Social Media Management and Listening platforms: FOI release

Information requested

1. Do you use a social media management platform?
2. If so, what tools do you use?
3. How much do you spend annually on a Social media management tool?
4. Which month & year does your contract with your supplier end?
5. Do you use a social listening / media monitoring platform?
6. If so, what tools do you use?
7. How much do you spend annually on a social listening / media monitoring tool?
8. Which month & year does your contract with your supplier end?
9. Who is the senior officer in charge of these contracts?

Response

1. Yes, a number of social media management platforms are in use across Scottish Government

2. Hootsuite, Buffer and Sprout Social

3. See answer 4 for costs per contract

4. There are multiple contracts in place between suppliers and different areas of Scottish Government. The costs vary depending on the number of officials requiring access to each platform, and there are multiple contracts in place for some platforms due to differing contractual requirements from different teams.

The following summarises those individual contracts:

• Hootsuite (for Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate), cost £1025.28, ends August 2024
• Hootsuite (for People Directorate), cost £2,988, ends Dec 2023
• Hootsuite (for Communications Directorate), cost £50,764.75, ends May 2024 (note: this is the primary Hootsuite contract serving the Communications Directorate, providing secure access to a range of social media accounts for officials across the division)
• Sprout Social (for Social Security Scotland), cost £10,427, ends March 2024
• Sprout Social (for Communications Directorate), cost $399 per month, no contract
• Buffer (for Digital Directorate), cost £96, ends May 2024

5. Yes, a number of social listening / media monitoring platform are in use across Scottish Government?

6. Brandwatch, Onclusive (including Digimind), Google Alerts, Netvibes,

7. See answer 8 for costs per contract

8. There are multiple contracts in place between suppliers and different areas of Scottish Government. The costs vary depending on the number of officials requiring access to each platform, and there are multiple contracts in place for some platforms due to differing contractual requirements from different teams.

The following summarises those individual contracts:

• Onclusive (for Social Security Scotland), cost £13,949.82, ends March 2024
• Onclusive (for Communications Directorate), variable monthly costs, breakdown not available as part of a call off contract from the Media Services Framework covering press cuttings service, broadcast monitoring, forward planner and other services. Ends August 2025
• Brandwatch (for Communications Directorate), cost £32,400, ends March 2024
• Google Alerts (for Local Government and Housing, Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Directorate), no cost, no contract
• Netvibes (for Local Government and Housing, Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Directorate), no cost, no contract
• Digimind (for Digital Directorate, as part of wider contract for media services from Onclusive), cost £4,828, ends Jan 2024

9. In responding to Freedom of Information requests, our standard approach is to redact the names of officials in grades A-C. Contracts are managed by officers at a local level with support from the Contracts Team within the Communications, Ministerial Support and Facilities Directorate.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.