 |
 |
 |
|
09.29.09 Taking Social Media Ques From The Downing Street  By Megan HannayThe social media case I'm writing about today, UK-sponsored 10 Downing Street, is unique among the others in our series of 26 Social Media Marketing Examples In Detail. Unlike the other list-members who use social media as a means to convince people to buy/utilize a separate product or service, the sole purpose of the UK Government's social media efforts is to promote use of the UK Government's social media efforts. Already 60 million citizens strong, the United Kingdom does not seem to be recruiting too many new faces. Instead, 10 Downing Street's social media efforts are designed to allow better and clearer access to the government. So instead of selling widgets or promoting a service, 10 Downing Street is sponsoring the development of civic-minded citizens by making the government seem more accessible via its use. It also makes Prime Minister Gordon Brown (aka "the PM") look pretty tech-savvy. So let's jump in and see what the UK's been up to. The UK Government on Facebook So it turns out that the official UK Government Facebook page, Number 10 Downing Street, is actually a Facebook application page rather than your typical fan page. Considering the 60+ million residents the UK boasts, the current total of 335 fans and 583 active monthly users makes me think this isn't the best way to activate your Facebook audience. The application page lacks any content under the Info tab on the app page, the administrators of the page have not posted any content, and very few users have posted on the wall. Rather than having the entire Facebook presence exist within a single application, Number 10 Downing Street could greatly benefit from creating a fan page on which the application could live and serve its purpose while also providing administrators, leaders, fans, and users a more interactive channel to access and share information. With that said, it seems that they're at least off to a decent start with the application. It's actually pretty cool and useful (and even though I'm located in the US, I added it to my profile so I can get daily updates of the British government in a cute box on my profile). The app is pretty well-organized and is jam-packed with news updates, photos, videos and articles.
 It seems like the UK has made its Facebook platform into two one-way streets instead of one two-way street of interaction. Interested citizens can post anything they want, but they shouldn't expect a response or personalized activity from the other end. However, if the goal is to provide UK-based Facebook users with the latest newsbits from the PM (like his pledge of £250 million to global healthcare initiatives) conveniently located next to their Facebook walls, then consider it a success. The UK Government on Twitter 10 Downing Street may not be first-rate in its Facebook page, but its Twitter account is smashing indeed. With 1.39 million followers, it appears that @10DowningStreet is effective in spreading news of the Prime Minister's actions, opinions and whereabouts. Continue reading this article. About the Author: Megan Hannay is a contributing author on Ignite Social Media. |
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||
|
-- WebProNewsUK is an iEntry,
Inc. publication -- iEntry, Inc. 2549 Richmond Rd. Lexington KY, 40509 2009 iEntry, Inc. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy Legal archives | advertising info | news headlines | free newsletters | comments/feedback | submit article |
WebProNewsUK is brought to you by: