On February 20, I presented this to a group of Communications Officers in various departments of the Government of Canada. The question presented to me when approached to give this talk was: "How do government services tell effective stories on social?"
My core thesis: They don't. People don't want to be told stories, they want to be involved in making them...especially in the social era.
18. People are busier than ever (despite the
promise of technology) and they now
expect everything to come to them when
they want it.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
20. 4.75 billion
Posts shared on Facebook.
500 million
Tweets posted to Twitter.
95 million
Photos are posted to Instagram.
300 thousand
Videos uploaded to YouTube.
DAILY
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
22. In 1990, I:
1. Heard this song on the radio and fell in love
2. Ran directly to the HMV, but it had just closed
3. Waited overnight, then came back for the store opening at 10am
on my morning coffee break
4. Had to wait to listen to it until I got home that night.
In 2018, I would:
1. Hear this song (radio, iTunes, Spotify, etc.)
2. Listen to it whenever I want to on my mobile phone
3. Never even own it.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
23. It’s not just entertainment, it’s stuff and services, too.
We use:
● MissFresh for our weekly meal planning kits
● Lyft + Uber for getting around quickly
● AirBnB for hotel stays
● FreshDirect for fresh veggie delivery
● Foodora for the occasional ordering in of a
prepared meal
● Runner for delivering wine + beer
● Instacart for any other groceries we have
been to busy to pick up
● Amazon (same day/next day) delivery for
pretty much everything (including a valve I
forgot to order during a renovation)
● Kindle when I want to read a new release
● Breather if I need to book a nice venue for an
important meeting
● I say, “Hey Google! Can you put eggs on my
shopping list?” and my Google Home adds it
to my list.
● ...the list goes on
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
27. Reviews can make or break a business - and they don’t just exist on review sites.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
28. POWERSHIFT #2:
C2C rules. Customers
determine what the
message is around your
brand.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
29. "Studies show 92 percent of people trust recommendations
from other people over brands. Teens have a seven times
higher emotional attachment to YouTube stars than to
‘traditional’ celebs. And 49 percent of people rely on influencer
recommendations when they’re making a purchase."
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
30. @MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
“only 43 per cent of Canadians
say they trust their government
— down from 53 per cent a year
earlier.”
And btw...
32. People are no longer passive “consumers”
of stories. They are active “makers”. They
don’t want to be told a story, they want to
be part of it.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
34. The top
influencers are
social media stars
Variety Magazine did two studies in
2014/2015 and found that, not only are
digital content creators more influential
than traditional celebrities, they were
also more consistent and relatable.
Whether you are influential to a
gigantic audience or just a small group
of peers, it’s apparent that there has
been a shift and it isn’t slowing down.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
37. Remix Culture #1:
”Stans”
People don’t just watch their favourite
shows or play their favourite games any
more. They participate in it.
From online forums to taking to social
media to urge their beloved programs
in specific directions (outraged over
plot twists, for example), superfans, or
“stans” have emerged as participants in
popular culture.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
38. Remix Culture #2:
“breaking the
fourth wall”
The next level of remixing is when super
fans decide to take the media from their
favourite shows and games and remix it
into something or take it on as their own
identity.
Examples of this are:
● Animated gifs
● Memes
● Vidding
● Fanfiction (Fanfic)
● Mashups
● Machinimas
● Cosplay
● LARPing
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
39. none of this is new.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
40. meme
mēm/
noun
1. an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered
to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means,
especially imitation.
1976!
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
41. A FEW EXAMPLES OF MEMES
PRE-INTERNET
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
44. Other examples of pre-internet Stan remixing:
● Vidding: Kandy Fong in 1975 - she played a slideshow of her favourite Star Trek
stills to music...on a PROJECTOR!
● Cosplay: though it wasn’t named Cosplay until 1984, the practice of dressing up
as your favourite characters began in 1939 at the first World Science Fiction
Convention in NYC.
● Fanfic: theoretically, this practice goes back to the era of Homer, but the first
instance of the phrase “fan fiction” was recorded in 1944.
