Digital Inclusion, as well as ability, is driven by desire
and the need to get online. Creating that need and desire should be the
responsibility of all service providers with an interest in developing contact
or increased membership with those that are currently digitally excluded for
whatever reason.
Not all the decision makers within those services in the
public, private and 3rd sector are in touch with what is
happening in the digital world. At best, they may pay it lip service by using an
email add-on with the word "monkey" or "chimp" in it to make
contact with people they already know. These tools can be very effective
when used as part of a digital campaign. However, they will rely on a list of
email addresses to function on their own so fail at the very first hurdle in attracting interest
from the wider, digitally excluded audience.
A good offline example of motivating the digitally excluded to
get online is the use of electronic street signs promoting traffic updates on
Twitter. This provides a clear benefit for going on line that the reader may
not have considered before. Other examples are advertising downloadable apps
for bus and train timetables at bus terminals and train stations. For those less mobile, promotion of the
benefits to getting online needs to take place where these people meet such as
day centres or disability centres. In addition, the campaign needs to be driven
by the people that visit them such as carers, social workers or family members.
For any organisation depending on repeat business, referrals
or looking for constant contact, it is a missed opportunity and waste of money
to advertise or distribute any form of press release, editorial, leaflet or display
banner without promoting a website with a strong call to action or at least one
social media stream for recipients to engage with but, sadly, it still happens.
Before considering an additional call to action, make sure
receiver is working and scalable. Don’t put a phone number or email address on
your printed material if no one is going to answer it right away. With the
increase in mobile use, there is a greater expectation that emails and calls will
be answered almost immediately. Before paying for that mail shot, leaflet
circulation or radio advert, are you ready for the increase in incoming
enquiries?
I am continually surprised by the use of some data capture
methods particularly when payment details are being requested or the accompaniment
of a cheque for registering for an event or renewing a membership. I see
examples of this from organisations in the public sector and education sector that
have dedicated staff for communication and marketing yet with no power or inclination to adopt
digital methods. There is an assumption that the reader has the latest version
of Microsoft Word, a printer full of ink, an A4 scanner with the knowledge to
use it, the ability to attach the file and email it back. Ironically, the same
offending email will carry the footer “Please
consider your environmental responsibility. Before printing this e-mail
message, ask yourself whether you really need a hard copy.
The lack of an integrated customer relationship system to
capture and nurture new customers or service users to grow a sustainable
business should be seen as a business weakness and addressed as a priority.
These systems are no longer limited to the owners of huge corporate budgets and
teams of support staff. I am sure many of the larger companies would gladly
offload the heavily licenced legacy systems sold to them on the golf course and
supported by a sea of overpaid contractors and 3rd party “partners”.
Why wouldn’t they want to save money? Possibly because the cost of adhering to
employment or support contracts would cripple them before they could press the
open source button. If you are a smaller company, you can seize the advantage.
Business leaders need to change the way they gather and
capture data. If social and business services are seeking clients or members of
all ages and abilities, they have to take the message to them where ever they
may be, using whatever tools are common to them now and in the near future.
It is true, we have 1.3 million people offline in Scotland
but the reason, for a huge proportion of them, is that the internet is of no
interest to them. Perhaps those service providers that wish to target this unconnected
group could do more to influence their audience to engage with them to be
informed more directly and effectively by adopting more digital activity and
offering consistency. To sum up, to all users of digital - make sure you practice
what you preach.
