Social Media in Statistical Agencies

Social Media in Statistical Agencies A working paper prepared by the Social-Media Subgroup of the Sponsorship Group on Communication. Cecilia Westström, Statistics Sweden, cecilia.weststrom@scb.se Jason Bradbury, National Statistician's Office UK, jason.bradbury@statistics.gsi.gov.uk Armin Grossenbacher, Swiss Federal Statistical Office FSO, armin.grossenbacher@bfs.admin.ch Sibylle von Oppeln-Bronikowski, Destatis, sibylle.oppeln@destatis.de August 2011 Contents 1 Social Media a new and important playground in communicating 2 1.1 Categories of social media...2 1.2 Using social media...2 1.3 Some facts to be considered...2 1.4 Pro arguments and objectives in using social media...3 1.5 Objectives in using social media could be differentiated by user groups...3 1.6 Contra arguments and risks in using social media...3 1.7 Conclusion...4 2 Examples of use of social media in official statistics 4 2.1 Examples by media type...5 3 Guidelines 6 3.1 Define your Social Media Governance...6 3.2 Possible objectives and associated steps in engaging in social media:...6 3.3 Whatever approach you choose: prepare your communication strategy...7 3.4 Integrate social media with traditional communication...7 3.5 In short: some recommendations...7 4 And finally: Define your social media guidelines 8 4.1 Rules in elaborating guidelines...8 4.2 A Code of Practice for Staff Members (example Destatis)...9 1

Abstract This paper provides an initial insight into the topic of social media use by statistical agencies. It has two objectives: 1. To explain what social media is, what types of social media exist, what the opportunities and risks of using social media are, and how social media are currently being used by NSIs. 2. To support the use of social media: Outline the current thinking, what steps should be taken in assessing the need for, and the usefulness and effectiveness of, social media and establish what conditions and guidelines should be in place. 1 Social Media: A new and important means of communicating Social media involves the use of web-based technologies for the purpose of social interaction. Social media builds on the ideology of Web 2.0 by emphasising user-generated content. This definition of social media is broad, as the variety of types of social interaction and the number of available webbased technologies can be extensive. However, social media can best be categorised into 6 main categories; collaborative projects, blogs and microblogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual communities 1. Web technologies include blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing, and voice over Internet protocols. 1.1 Categories of social media Collaborative projects, e.g. Wikipedia, serve as an online database, allowing users to pool knowledge and information on particular topics to be viewed by other interested parties. Blogs and microblogs, e.g. WordPress or Twitter, are a type of website or part of a website maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, graphics or video. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. Content communities, e.g. YouTube or Flickr, Delicious, where users can upload, share, and view multimedia content such as videos, pictures, music or presentations. Social networking sites, e.g. Facebook or LinkedIn, are online services, platforms or sites that focus on building and reflecting social networks or social relations among people who share interests or activities. Virtual game worlds, e.g. World of Warcraft, are mulitplayer online role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world. Virtual communities, e.g. Second Life, often take the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with each other through avatars and can explore, meet others, socialise, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world. 1.2 Use of social media by statistical agencies Considering the use of social media by statistical agencies starts with the need to understanding the context of online behaviour, evolution of online media and the recognition that statistical users expect to be able to interact via such media. 1.3 Some facts to be considered Social media usage is growing rapidly 2,000 million people with web access worldwide and 750m active Facebook users. Social media are very present in mobile devices 1 Kaplan Andreas M., Haenlein Michael (2010) Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media, Business horizons, 53(1), 59-68. 2

