Where are we now and what are the

barriers to best practice?

Social and digital media for PR in the Higher and Further

Education sector

Tracy Playle MCIPRVice Chair

CIPR Education & Skills Sector Group

tracy@picklejarcommunications.com

The study: what are we doing?

• Where are we now?• What do journalists want/use?• How do internal management structures impact on practice?• What does ‘good’ look like?• How can we make this happen?

The study

Today July 5 November

Today

• What you told us – survey • What you told us – qualitative research• What journalists have told us

First – some questions

Is online media challenging you to develop new skills?

First – some questions

Do you feel you are developing new skills in online communications?

What you told us - survey

• March – May 2009• 153 responses• 46% FE; 54% HE• Approx 1/3 press and media relations roles• 56% HE respondents write press releases• 94 % FE respondents write press releases• 79 % publish press releases online themselves• >60% adapt press releases for online use

What you told us - survey

We asked ...• Whether you write press releases• Whether they go online• Who puts them online• Whether you adapt your press releases online• What ‘social’ media you use for media relations• About management structures for PR and web• Your views on impact of different management structures for PR and web development

What you told us - survey

Target audience - FE

What you told us - survey

Target audience - HE

What you told us - survey

Use of online media for PR - FE

What you told us - survey

Use of online media for PR - HE

What you told us - survey

Line management of PR and web (same)• Same directorate: 73% in FE, 84% HE

What you told us - survey

Line management of PR and web (different)

Another question ...

Do you monitor online media to listen to what is said about your

brand?

Another question ...

Do you monitor social media to listen to what is said about your

brand?

Another question ...

Do you monitor social media to spot PR opportunities?

What you told us – qualitative research

• Personal use = greater professional use• ‘We plan to do this but ...’• ‘Journalists prefer telephone’• Social media can be a distraction and create too much work• Social media is forcing us to move faster• Social media is doing away with mainstream journalism• Barriers to use of social media:

• technical (blocking)• skills• resource (time/staff)• don’t think journalists want this approach• can’t keep up with pace of change• management lack of understanding• management structures• IT department is ‘all powerful’

Another question ...

Do you think journalists use social media more than you do?

What journalists told us

A mixed bag!

An example ...

Video clip came from YouTube

An example ...

Photo appeared in Guardian and on iPlayer

An example ...

Rory Cellan-Jones, BBCDigital Britain conference in AprilHe ‘tweets’ ...

An example ...

Joanna Geary, The TimesShares the order in which she checks everything in the morning ...

Another question ...

Can you afford to do nothing?

Another question ...

Can you afford the resource needed to do something?

Another question ...

What are the barriers to progress and change?

Over to you ...