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Guide

Build a business case for a social media management platform

Need to write a business case to get a social media management platform into your organisation, but just can’t find the words to say? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve highlighted the important sections over there in the nav on the right, but we’ve split it down into different sections that we think might prove useful to you! Kicking things off with why social media management is important, and uses for social media within your industry, a little bit about Orlo, a breakdown of the Orlo platform features and key benefits, and (most importantly in our opinion) why you should choose Orlo.

Find some ideas below of what arguments and supporting evidence to include in your business case. Of course, you might have more to include or some sections might not apply to you, however feel free use this template as a solid starting point for you to build from. For an editable version of this template, fill in the form at the bottom of the page and we’ll sort you out.

Why social media management is important

Social media is an effective tool for us to reach our citizens/tenants/residents/customers. We use it for different purposes, including campaigns, important announcements, and crisis communications, as well as interacting with the general public and responding to queries they have.

It has recently been reported that 84% of the adult population use social media, rising to 94% amongst 16-17 year olds, meaning that we can use social media to reach demographics that we haven’t previously and get a wider range of feedback and input on our initiatives. The average daily time spent on social media by a UK adult is 108 minutes.

Social media allows us to increase communication and citizen/resident/tenant/customer engagement, build trust in our local area, and collaborate on initiatives with other organisations when required.

Social media management entails the process of planning, creating, and scheduling regular content for social media channels that appeals to and informs our citizens. This can be a rather cumbersome and time consuming task, especially when dealing with several different channels simultaneously, when we have reduced resource in the team, and are working to strict deadlines. Managing our social media channels with a single platform would streamline this process, therefore I would like to suggest that we invest in Orlo as our social media management platform to do this and improve overall efficiency of the team.

A holistic view of content going out to service users will improve our resilience to staff changes and restructures, once again improving efficiency.

Furthermore, Orlo has security controls and a multi-tier approval process built into the platform. This means that unauthorised content will not go live without approval from [PERSON], and ensures we are sticking to the planned content strategy and schedule. The approval process provides additional assurance that each dedicated social media manager is working only with the channel that they have been assigned and they are unable to access other pages, in line with internal information governance.

Content is scored in-platform per user based on the quality of the content, meaning if we need to undergo further training to ensure our content is fit for purpose and so we are performing to the accepted standard, this can be arranged.

Sector Selector

Local Government

Using social media allows us to:

  • Promote current or future initiatives to a wider audience than through offline communication methods, reaching demographics we might not usually.
  • Directly engage with our citizens, local businesses, and community groups, creating a clear and direct line of communication that is often quicker and therefore more efficient.
  • Effectively manage communication with MPs as we will have oversight of their planned and live content, minimising the risk of reputational damage.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools so that we are more informed about any issues that our organisation, partner authorities, or citizens may be facing and respond accordingly.
  • Receive direct feedback on our services and improve or adjust if required.
  • Build a sense of trust and community in our local area through transparent communications.
  • Issue crisis communications quickly and efficiently to a variety of audiences.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.

Central Government

Using social media allows us to:

  • Bridge the gap between Central Government and the general public.
  • Get insights on public feeling to inform Government decisions and public policy.
  • Promote current or future initiatives to a wider audience than through offline communication methods, reaching demographics we might not usually.
  • Directly engage with our citizens, businesses, and community groups, creating a clear and direct line of communication that is often quicker and therefore more efficient.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools so that we are more informed about any issues that our organisation, partner authorities, or citizens may be facing and respond accordingly.
  • Receive direct feedback on our services and improve or adjust if required.
  • Build trust with citizens through transparent communications.
  • Issue crisis communications quickly and efficiently to a variety of audiences.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.