More and more people are bound to social media platforms which become their entry point to online information and consume significant proportions of their available time So: Use of social media has to be taken very seriously in the dissemination and communication strategies of statistical agencies. 1.4 Pro arguments and objectives in using social media Social media helps reach and get in contact with more people. Social media helps find new customers and keep current ones. Social media provides a new way for users to find facts quickly. Social media challenges the traditional ways of searching and accessing information. In social media, many debates and exchanges of knowledge take place and opinions are formed. Social media allows quick and spontaneous reaction to issues raised in society. Participating in social media can help foster reputation and strengthen the brand of statistical agencies by increasing brand associations, increasing information availability and increasing the use and reputation of statistics in a positive way. 1.5 Objectives in using social media could be differentiated by user groups Target group: journalists and the general public Objective: Ensuring that the available statistics are used to the greatest extent possible in informing debate, decision-making and further research. Target group: upper secondary students, university students, interest groups and competitors Objective: Strengthen the picture of the statistical agency as an attractive employer and at the same time arouse interest in working with statistics. Target group: private individuals Objective: Strengthen long-term interest and understanding of the information, and why it is important (strengthening our brand). Target group: politicians and decision-makers, paying customers, researchers, statisticians, journalists Objective: Strengthen the position of the national statistical agency service as number one in the country when it comes to producing high quality statistics. For the different target groups specific guidelines have to be developed in order to take into account the particularities and needs of each target group. 1.6 Contra arguments and risks in using social media Social media is a hype that will disappear in a short time resulting in wasted investments. Social media can be a high risk place for discussing views, i.e. where the boundaries between social discussion of organisational policy can become blurred. The resources to support social media and to respond by routine to online criticism do not exist. The users we are working for will still and always visit our websites. Juridical aspects of what is the view of the organisation and of the individual. Security risks to internal organisational IT systems, e.g. viruses. 3

1.7 Conclusion Social media can be a very useful tool in the dissemination and discussion of official statistics, as it offers tailor-made solutions to reaching individuals interested in official data. However, its usefulness must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, as the usefulness of social media in the dissemination and discussion of official statistics will depend on the particular statistics being presented and the intended message of those statistics. Being clear over when to use social media and the boundaries for engagement, for the organisation and for individuals in representing their organisation, is essential. 2 Examples of use of social media in official statistics The use of social media by National Statistical Institutes has been developing quickly in recent years and will most certainly continue evolve in years to come. Providing examples of best practice is therefore risky as they will most likely be out of date within a couple of years. However, as a guide to help avoid early mistakes and give advice on whom to ask, a broad overview is attempted below. Social media has been used in a variety of forms to disseminate and raise the profile of official statistics. The Office for National Statistics (UK) is introducing YouTube videos discussing key statistical publications and explaining them to users vocally and visually to enhance understanding. The United Nations used various platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to raise the profile of World Statistics Day. There are various sources of best practice information: The survey conducted by the Finnish NSI on Eurostat s in September 2010 on the use of social media Notes from the UNECE meeting on communication in Paris 2010 and in Geneva 2011 Notes from the Dissemination Working Group in Luxembourg in October 2010 Business intelligence According to the Finnish survey social media is used as a tool for external communication by 61 per cent of the EU NSI. The most popular social media tool is Twitter, applied in more than one third of the organisations. Chats and wikis are used in every fifth organisation. YouTube, Facebook and organisation blogs are used only in 15 per cent of the organisations. The Finnish survey shows that social media are mainly used to distribute information, to promote the use of statistics and to increase statistical literacy. They are also quite commonly employed to reach new audiences and to improve user support, as well as to receive user feedback and for marketing. In most cases social media are seen as a tool for promoting and increasing the use of statistical information in society, and for reaching as wide audiences as possible. More interactive communication and engagement in social debate are often mentioned as the main reasons for applying social media, too. Promotion of the image of the NSI as a modern, dynamic organisation and a positive potential employer was also cited as one of the most important purposes for using social media. 4

2.1 Examples by media type Twitter Many NSI use Twitter and have considerable numbers of followers, for example the UK Office with almost 3 000 followers. Meanwhile, the US Census Bureau has used Twitter for the census communication. Australian Bureau of Statistics also uses Twitter for conferences arrangements. Apps (Apple ios, Android..) Statistics Netherlands started to test an app for the statistical database and it soon developed to be part of the official Appstore and has a high rank. Statistics Netherlands has published the Statistical Yearbook as an e- book for IPad. The format is e-pub. Statistics Sweden will do this, too, and Statistics Switzerland will publish its interactive Atlas on ipad. Augmented reality Statistics Netherlands has tested augmented reality so users can obtain demographical data via their mobile phone when walking around in the neighbourhood. Blog The Estonian Statistical Office uses a blog with ten editors including the Director General. Statstikaamet.wordpress.com US Census Bureau has a director s blog, with 500 000 page views in six months. Facebook The Estonian Statistical Office uses Facebook for press releases, including those from Eurostat and OECD. US Census Bureau has 95 000 fans on Facebook when the census communication was most important. Their experience was that buying advertisements were effective. YouTube US Census Bureau made 400 films for YouTube and the website. The focus was to reach different ethnic groups. The German 2011 Census has its own channel on YouTube, where the official TV- and cinema spot is available. Other NSIs (Spain, Switzerland) use YouTube channels to publish videos explaining official statistics and its mission. Flickr US Census Bureau has used Flickr for the census communication. Web chat The US Bureau of Labor Statistics arranged three web chats for the most used statistics. The first time they got 1 500 questions, but it sank to less than 200 the following two (same type of statistics). It was easy to start and the answers can be reused. They got many questions on statistical methods. To be successful in web chat it is important to have an experienced editor and to practice before the chat. It is labour intensive, but the employees working with this were positive. Slidecasting, Statistics Estonia used slidesharing to make people understand how to fill out forms in the census. 5

3 Guidelines It is clear that use of social media warrants very careful consideration by NSI, but needs careful planning and preparation. 3.1 Define your Social Media Governance The first step is to recognise that social media exist and are heavily used by a high proportion of the online population. Think about how you will decide when to use social media and the rules of engagement. In other words, be clear about: the objectives, the steps, the relevance of various social media platforms and the organisational aspects (resources, guidelines). 3.2 Possible objectives and associated steps in engaging in social media: 1. Raising awareness of available statistics 2. Actively follow social media discussion: observe, listen to and analyse the views of users and customers 3. Communicate/engage in dialogue with the users, customers and respondents 4. Reach potential co-workers Step 1: Basic. Make statistics available by sharing Share functions on websites implemented as icons help spread awareness of the different places people can access statistical information. This will make it easier for your customers to find, subscribe to and share your statistics. Step 2: Listen, observe and analyse Find out what users and customers think about your agency and your services by listening to what they say. Listening helps to generate input for improvements and changes and gives feedback about how our brand and services are communicated and experienced. Listening is complementary to other customer surveys and focus groups. Specialised search engines give you an insight into how you are presented on social media platforms. They are an important input into a social media dashboard which helps to: aggregate and present all feedback from social media in one place (social media newsroom), track, monitor and analyse reputation and keywords used, measure whether users view the institution in a positive or negative light, measure how much the institution is being talked about, identify leaders and influencers in debates on a particular topic area identify sites on which the institution is being talked about This information helps in deciding which social media platforms you will observe, where you will react and where you will actively interact. Some examples of Monitoring Tools: http://hootsuite.com http://www.socialmention.com http://buzzient.com Step 3: Communicating/engaging in dialogue Engaging in dialogue with people (media, the public) speaking to or about us and addressing the issues raised by them can influence trust in statistics. Explaining results can increase understanding of statistics. Respond to what is being said, show that we are listening and handle important issues. Talk with the network and spread the agency s brand. Actively participate. It is not a question of how many there are, but who they are and of what you have to communicate. It s important that users and 6