● LARPs (Live-Action Role Playing): these go back to the 1600’s with historical
reenactments.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/22/from-artistic-to-technological-mash-up/
46. Audience shifts in summary...
1. Attention is more scarce than ever
2. People expect things on their own time/at their own convenience
3. People are raising their voices to make changes
4. People trust other people (and look to one another for the truth)
5. Everyone can be (and is becoming) a content creator
6. People don’t want to consume culture, they want to live it
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
47. pushing messages - no matter how
‘entertaining’ - is an ineffective way to
communicate in the social era.
51. CAMPAIGNS ARE…
● Short term
● Tentpole
● Planned
● Rigid
● About immediate results
Examples: advertising, press releases,
stunts, influencer marketing, “viral” videos
RELATIONSHIPS ARE…
● Long term
● Always on
● Uncertain
● Flexible
● About slow (but meaningful) results
Examples: social media, content marketing,
community building, influencer relationship
management, loyalty programs
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
52. Storytelling as
relationship
(and not a campaign)
In an effort to build bridges and give a
human face to the TSA while at the
same time providing useful information
(and seasonal reminders), Bob the
blogger posts year-round images and
funny stories about what people try to
carry on while flying.
This is not only entertaining, but it’s
incredibly useful. Some stuff I didn’t
know:
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
58. MESSAGES ARE...
● One-way
● Outbound
● Intended to speak at/to
● Delivered
● Read only
Examples: PR, advertising, “viral” videos,
content marketing, email marketing, direct
mail
LISTENING IS...
● Two or multi-way
● Inbound
● Intended to learn from
● Exchanged
● Read/write
Examples: online conversations, tweetchats, town
halls, social media monitoring, community
management, keyword alerts, forum monitoring,
Facebook groups, online communities + forums
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
59. Storytelling as
listening
(and not messaging)
If all you do is content marketing, you
aren’t taking full advantage of the social
web.
This amazing Ask Me Anything (AMA)
on Reddit from the CRTC on the topic
of differential pricing is an amazing
example of how government services
can use these tools to engage and learn.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/54kz6g/i
m_from_the_crtc_and_we_want_to_know_what_you/
61. Social is also where the WORST of
people can come out:
● Trolls
● Posturing
● Echo-chambers
● Pitchfork mobs
This animated gif was posted on the
Pol.is blog from a talk given by founder
Colin Megill. Their tool has found a way
to cut through the divisiveness of social
media to find converging opinions.
There *IS* a
downside
(but also a solution?)
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
62. the key is in how you listen.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
66. “In order for governments to be open, responsive, and engaging,
community members must feel they are active participants in
building government, and that their participation can influence
decisions about issues that affect them.”
https://www.codeforamerica.org/practices/civic-engagement
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
67. 5 Key Elements of
Effective Community
Engagement
[https://www.codeforamerica.org/practices/civic-engagem
ent]
1. REACH - define your audience + make sure the
underrepresented are heard
2. INFORMATION - present clear, accurate, and simple
information in plain language
3. CHANNELS - online and off - meet people where
they are
4. PRODUCTIVE ACTIONS - communicate clear,
simple, and meaningful actions people can take to
reach their goals.
5. FEEDBACK LOOPS - don’t leave them hanging!
Show how their participation makes a difference.
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
68. AND it’s happening here!
In July of 2017, Minister Scott Brison announced the launch
of the Canadian Digital Service.
Learning from early adopters like 18F, Code For America,
Code for Australia, and the Government Digital Service in
the UK, the CDS is putting together the best of breed for
the Canadian implementation.
As Minister Brison wrote in his announcement blog post:
“We can’t be a Blockbuster government
serving a Netflix citizenry!”
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
69. but people won’t trust and engage
overnight
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC
71. #1. Stories are
ongoing and
ever-evolving.
[RELATIONSHIPS]
#2. Stories are about
listening and
connecting.
[LISTENING]
#3. Stories are lived.
[PARTICIPATION]
@MISSROGUE / @TRULYSOCIALINC