Mark Blevis

I was interviewed by Nestor E. Arellano of itbusiness.ca last week about the recent decision by the Ontario government to back down from its plan to add further restrictions to the graduated licensing program for Ontario drivers (Facebook backlash over Ontario teen driver restrictions a “wake-up call” published today).  It’s likely the now more than 151,000 member Facebook group created by Jordan Sterling (Young Drivers Against New Ontario Laws) to raise awareness on the issue played a pivotal role in helping the government make its decision.

People shouldn’t get too excited about the government taking its cues directly from social media.  I believe the Facebook group served as a vehicle for information dissemination and the debate over approaches for students to plead their case to the government.  While there was the typical flaming and pontificating of uninformed opinion, I was impressed by the amount of informed discussion, productive debate and collaborating/strategizing.  In that respect, the Facebook community, made up largely of non-voting students, served a significant purpose and achieved an incredible victory.

Did Facebook change the government’s mind?

In the end, I believe it was the letter-writing, emails and phone calls to MPs that made the difference.  A lot of that was clearly organized through the Facebook group.  Social media alone did not win the fight.  It was the balance between old and new, and speaking to the government on its terms.

Government and businesses, though, will have to learn this new way of interacting with their audiences.  The marketplaces, railway cars and town halls are now on the Internet and smart phones.  Commerce and policy are relocating and those that choose to ignore this move (or choose to fear it) are limiting their usefulness.

As part of the interview, I was asked to provide three-to-five steps for government and business to consider in their move to embrace social media.  I’ve adapted them slightly from the way in which they appear in the article:

1. Acknowledge social media– Just as organizations have used written and phone surveys to gather public sentiment and feedback, social networks – such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter – can be a very effective means of finding out what people think of policies and what they would like the organization to achieve.
2. Join various forums – Rather than trying to block access to social networks (which seems to be the blanket approach the days), an organization should research which online “gathering places” are appropriate for its operations and then develop policies and practices on how to use these sites.
3. Create your own “gathering place” – Adopt an existing social networking tool or develop your own social networking site to create a place where people can reach you and engage with you. Many companies bolster in-house communication between leaders and employees with the use of corporate wikis, podcasts or blogs. Special sites designed to cultivate online communities are also very useful in elevating an organization’s public profile.
4. Listen to the people – Any form of communication is no good if one of its participants turns a deaf ear to the other.  Social media amplifies this need to listen.  If your organization isn’t prepared to meet the needs of its target audience, why does it exist?
5. Engage/respond – When you receive feedback or gather data, you need to act accordingly. Realize that your “community” is vital and that it needs feedback and action from you as well. Provide people with the information they need at the time they need it and provide them with suggested actions that keep them engaged with you.