes out to the professional communicators that I meet, no matter what their official job title, who want to engage with their council’s constituents in this new social world but who are held back by the slow, cautious beast of democracy.

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Chevron oil needs your help

by Lee Hopkins on January 18, 2012 · 0 comments

in ethics,strategy,tools

Chevron spokespersons

The oil company Chevron has been found guilty of dumping toxic waste in the Ecuadorean Amazon, but refuses to pay to clean it up.

Some of the excuses the senior management have come up with are bordering on the farcical (prompting one Australian reporter to ask, “Do you really believe what you’re saying?”).

The company is PR-floundering, and activist groups are having a field day.

One very creative group has set up the website chevronthinkswerestupid.org and has come up with a fabulous little call to action that enables you the reader to ‘help’ out the senior management by creating their next PR ‘spin’ responses for them.

You click on the photo of a spokesperson, fill in two text boxes where you can put a headline and a subhead, then fill in your personal details and hit ‘send’. Your creative input is reportedly sent to Chevron.

It’s a brilliant piece of user-generated campaigning, and something that every organisation needs to be prepared to counter when it happens to them (subtle clue: don’t do dumb stuff in the first place).

Check it out.

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Maintaining local government relevancy in a social world

by Lee Hopkins on January 16, 2012 · 0 comments

in strategy,tools

This communication world of ours is changing at a faster pace than ever before, principally brought about by the emergence of the social world. People can share ideas, philosophies, likes and hates at lightning speed, and most organisations are ill-resourced to be able to match the speed of information dissemination and discussion.

Local councils are not immune from the virus of change, either. Maintaining relevancy to one’s local constituents can be difficult when those constituents change how they prefer to be communicated with. Councils must adapt to maintain relevancy and authority; engagement with the social world is one key strategy many future-thinking councils are adopting to achieve this.

Whether it be a presence on Facebook, a profile on Twitter or space on YouTube, leading councils are actively working with their local communities to build web content of value, online content appreciated by consumers of the council’s services and employees of the council charged with disseminating information as widely and as effectively as possible.

But behind the use of Facebook, or Twitter, or Google Plus, or LinkedIn, or any number of other online communication platforms lies the need to develop a strategy for online engagement. Yes, these new social tools can be just ‘rolled out’ and live-tested; after all, just under half of Australia has a Facebook profile and contribute regularly so it is tempting to think that everyone knows how to behave online. But sensible councils are putting in place frameworks for engagement so that staff across the entire organisation know what is expected of them and how to respond when issues arise. Additionally, these councils are planning their communications outreach so that co-ordinated activity across the entire organisation occurs, whether just one person handles online communication or the entire organisation can engage in the relevant conversations.

The risks of not embracing this new world
The risks that councils face in not embracing these new communication tools are many, ranging from decreased relevance to their local community through to failure to effectively engage with their stakeholders. Alongside those two risks are others such as decreased employee engagement, decreased reputation amongst the local business and consumer communities, and increased staff turnover as employees vote about their employer’s diminishing reputation with their feet.

The benefits
Embracing the new communication tools in a sensible, strategic way can bring many benefits:

  • Enhanced reputation as a ‘leader’ within the local community;
  • Greater ‘Employer of Choice’ opportunities, allowing the council to attract and retain the brightest and best of their community’s young minds;
  • Greater reach of its messages;
  • Reduced cost of communication;
  • An opportunity to put its point of view across when turmoil and conflict arise in the social world;
  • Increased relevancy within the community; and
  • Greater ability to be able to influence and have a voice within the conversations that take place online about the council and the areas that the council reaches.

It’s no wonder that smart councils are working with communication experts to determine how best to enter into and maintain relevancy within the new online social world.

Will your council enter this new communication world with confidence or with trepidation? Because you will enter it at some stage, make no doubt. It makes sense to plan your entrance into the social world, doesn’t it?

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RTBot – a new entrant in real-time search

by Lee Hopkins on January 13, 2012 · 0 comments

in clippings,tools

rtbot

Word has reached me that there’s a new real-time search engine on the street. It’s called ‘RTBot’ and it’s pretty neat.

