Communications

Social Media at Job & Family

Services

About the agency• 1,200 employees

• Programs/services– Child Protection – Child Support – Medicaid, food stamps, cash assistance– Other

Communications

About the agency

• Operating budget declining– At least 48% to $60 million (2007-2011)

• Demand for services increasing– 55,000 coming through doors monthly– More than 375 laid off thus far

Communications

Waiting room traffic

Communications

Social Media Goal

• Improve accessibility and transparency at Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services

• Engage audiences, not just broadcast

Communications

Social media objectives• To relieve pressure on crowded

waiting rooms and busy call centers

• To build relationships with key influencers in target audiences

• To make potential customers aware of our many services

• To give quick answers to questions

Communications

Communications

29 since May 2008Medicaid, food stamps, child support, job

services, adoption/foster

care…

Cost:$29 per

month for software

Live chats

9.6 participants, 15.2 questions, 73.7 views

Communications

Twitter (@HamiltonCoJFS): 236

May2008

Free

Communications

Facebook group: 90

January2008

Free

Communications

Facebook fan page: 180

January2008

Free

Communications

Audio podcast 500 visits month

October2007

Cost: $130

digital recorder

You Tube channel 7,000 views

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September2007

Cost: $700 digital

camera; cost of

professional videos

Blog 7,500 views

Communications

February2009

Cost: $250

graphic artist

www.BlogTalkRadio.com

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June2009

Free

www.hcjfs.org

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Monthly unique visitors

Tripled in

three years

to 30,000

Low cost• Social media cost: $2,000

Communications

High benefit• Meeting pre-established objectives, goals• TV, radio coverage• Contributed to a boss’ promotion• Appeared on minister’s radio program• Foster care month on “mommy” blogs• Retweets by media, social service partner• #fosterparents needed, Pitch Engine

What we’ve learned• Daily maintenance: Relevant content

• Don’t get sucked into time drain

• Patience/stay with it

• Educating late adopters (in-house)

• Leverage personal networks

• Integrate with Speakers’ Bureau, media relations, newsletter, Web site…

• Measure with WebTrends, surveys…

Communications

Measure/Evaluate

– “On today's crowded Web, the winners are the people who create the most value for both the customer and the business over time. And value happens not when people buy your product but when they use it and love it. Not when they upload a video, but when someone else watches it.”

--Shane Atchison, Click Z

Communications

Resources

• Google• New Media Cincinnati• Cincinnati Social Media• Twitter• Blogs with RSS feeds (Strategic Public

Relations by Kevin Dugan)• Online publications such as Inside Facebook• Books: New Rules of Mkt. and PR• www.MikeBoehmer57.wordpress.com

Communications