customers feel they can be of influence and that we care. Develop statistics with, not for our customers. Invite users to contribute to our development and improvements. Step 4: Reach potential partners and future employees Strengthen the picture of the agency as an attractive employer and at the same time arouse interest in working with statistics; a "statistically significant career". The target group here (upper secondary and university students) is active in social media. Depending on the objective the most appropriate platform will vary. Once the decision is taken on your approach the decision should be communicated, e.g. sharing opportunities (might be via icons on the website), microblogging (by Twitter), blogs, Facebook, Wiki(pedia), e-mails to users etc. 3.3 Whatever approach you choose: prepare your communication strategy If you do participate actively in social media: Define your communication strategy (goals, messages). Be focused on the topics users want to know about and the topics you want to tell them about (e.g. explaining census 2011). Target your activity where your users are, i.e. go to their meeting place It is also important to prepare crisis communication around each and every step. Crisis communication is a special kind of communication needed whenever an organisation faces a public challenge to its reputation. Rapidly formulating adequate lines to take is at the core of crisis communication. Furthermore, social media can be used as a communication tool in crisis situation of the NSI. For these cases, the NSI should develop a strategy for the use of social media, even if the NSI has not yet decided to use social media. 3.4 Integrate social media with traditional communication Social media monitoring, crisis communication and active messaging need resources, well defined structures and responsibilities (who are the potential writers?). Communicating within social media is not separated from all other communication activities. It s an extension of the traditional field of communication. Both should be integrated. 3.5 In short: some recommendations First steps Recruit or train web communication experts, internally or externally Analyse the national usage of the web Define purposes (your positioning in social media: awareness of your institution or/and awareness on specific topic): short and long term, Assure management support Choose the adequate platform Find the relevant meeting place: meet the target groups/users where they are Focus on user relevant content Start with a project: start small, plan up to the end Inform and educate the personnel Maintain internal transparency Respect the rules of data confidentiality (also for user contact data) Check adequate security standards ( e.g. no entrance for hackers) Continuous efforts Keep content fresh and immediate Provide a face for your institution or topic Maintain a sustainable service (human resources needed) Secure management support Monitor response continually (human resources needed, too) 7

4 And finally: Define your social media guidelines 4.1 Rules in elaborating guidelines According to your decisions on social media governance and responsibilities, Social media guidelines help the institution and the collaborators to act. It is important to make a clear distinction between the role of the organisation and the individuals. So prepare guidelines for your collaborators and prepare guidelines for your institution Some rules in elaborating Social Media Guidelines Keep guidelines short and simple Elaborate guidelines in your team, get feedback and foster acceptance Publish guidelines before you become active on social media platforms Explain why social media matter and why the institution should embrace it Define the internal target groups the guidelines are written for Define rules, procedures and resources for monitoring and speaking on behalf of the institution, recommendations for employees in the private use of social media, choice of language style, disclosure of public documents/records and archiving issues, management of offensive statements. Specify distinct rules for the various types of social media platform. Define contact persons for counsel, problem solving and instruction Identify and assess the demands that use of social media makes on the institution (function, technology, information, degree of openness, information security issues, legal requirements) Stress that the agency s code of conduct, data protection and legal prescriptions have to be respected Explain how important it is to be careful and responsible, because all posts on social media platforms remain accessible for years Communicate about problems with social media in an open and proactive manner Have a regular evaluation of social media activity Some examples of guidelines http://sm4good.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/red-cross-red-crescent-socialmedia- Guidelines.pdf http://www.delicious.com/osimod/guidelines Social Media Blogs, i.e.: http://www.socialmediatoday.com When the company is about to start being active in a social media platform, it is crucial to have guidelines for staff members for how to act. It is important that the guidelines for staff members are simple and straight forward, as this example from Destatis. 8

4.2 A Draft Code of Practice for Staff Members 1. Differentiate between private or corporate usage of the web. 2. Unless given permission you are not authorised to speak on behalf of the institution. Nor to represent that you do so. 3. Communicate openly about your identity. 4. You may not share information that is confidential and proprietary about the Institution. 5. Your institution logo and trademarks may not be used without explicit permission in writing from the institution. 6. Speak respectfully about the institution, employees, customers and partners. 7. Your institution encourages you to write knowledgeably, accurately (and using appropriate professionalism). 8. Recognise that you are legally liable for anything you write or present online. 9. Employees can be disciplined by the company for commentary, content or images that are defamatory, proprietary, harassing or create a hostile work environment. 10. Media contacts should be referred to the Public Relations department for guidance 9