Communications Policy #07-02

To: Mayor Skeels and Members of Council

From: Casey Grundy, Deputy Corporate Officer

Date: June 2, 2015 Meeting Date: June 22, 2015

Subject: Amendment to the Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02

RECOMMENDATION That Council adopt the amended Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02

PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to outline amendments to the existing ‘Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02’ to embed guidelines for the use of Social Media within the existing Policy. Council and staff recognize the need to be able to offer new methods for residents, businesses and visitors to connect with and be informed with the business of Bowen Island Municipality (BIM) through a variety of methods.

Social Media is intended to be a considerable component in the Communications strategy for the Municipality, as identified within the 2015 Council Strategic Plan.

DISCUSSION

The amended ‘Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02’’ is intended to provide guidance to staff in the communication of municipal business or municipally-related business in a timely, accurate and effective manner to residents and visitors through various methods of communication including social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and others, as necessary.

Council may wish to invite feedback from the community prior to finalizing the revised policy.

Council may also wish to consider monthly reporting by staff to keep Council aware of the activity, demographics and content on the social media sites it uses. Further, Council may wish to direct staff to include links to the BIM website, Facebook website, twitter account or other sites, in staff signatures, for example:

Casey Grundy Bowen Island Municipality www.bimbc.ca Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The Manager of Finance reports that to implement the Communications Coordinator position as described in the revised Communications Policy, requirements for staff time would be approximately .25 FTE. The allocation of this position could be fulfilled within the existing position of the Finance Clerk.

CONCLUSION

Council is asked to review the amended “Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02” for consideration and adoption.

Attachments and References:  Amended Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02  Bowen Island Municipality Communications Policy #07-02 as adopted May 28, 2007  Local Government Management Association of British Columbia “Primer for Effectively Using Social Media”

SUBMITTED BY: __(ORIGINAL SIGNED)__ Casey Grundy Deputy Corporate Officer

REVIEWED BY: __(ORIGINAL SIGNED)___ Kathy Lalonde Chief Administrative Officer Bowen Island Municipality POLICY Policy Drafted: February 21, 2007 Policy #07-02 Policy Amended:

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC

POLICY OBJECTIVE:

Bowen Island Municipality seeks to engage citizens and provide information through a variety of communication strategies and tools. Communication from the Municipality shall be accessible, well managed, cost effective and responsive to the information needs of the public. Public consultation and engagement is encouraged.

SCOPE:

This policy applies to municipal staff, contractors, and elected or appointed officials, including committee chairs and members.

PRINCIPLES:

1. Provide the public with timely, clear, factual, consistent and complete information about municipal policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives. 2. Employ a variety of strategies to communicate to and with the public. 3. Identify and address communication needs and issues as part of the development, implementation and evaluation of municipal policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives. 4. Manage municipal funds responsibly to obtain good value for all communication activities. 5. Meet all statutory requirements for notification and consultation. 6. Respect citizens’ privacy and rights by ensuring compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other relevant legislation such as the BC Human Rights Code.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Municipal staff, contractors, and elected or appointed officials share responsibility for communication with the public. All are required to treat sensitive or confidential information with discretion.

1. The Mayor and Council have overall responsibility for communicating with the public.

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 1 of 7 2. The designated spokesperson is the Mayor. 3. The Chief Administrative Officer is responsible for ensuring the Policy Objective is met. 4. The Communication Working Group contributes to developing policies and identifying strategies for communicating with the public. The CWG includes representatives of Council and staff. 5. The Communication Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and implementing strategic communication plans, using a variety of communication strategies and tools. 6. Municipal staff and contractors may communicate with the public about policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives for which they are responsible. Staff and contractors are expected to provide current, accurate and impartial information.

COMMUNICATION TOOLS:

As part of communication plans, some or all of the following tools may be used. Additional tools may be included at a later date. Written and online communication from Bowen Island Municipality typically includes the municipal logo and may include the Islands Trust and Metro Vancouver logo(s).

Municipal Website – updated regularly. Serves as the primary online tool for communication with the public. Includes email links or a form for public feedback. Ensure that printed material for public distribution is published on the website.

Council and Committee Meeting Agendas and Minutes – published on the municipal website with a hard copy available for public inspection, with the exception of meetings that must be closed to the public under section 90 of the Community Charter.

Video Recording of Municipal Council and Committee Meetings – livestreamed and then posted on the municipal website, with the exception of meetings that must be closed to the public under section 90 of the Community Charter.

Other Meeting Formats – as required. Includes Committees of the Whole, public hearings, town halls, information sessions and facilitated special-purpose meetings.

Mayor’s Reports – written monthly. Includes current activities and issues facing Council. Published in the local newspaper(s), included on council agendas and posted on the municipal website.