Housing Associations

Using social media allows us to:

  • Be proactive in our customer service strategy. Using social media to provide customer service is akin to telephone communication – having another method of contact would reduce call volumes and alleviate workload for current telephone agents and improve our approachability as an organisation.
  • Have a quick and direct line of communication with tenants to report any issues the second they arise, and respond accordingly.
  • Benefit from improved tenant satisfaction by being able to respond to and action queries and issues promptly.
  • Bridge the gap and reach demographics that we haven’t previously. Different generations have different preferred methods of communication – by using social media we have access to an alternative subset of the population to gather feedback and insights meaning we can adapt our service to be suitable for a wider audience.
  • Build a sense of community amongst residents and improve community engagement.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools so that we are more informed about how our tenants feel about our service, positive or negative feedback, or other relevant topics, and take appropriate action in a timely manner.
  • Issue crisis communications quickly and efficiently.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, tenant portals, and apps, to encourage tenants to self-serve and demonstrate technology ROI.

Charities & Not-For-Profits

Using social media allows us to:

  • Promote our values and increase awareness of the work we are currently doing, and any other future initiatives.
  • Raise awareness of our cause to a wider audience and demographics we may not have previously reached, and therefore more funding/donations.
  • Better engage our beneficiaries by creating a clear line of communication and keeping them informed through our updates.
  • Build better relationships with donors by being able to respond directly and promptly to any queries.
  • Promote our events to increase uptake and therefore donations.
  • Demonstrate the positive impact of the work we do, and potentially inspire social action.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.

Higher Education

Using social media allows us to:

  • Boost awareness of the institution and improve student recruitment and retention.
  • Drive enrolment and applications to the institution.
  • Engage prospective and current domestic and international students, alumni, and the wider community.
  • Build a sense of community amongst staff and students.
  • Strengthen student and staff networks.
  • Issue important updates quickly and efficiently as required.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools so that we are more informed about how students (prospective or current) feel about the institution, positive or negative feedback, or other relevant topics, and take appropriate action in a timely manner.
  • Have a direct line of communication on various channels to simplify the contact we have with students and improve their wellbeing.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.
  • Use the competitor analysis feature to have an overview and awareness of activities other institutions are doing for recruitment campaigns, potentially driving our own recruitment strategy.

Healthcare

Using social media allows us to:

  • Promote current or future initiatives to a wider audience than through offline communication methods, reaching demographics we might not usually.
  • Broadcast important announcements, health promotion campaigns, and matters of public interest quickly and efficiently to a wide audience.
  • Improve the overall speed and effectiveness of communicating messages to patients.
  • Provide updates on activities and initiatives such as campaigns, clinics, and job openings to drive engagement and recruitment.
  • Bridge the gap between [ORGANISATION] and the general public.
  • Raise awareness and the profile of general practice and [ORGANISATION] by developing a virtual presence in the local community.
  • Take advantage of targeting tools to send specific and relevant information to certain patient demographics.
  • Build relationships, trust, and engagement in the local community.
  • Create a clear and direct line of communication between ourselves and patients, streamlining current processes.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools so that we are more informed about how patients feel about our services, positive or negative feedback, so that we can take appropriate action.
  • Improve patient engagement through health and policy discussions, and adapt where required.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.

Policing

Using social media allows us to:

  • Promote current or future initiatives to a wider audience than through offline communication methods, reaching demographics we might not usually.
  • Connect and build relationships with citizens and local communities.
  • Use social media networks to assist in intelligence gathering and get support on campaigns when required.
  • Establish dialogue with citizens, opening up a quick, clear, and direct line of communication to build a sense of community.
  • Build trust and confidence in the force through transparent communications.
  • Demonstrate accountability and responsibility, especially when receiving positive or negative feedback about the service, and respond accordingly.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools to be better informed on general feeling of the work we’re doing.
  • Post crisis communications quickly and efficiently.
  • Target demographics we may not have previously reached, and use targeting features to send relevant information to specific groups.
  • Improve intelligence and investigation by using information on social media to build evidence and support casework.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.

