School communications Iain Luxford, Media & Marketing Manager, ESCC 6 th November 2019 What we will cover: • First steps - what you need to do • Review - communications audit • Look ahead - communications strategy • Using and managing social media • Media handling
1. Which was the first social media site, launched 1999? 2. When was Facebook launched? 3. What percentage of retail brands use social media? 4. In East Sussex how many people use the internet routinely? 5. How many are regular users of Facebook? 6. What do people use most to access the internet: laptop, tablet or phone? 7. How many readers does the Eastbourne Herald have? 8. Which is more popular BBC Sussex or Heart FM? 9. What percentage of people trust journalists to tell the truth? 10. Which was the only profession to score lower? 1. Friends Reunited 2. 2004 (now has 1.4billion members) 3. 91 per cent 4. 94 per cent 5. 69 per cent (was 42 per cent in 2014) 6. 66%, 74%, 82% 7. 48,755 print and 34,399 online readers 8. 262,000 v 358,000 9. 27% - same as estate agents 10.politicians
The simple secret to good comms What are we wanting to say? (Message) To whom? (Audience) What’s the best way of reaching them? (Channels) What do we want them to do as a result? (Objectives) How will we measure that? (Evaluation)
• Efficient admin • Accountability • Profile and reputation • Ofsted • Inform (and satisfy) • Request action • Persuade • Ensure understanding • Reassure • Build a community
What you need to do Audit your existing comms and channels • Establish a Communications Strategy • Establish ownership and responsibility • Involve your audience • Have a content plan • Review your skills • Consider ESCC Comms support •
Communications Audit • Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats • What channels are being used? • How effective is the planning and delivery? • Is ownership/responsibility clear? • How is effectiveness being measured? • Do you have the right skills? • How have parents been involved? • Are pupils involved?
• Set out your objectives • Identify your audiences • Be clear on messaging • Identify your channels • Establish clear ownership • Anticipate and mitigate risks • Consider Out-of-hours • What happens in a crisis • Be clear on budget • Evaluation and Review • External support
Communications protocol – ownership • Who is responsible for communications? • Who will plan content? • Who will monitor social media? • Who is the media’s point of contact? • Do you know your local media? • Do you know your local reporter? • Do they know how to contact you? • Who will give interviews? • Who will approve quotes or statements? • What happens Out-of-hours?
ESCC Communications Team • One off adhoc media handling advice and support • S2S Comms Helpdesk – routine advice re comms including media and managing social media • S2S Comms Helpdesk Plus – introductory training workshop on media handling and/or social media • S2S Complete Comms – detailed training courses on media handling, social media, communications audit and recommendations • Occasional training courses with SLES
Why use social media? • Revolutionising how communities engage • It’s where conversations are happening • Time saving – reaching large number of people • Audience expectations • Improving real conversational engagement • Crisis communications • Drive traffic to your website • It can be controlled
East Sussex - 2017 • 94% of residents use the internet • 69% use Facebook (42% in 2014) • 36% use Twitter (13% in 2014) • 71% use YouTube (31% in 2014) • 32% use Instagram • 24% use Snapchat • 24% use Pinterest • 20% use LinkedIn
Social media – consider… • Using social media to improve engagement with parents • Knowing how to set up and manage a Facebook page • The difference between Facebook “pages” and “groups” • Effective working with parents’ “groups” on Facebook • The difference between Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram • Planning effective content • Linking with your website • Setting social media expectations • Ownership and skills • The law
Working with a parents’ group • Accept – it is happening • Accept – it will mostly be a positive thing • Accept – negative is not new, just another channel • Accept – moaners will always be moaners • Accept – see it as an opportunity • ENGAGE – KNOW THE ADMIN! • Engage - ask to work together • Engage - school rep in group to answer any questions • Engage - challenge incorrect information • Engage - ask for opportunity to clarify • Engage – take difficult conversations off-line • Engage - ask admin to be aware of the law and manage content • Engage - ask admin to be aware of rules re photographs • Take control - set up an official school page!
The role of the group admin: Manage content • • Add or remove page roles • Approve group membership • Remove and block people • Set group expectations and guidelines • Approve or deny posts • Delete comments and posts • Ensure the law is applied
The protection of the… Defamation Act – libelling someone. Protection from Harassment Act – threatening or grossly offensive Communications Act 2003 – making "menacing electronic communication" Contempt of Court – anything part of a criminal process, identification of victims, offenders etc Malicious Communications Act 1988 - making "grossly offensive" comments Hate crime: racially and religiously aggravated, homophobic, biphobic and transphobic; and disability hate crime.(Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003). European Convention on Human Rights, and UK Human Rights Act – protect individual privacy Cyber bullying, revenge porn, trolling and virtual mobbing are new phrases in our media vocabulary, but they generally describe behaviour that is already criminal.
“There is case law to the effect that an administrator can be held liable for defamatory content and that they have an obligation to remove content which is defamatory or discriminatory. The administrator of a private Facebook group would be well advised to keep a very close eye on the content published there.” “In law, moderators can be held liable for any statement that appears to be defamatory because forum members are “Naming and shaming is deemed to be 'authors' within particularly risky - it can infringe on the meaning of the Defamation someone’s right to privacy, can Act.” amount to harassment and can amount to defamation. It has become a favourite past time on social media and it is ill advised”
Med Media ia Han Handling dling
86,000 listeners 358,000 listeners 262,000 listeners 48,755 print and 34,399 32,105 print and 214,576 online readers online readers 22,888 print and 9,063 online readers 65,257 print and 67,279 readers 28,045 online readers
Media handling… Reactive Proactive • Explanation • Profile • Clarification • Reputation • Responsibility • Parental choice • Reassurance • Recruitment • Rebuttal • Pupil morale eastsussex.gov.uk
REAL media issues • Wrong medicine given to pupil • Two pupils go missing • Unpopular uniform change • Behaviour out of control • School trip trapped by terrorist incident • Teacher abducts pupil • Bad Ofsted • Staff member arrested • Drugs found in the playground • Threats made to shoot schoolchildren • Staff member has secret moonlighting job • School criticised for snow closure • Headteacher’s posts on social media • Pupil commits suicide • Head teacher arrested
Essential media handling skills… • Writing press releases to get media coverage • Getting your messaging spot on • Writing effective response statements • Building a relationship with your local media • Knowing what you can expect from a journalist • Knowing when to give interviews • Knowing what you can and can’t say • Judging tone and language • Giving media interviews • Media monitoring • Knowing what success looks like with media handling
Conclusions… A+ A+ • Audit your comms • Have a comms strategy • Be clear on ownership • Establish your channels • Plan your content • Remember your audiences • Be clear and consistent with messaging • Develop the skills • Know your media • Know what success looks like
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