Municipal Update – written monthly. Lists the prior month’s activities by all municipal departments. Included on council agendas and posted on the municipal website.

Staff Reports – prepared as needed. Identify and address communication needs and issues in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives. Prepared in a standard template provided by the Deputy Corporate Officer or designate.

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 2 of 7 Council Meeting in Brief – brief summaries of a council meeting and distributed following council meetings through the electronic mail list for municipal news and notices and posted on the municipal website.

Municipal Annual Report – prepared by June 30 of each year as required under section 98 of the Community Charter. It must be available for public inspection prior to the actual public presentation. It reports on the prior year’s activities, includes the audited annual financial statements and plans for the upcoming year.

Counter Service at Municipal Hall – ongoing.

Telephone and Voicemail – as required. Ensure voicemail messages are kept up-to-date and minimize the number of times a caller is transferred. Calls should be returned the same day if possible.

Correspondence from the Public – ongoing. Council, committees and staff routinely receive phone calls, letters, faxes or emails from members of the public requesting resolution or information on a variety of issues. Correspondence from the public should include a name and civic address.

(a) Encourage the use of special email addresses such as [email protected] or committee email addresses to help ensure logging of correspondence and timely review by all relevant staff, Council and committee members. (b) Acknowledge receipt of correspondence to Mayor and Council and include the correspondence in the next scheduled council meeting agenda package as an information item. Anonymous or unsigned correspondence will not be included. Correspondence to Mayor and Council will be reviewed by the Mayor and CAO to determine or recommend to Council the further action required. (c) Acknowledge receipt of correspondence to municipal committees and include the correspondence in the next scheduled committee meeting agenda package as an information item. Anonymous or unsigned correspondence will not be included. Committee members should discuss and establish their preferred protocol for handling email correspondence. The committee chair is responsible for ensuring that correspondence to a committee has been reviewed by the committee and has received a response. (d) All correspondence sent to or from the Municipality belongs to the Bowen Island Municipality and is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Ongoing Electronic Communication – prepared as needed. Include on the website a signup option to join an electronic mail list for municipal news and notices. May also be distributed to local media, other local governments in Howe Sound and Metro Vancouver, the Islands Trust, Metro Vancouver, BC Ferries and TransLink.

Social Media Sites – used as needed. May include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Coordinated by the Communication Coordinator or staff designate. Where possible, includes a Terms of Use Statement as described in the following Guidelines for Social Media Use.

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 3 of 7

Paid Advertising and Mail Drops – as required and organized by the Communication Coordinator.

APPROVAL PROCEDURES

Routine communication relies on the good judgment and professionalism of Council and staff, contractors, committee chairs and committee members. Defined legislative procedures are in place for approval of such material as agendas, minutes and reports.

Communication such as paid advertisements, news and notices, and social media posts may also require formal approval. The typical procedure is outlined below.

Task Responsible 1. Identify a communication need. Staff, contractors, Council or other elected or appointed officials, including committee chairs and members 2. Describe the purpose of any proposed The initiator of the communication must communication and suggest potential Consult with the Communications communication tools (for example, Coordinator to confirm whether approval is Facebook postings, website notices). needed and to schedule and cost the proposed communication. 3. Develop written material and obtain The initiator of the communication approval. must involve consultation with the Communications Coordinator. 4. Obtain approval to proceed from the Communication Coordinator CAO or designate. 5. Send draft material to Mayor and Deputy Corporate Officer Council for revision or approval. 6. Send approved material to staff. Communications Coordinator or staff designate 7. Distribute approved material to the Communications Coordinator or staff public by posting on the municipal designate website and sending to local newspaper(s), municipal email lists and social media sites (such as the community online discussion forums, Facebook and Twitter).

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 4 of 7 GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USE

“Social media” describes internet-based communication tools that focus on interactivity, immediacy, user participation and information sharing.

By participating in social media, Bowen Island Municipality can reach out to and receive feedback from citizens who participate in various social media platforms.

The Municipality can also benefit from a broader range of options for delivery of time-sensitive information (for example, for emergency communication).

General Recommendations for Participation in Social Media

• Use common sense, caution and judgment when posting on all social media sites. • When making work-related postings as a representative of the Municipality, use your name and role within the Municipality, including your work email address. • Remember that communication through social media is public, even if posted anonymously, and can exist online even if the original post is removed. • Do not disclose information regarding the Municipality or municipal business that you are not authorized to disclose.

