250190 Social media and the evolution of communications at the Ontario Ministry of Labour: Adapting to society's new communications channels by using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more

Monday, October 31, 2011: 12:46 PM

Bruce Skeaff , Communications and Marketing Branch, Ontario Ministry of Labour, Toronto, ON, Canada
     
A longstanding core ministry of the Government of Ontario moved from old-style news releases, backgrounders and fact sheets to include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and more. Recognizing the short and long-term needs to adapt to society's new communication channels, the ministry adopted new thinking, new language and new vehicles. In this session, you will learn from the Ontario Ministry of Labour on what they did, how they did it and what they found out in their social media journey. The Ministry posts health and safety videos to its YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/ontminlabour. In many instances these videos describe what an inspector will be looking for when inspecting a particular type of business. The public can leave direct comments. On Facebook (www.facebook.com/ontarioministryoflabour), the Wall is a forum where the ministry and public interact, chiefly through questions citizens pose out of their own work lives. The ministry responds almost immediately with applicable information and contact information so that the questioner can speak to a live person at the ministry. Twitter (www.twitter.com/ontminlabour) is the ministry's news feed, a mostly one-way communications channel putting information on health and safety initiatives, and court cases for violations of health and safety legislation, right into the hands of individual citizens as well as organizations, businesses and other government entities interested in the topic. It is popular with human resources and legal professionals. In this triad, the ministry covers news, information and discussion, and education, making for a well-rounded public service.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Communication and informatics
Occupational health and safety
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Discuss lessons learned on what Ontario Ministry of Labour expected and didn’t expect in their social media endeavor. Identify tactics to determine who your audience is and how to connect with them using the right tools. Explain the importance of designating your organization’s purpose (i.e., why are you using it and what will it fulfill?). Describe how to differentiate the roles of technical and creative staff in social media ventures. Discuss where the Ministry hopes to go from here and where your organization’s social media presence can be in just a short time.

Keywords: Social Marketing, Occupational Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I research social media to determine best uses for Ministry of Labour business. I develop and execute a strategic social media plan, building a cluster of channels to connect Ministry with stakeholders and the general public.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Social Media for Occupational and Environmental Health
See more of: Occupational Health and Safety