Bringing jam and Jerusalem into the digital age: How the WI is eyeing another 100 years thanks to mobile, social, and video
As the Women’s Institute (WI) prepares to celebrate its centenary we take a look at how the group, originally formed to connect and educate women during WWI, is slowly but surely embracing all things digital.
“The traditional view of the Women’s Institute is jam and Jerusalem or Calendar Girls,” laughs Charlotte Fiander, head of communications at the WI. “I have people thinking my actually job is making jam in the office every day. It’s not.”
The WI is changing, but it isn’t looking to ditch its roots outright. Instead, it wants to build on them as it explores new ways to connect members and engage with the younger generation whilst also ensuring those that have been with the group for 40 or 50 years don’t get left behind.
Fiander is part of a team of just four overseeing this transition.
Lovely day in the park with @dalstondarlings pic.twitter.com/TBjSKglFEn
— Hackney Wicked Women (@WickedWomenWI) August 8, 2015
Mobile overhaul
The first step to doing this has been an overhaul of its website. Before the redesign, the WI found that 49 per cent of traffic to its website was through digital devices. Working with digital and CRM agency Squiz, it has created a mobile responsive site that's littered with more imagery than the previous version.
The main aim has been to give its members more “autonomy” to upload their own content, meeting information, or link though to their own blogs, all the while ensuring to boost the confidence of those less digitally savvy.
“It means they are a lot more invested in sharing it and promoting themselves,” says Fiander. “They feel they have a really good sense of ownership and can do regional promotion on a national platform.”
Early results have proven promising. Within the first month of the overhaul, the WI reported a 22 per cent rise in traffic and a 23 per cent rise in new users.
A second update is planned for later in the year which will introduce a “members only” section as the WI moves toward being a paperless organisation.
“It will be a dedicated area where we can upload all of our communications and make it members’ first port of call rather than picking up the phone,” she said.
This however has proved more challenging as many are still not confident online and using email despite the WI pushing to make its older members more comfortable using digital channels. Upcoming investments will continue these efforts through videos hosted on its revamped site.
“People trust the WI to help them with the basic things like setting up email. But some of our members still don’t have computers and have no interest. So using digital communications is not something we want to force, and we don’t want them to feel that by not suing it they’ll get left behind."
Embracing social
Fiander says social media has “exploded” over the past five years and its members today are slowly becoming more interactive, predominantly though Facebook and Twitter. However, the influx of younger members is helping the organisation experiment with the likes of Instagram and Pinterest.
With the majority of its members ranging from 60 to 80 years old, brand trust has become an important factor in helping them explore social media.
"We’ve got a lot of members using Facebook to keep in touch with children or grandchildren and connecting with the WI is a nice step on. We’re a brand they trust. They know us and so they feel like they can learn something new without being worried about spam or being hacked,” says Fiander.
Celebrating its Centenary
To celebrate its 100 year anniversary on the 14 September, the WI is rather poignantly looking to marry its digital future with its traditional past.
On the day, it will be asking its 200,000 members to use Twitter to send a ‘Happy Birthday message which will then be stitched onto a large canvas.
“We have a team of stichers ready and waiting,” promises Fiander.