Role and Responsibilities of the Communication Coordinator or Staff Designate

• Ensure that social media content posted by the Municipality is professional, accurate, timely and consistent • Identify relevant social media sites and use them regularly to build an audience and share information with Bowen citizens • Post content to social media sites • Monitor sites for inaccuracies/misinformation • Ensure branding and or visual identity standards across all platforms • Verify facts and data • Aggregate social media content and move it to the municipal website when appropriate • Meet at least quarterly with the Communication Working Group to discuss social media strategic planning and future content informed by citizen inquiries and recommendations

Role and Responsibilities of Staff, Council and Committees

• Identify the staff, Council or committee member(s) who will liaise with the Communication Coordinator and provide draft content for social media sites • Liaise with the Communication Coordinator to provide draft content • Identify relevant content for distribution through social media • Request additions, revisions or updates to the municipal website as needed to better support municipal policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 5 of 7 Content for Social Media Sites

Postings by the Municipality will consist of messages that reflect and support the Municipality’s Vision, Mission, Value Statement, Strategic Plan and Priorities.

Social media sites may be used by the Municipality for:

a) Announcements of municipal meetings and events b) Links to information or media releases relating to the Municipality c) Photo(s) of community events or public gatherings d) Information on volunteer opportunities and programs e) Links to advertisements for employment opportunities f) Public engagement through surveys and other online communication tools g) Public safety information and announcements from the RCMP, Fire Department, Coast Guard, BC Emergency Coordination, BC Ferries, Metro Vancouver, or Translink

Where interactivity is enabled in a municipal social media site (for example, a Facebook page), the Municipality will provide a Terms of Use Statement. Posters must understand that any comment posted online is permanently available to the public and may be reposted or published in other media. Personal privacy, libel, copyright and private-sector data protection laws apply.

Posts or comments containing the following forms of content will be reviewed and may be removed at the discretion of the Municipality: • Profane language or content • Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, colour, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation • Comments that support or oppose political campaigns • Off-topic comments or repetitive or multiple postings by the same user • Sexual comments or links to sexual content • Commercial solicitations, advertising or endorsements • Comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity • Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public • Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party • Content that violates the privacy and confidentiality of citizens • Content that violates public hearing rules or other official consultations that are part of defined legislative processes • Personal attacks

The Municipality reserves the right, at any time, and without further notice, to restrict or remove any content or social media site user deemed in violation of this policy or any applicable law.

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 6 of 7 Personal Use of Social Media by Council, Committee Members and Staff

• Be clear when posting that you are contributing as a private individual. Consider adding the following: “These thoughts and opinions are my own, and not necessarily those of Bowen Island Municipality.” • Understand that you are bound by obligations of confidentiality and accountability for all comments made in social media, including those you post as a private individual. Do not disclose confidential information and material belonging to the Municipality. • Do not use municipally-owned devices or email addresses for personal business. These devices or email accounts may be subject to Freedom of Information requests. • Do not use the municipal logo on your personal websites, social media pages and email.

Policy adopted by Council at their regular Council Meeting held May 28, 2007

Policy amended by Council at their regular Council meeting held ______, 2015.

______Murray Skeels Kathy Lalonde Mayor Chief Administrative Officer

Communication with the Public – Policy#07-02 Page 7 of 7 Bowen Island Municipality POLICY Policy Drafted: February 21, 2007 Policy #07-02

COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC

POLICY OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that communications from the Municipality are well coordinated, appropriately managed, cost effective and responsive to the diverse information needs of the Public.

GENERAL PROVISONS:

1. Provide the Public with timely, accurate, clear, objective and complete information about its policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives.

2. Employ a variety of ways and means to communicate to the Public – such as Municipal Hall visits, the telephone and mail to print media, the Municipal website and periodic electronic communication. Information must be broadly accessible throughout the Municipality. All means of communications – from traditional methods to new technologies – should be considered to reach and communicate with the Public.

3. Identify and address communication needs and issues routinely in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives. Internal and external communication requirements must be identified and met when planning, managing or reviewing policies, bylaws, programs, services or initiatives.

4. Responsible use of municipal funds to obtain maximum value is a fundamental requirement in all communication activities.

5. Encourage Staff to communicate openly with the Public about policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives they are familiar with and for which they have responsibility. The public interest is best served by communicating openly and responsively about such policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives that Staff help to administer, while treating sensitive information with the discretion it requires. Staff are expected to provide information services in a non-political fashion.

6. Input from the Public. Establish mechanisms for the Public to provide input. This will help evaluate progress and meet their information needs as projects and message priorities change over time.

Communicating with the Public Policy Page 1 of 3 PROCEDURES:

1. Mayor’s Reports – to be prepared monthly. Will include current and ongoing activities and issues facing Council. To be published in the local newspaper(s), included on Council agendas and posted prominently on the Municipal website.

2. Monthly Municipal Update (formerly the CAO’s Report) – to be prepared monthly. Will include the previous month’s activities by all municipal departments. To be included on Council agendas and posted prominently on the Municipal website.

3. Staff reports - should identify and address communication needs and issues - particularly in relation to the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, bylaws, programs, services and initiatives.

