A quick presentation on the challenges that social media still presents for corporate comms teams in 2017

1. Is social media really the new normal,
in corporate communications?
Tim Lloyd
@timolloyd

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My background
 Director, Helpful Technology
 Head of digital,
UK Department of Health
 Head of digital,
UK Department for Business
 Former journalist

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What we’re covering today
 What should good online
corporate communications look
like?
 The challenge faced by teams
 Characteristics of good digital
corporate communications
teams
 Making the case for better digital
communications

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Why should you be interested in this?
 Our insight from projects with 24
different organisations around
the world
 Public, private and third sector
 The changing way we use the
web

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Brexit reveals the filter
bubble

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Digital for corporate
communications

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Marketing:
Big budgets
Big numbers
‘social media command
centre’

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Internal comms:
Save budget
Say more
‘collaborate’

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Corporate comms:
Press office,
shareholder or
stakeholder comms

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The team who tell
people ‘why’ an
organisation does
something, not just
‘what’ they’re doing

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The challenge for social media in corporate
communications
 Corporate comms, marketing
and other functions exist
in silos
 Skills aren’t shared

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‘We need social media specialists’

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Held back by lack of personal confidence
 Management teams are of an
age where career skills
development has flat lined
 Exposure to new channels and
technology is low

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The challenge for social media in corporate
communications

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Media have set the pace

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No-one takes ownership of customer service

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It’s not all bad

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National Crime Agency leader online

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Customer service from KLM

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Air Accident Branch clarifying facts

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What should online
corporate communications
look like?

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The team who tell
people ‘why’ an
organisation does
something, not just
‘how’ talk to people

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Why bother?
 Accountability
 Explaining and countering
misinformation
 In the case of the public sector
and charities, because we
contribute
 Save money on calls and
processing complaints
 The precedent has been set by
others (transport)

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Not marketing?
Then it’s often
overlooked

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Vauxhall forgot to listen online
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AirAsia perfect mix of marketing and customer
service
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TSA communicate policy
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Characteristics of great social teams
 Their leaders are online
 They’ve invested in customer
service
 Staff have a shared
understanding of sound
evaluation

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They work directly with their audience

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They earn a place in your timeline

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Caveat: none of the
above is a substitute
for fixing broken
services

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How are we evaluating the effectiveness of
corporate communications?
 Re-use of their digital content in
the places that matter online
 Outcomes rather than outtakes
– evidence that people have
understood their message
 For example: comments,
responses, participation in
an event

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Think about how organisations use social media
 Search for them on social media –
are the experts there too?
 How easy is is to find information
on social about why a company
does what it does?
 Who is advertising to you, and who
is actually involved in the
conversations you’re seeing
online?
 Be curious. Turn off ad-blocking,
follow some different brands,
companies on Facebook

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Questions?
@timolloyd