Fire & Rescue

Using social media allows us to:

  • Educate citizens about when to use the fire service and the work we do.
  • Educate citizens about important topics such as fire prevention, what to do in an emergency, and other public service campaigns when required.
  • Broadcast crisis communications and disaster management announcements quickly and efficiently.
  • Showcase the successes we’ve had, creating positive feelings amongst the community.
  • Create a clear and direct line of communication between ourselves and the general public.
  • Take advantage of social listening features to improve our services where required, and respond to positive or negative feedback promptly.
  • Broadcast public appeals for information to a wide audience, reaching demographics we may not have previously.
  • Showcase organisational culture for recruitment campaigns and to be transparent with audiences, therefore building trust.
  • Drive traffic to our corporate website, depending on our goals and conversions.

Travel & Transport

Using social media allows us to:

  • Create a clear and direct line of communication between ourselves and customers, simplifying the customer service process.
  • Improve the speed at which we respond to customer queries to improve customer satisfaction.
  • Issue live updates about service status.
  • Take advantage of social listening tools to gather both positive and negative feedback to make improvements to our service as required.
  • Create a clear and direct line of communication between ourselves and customers, simplifying the customer service process.
  • Create a clear and direct line of communication between ourselves and customers, simplifying the customer service process.

About Orlo

Orlo is a community engagement platform that is designed for the public sector, and strives to connect organisations with the communities they serve via digital channels.

  • Core sector focus for Orlo includes: Local Government, Central Government, Housing Associations, Charities & Not-for-profits, Higher Education, Healthcare, Policing, Fire & Rescue, Travel & Transport.
  • Orlo is passionate about creating stronger and more resilient communities, and building trust in communities through brilliant conversations.
  • Orlo is a secure platform trusted by over 100 of the nations councils and 3/4 of UK policing with all servers being held in the UK.
  • Orlo has three key aims at its core: improve experience, increase engagement, build trust.

Orlo’s Commitment to Information security

With the threat landscape constantly evolving, and cyber security a prominent risk for organisations, Orlo has taken appropriate steps towards securing the Orlo platform and their business. They are ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certified, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to cyber security to customers and other stakeholders.

Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed and industry-supported scheme that helps businesses protect themselves against the growing threat of cyber attacks and provides a clear statement of the basic controls organisations should have in place to protect themselves. Developed and operated by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Cyber Essentials is considered the best first step to a more secure network.

Cyber Essentials Plus is the highest level of certification offered under the Cyber Essentials scheme. It is a more rigorous test of an organisation’s cyber security systems where external cyber security experts carry out vulnerability tests to make sure that the organisation is protected against basic hacking and phishing attacks.

ISO 27001 is an information security standard created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which provides a framework and guidelines for establishing, implementing and managing an information security management system (ISMS).

The ISO 27001 standard aims to secure people, processes and technology via three main cornerstones: confidentiality, integrity and availability (commonly referred to as the CIA triad).

ISO27001 Certified organisations demonstrate that they take information security extremely seriously and have a structured approach towards planning, implementing and maintaining ISMS. The certification serves as a seal of approval (or proof) that an independent third-party certified body is routinely assessing the security posture of the business and finds it to be effective.

UK Public Sector Organisations prefer that all data collected about them or on their behalf by suppliers should be held in the UK to comply with GDPR. UK organisations should not, as recommended by the UK Government, allow for Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to be held outside the UK where the same data security and protection standards do not apply.

Under the GDPR, the transfer of personal data from an EU to a non-EU country is unlawful unless:

  • the country is exempt because they have equivalent privacy standards and an adequacy decision in place
  • there are appropriate safeguards in place and data subjects have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies; or
  • there is a derogation for the specific situation (such as explicit consent given by the data subject).

The onus is placed on the data controller, in this case Orlo, to ensure those points have been investigated and met.

Secure as standard

As public sector specialists you can rest assured your data is in safe hands.