4. Council and Committee meeting agendas – full agendas to be published on the Municipal website and hard copies available for public inspection (see BIM Procedure Bylaw No. 111, 2004). Exceptions – full agendas of meetings that may or must be closed to the Public under section 90 of the Community Charter.

5. Council and Committee meeting minutes – draft minutes to be published on the Municipal website and hard copies available for public inspection as soon as reasonably possible. Minutes adopted by Council and relevant committees to be posted on the Municipal website and available for public inspection upon adoption. Exceptions – minutes of meetings that may or must be closed to the Public under section 90 of the Community Charter.

6. Municipal Annual Report (section 98 of the Community Charter). Before June 30th of each year an Annual Report must be prepared and made available for public inspection. The Annual Report must include the following: a. the audited annual financial statements; b. for each tax exemption provided by a Council, the amount of property taxes that would have been imposed on the property in the previous year if it were not exempt for that year; c. a report respecting municipal services and operations of the previous year; d. a progress report respecting the previous year in relation to the objectives and measures established for that year under paragraph (f); e. any declarations of disqualification in the pervious year, including identification of the council member or former council member involved and the nature of the disqualification; f. a statement of municipal objective, and the measures that will be used to determine progress respecting those objectives, for the current and next year; g. any other information the council considers advisable.

7. Council review of the Annual Report. By June 1st of each year, the CAO must bring forward the draft Annual Report for Council’s review.

Communicating with the Public Policy Page 2 of 3

8. Annual meeting on Municipal Report (section 99 of the Community Charter). At least 14 days after the Annual Report (above) is made available for public inspection, Council must consider, at a Council meeting or other public meeting: a. the annual report prepared; b. submissions and questions from the Public.

9. Public Input. Ensure that input is received from the Public through an input form prominently displayed on the Municipal website or available for completion at Municipal Hall. As well, input be encouraged through written comments/ correspondence received via drop off at Municipal Hall, e-mail and/or regular mail. A suggestion box is also located at Municipal Hall to receive written comments.

10. Communication through the Municipal Website and other means of electronic communication (e.g. e-mails). Ensure that the Municipal website is regularly updated, accurate, easy to understand and accessible. Ensure that printed material for public dissemination is published concurrently on the website. Incorporate mechanisms into the website for receiving and acknowledging public input.

11. Periodic Electronic Communication. Advertise regularly in the local paper(s) and on the Municipal website for the Public to sign up for periodic electronic communications distributed via e-mail. The e-mail list would be used to distribute periodic newsletters (incorporating relevant information from the various outputs noted above), information alerts, notice of public meetings, etc.

Policy adopted by Council at their regular Council Meeting held May 28, 2007

______Bob Turner Isabell Hadford Mayor Chief Administrative Officer

Communicating with the Public Policy Page 3 of 3 Appendix A – Social Media Primer

+ Primer for Effectively Using Social Media

+ Social Media Benefits for a small municipality

Social media is based on the dialogue between Crowd-sourcing Solutions & Innovation audiences or the concept of many to many. The The power of engaged people can be “many to many” interaction opens up a brand harnessed when the “crowd” builds new realm of opportunities for communication innovative solutions. and engagement. Instead of one-way transfers of information, the barriers to creating two- Improved Transparency way communication are lowering rapidly. By Perhaps the most compelling reason to creating an online presence, local governments increase engagement is to build trust. By can take advantage of the following benefits: genuinely listening and sharing ideas with your citizens, you become more transparent. Increased Participation and Engagement Social media allows for participative dialogue Finances on issues where feedback is desired. The Society of Information Technology Management indicated that the cost of web Access to Networks based customer service interactions is 11 Social networks are created over time creating times cheaper than a phone transaction and an audience on demand. 25 times cheaper than face to face.1

34 Types of Communication

Before building your social media presence, you need to be aware of the various types of communications and what you can achieve for each type.

Information Community Action Information provides users Building an online community The final category and perhaps with details about the takes simple information a step the most powerful response to organization’s activities, further towards “dialogue and communication is action. highlights from events, community building”.4 Having people “do something” news, and relevant facts based on your message, such as, about the organization.2 Dialogue occurs when attending events, volunteering Information messages are information creates an to help or donating money is a characterized as a one-way interactive conversation tangible concrete outcome.6 flow of information from between the organization and Mobilizing people to take action the organization to the the public. Community builds is one of social media’s greatest public. when others want to listen to potentials. the interactive conversation or In the public sector, the area seek other opinions from what A call for action may be for of emergency management they hear. volunteers to support a has experienced success municipality goal or function. attracting mainstream social Examples of community The City of Vancouver in media support when communication can occur conjunction with the Vancouver information was desired on when: Olympic Organizing Committee an up to the second basis. • Acknowledging used Facebook and other social The 2007 Southern volunteerism or media tools to enlist over 5000 California wildfire situation sponsorship, and volunteers for the 2010 Olympic provided proof of the highlighting the activity as Games. effectiveness of social well as participants. media. • Advertising community A challenge to change is an events not organized by the effective way for a municipality During the wildfires, 1500 city. to seek action from the public. homes were destroyed  Explicitly asking for a The City of Vancouver’s Green causing massive response to an issue Action Plan used information to evacuations.3 The use of through surveys, contests create dialogue and eventual Twitter and Facebook or questionnaires.5 action through environmentally spiked during the disaster conscious changes in everyday proving to be an effective life such as reducing water communication medium. consumption, greenhouse gas emissions etc.7

