connecting people: advice for local government on social media and hyperlocal sites

Learning Pool webinar: Walsall 24

Connecting people with social media and hyperlocal sites

Dan Slee, Walsall Council

A blizzard of stats...

A blizzard of stats...

Stats

Source: Simply Zesty

Stats

Source: Simply Zesty

Stats

Source: Simply Zesty

Phone engagement is constant...

5.3 hours Android4.6 hours Blackberry4.5 hours iphoneSource: Magellan Media

Mobile will become the first screen for web access by 2013

Source: Magellan Media

UK Social media 2011

5-10 million?

29 million

5 billion images

UK Hyperlocal 2011

There are 475 hyperlocal sites in the UK

Source: Openly Local, May 2011

You need to map your landscape

475 sites in the UK

Source: Openly Local, May 2011

The Walsall media landscape 2005

The Walsall media landscape 2005

21 journalists or photographers

The Walsall media landscape 2011

The Walsall media landscape 2011

The Walsall media landscape 2011

21 journalists or photographers9

The Walsall media landscape 2011

23,000

The Walsall media landscape 2011

23,000

20,000?

The Walsall media landscape 2011

23,000

20,000?

7,000

The Walsall media landscape 2011

23,000

20,000?

7,000

222,000

Basic principles

#1: Realise that the landscape has changed (and your skills

need to too.)

Basic principles

#2: The channels of communication have changed.

Basic principles

#3: Remember that social media is social.

Basic principles

#4: Mainstream it. Make social media part of what you do.

Basic principles

#5: The best social media tool is common sense.

Basic principles

#6: Be prepared to share the fun. (It’s not just about the

website).

Case study: Flickr

101 images and 1,000 views

Walsall Council House Flickr meet

Case study 2:Flickr header

Tag: ‘walsallweb’430 in two days

Case study 2:Flickr header

Winter photos in Dudley Flickr Group

169 members and 471 pictures

Case study:Twitter Gritter

Why?

If you’re doing a good job TELL PEOPLE...

Tweet to keep people informed...

Gritting...

What was the feedback like?

Praise...

Case study:Social media on the frontline

@walsallwildlife On Twitter...

Linked to Flickr...

Good things happen when you give people the power to use social media

A hyperlocal case study:Fire in Selly Oak

Five hours later...

Four hours later...

60 a day

6,000 a day

4,000 a month1,000 Facebook

likes

Hyperlocal blogs 2011

Case study: Pelsall Common People

17,000 visitors in 7 months

1. Gallery of Pelsall in the snow2. Pelsall woman wins Civic award

3. Future of Pelsall library4. Village pupils sing for Mayor

“I’d looked at hyperlocal sites and thought Pelsall would be the right fit as we residents

think of it as a real community.”

- Jayne Howarth

“We set up wv11.co.uk after a local school closed down and our save our school campaign was heavily censored because the forums we had to use were heavily biased.

“It was to give the community a place to discuss things that really mattered to them, that's why our facebook page is so successful.”

- Steph Jennings

1. Opening of Cosmo Pan restaurant2. Category tag: ‘Bentley Bridge’

3. Facebook rumours4. Gym opens

5. Resource page

What bloggers want...

Re-usable content...

RSS...

Open data...

Case study: Yammer

YAMMER

Yammer...

Case study: Walsall 24

Walsall 24

Aim: ‘It’s not just bins...’

Walsall 24

Walsall 24 • 18 Twitter accounts (4 specially created)

Walsall 24 • 18 Twitter accounts (4 specially created)

•22 People tweeting

Walsall 24 • 18 Twitter accounts (4 specially created)

•22 People tweeting•23 Supplying data

Walsall 24 • 18 Twitter accounts (4 specially created)

•22 People tweeting•23 Supplying data•For 24 hours

116,000

This is linked social...

Walsall 24 Conclusions:

Hyperlocal sites are not the enemy...

Walsall 24 Conclusions:

Hyperlocal sites are not the enemy...

Your website no longer has the monopoly...

Walsall 24 Conclusions:

Hyperlocal sites are not the enemy...

Your website no longer has the monopoly...

Linked social is the future...

Walsall 24 Conclusions:

Hyperlocal sites are not the enemy...

Your website no longer has the monopoly...

Linked social is the future...

It’s not if we use social media, it’s how...

Thank youAny questions?

Dan Sleesleed@walsall.gov.ukwww.danslee.wordpress.comTwitter: @danslee

Creative commons

• Smartphone: http://www.flickr.com/photos/proctoracademy/4449173378/sizes/o/in/photostream/

• Iphone: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3gstore/4744909311/sizes/l/in/photostream/

• Smiling man and woman • http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberuly/4742800632/sizes/l/in/photostream/

• All other pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danieldslee/