It searches across several platforms—news, wikipedia, the twittersphere, etc—and delivers the results in a plain but useable fashion.

image

Give it a try – rtbot.net

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Running a Facebook contest: how to remain in compliance

by Lee Hopkins on January 13, 2012 · 0 comments

in marketing,tools,training

Guest post by Jen April in partnership with Global Compliance.

Please note that whilst the FTC is a North American institution, its power over US-owned media such as Facebook is something we Australians need to figure into our submissions.

facebook logo

Running contests and promotions to increase your Facebook page’s “likes” is a popular method for boosting your social media stats – and a great way to engage with your customers. After all, everyone loves a chance to win. However, before you launch your first online promotion, be aware that there are many regulations governing contests enforced both by Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Things you need to know

1) The FTC wields the same authority in social media as in traditional advertising. This means your contest must adhere to the FTC’s standard terms and conditions. These include:

· Entry regulations

· Selections of winners and how they’ll be notified

· Restrictions on age

· How entries will be used by the company in the future

· Alternate means to entry

2) Facebook also has their own terms and conditions. You can see the guidelines by clicking on the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php.

Remember, if you violate Facebook’s rules, your organization may be banned from the popular social media network. For example, it’s against Facebook’s policy to notify winners through Facebook by posting on someone’s wall or sending a message. According to Facebook’s terms and conditions, “You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles (timelines) or Pages.” There are also many other actions that could get you banned from Facebook – so get informed or ask for professional legal advice before you launch your promotional campaign.

Now let’s look at how to increase your ability to run a successful contest that is in compliance with Facebook and government regulators.

Using 3rd party applications

One of the most important things you should know is that Facebook requires your contest to be run through a 3rd party application: “Promotions on Facebook must be administered within Apps on Facebook.com, either on a Canvas Page or an app on a Page Tab.”

This means you cannot run the contest on your wall by asking entrants to upload pictures or other materials. Facebook wants it to be very clear they’re not connected with your contest or giveaway.

Also, a 3rd party app will handle the FTC-approved legal verbiage such as, “This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to (3rd party app name) and not to Facebook. The information you provide will be used for the purposes of conducting this promotion and as consented to by you.”

You can build your own app within Facebook using iframes or use an existing app like Wildfire or Fanappz. Here’s how it works: you’ll have a tab installed on your Facebook page for the contest. The contest tab will make it clear your business is running the promotion and not Facebook. You’ll get a URL like this one: http://apps.facebook.com/nameofyourcontest/. On it, you’ll have the entry instructions and an “enter now” button. When entrants click “enter now,” they’ll be told they’re using an app and will need to click the “log in” button to continue.

Through this app, your entrants will upload their videos or pictures to enter your contest. This means that the contest is being hosted on a separate site, but from the user’s perspective, it all takes place via Facebook. They’ll simply have to allow a connection with an app in order to upload their materials.

Other information you need to know from Facebook’s Promotion Guidelines:

“Promotions on Facebook must include the following:
a. A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant.
b. Acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
c. Disclosure that the participant is providing information to [disclose recipient(s) of information] and not to Facebook.”

Can “liking” be part of the entry process?

The short answer is “no”. You’re not allowed to use any of Facebook’s features or functions in your contest. Facebook’s guidelines state: “For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.”

You can invite people to “like” your page within the copy of the contest of course, but “liking” alone can’t be the entry method for your contest. There needs to be another step such as uploading a photo, video or essay via your 3rd party app.

Promotion is acceptable

You can invite people to enter your contest from your FB Wall and offer the URL to your contest entry tab. Here’s an example of a business that promoted its contest on its Facebook Wall. Social Media Examiner’s “Small Biz Dream Contest” allowed participants to share photos of their small business dreams for 2012 with a short description. The contest encouraged the participants to get their friends and family to vote daily. The entries and voting all took place via the URL http://apps.facebook.com/smallbizcontest/, which handled all the administrative details for the contest.

