social media & gov stats

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial social media + gov sta5s5cs

Andrew Clark, Head of Social Media @ONS Edinburgh, 20 October 2014 – bitlys are case sensi5ve


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Ice breaker

If you’ve got a personal TwiMer account you’re happy to use today stand on the leN side of the room as you look at the screen If you don’t, stand on the right.

•  Come up with a team name (e.g. The Zucks) •  Write team name and TwiMer @handle on your table •  Tweet both bits with #GSSsocial


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Social media @ONS

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Roles and process

(by @bethgranter)


There are loads of tools you can use A lot of them cross over, none do everything perfectly and the landscape is always changing Read Beth’s talk about some of the different tools in these slides > bit.ly/BethsSlides and watch her present them at MeasureFest > bit.ly/BethsVid

So many tools, so liCle 5me

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial To measure social media, ONS uses

1 2

We’ve also blogged about what works best for us > bit.ly/ONSTwiMerBlog

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial To monitor social media, ONS uses

Volume Top sites, authors, links Demographics Sen\ment – though it’s not reliable, therefore not worth it

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial To monitor social media, ONS uses

Topsy and Buzzsumo are free / low budget and far from perfect, but a good yards\ck

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial To engage and publish, ONS uses

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Channels we’re on

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Channels our sta5s5cians are on

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Channels we’re on

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Our colleagues do email, fed by RSS


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Exercise

In light of what we’ve just gone through, what do you want to discuss in more detail? Agree 3 things within your team and tweet them with #GSSsocial Eg: TwiMer e\queMe, ScotStat & Hootsuite, risks


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Wee break


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Unconference


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Lunch


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Digital content: personas

“We have different skills”

Blog > bit.ly/ONSpersonas

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Expert analyst

Key goals Behaviours Motivators • Finds a particular Excel

spreadsheet to download

• Cuts and pastes data from spreadsheets into own statistical models and analyses

• Tends to know exactly what he wants, but can be frustrated by not being able to find it quickly on the ONS website

• Phones the ONS for help in finding specific data or querying methodology

• Access ONS website from desktop PC in office

Has a passion for data and needs reliable, high quality data so that he can feel confident in his analyses

Statistician for HM Treasury. He has a PhD in statistics. He has contacts within ONS with whom he can discuss key issues

“Just give me the Excel data I need”


Key goals Behaviours Motivators • Not statistical expert so looks

for data to make practical, strategic business decisions

• Wants high level summaries, narratives and key charts for deeper understanding

• Produces charts and statistics to support funding applications and strategy reports

• Proactive - seeking knowledge to affect change

• Doesn't’t know exactly what to search for, but aware of general area

• Usually time pressured - needs to understand size of task

• She appreciates that sector knowledge can help her to be a success

• Using ONS data provides advantage to her over her colleagues or competitors

• Sees value in ONS data in anticipating changes in workforce and wellbeing affecting her company.

“I just need enough data to help me make the right decision”

Head of Human Resources for a medium-sized company. She is a business graduate and a real ‘people person’. She’s dynamic and ambitious

Information forager

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Inquiring citizen

Key goals Behaviours Motivators • Not statistical expert so finds

out the unbiased ‘truth’ presented by the media and political parties

• Wants to find simply worded, high level summaries and of newsworthy issues

• Uses charts and infographics to get visually engaging overview

• Reactive to current events • Engaged with social media;

follows ONS on Twitter • May browse the site with her

smartphone or tablet

• Personal/political interest • Financial implications of the

economy (e.g. for pensions & investments)

• Has an enquiring mind; looking to make sense of the world

• Distrust of big business and government

Well-read and has a degree. Has an interest in politics and current affairs, but is concerned about mis-use of data for political means. She has a public sector pension.

“I need the ONS to help me to find the truth”


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Digital content: copy


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Differences between web vs print?

●  sit back v sit forward ●  no one finishes anything ●  \me and aMen\on span

●  screen pain ●  task-‐focused, not looking for “a good read” ●  you don’t have the last word ●  your users may be accidental / unfamiliar visitors

●  they can begin and end anywhere

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Scanning is the key online behaviour

“People rarely read web pages word by word; instead, they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences…

“79 per cent of our users always scanned any new page; only 16 per cent read word by word.”

Jakob Nielsen


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial How people read websites

When people read online, they:

●  scan-‐read ●  look for informa5on cues

●  focus on tasks ●  act impa5ently

●  are suspicious, then conserva\ve ●  move forwards – and keep moving

●  create their own path


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Rule of 2s


Meta 5tles should be •  Roughly 50 to 65 characters in length. •  Be unique to that page (don’t use the same \tle tag on mul\ple pages). •  Use the keyword of that page twice if space permits (once at the start, followed by separator such as a colon, hyphen, or pipe, and then once again in a call to ac\on). •  If relevant, include a geo-‐qualifier (such as Scotland). Meta descrip5ons should be •  Compelling and wriMen with the inten\on to en\ce someone to click on your link. •  Make sure they are unique and relevant to that page. •  They should be wriMen as descrip\ve ad text, with a call to ac\on. •  No more than 160 characters in length including spaces and punctua\on (140-‐150 is ideal), but no fewer than 51 characters (50 characters or fewer to be too short). •  It should contain 1-‐2 complete sentences with correct punctua\on, 5 commas max •  Use the keyword once per sentence, as close to the start of each sentence as poss. •  If relevant, include a geo-‐qualifier (such as Scotland).

