The Myths and Mysteries of Digital Engagement

Tuesday 5th of December 2017

As Tenant Participation Officer for Selby District Council, understanding digital engagement can be like trying to decipher the Da Vinci Code at times. Luckily, Kevin Farrell from Tpas came along to my organisation for a third time and provided another invaluable training session, this time he was here to help solve the myths and mysteries behind digital engagement.

Throughout the day, Kevin busted the myths behind the cost of digital engagement and that you don't need expensive cameras or a big communications department to conduct a simple yet effective tenant video or campaign. The training provided insight for our scrutiny panel members that their mobile phone is more than just a telephone but a whole new world at the end of their fingertips begging to be utilisted for the greater good of tenant involvement.

The training also provide enlightenment of how, as a local authority, we can develop our digital enagement strategy from simply using tweets and likes to something more effective and advantageous using case studies from other LA's and HA's.

In the one day training, I have learnt more about digital engagement opportunities than I would have if I browsed Google for 2000 years. The results from the training have led to discussions about developing my own promotional video letting tenants know how they can get involved. In addition we are looking at getting our scrutiny panel involved in their own promotional videos as a method to let our tenants know that change is being achieved based upon their ideas and recommendations.

In a nutshell, I firmly believe that with Tpas's continuous support and aid from the digital engagement training, Selby district Council will achieve the Holy Grail and we will gain more tenant involvement.