Social Media Analysis for Government Communicators

Andrew Einhorn, M.S.CEO, OhMyGov Inc.

[email protected]

The Science of Social Media

What Analytics & Academics Can Teach Us

May 11, 2011

Basic Project Management Steps

1. Baseline Assessment

2. Set Goals

3. Brainstorm & Create Ideas

4. Set Objectives

5. Launch

6. Obtain Feedback

7. Measure Performance

8. Make Improvements

Communications Formulated Without Data is Like Flying

Without a Cockpit

Let the Data Steer Your Communications

Percent of Americans that use social

networking sites (May 2010).

Data Sources

Content Uploaded Online Daily by

Platform

75%

500 Million

75 Million

2 Billion Viewed

0 50M 200M 350M 500M 650M 800M 1B

Data Sources

• 71 percent of government agencies use some type of social media, usually for public communications.Most Common Uses Chart (Source: Human Capital Institute)

What Can We Do With This Data?

Twitter Used to Predict Box Office SuccessHuberman, Bernardo A. Asur, Sitaram

• 2010 Study

• Rate at which messages were produced used to accurately predict opening weekend box-office takings before the film had opened.

Movie Prediction Reality

The Crazies $16.8M $16.06MDear John $30.7M $30.46M

Making Predictions

• Percent Change in Facebook Fans by Political Affiliation Over Time (US House)

+61Seats

Facebook Used to Predict 2010 Election Outcomes

Einhorn, Hartman, Nelson

Making Predictions

+6Seats

Percent Change in Facebook Fans by Political Affiliation Over Time

(US Senate)

Data Manipulation

Facebook

=

How to Derive Meaning from the Data

Negative

Positive

VHA Analysis

• Topics varied, but 60% of the comments were aimed at customer service issues at VHA hospitals and clinics.

• Only 5% of comments addressed quality of care received. The vast majority targeted the VHA advocate program and issues with bureaucracy or long paperwork processing

times.

60% - Poor Customer Service

Care quality

Facebook Comment Analysis

VHA Analysis

• 17.5% of comments came from current VA employees.

• Almost all negative.

• VA missing opportunity to create evangelists of staff through better internal

communications.

VA Staff

Non-VA Staff


VHA Analysis

• Complaints were lodged about services provide in:

1. Dallas, TX

2. Denver, CO

3. KC VAMC

4. Los Angeles, CA

5. Manchester, NH

6. West Haven, CT

7. San Diego, CA

• Compliments in service improvements were noted in:

1. Hampton, VA

2. West Haven, CT

3. Houston, TX

4. Worcester, MAWhere will future problems arise?


(+)(-)

Measuring Performance

OhMyGov

Benchmarking Performance

OhMyGov

Measuring Relevance

Hot on Twitter:@BreakingNews: US blocks $30 billion in Libya assets, the largest freeze ever, Treasury Dept. says

RT @zacharykarabell: Treasury Dept reports that China owns even more US debt than we thought. That's a lot of debt

http://tinyurl.com/49nxwuz #china #economy

Treasury Dept. Analysis March 1, 2011

Performance Enhancement

Using Social Media Science to Increase Impact

EPA Case Study

Goal: EPA launches YouTube contest to create best pro-environmental videos with cash prizes for the winner. Wanted to crowd-source creation of videos.

EPA Case Study

Outcome: Blogs and Twitterverse clamor over EPA “greenwashing” propoganda to justify more environmental regulation.

EPA Case Study

Lessons Learned:

1.Could have used social media to elicit responses to idea prior to launching initiative.

2.Could have used social media research to determine response other agencies/orgs had with similar initiatives prior to launch.

• Would have seen all possible reactions and prepared their communications in advance accordingly.

Additional Feedback Tools

Uservoice

Kindling

Polldaddy

Twitter & FB

Ning

Google Moderator

Zapsurvey

Backboard

Fee dbac k

:

Obtaining feedback

1. Determine public/employee perceptions.

2. Identify problem areas. 3. Measure if and how messaging is

being received. 4. Insights into audience size and

type.5. Benchmark similar initiatives.

Conclusions

How Data Can Help Inform Communications:

Where To Go From Here?

Next Steps

1.Commit to continual improvement.

2.Create communications plan.1. Set goals & objectives

2. Procedures for measuring & reporting

3.Select technologies.

4.Gather, analyze, & report data.

5.Make improvements & institutionalize procedures.

6.Get help early on. Too important to go it alone.

Listen to the data.

[email protected]

Consulting.ohmygov.com

703-243-3461

Social Media Analysis for Government Communicators

Technology

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