Create & Evidence Authentic, Relevant Audience Connections & Experiences With Limited Resources For High-Impact, Inspirational & Engaging Digital Communications Which Deliver! Charities, Public Sector, Not-For-Profit & Higher Education Organisations Share Practical, Fresh & Cost-Effective Digital & Social Engagement Strategies To Maximise Online Reach & Impact & Measurably Drive Results. 8th Annual Event! A One-Day, Industry-Led Conference & Networking Event, 22nd September 2020, Central London
08.30 Registration, Morning Coffee & Objective Setting
09.00 GIC Welcome, Morning Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Gemma Malley, Director of Communications & Development, BookTrust
Social Media Success!
09.15 Achieve Stand-Out Social Media Success With Creative Approaches To Overcome Limited Budgets, Data & Reach Without Breaking The Bank
Sharon Jones, Head of Digital, BookTrust
- Determine where your audience get their social media fix to fuel engagement with targeted campaigns, content and budget allocation
- From a small team to a one-man band; tactics to optimise social media content, timing and messaging per channel and boost brand presence and reach
- As it becomes more demanding to use social media to stand out, how can organisations cut through the noise?
- Think outside the box to respond to ongoing post-GDPR limitations and improve customer journey tracking, personalisation and targeting
Social Media Panel Discussion
09.35 Make Your Social Media Work For You! Push The Boundaries For Vibrant Social Media From Stories To Influencers, Established & Emerging Channels
- Unlock the potential of stories: the how, where, when, what and why behind Facebook or Instagram story success
- Dare to innovate? Push the boundaries for vibrant social media which keeps with the times when internal stakeholders are hesitant
- You’ve established Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Snapchat but new players keep emerging – what is TikTok and what opportunities does it present?
- Do influencers still have real influence? Examine the role of working with influencers in a small-budget social media strategy
Andrew Hyams, Head of Campaigns & Communications, Safe Passage International
Clare Paredes, Head of Communications & Marketing, National Housing Federations
Amina Khan, Senior Digital Communications Advisor, International Planned Parenthood Federation
Elizabeth Starling, Senior Marketing Officer, Digital & Communications, Norwich University of the Arts
Oli Dillon, Social Media Manager, Stroke Association
Measure & Prove Digital Impact
10.05 Meaningful Metrics To Gain Tangible Perspective On Digital Comms Activities & Engagement Levels To Drive Improvements & Inform Future Spend
- Move beyond clicks, likes and shares to deep dive into strategic digital comms performance and engagement levels
- Review and set the digital KPIs and objectives most aligned with organisational goals and supporter and customer needs
- From social stats to digital reports, measure and attribute success to define which digital channels work best
- Explore tools and dashboards to unite different channels and assess performance throughout the whole digital ecosystem
Blair Campbell, Head of Insight & Digital, University of Hertfordshire
10.25 Morning Refreshment Break With Informal Networking
Internal Buy In & Support
10.55 Evidence Digital Communications Success To Secure Internal Buy In & Support
- Translate digital stats, data, figures and success into easily-digestible business cases for the board
Speak their language! Prove digital comms generates value and justifies spend - Communicate audience preferences and needs to the board to achieve an audience centric, results-driven strategy from the top
- Risk taking! How far can you push your case to sway stakeholders?
Jonathan Dando, Director of Marketing & Communications, Teach First
11.15 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner
Audience Insights, Data & Personalisation
11.35 Tactics To Really Understand Your Audience Data, Behaviours & Drivers For Insight-Led, Targeted Strategies - Even Without All The Tools At Your Disposal!
- When you might not be able to gather perfect insight, what are practical steps to refine audience strategies based on freely available or existing data and behaviours?
- Steps to identify demographics, pin down the personas and profiles of your audience and drive meaningful comms and engagement - even with multiple target audiences
- Where else are your audience if not online? How can you reach them and what do you need to know to decide which groups to target?
Tony Finnegan, Senior Communications Manager, Ofcom
Attention-Grabbing Video
11.55 Low-Budget, High-Impact Strategies For Shareable, Informative & Engaging Video Content Which Bolsters Brand Image & Resonates With Supporters & Customers
- When all you’ve got is your smartphone, how can you still produce high-quality, high engagement stories, narratives and campaigns?
- Any tips on great free/budget-friendly editing tools?
- From shaky cam to stop motion, longer or shorter clips, what are the latest video trends to achieve authentic content which engages viewers and drives action?
- Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Stories, Websites… how to successfully build video into each channel strategy
Sean Ryan, Director of Communications, Save the Children UK
Sasha Nicholl, Head of PR & Digital, Save the Children UK
Breakouts: Your Choice
12.15 : Breakouts: Your Choice
A. Fundraising, Increase Baselines, Save Resources! Elevate Digital Comms Strategies To Fuel Fundraising, Generate Support & Increase Donations
- Achieve transactions without being transactional! Cultivate meaningful supporter relationships to boost both engagement and donations
- There is no silver bullet: what tactics have you found to adapt the traditional marketing funnel to fit fundraising?
