From deploying Yammer for policy and program support, to creative use of YouTube for recruitment, and through to using QR codes to create the world’s first Wikipedia town, the UK’s Monmouthshire County Council is a leading example of how local government can move beyond social tech to social communication for internal and external engagement.
Helen Reynolds, Communications Officer for Monmouthshire County Council discusses a selection of these innovative initiatives, and also shares her experience with introducing these ideas into local government, and how influence rather than ROI matters for public sector use of social media channels and tools.
By being in social spaces where people are, and by being relevant and providing information that’s timely and worth engaging with – that’s how we build our influence as government.
About Helen Reynolds
Helen works for Monmouthshire County Council and is responsible for the council’s social media programme. She has also advised a number of other public sector organisations on making the most of new technologies for better engagement. As a result of the work she’s done Monmouthshire Council has taken a number of innovative approaches to engagement, won UK social media and PR awards and the authority has become a vastly more approachable organisation.
She’s particularly passionate about making government accessible and easier to understand.
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Episode links and resources
- Helen Reynolds’ blog
- ROI of social media in public service
- Social media for social care: how Monmouthshire foster carers support each other with Yammer
- Monmouthpedia including Monmouthpedia Day
- Monmouthshire County Council social media page and guidance for staff (linked at the bottom) and council blog
- Some feedback on Twitter
- Facebook and youth services
- Opening up social media access to all staff
- Recruiting on Youtube
Videos
On Monmouthpedia
On the foster carers Yammer community
Want more links? Check out our Delicious!
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@HelReynolds - Tags: #Monmouthpedia #monmouthshire #localgov #innovation #socmed
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