This document discusses how construction companies can use social media for PR and marketing. It begins by defining social media as globally distributed conversations online using tools like blogs, wikis, social networks and video sharing. It then explains why social media matters for construction firms, noting its growing user base and how it is shaping online user behavior and media consumption. Finally, it provides best practices for construction companies to engage in social media through blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn and other channels.

1. pwcom.co.uk
CIMCIG/CAPSIG – Leeds – 23 May 2012
Construction PR and
marketing: Getting social
Paul Wilkinson
(pwcom.co.uk)

2. 2

3. • Who am I?
• What is social media?
• Why does social media matter?
• What social media tools can we apply in
construction?
• How do we start?
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4. 4

5. video – mobile -
telephones - ICQ -
IM – email – EDMS -
groupware – FTP –
websites – texts -
intranets – portals
video-conferences
number of tools
– extranets –
web-conferences –
file-sharing (P2P) –
discussion forums –
homepages – wikis
VOIP - podcasts -
blogs – Twitter –
RSS – Facebook –
web communities –
Apps - RFID - tags –
Face-to-face Written word Telephone GPS – IoT – QR
codes - mashups –
Hand drawings Messengers Telegraph Telex
virtual worlds –
Physical Photography Fax Radio – TV Augmented reality
Printing
models computers – Web 3.0 – etc
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6. • Web 2.0 or social media – What is it?
• the use of web technologies and web design to enhance
creativity, information sharing and collaboration among
users.
• “globally distributed, near instant, person to person
conversations”
“People having conversations online”
(Sources:
Wikipedia; Kaizo; Euan Semple)
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7. 7

8. 8

9. 9

10. (Source:
Role of Social Media in Commercial Property
RICS 2009 – Remit Consulting)
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11. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
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12. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• 800m global users
= internet 2004
• 29.8m UK profiles
• 58% of all UK
people online
• 52% of all UK
social network
visits
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13. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• In November 2011, UK LinkedIn
membership passed 8 million
• Two thirds of UK professionals profiled
• 25% of FTSE100 hire via LinkedIn
• 6.1m UK visits per month
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14. c. 462m registered
accounts
• 140m (c. 28%)
'active'*
• 250m 'active'
by end 2012
* Active = members who log in
at least once a month
Source: www.mediabistro.com
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15. • UK = 4th largest Twitter
population
• c. 24m Twitter accounts
(38% population)
• c. 7m active UK users
• 7% of Tweeters =
79% of UK Twitter traffic
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16. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
100m global users (July 2011- Feb 2012)
Now adding 750,000+ users per day
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17. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• UK: 24m visits to video-sharing sites
in April 2011
• 19m unique UK visitors to YouTube
(April 2011; up 12% on 2010)
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18. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• Worldwide:
181m blogs
(December 2011)
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19. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• 78% UK homes
now have
broadband
internet access
• Will top 80%
next year
Source: Ofcom Communications
Market Report 2011
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20. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• biggest driver of UK mobile internet
adoption is social media
• social networking services (57%), ahead
of email (53%), search (42%)
• 27% of UK population
have smartphones
Source: Ofcom Communications Market Report 2011
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21. Why does mobile Web 2.0 matter?
• Smartphone sales (100m) passed
sales of laptops (94m) in Q4 2010
• By 2014, mobile internet use
will overtake desktop access
• “'Personal cloud' to eclipse
PC in just 2 years” - Gartner
But...
• Only 20% of FTSE100
websites support mobile
Source: Techcrunch
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22. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• Decline of traditional print circulation, eg:
– Building 2010 : 21,271
(down 15% from 25,017 in 2006)
– Construction News 2010 : 13,850
(down 42% from 23,728 in 2006)
– Contract Journal – closed 2009
• Shift from print to online
– Paywalled websites, e-newsletters
webinars, digital editions, etc
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23. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• Rise of new online media, eg:
– The Construction Index –
c. 317,000 visitors/mth
2.1m page imps/mth
8,000 newsletter subscribers (email October 2011)
– Construction Enquirer –
c. 74,000 unique visitors/mth
400,000 page impressions/mth
9,000 newsletter subscribers (August 2011)
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24. Why does Web 2.0 matter?
• Old and new media adopting Web 2.0
– Blogs, Twitter, video, RSS, etc
• “Paid media” - advertising, sponsorship
• “Owned media” - website, blog, Twitter
• “Earned media” - 'WOM', 'buzz', 'viral'
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25. 25

26. 26

27. • Discussion
forums
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28. • Wikis
– open – Wikipedia
(visited by c.15m UK
internet users in April 2011)
– professional –
RIBApedia
– internal knowledge
management
• Fielden Clegg Bradley
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29. 29

30. • Blogs
• Individual
• Corporate
• Media
• Podcasts
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31. • RSS
– RSS publishing, from:
• Bloggers
• Media
• Corporate
• Search
– Feed-readers
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32. • Social networking
– from personal
(eg: Facebook) …
– to professional
(less Facebook,
more LinkedIn) …
– to AEC focused
(some in Facebook, LinkedIn,
or built on
Ning, Elgg, socialGo)
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33. • Twitter
• Personal
• Corporate
• Media
MentionMap
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34. • Tagging/
sharing
34

35. Woobius
Showcase
• Application to create
iPhone/iPad apps
for construction
businesses
• “portfolio in your
pocket”
• Innovation =
differentiation
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36. • Sharing:
– Presentations
– Meetings, polls
– Reviews
– Photos
– Video
– Location
– etc
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37. Changing PR
• Online media
– Digital news release
– Opinion piece written in blog
– Photos, video, slides incorporated
• RSS, tweeted, shared (LI, FB), etc
• e-newsletters
• We are all publishers now!
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38. • Changing meetings/events
Hybrid = online + face-2-face
• Real-time sharing/feedback
• Multiple locations
• We are all broadcasters now!
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39. Good tweeting
• Beware:
– company and/or client
confidentiality
– copyright issues
– defamation
– privacy of individual
– bringing company into disrepute
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40. Good tweeting
• Avoid conflicts of interest
– Disclose client
relationships
– Clarify account
'managers'
• Consider disclaimers
• Above all: honesty and integrity
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41. Good tweeting
• Stay (mainly) on-topic
• Keep it personal,
not corporate
• Tweet regularly
• Be responsive
• Think long-term
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42. Good blogging
• Stay on-topic
• Keep it personal,
not corporate
• Post regularly
• Be responsive to
comments
• Think long-term
– what outcomes/reactions do you want?
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43. Good blogging
• Beware:
– 'Flogging'
(fake blogging)
– 'Astro-turfing'
• Take care 'ghost-writing'
or re-using others' content
• Have terms of reference,
policies regarding subject
matter, approval processes, etc
• Correct any errors quickly
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44. • Wikipedia guidance
– CIPR working with
Wikimedia Foundation
and Wikipedians on
draft guidance for PRs
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Draft_best_practice_guidelines_for_PR
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45. Getting Social
Q&A
Thank you
Contact: Paul Wilkinson
Website: www.pwcom.co.uk
Tech blog: www.extranetevolution.com
PR blog: www.blog.pwcom.co.uk
Email: paul.wilkinson@pwcom.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 8858 1104
mob: 07788 445920
Twitter: @EEPaul
http://www.google.com/profiles/paul.wilkinson19
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