Media Relations Handbook 
for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress

§ 6.5 Five Management Principles of Online Communications

By Brad Fitch Foreword by Mike McCurry Contributing Author: Beth Gaston $45 Ships within 1 business day. The Author Reviews Sample Sections Details

Most people in public affairs think the biggest challenge of online communication is understanding the technology--and they are wrong. The biggest challenge is understanding the management of creating and maintaining online communication strategies. Despite many non-geeks' initial fears, getting a computer to do what you want is relatively simple and straightforward. Getting a nonprofit research director or a congressional legislative director to attend a meeting on web-site content is much harder. People are more complicated than machines.

Successful web sites can only be built and maintained effectively through a management scheme that touches an entire organization in some way. There are five key management principles for a successful web site and online communications strategy. These concepts are based in part on principles suggested in Winning PR in the Wired World, by Don Middleberg (McGraw-Hill 2000).

1. Management that Gets It: Online communications strategies, just like off-line strategies, must have the support of leadership. Managers must commit resources, ensure that non-communications staff understand the importance of the strategy, and be involved in key strategic decisions. Leaders don't have to be involved in the day-to-day decisions; but if they're not behind the effort, it's likely to fail. One of the reasons that the federal government's portal, First.gov, is rated as one of the best web sites in the world is because two presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, devoted resources and support to using the Internet to make the federal government more accessible to citizens.

2. Internal Leadership: Behind most successful online strategies are one or two people inside the organization who drive the effort. They provide the creativity, knowledge, and basic hard work that result in great web sites. It is their responsibility to push the thinking of leaders and colleagues about the value of the Internet to their organization, and translate those ideas into practical benefits. For example, most of the success of the House Republican Conference web site, <www.gop.gov>, was due to James Smith, an innovative and aggressive communications specialist who redefined the level of services that could be made available online to the public and congressional staff. The site has summaries of issues pending before the House (with a Republican slant), ways to subscribe to various online newsletters, and extensive internal services and information only available to House GOP members.

3. Internal Cooperation: One of the greatest challenges to creating online strategies is getting buy-in and participation from colleagues. Public relations specialists cannot provide the content necessary for web-based communications without the full cooperation of fellow staff. In larger organizations, this can be a challenge; but it also can be a rich opportunity to bolster the organization's mission internally.

One method is to create an online team, comprised of representatives from the various divisions in the organization. The team periodically reviews the web site and makes recommendations for changes. This allows each division to showcase its work and contribution to the organization's mission. The Department of Energy used this method to create one of the most successful web sites in the federal government, Energy.gov, and earned a "Best Fed on the Web Award" in 2000 from Government Executive Magazine in the process.

Another method is to give various departments access to the web site and charge individuals within the department with the responsibility of updating the site. This is very hard for communications experts in a political environment who are used to a centralized dissemination system, with all information flowing upward (to them) and only flowing downward (to others) as the experts see fit. But web-site managers must understand that cooperation is a two-way street, and that by involving others in the online planning and delivery process they can exponentially increase their reach and power. Just as the Internet is a burgeoning online democracy of varying ideas, an organization's internal planning process must also be democratic.

Having said that, in large organizations, such as a federal agency, multiple sources feeding the content of a single web site must work under some general guidelines regarding who has access to the site and the criteria for content. The "control" should be general, but within certain parameters, depending on the mission of the organization and the sensitivity of the information.

In 2003, Howard Dean's presidential campaign adopted this principle to the greatest degree possible, encouraging the creation of independent web sites, web logs (or blogs), and meetings of supporters organized through Meetup.com. The campaign endorsed anything that could foster the candidate's popularity, and all without a controlling hand from campaign headquarters. As Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, said, "The more you try to control it, the more you stifle its growth." A great text on the topic of creating internal systems for web sites is Collaborative Web Development: Strategies and Best Practices for Web Teams, by Jessica Burdman (Addison-Wesley 1999).

4. Connection to a Strategic Vision: Your web-based communications should be a virtual representation of your organization. Your mission, strategic image, and the tone should reflect every aspect of your organization. This management principle is connected to the design principles discussed in §6.6, "Five Building Blocks of Public Affairs Web Sites," and should be an underlying consideration in all online communications. In looking at online strategies, ask yourself: "Are all our goals reflected?" "Are we emphasizing the same messages online as off-line?" "Are we meeting the needs of all strategic stakeholders?"

For example, the American Association of Health Plans, <www.aahp.org>, has used its web site to coordinate 1,000 managed-care plans with more than 30 million potential activists in its database. The association's database can be sorted to create targeted online campaigns connected to a strategic goal, such as small-business owners or residents in long-term care facilities interested in reducing health-care costs. The web site links interested parties with the mission of the organization and offers visitors a means to act on their common goals.

5. Connection to the Off-line World: Some communicators and managers perceive the Internet as a separate world, like the 1982 Disney movie, Tron, where a computer expert is downloaded into a video game--a distinct environment not connected to reality. Connecting online and off-line strategies is probably the most important management principle of successful communications planning. Each environment has its own strengths and weaknesses, but linking them is essential.

More than any other category of online communications (such as commercial or news sites), many people go online to public affairs web sites because they want to feel connected to some part of our democracy. They may want information or a service, but they are also inviting your organization to get them involved. The 2000 McCain for President campaign and Moveon.org are prime examples of translating online political activism to tangible off-line benefits. Both organizations' web sites were used to coordinate donations and volunteer efforts. But they only worked because they were connected to an off-line activity. For more advice on this topic, see §6.15, "How to Connect Off-line Activities with Online Assets" and §6.16, "The Little Web Site That Could."

Media Relations Handbook
By Brad Fitch
Foreword by Mike McCurry
Contributing Author: Beth Gaston

$45
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Hardbound: 368 pages 
ISBN 10: 1587330032
ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-003-2
LCCN:  2003113070
OCLC: 54982382
Published 2004
Dimensions: 7.2 x 10.25 x 1.1
Weight: 2.1 pounds
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Last updated: January 01, 2008