Episode 6 - How Public Sector Outperforms Private Sector on Social Media

Government / public sector social media V private sector social media - can you compare? Keep reading.

I recently came across a study from Sprout Social in 2016 that inspired this episode.

Sprout surveyed more than 1,000 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram users to determine what annoys them about brands on social, what drives them to unfollow, and which industries are on the right side of the line. But I’m here to dispel that study!

Coming up on the show:

• > My column goes deep into why government and public sector won social during COVID-19
• > How to excite, engage and meet public expectations on social media
• > I speak to Bobby Barbour, Communications Manager for Abhaile, the free mortgage arrears support scheme and more recently for MABS, the State’s Money Advice and Budgeting Service. The work of his team has seen them soar to the top of the social media charts in Ireland in 2020! So he shares his best practice insights.

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Joanne’s Column

Why public sector won over social media users during COVID-19

2020 was a year we will all remember. It took the world by storm and upended our health systems and public services. There wasn't really a pandemic plan sitting on anyone's desk and everyone simply had to react, respond, and take action. But I can safely say, 2020 was the year that government and public sector took the social media world by storm also. The agility, proactive approaches and amplification of messaging really ensured people stayed at home, washed their hands, social distanced, and wore masks. When our government and public health leaders spoke, we, largely, listened.

Now in 2021, much of the lessons learned about how social media can help engage citizens and build trust, are still being implemented. So in this week's column, I'm giving you my views on why public sector won over social media users during COVID-19.

I’d really like your opinion on this topic. Tweet me your views to @JSTweetsDigital. Dont' forget to use the hashtag #PublicSectorMarketingShow

Consulting

How to excite, engage and meet public expectations on social media

The Sprout Social Study of 2016 highlights what people hate from brands (public and private sector) on social media. So it's worth reading some of the highlights below.

60% of them are annoyed with too many promotions by brands. The perils of over-promotion only escalate if brands are unresponsive. In fact, 1 in 4 people are annoyed when you don’t respond to them. And seeing as only 1 in 10 messages on social actually get a reply from brands, it’s likely that you’re ticking off a lot of fans.

One-sided content isn’t the sole annoyance. People are also taking notice of the tone and content of social profiles that just don’t seem to fit. Trying to convince a younger demographic that your legacy brand is hip by inserting “on fleek” and other casual chatter into your posts? You’ll be better off if you stick to being yourself. 38% of people find the use of slang to be irritating and another 32% are annoyed when a brand tries to be funny – when they clearly are not.

All that said, you do need to understand and maintain a brand personality because 34% of people find a lack of personality to be just as bad.

My top tips to excite, engage and meet public expectations on social media!

#1 Be a valuable source of news and updates

#2 Break news on social

#3 Go where your audience is

#4 Speak like a human and humanise your organisation

#5 Be responsive, social customer service

#6 Share service users case studies

#7 Create ‘just like me’ content

#8 Produce visual content

#9 Tap into social media trends, be an early adopter

#10 Don’t be a social media stranger

#11 Don’t ignore public sentiment, embrace it

Interview with Bobby Barbour

In this week's interview, I get insights from an organisation that topped the social media leaderboard in our 2020 State of Social Media Report profiling 520 government and public sector agencies in Ireland. Abhaile and MABS along with the Citizens Information Board really know how to win at social media. So tune in to hear from Bobby Barbour who explains who they adapted during COVID-19 but also how by listening they have adapted their strategy.

Bobby is the Communications Manager for Abhaile, the free mortgage arrears support scheme, and more recently for MABS, the State’s Money Advice and Budgeting Service. Before working in Citizens Information Board, Bobby worked in marketing, sales, and merchandising for over 12 years with Marks and Spencer.

Bobby holds a BSc in Marketing and Agriculture, and a BA in Photographic Media. He has a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing and recently completed our Diploma in Digital Communications for Public Sector.

[WATCH OR LISTEN TO INTERVIEW - STARTS @ 00:13:22]

Resources

Check out the 2016 study from Sprout Social referenced in this episode

Also the 2021  Social Insider Engagement Benchmark Report

View our blog post on our State of Social Media Report here or click here to get your hands on a copy

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Thank You for Listening!

Thank you for tuning into episode #6. If you are a regular listener, please rate and review our show.

Don’t forget to get in touch with your questions. I love hearing from my listeners, don’t be a social media stranger. Tweet me at: @JSTweetsDigital

If you would like to be a guest on the show, please get in touch. Email Joanne at info@publicsectormarketingpros.com.

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1 response to “Episode 6 - How Public Sector Outperforms Private Sector on Social Media”

1. md soyib says:

   August 29, 2021 at 4:32 am

   I really learned a lot of blogs after that

   Reply