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial ONS copy BEFORE we had formats


Headline: Subject, number and link No messing about.

ONS copy NOW we have formats


Nugget: Did you know? Without asking it so as not to trivialise ONS



Draws them in: Make users *want* to click As the content’s so profound, emoIonal or sIcky



•  write for a persona

•  have a point and get to it

•  cut out the puns / acronyms / jargon

•  write digital headlines •  instantly understandable •  frontloaded •  keyword / # op\mised •  have a call to ac\on

To write well for social media

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Have a point and get to it

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Cut out the puns / acronyms / jargon

GOV.UK has a great style guide on this sort of thing > bit.ly/GDSstyleguide

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Instantly understandable

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Frontloaded

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Keyword / # op5mised

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Call to ac5on


1. The popula\on of the UK grew to 64.1 million in mid-‐2013, represen\ng a gain of 400,600 (0.63%) over the previous year mid-‐2012. This growth is slightly below the average since 2003.

2. This means that the UK’s popula\on has increased by around 5 million since 2001, and by more than 10 million since 1964.

3. Natural change (births minus deaths) contributed slightly more than net interna\onal migra\on to the popula\on gain in the year. There were 212,100 more births than deaths (53% of the increase) and 183,400 more immigrants arriving than emigrants leaving (46% of the increase).

Tweet it with #GSSsocial

Have a go at rewri5ng one of these


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Digital content: images and rich

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Remember this?

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial And this?

“We have different skills”

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Rich content boosts post performance

More info about the whys and wherefores in my blog > bit.ly/PostBoost

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Images look great but get old

And don’t seamlessly link to the dataset. S\ll great eye candy. See ONS infographics at bit.ly/ONSflickr And guidelines > bit.ly/InfogGuide

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Data storytelling

The key is that they tell a story, not repurpose graphs made in something else.

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Ugly (effec5ve) duckling

I really hate these, but they work for our audience and when designer resource isn’t available.

What they should be like. (designed for the ra\o, no pixella\on, decent labelling and \tling.)


Here’s a preser alterna\ve, that embeds onto websites and links to the dataset bit.ly/ONSdatawrapper Not much in the way of adap\ng formasng and a duplicate dataset required which is why we don’t use it. Yet. We’re looking at something like this for ONS’s alpha website.

A pre`er swan

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial A mechanical(?!) swan

Interac\ve data visualisa\ons are a great route to explore and if I were you, this is where I’d invest my \me. Tools exist that you can plug your data into and update with fresh data when available. Government Digital Service resource > bit.ly/GDSDataVis is good and we’re working with them to evolve gov standards. ONS data visualisa\on examples > bit.ly/ONSinterac\ve

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Sta5s5cs in videos

We’ve not really cracked stats in videos that work for our users and ONS opera\onally. These days, ONS videos are made by an in-‐house producer, have high produc\on values and take a long \me to make.

As a result of devolved publishing, our sta\s\cians also produce presenta\ons with a voiceover, but not as many these days.

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Presen5ng stats in videos

Frontloading is important, as with anything digital, there’s a drop off preMy quickly. Government Digital Service videos focus on interview footage, kept very short. Its advice: “Films are not good for delivering lots of informaIon and detail (that’s done beLer with words and graphics). Films are not good for explaining things you can’t already explain simply in a few words.” Their blog on approach and DIY equipment > bit.ly/GDSvideo


Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Wee break


Quiz


For what 2 reasons would you frontload copy? Tweet with #GSSquiz

1


Look at the 2nd chart at bit.ly/CrimeTweet Tweak the copy and tweet it with the chart and #GSSquiz

2


Use buzzsumo.com to see shares of bbc.co.uk content on social media. Tweet the first number with #GSSquiz

3


Make a TwiMer search for 2 keywords (popula\on AND sta\s\cs), screen grab it and tweet it with #GSSquiz

4


What does the rule of 2s mean? Tweet with #GSSquiz

5


Search for “The Most Thorough Social Media Dimensions Cheat Sheet Ever” and tweet it with #GSSquiz (NB – a good resource but a liMle old)

6


Search for the “Sainsbury's fish storify” and tweet your favourite pun, a link to the storify and #GSSquiz

7


Pick your favourite video \tle from bit.ly/GraphicalWebVids and tweet it, saying why you like it, with #GSSquiz

8


What does Google look for when indexing pages? Tweet with #GSSquiz

9


FEEDBACK: Draw a graph of your sa\sfac\on (or not!) with today’s training and tweet a picture of it to #GSSquiz

10


Wrap up

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Make sure everything’s covered

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Hootsuite or Tweetdeck will be handy


•  write for a persona

•  have a point and get to it

•  cut out the puns / acronyms / jargon

•  write digital headlines •  instantly understandable •  frontloaded •  keyword / # op\mised •  have a call to ac\on

Be rigorous with your wri5ng

Andrew Clark @oi_rambo #GSSsocial Become a data journalist

Interac\ve data visualisa\ons are a great route to explore and if I were you, this is where I’d invest my \me. Tools exist that you can plug your data into and update with fresh data when available. Government Digital Service resource > bit.ly/GDSDataVis is good and we’re working with them to evolve gov standards. ONS data visualisa\on examples > bit.ly/ONSinterac\ve



Thank you

social media & gov stats

Government & Nonprofit