Encouraging voter registrations can be a tough gig. But with creativity and planning nailed, one local council managed to pull it off…
By DanielCattanach
Read moreremember print deadlines?
Remember print deadlines? They were those immovable feasts that dictated the best time to send out a press release. They were subject to a number of variables; did you want your press release to make the front page, was it more of an ‘inside’ piece, or were you trying to meet the personal deadline of a ‘favourite’ contact who wanted to be out at the pub by noon every day?
By Gill Gwatkin
Read moreless for murder
There’s much to learn from creative agencies for in-house comms people. Working through the tough times, the tiffs and the pressures of business and still delivering outstanding work takes some doing. Here’s some insight from one of the best agencies around as they celebrate 25-years together.
by comms2point0 panel writer Rich Elwell.
Read morefrom enragement to engagement - dealing with a spoof site on your patch
When your organisation is on the receiving end of a bit of satire there’s a temptation to take the whole thing very seriously. This post emphasises the importance, and benefits, of having a sense of humour.
By Adam Keating and Michael Sargood
Read morestop it
Sometimes it’s actually quite useful to have a good old fashioned rant. Get it out, move on - it might just make you feel better about your lot. This new post is a rant at some of the less than perfect social media behaviours we’re seeing right now.
By Dave Musson
Read moresurvival skills workshop: supporting you in the year ahead
Cuts, restructures, organisational change. Our working worlds have never been more full of challenge and change. You’re resilient, you get by. But are you properly supported through these tough times? Possibly not. An all-new workshop aims to change all that.
Read morecommunicating elections: key lessons from lgiu coverage
Local elections season is just around the corner so if you work in local government your mind will be turning to them any time now. This new post identifies some top tips to create greater understanding of, and engagement in, local elections.
Read moreyou gotta fight….for the right – to write content
Everyone wants their website to look great, right? But we often see organisations forget about the content. Not so at one local authority which has invested in improving the content it shares with its customers.
Read morehousing magazines – do they have a future?
how to deal with negative or inappropriate comments on social media
Someone online has said something critical. How do you respond? Here are some ideas.
by Emily Taylor
Read morewhat the wedding present has taught me
We can all easily get distracted. Emails. The phone. Twitter. But how can we stop flitting and focus?
Read moresnapchat for mass communication: a case study
Snapchat works well with youunger people. But using it as an organisation? How would that work?
Read morefree images for local government
A powerful image can make a point and make you stop and look. In years gone by, image libraries were maintained by most councils. As the cuts bit they often went. Now the Local Government Association has a solution for the sector.
Read morethe rise of crappy marketing. and why it will only ever be crappy.
Crappy marketing. It's a mistake which has been around for a long, long time. But the growth in social media seems to have given us the opportunity to see even more of it.
Read morevideo clips on facebook can show your organisation's human face
It's an important point that still needs to be made. Using Facebook isn't messing about on the internet. It is going to where the people are and talking to them there. Take the excellent Newcastle City Council Facebook page who are mixing video into their updates with good results.
Read moremy favourite app: in praise of uber
Good apps are heart to find. But for one comms person a taxi app that is revolutionsing travel stands out.
by Rob McCleary
Read morepr people, stop talking ourselves into the next recession
A comms person who deals direct with industry has a clear message for comms people. Quit the negative talk about the economy.
Read morewhy faceless civil servant is never a good look
We've come a long way, baby, as country singer Loretta Lynn once sang. Once, the idea of using social media in the public sector was bold and revolutionary. Now it is common place. Perhaps the greatest thing about this is that it puts a human face onto civil servants who are human too.notwestminster 2016: a rock n' roll democracy event
Good communications is all well and good but how about improving the thing? An event in Yorkshire aims to improve how democracry is done and it's of interest to anyone in or around local government.
by Dave McKenna
While controversial council decisions make their way easily onto the news agenda the day to day of council decision making remains invisible to most people.
Take Council meetings for example. While millions engage with the x factor and strictly hardly anyone is interested in what’s happening in their own town halls. The problem is not the comms but the product. So how can we bring council business out of the 1930s and blinking into the sunlight of the mass media age?
10 things comms should do after an incident
As public authorities work to get flood-affected communities back to normal they will be reviewing what went well and what could have gone better. Here are top ten tips for an effective review.
by Ben Proctor
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1. Do an after incident review.
In the midst of an emergency or even while trying to get everything back to normal everyone will be very committed to capturing the learning. As soon as normality kicks in and managers start demanding the full attention of the beleaguered comms team it can be really hard to get people to sit down and think through the incident. It’s important to do it though.