- Donor retention: it’s all very well signing them up, but how do you retain their support past year one?
- From contactless donations to fundraising events; take advantage of easily-accessible fundraising tools and technologies to optimise activities and engagement
Jenny Flack, Head of Community & Events Fundraising, Sense
OR Informal Breakout In Networking Room
B. Customer Service Or Digital Comms?
Catherine Hepton, Head of Marketing & Engagement, Sandwell College
C. Email Personalisation
Phil Clark, Head of Content & Audience, British Medical Association
D. Accessible Digital Comms
12.35 Lunch & Informal Networking For Speakers, Delegates & Partners
Informal Peer-To-Peer Discussions
13.05
A. Implementing a video-first social media strategy
Sophie Burns, Senior Content Manager, The Scottish Government
B. Imperial College Perspective
Vickie Sheriff, Director of Communications, Imperial College London
C. Digital Comms When You’re Not In Control
Esme Wilks, Senior Communications Manager, Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford
Alison Brindle, Head Of Communications, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford
Opening Remarks
13.35 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Paul Mylrea, Director of Communications, University of Cambridge
Sarah West, Director of Campaigns and Communications, Hospice UK
Optimise Budget & Resources
13.45 Squeeze The Most Engagement & Impact From The Least Resources With Outside-The-Box Digital Comms & Time Efficient Prioritisation
- When every activity is on the public purse or earnt through donations, how do you ensure that your digital communications achieve the best results?
- Quick, simple wins to get the most out of your existing infrastructure and be impactful with limited budget and resources
- When everything falls to you or a small team, tried-and-tested methods to effectively prioritise budget and time and strategically up-skill the department
- Fail fast, learn quick? Choose the right strategies first time when budgets don’t allow for failure
Double Perspective
13.45 Simon Williams, Head of Communications & Policy, HEART UK
14.05 Lynn Roberts, Assistant Director- Digital & Innovation, Action For Children
14.25 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner
Budget-Friendly New Tech Panel Discussion
14.45 Leverage Cost-Conscious Technologies & Explore Emerging Trends To Future Proof Your Digital Comms
- When shiny new tools aren’t always an option, what platforms should you investigate to build your tech toolkit?
- As the established channels (and their audiences) mature, what is next?
- AI, automation, voice tech… what are the opportunities for charities, not-for-profits and the public sector to get involved?
- Tap into chatbots’ potential to increase speed of service, handle FAQs and reduce manpower spend while maintaining that ‘human’ touch
- When budget for a new tool does emerge, navigate the complexity of procurement to ensure you’re getting the best option!
Said Dajani, Head of Digital, Diabetes UK
David Geary, Head of Communications, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation
Kenon Man, Head of Digital Marketing, University of Swansea
Anju Verma, Head of Digital Communications, HM Land Registry
Authentic Communications
15.15 Leverage Brand Ambassador Relationships To Drive Growth, Trust, Authenticity & Engagement
John McCarthy, Executive Director of Marketing & External Relations, University of Salford
Catherine Beachill, Social Media Manager, University of Salford
15.35 Afternoon Refreshment Break With Informal Networking
The Winning Digital Channel Mix
16.05 Cultivate Omni-Channel Journeys & Digital Mixes Which Match Your Audience Needs To Minimise Pain Points & Achieve Seamless Experiences
- Develop a digital channel mix which suits your audience; create the best channel toolkit at your disposal and best optimise and align each platform
- Online doesn’t work for everyone! Create campaigns which roll out successfully on every channel
- When every channel has a lifecycle, how do you strategically (and cost-effectively) grow each channel to its full potential?
- Influence customers to choose digital channels to save contact centre costs and increase ease of self-service and conversions
Helen Crumley, Head of Communications and Engagement, NHS West Essex CCG
Engagement Showcase
16.25 Achieve The (Im)Possible! Put Theory Into Action To Win Supporter Loyalty, Drive Brand Engagement & Awareness & Boost Revenue
Mark Whatham, Head of Brand & Marketing, Blind Veterans UK
Raising Awareness
16.45 How RSPB Took On The UK Music Charts To Raise Awareness & Public Engagement
Laura Ward, Head of Online Content, RSPB
Steven Roddy, Principal Campaigner, RSPB
Inspiring Content
17.05 Cultivate Content To Drive Audience Conversations & Conversions!
- Simple ideas to shake up your digital communications and storytelling for fresh, relevant content which inspires action
- Craft your organisation’s narrative and story to not only fuel engagement, but ensure ROI
- Ensure your comms tone is authentic, clearly conveys the organisation’s message and resonates with your audience
- Achieve spontaneity with a mix of pre-determined content plans and the green light for off-the-cuff posts
Emma Dalby Bowler, Head of Digital Engagement, Mind
17.25 Co-Chairs’ Closing Remarks & Official Close Of Conference