In summary

In spite of rules and regulations, contests are an engaging and fun way to increase your visibility on Facebook and gain new “likes” for your business. For example, Contiki Vacations sponsored a “Get on the Bus” promotion in which entrants created a “bus” with pictures and music. The promotion resulted in 8,000 new “likes” for the company – and a high level of interaction with potential customers.

The good news is that 3rd party apps can take care of much of the heavy lifting and keep you out of trouble; increased brand exposure can be well worth the effort of an online promotion.

Ensure compliance with all rules and regulations by consulting legal counsel where necessary. A little research and due diligence go a long way to running a successful contest that doesn’t violate the terms and conditions of Facebook—or worse, the law.

About the author

This article was written by Jen April in partnership with Global Compliance, a leading global provider of comprehensive, integrated corporate compliance solutions. Global Compliance serves small and large, public and private organizations by providing a full range of offerings necessary to achieve the highest degree of ethical behavior and corporate compliance. Our ethics and compliance services include Ethics Hotlines, Compliance and Ethics Training and Education including Preventing Sexual Harassment Training, Expert Advice from the Ethical Leadership Group – our business ethics consultants, Diversity Training, Performance and Benchmarking, and Third Party Risk for vendor and supplier due diligence

This is for informational purposes only and does not constitute the provision of legal advice. Review of this material is not a substitute for substantive legal advice from a qualified attorney. Please consult with an attorney to assure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

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Think social media will make political campaigns cheaper? Think again.

by Lee Hopkins on January 12, 2012 · 0 comments

in politics

social media managers

Guest post by Sam Peters.

Note: Sam writes about the US political scene, but her thinking equally applies to our Australian milieu.

The upcoming presidential race will be the first one occurring in a world fully accustomed to social media. Back in 2008, Twitter had barely begun to take flight and Facebook was just being introduced to those over the age of 30. Four years later, these services can connect aspiring office holders to more than just tech-savvy youth; social media is now a portal to connect to the overwhelming majority of American voters. While traditional campaign tactics such as stump speeches and accusatory commercials are sure to make an appears this election season, social media is certain to make up a dominant portion of campaign budgets. This transition begs the question: will America’s infamously out of control campaign spending subside with the advent of digitized forms of reaching the public?

It’s most certainly a practical supposition. Paying for the airtime of a campaign ad costs money, printing bumper stickers isn’t cheap, and covering the costs of intensive interstate travel is a challenge for any aspiring president. Meanwhile, Facebook is free, posting on YouTube is free, and Twitter puts a high percentage of the public in the literal pocket of a politician, and vice versa, with little expense. Why couldn’t you expect the average cost of a congressional, senatorial, or presidential campaign to be lowered as a result of this shift to social media?

This is why: spending isn’t going away – far from it – and so long as intense amounts of monies are injected into political campaigns, these funds will most certainly be spent. Thus, it won’t matter that our politicians’ chosen form of communication is now far cheaper than traditional alternatives. For every free Facebook profile of an up-and-coming candidate, there will be a team of individuals being paid to moderate and update it. Twitter will no longer be the place where public officials can emit off-the-cuff comments about the world around them, but rather a central command post of a particular wing of a campaign communications team, who are charged with crafting politically poignant and pertinent Tweets throughout the day.

Is such intense focus on social media necessary? It’s about as necessary as spending hundreds of millions on television campaign commercials because your opponent is. You see – the bar of success in American politics will continue to be raised not by thrift but by expenditure thanks to such influences such as the Supreme Court ruling regarding Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. So long as this is the case, the money coming in will have to go somewhere, so why not to social media? The base connection via social media is free, but the ability to stay in focus by your Facebook friends through the fog of ever-updating social media will cost money, so long as who you’re running against is putting that much effort into their connection via social networks.

As political campaigns finally get settled into the digital age, don’t expect to see less spending as result. Social media may be free, but the costs of operating and maintaining such a connection to the American people will never be cheap, even if it can in theory. The simple reason is that despite less expensive tools as their disposal, campaigning politicians will have access to unprecedented amounts of cash. In turn, they will achieve something that is far from unprecedented in human history: waste money on the valueless.

