Social media: new opportunities and challenges for FE college

communications

Tracy Playle MCIPRtracy@picklejarcommunications.com

A briefing for the Association of CollegesJuly 2009

A little about me ...

• 5 years working for University of Warwick, UK• 2 years as Head of Research-TV• Vice Chair CIPR* Education and Skills Group• Started my own company in 2007• Now spend my time:

a) ‘doing’ communications work (inc. Becta)b) helping others understand social media

*Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the professional bodyFor PR practitioners in the United Kingdom: www.cipr.org.uk

Today

What is social media and why is it important?

What does this mean for PR professionals in education?

How might digital media impact on press and media relations?

Meet your new best friend

Part 1

What is social media and why is it important?

What is social media?

What is social media?

Blogs

Online video

Podcasts

Social bookmarking

Social networks

WikisMicro-blogging

Forums

Slidecasts

Individuals in conversation with other individuals, online

What is social media?

“A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations.”

Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, Groundswell

How are communications changing?

We are moving from ...

... to ...

... interruptions are not welcomed

For education this means ...

• Information is everywhere• Information is free• Colleges and universities are no longer the only place to find ‘expertise’ and learning materials• ‘Partners’ in learning rather than providers of learning• Changes in teaching and learning methods (e-learning)• Demand for ‘personalised’ learning• Individuals want to communicate with individuals, not with organisations

Part 2

What does this mean for PR professionals working in

education?

The facts ...

• More popular than email• Fastest growing online sector

The facts ...

Facebook• 95 million accounts at beginning of 2009• Massive global growth 2008-09:• Italy: 2900 %• Spain: 600 %• France: 400 %• Switzerland: 400 %• Argentina: 2000 %• Indonedia: 600 %

Source: www.insidefacebook.com

The facts ...

• Most popular on YouTube: 122,000,000 views• 300,000,000 MySpace accounts• 14 billion comments on MySpace• Wikipedia: >10,000,000 articles• Wikipedia: >75,000 contributors• According to a survey in the UK, the term ‘social networking site’ was recognised more by parents than children, this means ...

Technology part of life for children

So, for you this means ...

Your audience is already there!

(and probably already talking about you)

New opportunities for ...

• Listening• Monitoring your reputation• Understanding your ‘customers’• Identifying PR opportunities• Communicating directly with individuals• Capturing positive feedback• Identifying an emerging crisis (or causing one!)• Getting your brand out there by yourself• Joining up with e-learning activities

How does it change our role?

• More ‘noise’ to listen to – need tools!• Different channels = different approaches• More ‘noise’ to cut through• Individuals want to speak with individuals• Intermediary instead of spokesperson• Need basic understanding of web development• Does the press release work in this world?• Reduced reliance on the journalist (?)

Part 3

How might this impact on press and media relations?

CIPR Education & Skills Group study

• Where are we now?• What do journalists want/use?• How do internal management structures impact on practice?• What does ‘good’ look like?• How can we make this happen?

The survey

• March – May 2009• 153 responses• 46% FE; 54% HE• Approx 1/3 press and media relations roles• 56% HE respondents write press releases• 94 % FE respondents write press releases• 79 % publish press releases online themselves• >60% adapt press releases for online use

Target audience for press release (FE)

Use of online media for press (FE)

• Same directorate: 73% in FE, 84% HE

PR and web in same directorate

PR and web in different directorate

• Personal use = greater professional use• ‘We plan to do this but ...’• ‘Journalists prefer telephone’• Social media can be a distraction and create too much work• Social media is forcing us to move faster• Social media is doing away with mainstream journalism• Barriers to use of social media:• technical (blocking)• skills• resource (time/staff)• don’t think journalists want this approach• can’t keep up with pace of change• management lack of understanding• management structures• IT department is ‘all powerful’

In conversation ...

Video clip came from YouTube

Social media to source stories ...

Photo appeared in Guardian and on iPlayer

Social media to source stories ...

Rory Cellan-Jones, BBCDigital Britain conference in AprilHe ‘tweets’ ...

Social media to reach journos?

Joanna Geary, The TimesShares the order in which she checks everything in the morning ...

Social media to reach journos?

Thank you - questions?

Tracy Playle BA MA DipCIPR MCIPRtracy@picklejarcommunications.com

@picklejarwww.picklejarcommunications.com