NSO politics communications 01122017
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Transcript of NSO politics communications 01122017
THE POLITICS OF CRISIS COMMUNICATIONSUSING SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA IN CRISISNate WilliamsTwitter: @[email protected]
Dinica Williamswww.pinterest.com/dinicaw/[email protected]
First, a little about us
Nate WilliamsLabor Relations Consultant• Prior to OEA, I worked for
Members of Congress, Wisconsin state legislature, the mayor of Denver & other unions in communications
• Trial attorney for 8 years• Coordinated communications
during Reynoldsburg strike
Dinica WilliamsCommunications Specialist• I began my career as a graphic
designer & transitioned to web & social media almost 20 years ago, almost exclusively for nonprofits, including other OEA affiliates
• Started OEA’s social media program 8 years ago & it was an uphill battle to get buy-in, which you probably won’t face today
COMPONENTS OF CRISIS
COMMUNICATIONS
A little about Reynoldsburg• Reynoldsburg is a suburb of
Columbus, Ohio• Over 350 teachers• Teachers went on strike in Sept 2014• Issues in the strike:▪Class size, class size, class size▪Merit pay▪Over-reliance on standardized testing▪Teacher turnover
Reynoldsburg players• Superintendent Tina
Thomas-Manning• Board of Education• Board’s attorney:
Pepple & Waggoner• Reynoldsburg parents• Reynoldsburg students
Aspects of political communication• There’s always an opponent• There’s always motives beyond what’s
stated• Blame needs to be assigned for problems
with status quo• Clear plan for change needs to be
articulated in easy to grasp language• A charge unanswered, or delayed in
answering, is a charge admitted. Include counter-charge, if possible, in response
• Don’t forget the optics
School Board PoliticsBoard is elected Superintendent hired by the BoardBut, who DRIVES Board policy?Who BELIEVES they speak for the students? The parents? The community?What influences the decision-maker(s)?
What role does the state play?
What are the Governor’s policies & appointees?What is the climate set by the Legislature?How truly independent is the Board?
Crisis & political environment – who’s the
opponent?•Superintendent?•Board of Education?•Governor?•Board’s attorney?
Components of crisis communications• Internal▪To the
membership▪Old media vs
new media• External▪To the public▪To the
opposition▪To the media▪Online
Internal communications• What do we say & how do we say it?
• Goals of internal communications:▪Keep members updated on bargaining▪Use communications to support organizing
“The organizing drives the communications. Communications shouldn’t drive anything.”
What we mean by organizing drives communications
Don’t let the message get ahead of the strategySupport and promote organizing activitiesReinforce the message the members are hearing in personal conversationsKeep the issues consistent & focusedBase the message on what you hear from your members
Messaging principlesfor both internal & external• Consistency, consistency,
consistency• Short & direct beats long & vague• Understand the audience, and the
unintended audience• Stay disciplined (another form of
consistency)
Messaging principlesfor both internal & external• Act more than you react• Try to avoid unforced errors• Did I mention consistency?• If you’re explaining, you’re losing
Some examples…• John Kerry, 2004: “I actually voted for it
before I voted against it.”
• Clayton Williams, 1990: “If rape is inevitable, why not sit back & enjoy it?”
• George H. W. Bush checking his watch in town hall debate, 1992
• Al Gore, 2000: “I invented the internet.”
• Todd Akin, 2014: “In cases of legitimate rape…”
Speaking of unforced errors….
The District published details of bargaining sessions on the District’s website, in violation of the ground rules for bargainingIt may not sound like a big deal, but it created an opening…
Spreading the internal message
• One-on-one conversations
• Meetings – building, general membership
• Flyers, newsletters
• Emails• Social media
Internal message development• Define the issues• Define the
opposition• Define the
motivations• Encourage member
engagement• Show the path to
victory
Best practices for internal messaging
• Consistent, clear message (tweet)
Best practices for internal messaging• Tailored to the
audience, but mindful of secondary audience (nothing is truly private anymore)
• Use the method that works best for you, but be flexible and open to new ideas
• Use images
What social media does• Provides a forum for interaction• Helps spread your message• Makes it easier for people to find your
message
Social media goals
What social media doesn’t do
• Doesn’t create supporters all by itself• Doesn’t replace organizing• Doesn’t replace face-to-face
communication
External communications• Rather than directed at members, it’s directed
toward the Board, the media, the general public
• If done right, it can sway public opinion
• If done wrong, it can make life more difficult
First step – find a spokesperson• Someone who can respond to the media
and speak at public forums▪Good public speaker▪Respected by the
membership▪Respected by
administration & community▪Doesn’t get rattled
easily▪Tech savvy enough
Means of external communications
• Press conference• Social media• Flyers• T-shirts• Buttons• Signs
Find a social media manager• Social Media Experience
• Photo and Video Editing Ability
• Creative• Good Writing Skills• Knowledgeable• Good at Community
Building/Organizing
Which social media to use???
Which social media to use???
#1 tip for all social mediaPost images whenever possible.Photos increase engagement on all of your posts (i.e. more likes, shares, retweets, etc.)
