1. Expanding Social Media Use
22 November 2012
Kate Hughes,
Head of Communications

2. This session...
 Our social media journey
 Why do we need to expand who uses
social media?
 How we’ve expanded it
 What we’ve learnt
 Examples
 Questions welcome throughout

3. Our social media
journey
Jan 2010 Present
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn,
FourSquare, Wikipedia, Live tweeting, Chief
Executive blogging, Chair of Board
tweeting (@SueR10), Ning for internal use,
launched internal digital engagement group, Social
Media Surgeries, Tumblr for internal campaign…

4. Limitations
 Communications Team – not where action is!
 Power of social media is to make organisations
transparent and customers empowered
 Achieving SMT buy-in
 Giving people skills and confidence
 Social media use blocked in the business
 Some sites accessible for specifics (Chief Exec
blog, Ning, Tumblr)

5. Achieving SMT buy-in
 Sell your successes
 Present to SMT
 Present to leadership group
 Took a vote
 1:1 sessions with senior
managers to encourage them to
use it personally
 Developed an approach which
met their needs

6. Digital Engagement
Group
 ‘A willing volunteer is worth ten pressed men’
 Meet every six weeks – coffee and pastries
 Based on social media café approach
 Tenant Engagement, Climate Change, Housing
Inclusion
 Informal learning and share useful links
 Managing my control antenna!
 Building confidence, slowly, privately

11. Where next?
 The big one for us is Customer Service
 Still making the case and seeking to
convince the right people
 Risks – high volume of contacts, need to
properly resource
 Ultimately - Estate Managers, Repairs
Operatives

12. To sum up…
 Start with the people who
want to do it
 Nurture them in a safe
environment
 Accept that it may take
time
 Share the passion!

13. Kate Hughes
Head of Communications
Wolverhampton Homes
T: 01902 550455
E: kate.hughes@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk
Blog: www.socialhousingcomms.blogspot.com
Tw: @katehughes or @WolvesHomes