35 Common Social Media Tools

Twitter is a micro-blogging application that allows users to send messages or “Tweets” up to 140 characters in length. Facebook is a social media web page that Tweets are sent to the twitter accounts of allows users to share photos, posts and those users who have chosen to follow videos. It is used as a major online marketing the originator of the tweet. If a viewer and communications instrument for likes the tweet, they can retweet the individual businesses, companies, and message and all of their followers will governments in conducting fast and receive the message in their account. international accessible engagement means. Like Facebook, Twitter’s strength comes It is very user friendly and allows users with from the previously built audience ready no technical background to instantly share to receive information. Topics of information. Governments can easily create discussion can be searched and you can customized pages. Those who “like” the also measure how many followers page become subscribed to receive new received your tweet. content automatically, viewable when they log into their Facebook account.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an Users can see one another's activities in information feed where a feed author reading, receiving, and commenting on publishes information such as news Facebook content. Subscribers share headlines, audio and video clips. Rather information such as age, interests, education, than having to go to the website for job, and sex, which is shown on their profile content updates, RSS recipients page, and the extent of their shared personal interested in the content subscribe to the information depends on the user's feed to automatically receive updates. If willingness to share it publicly. Their something is of interest, they can usually information can be used for statistical hit the “read more” link to go to the full research purposes. article.

Youtube and Flickr are video-sharing and photo-sharing websites that allows users to upload and view videos and photo albums. Individuals, corporations, and governments have incorporated Youtube and Fickr into their communication strategies to reach people all over the world. Both applications are free and accessible to all, allowing people to search for photos and videos of interest.

36 + Twitter Twitter

Getting Started

Twitter is a micro-blogging website that allows users to send messages, or “tweets,” up to 140 characters in length.

Tweets can be forwarded or “re-tweeted” to others through the user’s network of “followers.”

Web links and photos can be added to your tweets increasing the effectiveness of the communication

Common Terms  Followers – receive tweets from those accounts that they have decided to follow.  Hash Tag – when a “#” is placed before a keyword or phrase (no spaces), it allows users to search other tweets containing the same keyword or phrase.  Hacking – when someone gains unauthorized access to your account and then Tweets under your account.  Lists – Curated groups of Twitter users, used to tie specific individuals into a group on your Twitter account.  Mentions - A mention is any Twitter update that contains "@username" anywhere in the body of the Tweet. We collect these messages, as well as all your @replies, in the Mentions tab on the Connect page. If you include more than one person's name in your Tweet and you use the @username format, all of those people will see the Tweet in their personal Mentions tab.  Replies - An @reply is any update posted by clicking the "Reply" button on a Tweet. Your reply will always begin with @username (insert username of the person you are replying to). Any Tweet that is a reply to you begins with your username and will show up in your Mentions tab on the Connect page.  Phishing – when a user tricks you into giving up your username and password usually via fake login pages.  Spoofing – Setting up an account posing as someone else.

37 Twitter

Twitter

TIPS for Effective Twitter Use

Know Your Audience – Prior to opening an account and sending information, survey your community to see what others are following and tweeting about.

Represent yourself accurately in your Profile – Your profile should clearly confirm why you exist. Use existing brands and logos to reinforce your presence.

Set up Protocols for who tweets and what can be tweeted – Figure out what approval levels are required for information to be tweeted. Confirm who has authority to submit and respond to tweets.

Tweet Regularly – Set up a regular tweet schedule because inactivity can doom your effort. Peak viewing occurs early morning, early afternoon and after dinner. Consider one tweet a day minimum to ensure relevancy with followers. Be careful not to over sensationalize a tweet to generate interest.

Tweet in 1st Person if possible – Twitter provides a more personal communication experience, capitalize on that if you can.

Be Careful Whom You Follow – Selecting whom you follow can be politically delicate. Look for individuals and organizations that represent common values, missions or objectives. Re-tweet messages that strategically support similar activities or initiatives your community may be embarking upon.