Photos can get up to 4X more engagement on Facebook than links
Free image-making apps • Pikochart –
infographics, posters, presentations, reports
• ImgFlip, Memecrunch – memes
• Canva – Correctly sized social media graphics, posters, presentations, flyers, postcards, etc.
• Aviary, PicsArt – photo editing
Photos of members, events, flyers, buttons, signs, etc.
Ways to add images to posts
Add text to a photo
Ways to add images to posts
Share high-performing content posted by other organizations’.
856 likes765 shares
419 likes470 shares
Ways to add images to posts
Infographics, charts, statistics
Ways to add images to posts
Get creative
• 90% of 18-29 year olds• 73% of 30-49 year olds• 63% of 50-64 year olds• 56% of 65+• 64% of Facebook users visit the site daily• 48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook
right when they wake up• 48% of 18-34 year olds use Facebook to
get the news
Facebook Facts
• You have evidence that a large segment of your members don’t use Facebook
• You are trying to reach a specific demographic:
• You want to convey strictly objective information.
• You have lots of online materials you want to promote.
• You have a volunteer who specializes in another social media channel.
You should probably be on Facebook, unless
Facebook internal vs. external• Private group vs. Public page▪Private group is a good way for
discussion amongst members and to get info to your members▪Private group IS NOT guaranteed to
stay public▪Public page is good way to reach out
to community
It’s all about the newsfeedFacebook Tips
Timing is important (75% of the engagement on a post happens in first 5 hours)
Schedule your posts ahead of time through the “Schedule Post” function
Facebook Tips
Customize your link text and image.
Facebook Tips
Post at least once on the weekend in the morning or early afternoon
Facebook Tips
Ask the right kind of questions
Facebook Tips
Enable “Similar Page Suggestions” in your Admin Panel
Page Suggestions are the primary source of new fans.
Facebook Tips
Keep it short and sweetPosts that are 80 characters or less receive up to 66 percent more engagement
And positive content receives 5X more engagement than negative content.
Facebook Tips
• Build support & mobilize supporters up the ladder of engagement (move members along a continuum from lack of awareness and care to higher and
higher levels of awareness, understanding, and agreement ultimately leading to activism and advocacy)
• Track engagement, sentiment, and influence
• Revise content based on what works
Plan, Measure & Revise
• Skews toward younger members• Good to provide links • Good for real-time updates
Become an expert news source for your region — tweet & retweet good content Important: Don’t feel like
you must have a dynamic or casual persona on Twitter. Post facts.
Follow important sources and retweet. The more often you follow, the more often your avatar is visible on Twitter.
You can organize the chaos by using lists.
Twitter Tips
Include a link
Shorten links and use a colon
Twitter Tips
Don’t use all your characters
Twitter Tips
Experiment with posting a tweet or retweet every one or two hours.
You can use HootSuite to post to Twitter.
Twitter Tips
Using more than two hashtags in a tweet actually decreases the retweet rate.
Well-formatted, easy to read factual tweets are the most retweeted
Twitter Tips
Near perfect example
• Skews very young (18-29) and people with at least some college
• Engagement is higher on Instagram than any other social network
Instagram facts
• Take screenshots of your most successful photos on Facebook (Pinterest, Google+, etc.) and “regram” them to Instagram.
• Upload behind-the-scenes photos and report live from events.
• Include a short description and hashtags.• Create 15-second videos and video
essays.
Instagram Tips
• 70-83% of Pinterest users are women,
• Predominantly white• Rural or suburban• At least some college education• 35-54 years old • Earning more than $50,000
Pinterest facts
• Put images on every page of your website
• Add the Pin-It button to your website• Use hashtags• Upload images and then add a link in
the description of the pin• Pinterest activity, like Facebook and
Twitter peaks around 9 p.m.
Pinterest Tips
Pinterest Tips
From Education Minnesota, Adapted from U.S. Air Force
Protocol for comments
• Do NOT delete all negative comments. This will bring into question your integrity to not only the complainer, but all your followers.
• DO block users who abuse the site, and remove offensive comments, ones that are too far off-topic, or just trying to use your site to sell a product or service.
Handling negative comments
ACTIVITY
Activity• Log onto Twitter• Compose a tweet about what’s going on
in your local using the hashtag #NSOWAR2017
• Twitter requires you to use 140 characters or less, including the hashtag
• Include an image in your post
Press Releases
Things to remember about press releases• Contact info
• Header/Logo
• Dateline
• Footer
Content of press releases• Write the story for the reporter• Include quotes from relevant speakers• Include photos, video, links,
especially if it’s about a closed press event
Picture from my iPhone
Top writing tips• Get to the point. • Shorten your sentences. • Resist the passive voice. • Eliminate weasel words. • Avoid jargon.
Aftermath of the strike• What worked?
• What was the lasting impact?
Lasting impact• In 2015, 3 new pro-teacher Board
members were elected, going from 4-1 minority to 4-1 pro-teacher majority
• Board fired law firm• Superintendent’s contract was non-
renewed
Nate WilliamsTwitter: @[email protected]
Dinica [email protected] www.pinterest.com/dinicaw/digital
www.slideshare.net/dinica/nso-politics-of-crisis-communications-01122017