Understanding e campaigning

Understanding e-Campaigning
Why
social organisations
get more
social change
from
social media

Where we’re coming from...
There are 4 of us: Paul, Sally, Rosemary and Liam
We have backgrounds in youth work, social media, volunteering, local government, grant funding, facilitation, campaigning, policy work, user involvement, community development, disability rights, training, The Compact...
We have an approach, rather than a discipline:
“We help organisations to be more like people.”

Our greatest (e-campaigning) fears!
Reputation/Professionalism
Control of message
Audience appropriateness
Return On Investment

Our greatest fears, debunked!1. Reputation/Professionalism
People are talking about you anyway...
If criticism is happening on your site, you can not only debunk it, but make it a positive!
‘Professionalism’ can still be informal
Ignoring people is the worst thing you can do for your image/perception

“Most customers that complain online do NOT want to ‘hurt’ your company. They just want you to listen to them, and help them with their problem. If you’ll do that, you’ll often flip a detractor into an evangelist.”
- Mack Collier, ‘Think Negative Comments/Reviews Online Hurt Your Company? Guess Again’

Our greatest fears, debunked!2. Control of message
‘If a bank robber was caught wearing your t-shirt, would you blame the t-shirt?’
MyBarackObama.com – 95%-98% of user commentary was positive... other 2%-5% was ‘policed’ by the online community
You often have more control online, than if you put hard copies of a letter/statement into the public domain (via admin controls)

Our greatest fears, debunked!3. Audience appropriateness
85% of the UK is online
64% have a social network profile
There are over 500 million Facebook users
Avg. monthly social network time: 6h7m54s
37% of all Facebook users are 35+ (19% 45+)
...It’s not universal, but it’s changing VERY fast!

Our greatest fears, debunked!4. Return On Investment
This is still very hard to track (beyond technical numbers)
Greenpeace’ GreenMyApple:
50,000 letters to Steve Jobs, Apple CEO
10,000 newsletter sign-ups
4000+ blogs about the campaign
Apple corporate policy change
Social networking is networking, but online...
If you wait for proven ROI to use social media, others may assume the worst while you’re not…
‘Twenty Pound Notes’ Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

Do you have a GOOD experience of social media?
Kept you in touch with an old mate?
Learned something new?
Shared something valuable with others?
Made new connections?

Is yours a ‘social organisation’?
Conversational communications
Trust in individual autonomy
Collective expertise
Risk embrace

How is a ‘social organisation’ different from a traditional organisation?Broadcast vs Conversation
Conversation
Multi-directional
Many perspectives
Open
Informal
Erratic
Broadcast
One-way
Single perspective
Controlled
Formal
Consistent
‘Tin can phone’ Image Creative Commons Kit Cowan (K!T on Flickr)

How is a ‘social organisation’ different from a traditional organisation?Control vs Autonomy
Control
‘Father knows best’
Strict hierarchy
Secrecy
Compliance
Autonomy
We are all leaders
Loose network
Openness
Trust

How is a ‘social organisation’ different from a traditional organisation?Individual experts vs Collective expertise
Individual Experts
Experience=Ability
Specialisation
Top-down
Expensive
Exclusive
Collective Expertise
Perspective=Ability
Generalisation
‘In-the-mix’
Costs varied
Inclusive

How is a ‘social organisation’ different from a traditional organisation?Risk management vs Risk embrace
Risk Management
Risk=negative
Cautious
Efficient
Reactive
Consistent
Risk Embrace
Risk=positive
Uncertain
Messy
Proactive
Innovative

How social is your organisation?
Practices two-way, conversational communications, inside and outside its walls?
Supports autonomousleadership to emerge from all levels?
Encourages broad, open, equal involvement in organisational decisions?
Trusts staff totake risks and try new ways of campaigning (without reprisal)?

Q: What does this have to do with social media?
A: Social media does this stuff already – our organisations can learn from it!

democracy, people + ‘web 2.0’
... now we talk to each other to get information

...Or put another way...
David Wilcox’s models...
Image can be found at: http://socialreporter.com/?p=1037

why are campaigners using new technology?
to reach greater numbers
e.g. – MySociety, MPs expenses vote
to involve your supporters
e.g. – Greenpeace, GreenMyApple
to engage a younger audience
e.g. – The Scouts Association, Rain Tax Campaign
to save money
e.g. – BullyingUK
to increase speed of communication
e.g. – Avaaz.org / MoveOn.org / 38Degrees.org.uk

common pitfalls of online campaigns
The ‘If you build it, they will come’ philosophy
Using tools as an ‘add-on’, not as part of a broader strategy
Not understanding supporters’ or targets’ relationship with technology
Disconnect from other campaign activities
Treating social media like a megaphone

tips for new ‘e-campaigners’
Build a strong database
Brief, focussed communication
Make it personal
Coordinate online and ‘offline’ activism
Don’t obsess over the numbers!
Treat it like a good conversation
Image Creative Commons used courtesy of thoth92 on Flickr

What makes a good conversation?
Honesty
Emotion
Opinion
...And talking a fair share of bollocks!

Trust
It’s okay to make mistakes
You’ve been hired/you hired them to do a job
Things are too fast for traditional sign-offs
Photo by Joe Nangle via Flickr

Good relationships are good for business!
The Networking Principle:
‘We may not know exactly how or when our new connections will be useful, but we understand and cherish the value they provide to our work.’
Q: ...Should this be exclusive to senior management, or should the connections, like the skills and experiences generally, of all staff be seen this way?

Case Study:‘Top’-of-the-Sector Tweeters
Peter Wanless, CEO, Big Lottery Fund
Toby Blume, CEO, Urban Forum
Karl Wilding, Head of Research, NCVO
Gloria Charles, CEO, Kids First
Starring...

Case StudyPeter Wanless, CEO, Big Lottery Fund

Case StudyToby Blume, CEO, Urban Forum

Case StudyKarl Wilding, Head of Research, NCVO

Case StudyGloria Charles, CEO, Kids First

Case Study:An organic culture shift...
Step 1: A few staff Tweet, managers clamp-down, punishments doled-out.
Step 2: Tweeting continues – underground – and gradually expands amongst staff.
Step 3: A more influential (w/ CEO) staff inc. Twitter @ big event. Press coverage ensues.
Step 4: CEO tells EVERYONE to Tweet! Most ignore. Some set-up accounts, then ignore.
Step 5: A healthier balance is struck...

Discussion:How can we share these ideas within our organisations?
What’s the role of the ‘top’ in a structure without a ‘top’ and ‘bottom’?
Do you need the technology to initiate the culture shift?
What can you personally change?
What would get your boss on Twitter?

Jenga!
Every block is a block to your campaign utilising social media better
Before you remove it, you have to identify the block and suggest an alternative approach
You can’t remove blocks from the top
You want a slimmer tower, not a collapsed one!

Your homework!
Join Twitter (if you haven’t already)
Find everyone else from the workshop
Share what you’ve learned via Twitter
Use the ‘hashtag’ #ConcreteSolutions
Image Creative Commons used courtesy of apdk on Flickr

Feedback: Your 3 ‘Somethings’ for us
Something I liked
Something I would change
Something I’ll do differently as a result

Thanks for being social!
Liam Barrington-Bush
email: liam@concretesolutions.org.uk
web: www.concretesolutions.org.uk
twitter: @hackofalltrades
mobile: +44 (0) 7775732383

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Understanding e campaigning

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