Monitor Your Account – Assign someone to monitor activity and ensure you are not being spoofed or insulted in a malicious fashion. Twitter has policies to prevent hacking and spoofing.

Measure Your Effectiveness – Monitor the trends in the number of followers you have. Use tools like Tweetreach at www.tweetreach.com to measure how many followers are getting your tweets. Don’t forget tweets can be re-tweeted.

38 Facebook + Facebook

Getting Started

In order to create and upload postings, photos, and videos, all Facebook accounts must be established with the web address at www.facebook.com/ format. It is highly recommended that cities name their Facebook webpage address with their city name. For example: www.facebook.com/thecityofcalgary. This will ensure that the city's Facebook page is easily found and identified by users. The city's logo can be used as the city's profile picture and the city's landscape picture can be used as the city's cover picture in order to visually introduce the city's style.

Common Terms

 Likes – Facebook allows users to give positive feedback and engage in things they care about, such as interesting news articles or upcoming events.  Friends – Friends are people you can connect and share information with. Users can request to be someone’s friend through the “Friend Request” button.  Recommends – This tool lets users recommend things that may be of interest, such as stories and events.  Audience Selector – Allows you to choose who can and cannot see your profile content.  Cover photo – Facebook allows users to have a large photo above their timeline.  Messages – Enables users to send private messages to one another, however, this function should not be utilized as this is a public and transparent account.  Timeline – Facebook allows users to share their stories through the timeline, such as photos, videos and status updates.  Wall – The space on your Facebook profile that allows you and users to post comments, pictures and videos.  Tagging - A tag connects a person, page, or place to something in a post, such as a status update or a photo.  Poke – This can be used to gain the attention of another user, however, it is best if this function is not used.

+ Facebook Facebook

TIPS for Effective Facebook Use

Establish Protocols for Content and Update Frequency – You will need to establish who creates postings, uploads videos and photos and most importantly who replies to comments, and a mechanism to process and approve content. The city's Facebook page represents the city online and interactively. The frequently updated information will build a highly functional and highly responsive image to users. Municipalities should check content and comments daily and post at least weekly; more frequent postings will generate larger audiences provided the content is relevant.

Ensure Optimal Settings – Facebook provides a specialized setting for organizational users such as governments. This function involves choosing audiences by location, age and interests.

Prepare to Moderate User Generated Content – A city's Facebook page represents the city online and the city should appropriately choose content shared and uploaded on its Facebook page in order to avoid any public relation problems. Inappropriate comments are unfortunately common, and you should make clear what types of comments will be deleted. Ensure that comments containing profanities, sexual content, racial slurs, and other types of discriminatory content are expressly prohibited and promptly deleted.

Keep your Content Simple – Provide simple, concise and clear content so users can understand your message immediately. The more interactive your content is, the more likely users will “like” you and begin to follow your information regularly. Videos and postings should be short and strong in delivering the city's message.

Measure Your Effectiveness – The “like” function of Facebook allows users to quickly provide positive feedback to every post, photos and videos the city shares on the Facebook page. The amount of received “likes” is quick metric. The amount of comments and number of times posts are shared with other users' Facebook pages can also be used as another indicator to measure the effectiveness of your message. The positive and negative feedback also give qualitative information to measure success of the content.

40 Youtube Youtube

Getting Started

In order to begin uploading videos, a Youtube account must be created at http://www.youtube.com. When naming your channel it is important to use the city’s name, for example, “thecityofcalgary”, making it easier to be found. Incorporate your brand into your channel’s layout to reinforce your identity. You may review your subscribers’ Youtube channels to obtain information about their interests and age range. Common Terms  Tags – Tags are keywords that you can set on your account, hence when keywords are searched the videos on your channel will come up. Tags should refer to what is in the account of videos.  Channels – Youtube accounts are referred to as channels.  “Likes”/ “Dislikes” – Users are able to select whether they enjoyed the video or not. This can help to understand what the subscribers want to see on your channel.  Subscribers – Consists of those who have subscribed to your account, therefore will receive updates when new videos are posted

TIPS for Effective Youtube Use

Set up protocols – Assign responsibilities for creating, editing, approving and posting videos, as well as moderating comments.

Post regularly – Establish a realistic timeline for how often videos should be produced and uploaded to retain subscriber interest.

Subscribe to channels judiciously – Subscribe to channels that represent common values, missions, or objectives and comment on their videos to draw potential viewers to your channel.

Ensure video quality – The sound and picture quality of the videos you upload is very important. Ensure that they meet your organization’s communication standards.

41 Measure your effectiveness – Youtube allows you to see the number of people who have visited Flickr + Flickr

Getting Started

In order to begin uploading photos and videos, a Flickr account must be created at http://www.flickr.com. Accounts are either Free or Pro. Free accounts only allows users to upload documents, while Pro accounts ($25 per year) allow users to download and retrieve files.

