Social media, like any tool, reflects the intent of the user. Both the recent looting and subsequent clean-up activities of the "broom army", lauded as an example of the "big society" in action, were devised and co-ordinated by social media users.
So, how can the housing sector use social media to engage, involve and empower its tenants? Here are some tips based on work the Tenant Participation Advisory Service has conducted with tenants and their housing providers.
Know your audience: Housing providers must have decent customer profile information. Involved tenants also need to have a handle on the make-up of their own communities and housing providers should be able to assist them in this.
Have a plan: Before you start, think about why you're doing it and what you want to achieve. What exactly do you want to communicate, and to whom? Which social media platforms are best placed to help you achieve your aims and deliver real outcomes and impacts?
Be patient: Don't expect thousands of "likes" on Facebook or Twitter followers overnight. It takes a long time to develop your online networks and the success of a campaign depends largely on publicity, content and how sociable you are when using these forums.
Content is king: Use photos, video, external links, competitions and polls – anything that speaks directly to your audience and tells them something relevant and useful to their everyday lives. Then, showcase how their contributions have helped make a difference in your communities.
Be sociable: Don't just stick to posting links from your own corporate website – share content from other sites and interact with residents' contributions. Adopt a friendly style. Remember, you'll be there in the mix with people's "real-life" friends too. Flagship Housing in East Anglia has a great Facebook page, which is worth a look if this is a route you would like to explore.
Don't have a "glass jaw": Many housing providers and groups are still reluctant about using social media platforms for fear that they may attract negative or damaging posts. Try to relax. Facebook pages have some automatic measures in place to restrict inappropriate language, but I'd suggest backing it up with a robust site policy. If you receive posts with genuine complaints, deal with them and be open in your response about the action you are taking. If postings are a clear breach of the site policy, then delete and block.
Involve and empower: Just having a corporate Twitter account or Facebook does not constitute resident involvement. Tenants need to be either involved in developing and editing content or developing their own unique social media presence, supported by you, but over which they have ultimate control. Any other approach does not offer genuine empowerment.
Offer training: Put some resources aside to help your tenants. There are some accredited social media courses especially for tenants: Tenants on the Web, offered by the National Communities Resource Centre in Chester and Building Online Communities through TPAS E-Learning. It is worth checking these out.
Manage your online presence: Keep your social media presence regularly updated, relevant, interesting and friendly. Develop and train some "trusted posters" within your organisation who can develop and share content and respond to enquiries.
Nigel Devereux is e-learning co-ordinator at the Tenant Participation Advisory Service
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