  • UK Based Servers
  • ISO27001
  • Cyber Essentials Plus
  • GDPR Compliant
  • CCS Supplier
Learn more about Orlo security
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“Working with over 400 public sector , we are committed to ensuring our software is secure, compliant and that we hold the appropriate credentials approved by the government”

Hardeep Johal

Orlo, Chief Technology Officer

“To ensure appropriate cyber security controls are in place and reduce cyber security risks in supply chains, the government has required suppliers to hold Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus…This PPN applies to all Central Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies”

Orlo platform features and how they can benefit us

For further details on how Orlo can benefit your organisation, please get in touch via the form below. Or, if you’re an existing customer of Orlo, please get in touch with your Customer Success Manager.

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Consequences

If approval for Orlo is not granted, this will have the following consequences:

  • Strategic messaging from the Corporate Communications will be negatively affected including statutory services, such as communicating school admission dates.
  • Increased amount of time spent by Corporate Communications Officers logging in to all social media accounts independently, which will negatively impact resources.
    • This also includes meeting accessibility standards in the most effective way in terms of officer time, without it we would have to add ‘alt-text’ independently on each individual platform, which is a highly time consuming task.
  • Less effective evaluation of social media campaigns.
    • Evaluation is essential in order to understand what messaging is working for us and to plan more effective communications going forward.
  • In an emergency situation, we would not be able to send out a single message instantaneously across all platforms.
    • Social media from a trusted [SECTOR] source in an emergency can mitigate fake news and reassure citizens/residents/tenants/customers in real time. A content management platform is essential to managing this process quickly and effectively.
  • Inefficient campaign planning and implementation.
    • Without Orlo we can’t evaluate our communications or use these metrics to plan long term and highly effective messaging.
  • With multiple officers all using our corporate social media accounts we simply have to have a content calendar to avoid conflicting messaging. Channels such as X (formerly Twitter) Facebook and Instagram don’t allow posts to be scheduled in advance, which is why Orlo is a ‘must have’ tool for comms.
    • Orlo has a built in content calendar so all users can easily see what posts are scheduled and when, without leaving the platform.
    • The content calendar in Orlo tells you from existing data when the most effective time to schedule posts is, without it we would have reduced reach across our audiences (300k+ from our corporate accounts).

Why Orlo

There are various social media management tools available, however we would like to go with Orlo in particular thanks to:

  • Their unrivalled public sector experience and core focus on public sector customers – they truly understand the challenges we face thanks to their pedigree in this area.
  • Orlo being an approved CCS supplier and are on G-Cloud, giving us an easy and straightforward purchasing route, pre-agreed pricing, and flexibility in procurement.
    • Thanks to their approved CCS supplier status, we know that they meet government mandated standards and are in alignment with required internal regulations.
  • Tailored training sessions and access to resources and a knowledge base
  • Orlo being the only social media management tool that offers Nextdoor integration, offering functionality that isn’t available when using Nextdoor natively, such as scheduling.
    • There is also additional functionality for the Nextdoor platform that isn’t available in other platforms (i.e. geotagging).
  • Their Customer Success Management process. Every customer is assigned a dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) to provide support in various areas when required.
    • Each CSM has hands-on sector experience to ensure they truly understand the requirement and challenges faced, aligning Orlo’s capabilities with our needs and objectives.
    • We will receive Quarterly Business Reviews as part of the support package from Orlo, for product and service feedback but also to formulate strategy.
  • Tailored payment plans to suit us. Orlo offer early renewals or delayed invoicing in special circumstances which could be beneficial to us because [REASON].
  • All data is hosted and process in the UK in line with the UK Data Guarantee (mentioned earlier in this document).
  • Access to Orlo Community Partners who have a wealth of relevant public sector experience and offer training courses at a preferential rate through Orlo.
  • Their frequency of updates in relation to new features, industry trends, plus regular industry events and webinars.
Sector SelectorBenefits of Orlowhy OrloConsequencesGet the template

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Hopefully that was helpful to you and you like what you see! If that was only just enough to whet your appetite, then download the full editable version of the business case template here.

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Hopefully that was helpful to you and you like what you see! If that was only just enough to whet your appetite, then download the full editable version of the business case template here.

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