Spring is almost here (😶🌫️well that’s if the weather makes its mind up!). Speaking of new beginnings, with the new financial year underway, it’s a great time for public sector organisations to evaluate their social media strategies and find ways to strengthen their narrative. In today’s digital age, social media has become an indispensable tool for public sector communications, with almost all UK local authorities, healthcare and bluelight services having at least one Twitter and Facebook account now. The argument over whether to use social media has long since passed, and leveraging it effectively is now the area of concern. Social media can help almost all organisations to engage with their communities to build trust and communicate their message more effectively.
So, whether you’re wearing your wellies or sandals, let’s talk about how you can strengthen your narrative through social media for strategic communications within the public sector.
Know your people, define your audience 🧑🤝🧑
Social media has opened up new channels of communication, providing unprecedented access and a wealth of opportunities to connect with people in a more authentic and personal way. And with limited resources and ever-increasing demands, social media can be a powerful tool for public sector organisations to communicate effectively with citizens and reach a wider audience.
Sooo 👀, to strengthen your narrative, you need to know your audience, right? You need to start thinking about the key personas you need to engage with and ask yourself, what are their interests, values, and concerns? After all, understanding your audience is critical to creating messaging that resonates with them. Luckily, you can use social media analytics to identify the demographics, interests, and engagement patterns of your followers and then use this information to tailor your messaging and content to their needs!
Develop a clear and consistent message 📢
Your messaging should be clear, concise, and consistent across all social media channels. The balance is slightly different for us all, depending upon your organisation and the number of accounts you manage, however, developing key messages that align with your organisation’s mission, vision, and values is essential. Use these messages to communicate with your audience and reinforce your organisation’s identity. To establish how this should look for your organisation, start by running an audit across your channels to find out who is engaging with your content, when and how, as well as analysing which posts are resonating most with your audience,
Cheat code: Run polls on your social channels to capture your followers’ opinions. Once you’ve captured their thoughts, you can also use social media scheduling tools to plan your content and ensure your messaging is consistent across all platforms.
Leverage storytelling 👂
Tell your story…
Storytelling is a form of art that engages one and all, and if you can tap into people’s emotions as you tell your organisation’s story, you’re one step closer to attracting your audience’s attention. Storytelling is a powerful way to engage your audience and strengthen your narrative, and your social channels provide a great platform to share stories about your organisation’s impact and achievements, as well as answer queries and tackle challenges.
Cheat code: Share stories that illustrate the human side of your organisation and its work. Use visuals and various forms of media to enhance your storytelling and make it more engaging.
Don’t forget about them, engage with your audience 👀
As we all know, a big part of communication is active listening! Your social media channels should offer an opportunity for two-way communication to take place. Engage with your communities and build those relationships by keeping a finger on the pulse of community conversations. First things first, community management is a must! Be a part of the conversation by responding promptly to comments, questions, and feedback, and offering opportunities for engagement by utilising tools such as those built in polls, surveys, and other interactive features to solicit interaction from your audience. The insight and feedback from your community will help you improve your messaging and content instantly.
Social Media Manager Richard from Yorkshire Building Society said that “Orlo is at the heart of our social media strategy, providing the functionality to publish and analyse content, monitor mentions and engage with customers in one place. This holistic view helps us meet our regulatory responsibilities and maintain control by ensuring that a diverse range of colleagues can work on the parts of our social media portfolio that are relevant to their role. Orlo’s commitment to customer support and product development means the platform is continually evolving to meet our needs in the fast-moving world of social media.
Want to take things to the next level? Maybe it’s time to start thinking about employing social listening. A clever tool to help listen for mentions and keywords across social media and beyond, you’ll be able to spot the conversations you want to be a part of so you never miss a thing.
Wrap it up🌯
So there we have it, some pointers to help you get ready to spruce up your approach and strengthen your narrative. So, go forth and get to know your audience, develop a clear and consistent message, leverage storytelling, and engage with your audience! Need a little help from the experts? We’ve got your back and together we can maximise your narrative, build trust and get the best out of your social efforts! Find out more by booking a call with us today!