Common Terms

 Tags – Tags are keywords that you can set on your account, hence when keywords are searched the videos on your channel will come up. Tags should refer to what is in the account of videos.  Groups – Groups are used as a way to communicate with fellow members.  Organization – Users are required to organize images using tags into sets of photos.  Contacts – Consists of those who have subscribed to your account, therefore will receive updates when new videos are posted

TIPS for Effective Flickr Use

Set up protocols – Assign responsibility for creating, editing, approving, and posting videos, as well as moderating comments.

Post regularly – Establish a realistic timeline for how often videos should be produced and uploaded to retain subscriber interest.

Subscribe to groups judiciously – Subscribe to groups that represent common values, missions, or objectives, and comment on their photos to draw potential viewers to your group.

Ensure photo quality – The quality of the photos you upload is very important. Ensure that they meet your organization’s communication standards.

+ RSS RSS Feeds

Getting Started

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an information feed where a feed author publishes information, such as news headlines, audio and video clips. Instead of having to go to the website for content updates, RSS recipients interested in the content subscribe to the feed to automatically receive updates. If something is of interest, they can usually hit the “read more” link to go to the full article.

Each item usually consists of a simple title and a link to a web page for the full story. Subscribers can pick up multiple RSS feeds using an aggregator program (eg. Google news reader, Outlook and Safari), many of which are free for download. If using Outlook or Safari, users can read their email and scan their RSS feeds all in one program. Subscribing to a feed is easiest done via the author's website. Generally, just click on the orange button and look for the “subscribe to” mail function.

Setting up an RSS feed is still considered complex compared to creating Facebook and Twitter accounts. The technology is getting easier to work with and a number of fee based service providers are offering RSS hosting services. They typically charge the organization by the number of postings that occur each month. It is approximately $150 per month for a quality RSS hosting services.

The City of Calgary has an excellent example of a robust RSS news channel. Check them out at http://www.calgarycitynews.com/.

+What you need to consider Resources and time – can you afford it?

+ When establishing social media applications it is will be checked routinely to ensure too much time important to designate who is accountable for will not be spent with upkeep. In order to keep the maintaining these tools. When an individual or interest of users it is important to post at minimum team is designated it is up to them to ensure weekly and respond to users every few days. nothing inappropriate is posted. Anything + Be clear on all of your social media accounts that inappropriate in nature must be deleted as soon as just because you follow, subscribe or friend others possible. it does not mean that you support other accounts + Guidance material (such as this primer) should be and their messages. utilized in order to clarify expected conduct, + Develop the discussion about what to expect, advantages, risks and consequences. what to watch out for, how often to tweet and post + Although social media applications are free it can etc. take up a lot of time maintaining the sites. It is important to set up consistent times when accounts

44 + Comparison of Tools From4 protocols Things to trolls, these to are theprepare things to watch for for in advance From protocols to trolls, these are the things to watch for When you use each most effectively

Twitter Facebook RSS Feeds  Rapid response micro-blogging.  Interactive with unrestricted  Output resembles a “one to many” content limits. traditional communication  Short focused messaging. medium.  Most engaging social media  Great search functions to tie into vehicle for receiving comments  Great for daily news updates. other conversations or see who and creating dialogue. is talking about you.  Suitable for organizations with  Requires the most effort to more content and audiences that

establish protocols and manage want to keep up to date. inappropriate content from Trolls.  Less engaging than Facebook and Twitter. Analysis Tools – Hootsuite Used by McDonalds, Pespsi Co. and Telus, Hootsuite (http://hootsuite.com/) is one of the leading tools for managing and measuring all of a corporation’s social networks. Hootsuite allows a user to: •Manage multiple social profiles – Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds, LinkedIn, Google +, Youtube etc. •Schedule messages and tweets •Analyze social media traffic with a number of different reports that can be customized Managing less than 5 social profiles is currently free. In order to access some of the advanced analytics feature, a monthly fee of $10 per month is charged. This City of Vancouver has recently decided to incorporate Hootsuite as their principle social media tracking tool. 45

+ 4 Things to prepare for in advance

From protocols to trolls, these are the things to watch for

Define signing authority and requirements  Identify an approving officer for online posting;  Specify if replies to comments require sign off as well;  Remember the quicker you reply, the more transparent you appear; and  Try to post content to Facebook at minimum, twice per week and tweet daily.

Identify Resources to maintain your presence  Ensure that the individual or team looking after the online presence is classified correctly and compensated for their effort. This will reinforce the importance of the activity; and  Create daily schedules when content is posted or shared and when comments are made.

Workplace Protocols of Social Media Use  Set ground rules for what will be accepted on your social media channels and what will be deleted; and  Prepare a response flow chart to clarify handling of negative posts – Pay particular attention to when a comment deserves a response, when it should be ignored and when it should be deleted.

