Social media – Simon Hope Management Ltd

12/11/2015

Published by Simon Hope at 12/11/2015

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Future-proofing your communications team

Yesterday I was lucky enough to lead a workshop at #CommsAcad in Coventry, where local government and other public sector communicators had just finished the second of their three-day academy, sharing learning and ideas. The workshop on future-proofing was one of five that formed part of a session on ‘Communicating […]

25/06/2015

Published by Simon Hope at 25/06/2015

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From Zero To Hero

As the dust settles on elections results and their aftermath, what is the future for local government communicators and their teams? Further cuts are on the way, so at some point the question of the size and worth of a communications function will be debated in nearly every council. And […]

29/01/2015

Published by Simon Hope at 29/01/2015

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Reputation: A School of Thought

Good communication, customer service, and reputation management can not be achieved in isolation. Every link in the chain has to work. Here’s why. There has been a lot of snow today. Councils throughout the country have worked tirelessly through the night and the day to keep cities, towns, and villages […]

20/12/2013

Published by Simon Hope at 20/12/2013

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Stream of Consciousness

Live streaming of council meetings is not new, it has been tried by many local authorities over the years with varying degrees of success. The debates of transparency versus cost and cost versus viewing figures were prominent, but now the landscape has changed. Although Eric Pickles has made access to […]

29/09/2013

Published by Simon Hope at 29/09/2013

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Why I Use Twitter

Not a week goes by without someone asking me why I have a Twitter account, why I tweet, why I read other people’s tweets, and so on. And the question is usually asked with an air of disdain. So here are ten reasons why I think Twitter is a good […]

10/03/2013

Published by Simon Hope at 10/03/2013

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Food for Thought – CommsCamp13

It’s almost two weeks since I attended my second and brilliantly organised unconference, CommsCamp13 in Birmingham. Here are ten things I learned and reflected on. 1 The unconference is still a great format. It’s not perfect, some sessions are better than others, some are brilliant and some are a bit […]

25/11/2012

Published by Simon Hope at 25/11/2012

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Yammer – don’t worry about it, just do it

About three months ago we took the decision to introduce Yammer across Wakefield Council. A few of us had tried it out for a while, and once we’d convinced colleagues that there were genuine benefits and that using it wouldn’t lead to widespread negativity it was launched to the rest […]

24/08/2012

Published by Simon Hope at 24/08/2012

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Social media – is noise enough?

Yesterday saw a fanfare from the Department for Communities and Local Government signalling the dawning of a new era of openness. Or did it? From what I’ve read, all that was announced was that journalists, bloggers, hyper-local website authors, and concerned citizens can attend various types of council meetings. Big […]

17/05/2012

Published by Simon Hope at 17/05/2012

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Ignorance Isn’t Bliss

This week’s news that Twitter now has 10 million users in the UK, one in six of the population, is further proof of the rise and rise of social media. Compare this figure with the nine million people who buy national newspapers, and you could be forgiven for thinking that […]

28/04/2012

Published by Simon Hope at 28/04/2012

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Elected Mayors – social media where are you?

On Thursday voters in ten cities will decide whether or not to have an elected mayor. These decisions could have a major impact on the future of these cities and their residents, so why is hardly anyone talking about it? Strict government rules mean that official information is limited, providing […]

16/03/2012

Published by Simon Hope at 16/03/2012

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Split Personalities Required

I’ve been off this week, which gave me some time to follow and participate in a number of online debates, including the weekly #lgovsm and Guardian Local Government Network respective discussions on giving staff access to social media and the future of local government communications. There has been a lot […]

05/02/2012

Published by Simon Hope at 05/02/2012

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My First Unconference – Localgovcampnw

Yesterday I attended my first unconference, localgovcampnw in Preston. I’ve never to been to one before, and didn’t know what to expect, but I was told not to have any expectations, just to take it as it came. A day later, I still feel as I did at 3.00 yesterday […]

27/11/2011

Published by Simon Hope at 27/11/2011

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Social media

Are You Talking To Me?

One of the much vaunted advantages of social media is that it is possible to have a conversation about issues, rather than just publish information and opinions in the traditional way. So politicians, journalists, and the hangers on and wannabees that surround politics can now converse with us about the […]

11/08/2011

Published by Simon Hope at 11/08/2011

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Social media

Don’t shoot the Messenger

The despicable acts of the rioters across England this past week have received widespread condemnation. At the same time, some commentators and media have pointed the finger at social media for its role in helping the rioters to stay one step ahead of the police. Do they have a point? […]

23/06/2011

Published by Simon Hope at 23/06/2011

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Can Dinosaurs and Geeks Love Each Other?

Are communicators now assigned to one of two camps, the Dinosaurs or the Geeks? A number of recent blog posts in the local government communications bubble have looked at this theme, and this divide appears to be trending. If you are predominantly involved in ‘traditional’ communication and engagement methods and […]

01/06/2011

Published by Simon Hope at 01/06/2011

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I’m not thick, but …..

I like to think that I can pick things up relatively quickly. Not always instantly, that would be greedy, but I tend to get the gist of things not long after I’ve read or heard about them. But something is bothering me, something so huge, dynamic, and chameleon-like in its […]