Digital communication
We recognise that ‘digital’ is an inherent and important strand of all communication specialisms.
You can develop your digital skills, including for example:
- a better understanding of data and how it can be used to reach and communicate with our audiences
- the use of social media analysis software to gain insights
- create more relevant and impactful content
- improve reactive media handling online
- understand digital marketing and the targeting opportunities it offers
- improve the evaluation of online communications activity
Use this information to discuss your professional development plan (PDP) with your line manager. Read about the different levels in our learning strategy.
On this page:
- Read (introductory)
- Read (advanced)
- Watch or listen (introductory)
- Watch or listen (advanced)
- Do (introductory)
- Our digital skills transformation programme: Accelerate
- GCSI Digital communications course
- Do (advanced)
Read (introductory)
GDS style guide
The Government Digital Service (GDS) style guide covers style points for content and guidance on specific points of style, such as abbreviations, numbers and acronyms.
Digital accessibility
As a communications professional, you need to know that accessibility is a legal requirement, but also that it is important to make things accessible and help improve the experience for everyone. Read:
- our guidance on accessibility online for requirements and information on inclusive communication
Create accessible social media campaigns
Make social media accessible. Use the following guides:
What does assistive technology look like?
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
GDPR compliance requires that individuals be able to opt out of being subject to automatic decision making, such as the use of cookies on websites, personalised marketing and how individuals information is being processed. It is important you learn about GDPR:
- Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GOV.UK)
- Data protection (GOV.UK)
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Essentials for Marketers (on YouTube)
Design102 blog
The official blog of Design102, a creative design studio for government departments, agencies and public bodies.
Website: Think with Google
This website is regularly updated with digital marketing and audience insights.
Book: ‘Dataclysm – what our online lives tell us about our offline selves’
Drawing on data from OKCupid, Google, Facebook and more, Christian Rudder reveals our hopes, fears, dreams and desires.
Read (advanced)
Book: ‘Connected: The surprising power of our social networks and how they shape our lives’
Nicholas Christiakis and James H. Fowler present compelling evidence for our profound influence on one another as they explain how social networks form and how they operate.
Book: ‘Information is beautiful’
David McCandless presents a visual journey through the most revealing trends, offering inspiration on how to visualise your data.
Publication: ‘Fake news – a roadmap’
By King’s Centre for Strategic Communications and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. Fifteen MA students studying strategic communications have collaborated with NATO to publish the first definitive analysis of the growing phenomenon of ‘fake news’ in this fascinating book.
Watch or listen (introductory)
GCS Accelerate Essentials Learning podcasts
Listen to the Government Communication Service (GCS) Accelerate Essentials Learning podcasts. These podcasts are designed to accompany the face-to-face courses, as well as to be useful introductions to various areas of digital communications for those who haven’t attended the courses.
Media and marketing podcasts:
- FACT: Countering Misinformation in the Media
- Digital Campaigning Essentials: Introducing the Ecosystem
Digital accessibility
Recorded webinar: Digital accessibility for government communicators – with the Government Digital Service (GDS)
Learn all about the digital accessibility requirements, and how to make your digital communications accessible. This is part of digital transformation programme Accelerate.
YouTube playlist: Global Accessibility Awareness Day video series (with GDS)
This video series will help you to keep up to speed with the latest on Digital Accessibility Regulations, learn about the creation of accessibility statements and how to conduct accessibility checks, and more.
- An introduction to digital accessibility regulations Government Digital Service (34 minutes)
- How to avoid common accessibility statement fails Government Digital Service (42 minutes)
- How to carry out basic accessibility checks Government Digital Service (57 minutes)
- Building digital services that work for everyone Government Digital Service (30 minutes)
- Making accessibility accessible: the secret to engaging your workforce
Government Digital Service (16 minutes) - What would Marie Kondo do? How to clear your website of inaccessible PDFs (17 minutes)
Government Digital Service podcasts
GDS is leading the digital transformation of government.
Video: The power of story
Greg Power is President of the Canadian operations of world-leading public relations agency Weber Shandwick. Throughout his communications career, his interest has been in the challenge of building the bridge between a message and an audience.
Watch the TED talk: The power of story
Video: How to get your ideas to spread
Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.