Spammers, Spoofers, Flamers and Trolls  Promptly delete spam posts from advertisers;  Regularly check for spoofers and imposters; and  Moderate content carefully to remove flamers who use inappropriate language and tone, and trolls who post only negative comments and attach others with profane, vulgar, and hateful commentary.

46 Response Evaluation Decision Tree

Dealing with spammers, spoofers, flamers, and trolls can be tricky. Removing constructive criticism can be viewed as unnecessary censorship. Knowing when the line has been crossed can also be complicated. The US Air Force developed a simple decision tree to help social media monitors determine when a comment deserves a response or if it should be ignored, or deleted.8 Developing a similar decision tree will reduce the anxiety caused by the negative online elements.

+ FOIFreedom and Security of ConcernsInformation and Security

Freedom of Information (FOI)

The primary concern with the Freedom of Information and the use of social media is the failure to protect personal, sensitive or confidential information that may damage or harm individuals or the reputation of the government if disclosed.9 Four important areas of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act are copyright, privacy security, sensitive and personal information, and appropriate information and record management. 10 In BC, all information stored and transmitted on government systems are regarded as government property regulated by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA).11 Based on the Office of the Chief Information Officer in BC, in order to manage FOI issues appropriately, government employee must understand:

• Inadvertent posting and exposure of personal information is a violation of FOIPPA.12 • Unauthorized use of copyright information is an infringement of intellectual property rights.13 • Employee cannot use their government employee status to privately comment on social media sites.14 • Any information or advice provided online must be retained and filed in accordance with appropriate government record management standards of procedures.15

48 Need Help Getting Started?

Contact the LGMA for details on customized training options that will help you get started or get more mileage out of your existing social media accounts

Local Government Managers Association

7th Floor, 620 View Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1J6

Phone: (250) 383-7032

Fax: (250) 383-4879

Email: [email protected]

End notes: 1. IBM. (2011). Social media and the city. Retrieved July 11, 2012, from http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/global/files/uk__uk_en__none__file1__488kb.pdf 2. Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, G. D. (2012). Information, community, and action: How nonprofit organizations use social media. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 17(3), 337-353. doi:10.1111/j.1083- 6101.2012.01576.x 3. Sutton, Jeanettte, Palen, Leysia, &Shklovski, Irena. (2008). Backchannels on the Front Lines: Emergent Uses of Social Media in the 2007 Southern California Wildfires. Proceedings from the 5th International ISCRAM Conference – Washington, D.C., USA, May 2008 4. Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, G. D. (2012). Information, community, and action: How nonprofit organizations use social media. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 17(3), 337-353. doi:10.1111/j.1083- 6101.2012.01576.x 5. Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, G. D. (2012). Information, community, and action: How nonprofit organizations use social media. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 17(3), 337-353. doi:10.1111/j.1083- 6101.2012.01576.x 6. Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, G. D. (2012). Information, community, and action: How nonprofit organizations use social media. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 17(3), 337-353. doi:10.1111/j.1083- 6101.2012.01576.x 7.A. Mitchell, personal communication, June 17, 2012 8. Kalia, (2010) Trolls and Flamers: How to Respond to Negativity on Social Media, retrieved on July 4, 2012 from http://www.missinglinknz.co.nz/blog-categories/social-media?page=2 9. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). Policy summary no. 33: Use of social media in the B.C. Public service. Retrieved July 22. 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/policy/summaries/33_social_media.pdf 10. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). Policy summary no. 33: Use of social media in the B.C. Public service. Retrieved July 22. 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/policy/summaries/33_social_media.pdf 11. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). Policy summary no. 33: Use of social media in the B.C. Public service. Retrieved July 22. 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/policy/summaries/33_social_media.pdf 12. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). Policy summary no. 33: Use of social media in the B.C. Public service. Retrieved July 22. 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/policy/summaries/33_social_media.pdf 13. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). Policy summary no. 33: Use of social media in the B.C. Public service. Retrieved July 22. 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/policy/summaries/33_social_media.pdf 14. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). Policy summary no. 33: Use of social media in the B.C. Public service. Retrieved July 22. 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/policy/summaries/33_social_media.pdf 15. Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). (2010). An information security perspective on the safe use of social media: Suggestions from the CISO on balancing risks and opportunities. Retrieved July 22, 2012, from http://www.cio.gov.bc.ca/local/cio/informationsecurity/documents/InformationSecurityPerspective_%20SafeUseofSocialMedia.pdf

Prepared for the LGMA by:

H. Embaye, Masters of Public Administration Candidate

P. Navratil, Masters of Public Administration Candidate

D. Ng, Masters of Public Administration Candidate

S. Yang, Masters of Public Administration Candidate