Simon Hughes Assistant Chief Executive Social Media.

Simon HughesAssistant Chief Executive

Social Media

Some context

• Superfast broadband roll out

• Increased use of web– Mobile – Websites (415,007 visits to

www.wealden.gov.uk in the last four weeks)– Demographics – for example 8% of 143

million social networking users are over 55 in 2011 so far

Estimates for East Sussex

Internet take up 73% - 359,369 people

Total broadband take-up 71% - 349,550 people

Social networking site take up

40% - 196,929 people

Use of mobile phone for web/data access

23% - 113,234 people

What is social media?

What is social media?

Perhaps more helpful?

• A set of technologies and ways of communicating that enable the creation and exchange of user-generated content

• Involves “the people formerly known as the audience”

• Shifts from broadcast (one-to-many) to conversation mode (many-to-many) and back again!

Social Networking

Why could Social Media be helpful?

The research questions

• What level of online civic activity is currently visible in East Sussex?

• How does this activity break down, in terms of content and type of site?

• Who are the significant content creators?

What were they looking for?

Category Intent

Informal social I use social media in order to socialise with my friends and family – I just want to keep in touch with people

Informal civic I use social media in order to connect to my local community and to talk about issues that I think are important to us

Formal civic I use social media to make sure that the views of my community are considered by decision makers and

are part of the final decision. I want to influence things

Formal democratic I want to be part of setting the agenda for my community – I want to change things

What has the research told us?

• a significant amount of online activity clustering around a number of different localities – in total 215 individual sites.

• enough activity to assume we will see steady growth of adoption and a viable channel to work with the public on civic issues.

• a link between active websites and quality parishes• number of localities where there is minimal activity –

these could benefit from a programme of social media surgeries

Category Search terms (examples only)

Older people Elderly, OAP, over-65s (80s, 90s), pensioners, carers.

Traffic / transport / roads

Gritting, potholes, link roads, safer roads, speeding, drink-driving, crashes.

Rural Vandalism, graffiti, plant theft, Gypsy, traveller, broadband, lamping.

Health Hospital, care, GP, doctors, maternity, wards, hospital beds.

Cuts Libraries, vulnerable / disabled children, slash, closure.

Place Any site that has been found as a result of place only searching.

What were people talking about?

What are people talking on?

Recommendations

• Introduction of agreed hashtags (#) to address service issues.

• trial marketing and public information messaging via networks using the environmental communities of interest (escc

• what proactive work could be done with an online community in advance of a major event e.g. riots/civil disturbance

• opportunity to work more closely with parish and town councils;– a programme of social media surgeries could

look to offer these sites training?