Watch the TED talk: How to get your ideas to spread
Podcast: The truth about fake news
The BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan asks James Ball, Special Correspondent at BuzzFeed News, and Mark Frankel, Social Media Editor at BBC News, about the different meanings of ‘fake news’ and how journalists should respond to it.
Listen to the BBC podcast: The truth about fake news
Watch and listen (advanced)
BBC World Service Podcast: ‘The past and future of fake news’
The past and future of fake news – what can be done about social media misinformation and what impact does it have around the world? Mike Wendling asks a panel of experts from Buzzfeed, the Poynter Institute, and First Draft News.
Listen: The past and future of fake news
‘The Secret to Successful Crisis Management in the 21st Century’
Melissa Agnes discusses the impacts that the digital landscape have on crisis management and the key to successful crisis management.
Watch TED talk: The Secret to Successful Crisis Management in the 21st Century
Do (introductory)
The Academy courses are scheduled throughout the year, check our listing to book upcoming courses, webinars and events.
Our digital skills transformation programme: Accelerate
GCS Accelerate is an industry-leading digital skills transformation programme at the forefront of making digital integral to the work of government communicators.
The programme aims to empower, equip and engage us as government communicators in driving digital transformation within our profession. As a result, the training sessions are free to GCS members.
We deliver these through 2 strands learning hubs and executive leadership:
- learning hubs are specialist cross-government groups focusing on paid campaigns, media, content and publishing, strategic communication/Insight and evaluation, external affairs, and internal communication
- executive leadership focuses on providing directors of communication with the leadership tools and industry knowledge needed to implement transformation
Training focuses on topics ranging from countering misinformation to introduction to the media marketing ecosystem and engaging external stakeholders using digital tools. Read our blog post: GCS Accelerate, one year on
Listen to the podcasts – no password required
Watch the recorded webinar: Digital accessibility for government communicators (with GDS) – no password required
Digital communications (in partnership with GCSI)
The Academy courses are scheduled throughout the year, check our listing to book upcoming courses, webinars and events.
Overview
Digital Communications is a 6-module online course designed and delivered by GCSI (Government Communication Service International). The course teaches learners about the important role digital communications play within government and how they form a crucial part of a modern communications strategy.
What’s expected of you?
You must be able to commit 2 hours per module for 6 modules across 6 weeks.
What’s expected of your line manager?
You must speak with your line manager to approve your place on the course and ensure they understand the commitment that comes with completing the course.
What will you learn?
This course:
- gives insight into how to use digital communications strategically to target audiences, tailor content and make messages go further;
- demonstrates how digital communications give governments access to new sources of data to develop great insights, and the ability to innovate to drive real behaviour change;
- is highly interactive with participants learning from UK Government experts who share their experiences via case studies.
How will you learn?
The course uses digital learning technology including a range of video case studies and interactive activities. You will be learning from experts from across the UK Government.
OmniGOV Academy
The OmniGOV Academy is a bespoke training portal covering all core media disciplines needed to work effectively and collaboratively with the Government’s media buyer, OmniGOV (Manning Gottlieb OMD).
Find out about the OmniGov Academy
GOV.UK training
To be able to publish content on GOV.UK, you have to first attend a 2 day-long course on ‘Writing for GOV.UK‘ and ‘Using Whitehall publisher’.
Book your training through your department’s head of digital publishing or read the cross-government content community training information.
Course: Introduction to content design
Run by the Government Digital Service (GDS), discover the fundamentals of content design. Learn about user-centred content that’s easy for everyone to understand and access.
Join the course for free on FutureLearn
Course: Google analytics for beginners training
Free online training course in how to use Google Analytics to understand how people are interacting with your websites.
Google Analytics for beginners
Do (advanced)
The Academy courses are scheduled throughout the year, check our listing to book upcoming courses, webinars and events.
Course: Online Crisis Response and Media Relations
Details: 1 day face to face for grades assistant information officer (AIO) to grade 6 (G6).
Learning objectives:
- This course will include real life examples from the public private sector as well as some useful models and checklists.
- In three phases spread through the day participants will be asked to work in teams to handle an unfolding fictional crisis scenario using a private online crisis simulation platform, Crisis90.
- Participants will be guided through three stages where they will be able to compare their strategic responses, key messages and tactical approaches.
Share
Share what you learn with your colleagues. If you are interested in becoming a trainer on a course, contact us at gcs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.