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It’s called Spellcheck, people; it’s what separates the pros from the amateurs

by Lee Hopkins on January 12, 2012 · 0 comments

in clippings,housekeeping,marketing,nonverbal communication

If you want to be taken seriously on the social network where professional people hang out, you’d better make sure your spelling is up to scratch. Spell check your work before you hit ‘publish’ on your adverts.

Click on the image below to see what I mean. The red line is my editorial pencil mark:

check your spelling

how not to spell professional

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Leading the way in internal communications–conference and workshop, Melbourne, Feb 21-23. See you there?

by Lee Hopkins on January 11, 2012 · 0 comments

in internal communications,public speaking,training

Yesterday I talked about sharpening your saw in 2012; here’s a great opportunity to do just that.

Ark Group Australia is running a great conference on Internal Comms across in Melbourne, 21-23 Feb.

You can hear great case studies and breaking news from the likes of:

  • Australian Taxation Office;
  • World Vision;
  • Woods Bagot;
  • Ambulance Victoria;
  • VicRoads;
  • Deakin University;
  • Origin Energy;
  • Department of Immigration and Citizenship;
  • Department of Education and Training NSW;
  • Nufarm;
  • Mercer;
  • La Trobe University;
  • Echo Entertainment Group;
  • BNP Paribas;
  • eVolve Information Services;
  • Centre for Leadership Communication; and
  • yours truly, Better Communication Results.

You can download the conference brochure to check out the quality of speakers and topics for discussion.

I’m running a workshop on the 23rd, ‘The Social Business and You’, and am part of a panel on the 22nd discussing ‘Establishing and maintaining an internal communication protocol’.

If you are coming—and I hope you are—come and say ‘G’day’

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Are you a one-trick pony?

by Lee Hopkins on January 10, 2012 · 1 comment

in miscellaneous,training

This business communication world of ours is changing at a faster pace than ever before, principally brought about by the emergence of the social world. People can share ideas, philosophies, likes and hates at lightening speed, and most companies are ill-resourced to be able to match the speed of information dissemination and discussion.

It is more relevant than ever, therefore, that we communicators keep up to date and in touch with how our profession is changing.

This year, make a point of putting yourself in front of a conference or a workshop or two, to hone you skills and ‘sharpen your saw’ as Stephen Covey would say.

Try a PRIA event, or an IABC one (Melbourne, Sydney). Aim to be better this year than you were last year.

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The communication world now works at gossip speed. Is your company’s crisis plan ready?

by Lee Hopkins on January 10, 2012 · 0 comments

in podcasting,pr,strategy

Back only a few short years ago—say, a decade—if your company became the focus of attention for the wrong reasons you had plenty of time to prepare a response. You could compose your media releases, prep your CEO and organise your mainstream media response.

That was then. This is now. Today the social world spreads news and gossip at lightning speed, giving organisations a scant few hours or minutes to react, not days.

A recent example of how our communication environment has changed was given on that immeasurably important podcast, For Immediate Release (seriously, no communicator should miss an episode).

Discussing the ‘Carrier IQ’ PR fiasco, Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson reinforced just how much the communication landscape has been shaped by social media. As they pointed out, even the tone that organisations use must be different from days of yore.

Perhaps some communicators have forgotten, but it is useless to combat emotional outpouring with dry facts; facts won’t change an audience’s opinion – 0nly peer opinions will change an audience’s mind. So appealing to rational judgement in a heated emotional environment is a sure-fire way of ensuring your voice goes unheard and not spread (no twitter retweets, no facebook ‘shares’).

Below is an excerpt from FIR #628, where Neville and Shel talk about the Carrier IQ kerfuffle and its implications for business. I know it’s over 15 minutes long, but I believe it is vital that you listen and pay attention. That’s why I edited their podcast down to this excerpt and share it with you.

PLEASE listen closely to both the outline of the PR fiasco and the commentary about its implications for we communicators.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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