Kim's 5 minutes with James Kliemt, Social Media Manager - Qld Police Service

In this series of interviews I am speaking with some of the thought leaders in digital & social media to gain a snap shot and some insight into what makes them tick.  

Digital marketing  is one the most dynamic and exciting spaces to specialise in as a recruiter. In my dealings with clients, candidates and my broader network I've got to know some people who are getting it right both publicly and behind the scenes, and they are fascinating!  Some are well known names in their own right, while others are working for brands or organisations we deal with and who influence us everyday – all are interesting..

I hope you enjoy the second installment of my series "Kim’s 5 mins with..."

 WHO IS JAMES KLIEMT?

 James is the Social Media Manager for the Queensland Police Service (QPS). I met James at a function where he was a guest speaker, last year and was immediately impressed by his obvious love and genuine enthusiasm for the digital world. Since then I have been fortunate enough to have had a number of conversations with him around social media and have found his understanding of the user's journey, engagement and the power of telling a story - nothing short of inspiring.

The QPS Facebook page is widely regarded as social media "done right!" and James and his team are the brains behind that success. Responsible for QPS digital strategy and solutions in the social media and web 2.0 spaces, they manage the largest police Facebook page in the English speaking world.  They also manage QLDAlert – the whole of government Social Media real time disaster social media information hub, and the myPolice network of 32 police blogs across the state receiving an average of 2 million page views a month. 

QPS Media have won a number of national and international awards for their social media and are championed by both Facebook and Twitter as exemplars of engagement on their platforms. 

 So here's what I asked James:

KK: What's your favourite social media platform? 

JK: It really depends on what you are trying to do and with who – at QPS we’ve had amazing success with Facebook for public engagement but in terms of our relationship with the media Twitter is more important.  It’s essential to diversify, to identify what tool is going to work best for which audience and being open to this changing constantly.

KK: Where is your next holiday going to be?

JK: I’m not really a holiday person – I get enormous satisfaction solving problems and get incredibly bored if I’m not doing this – I haven’t even got a passport.  Which is ironic because I’m fascinated by things like other places and cultures.  I do love my Norman period English history so the UK would have to be up there I suppose…

KK: Who inspires you?

JK: I’ve never been someone to put celebrity on a pedestal, I admire different aspects or achievements of a variety of people.  Elon Musk would have to go close to an Oscar for his portrayal of Tony Stark...

KK: Books – Paper or Online? What are you reading?

JK: I’ve come to really enjoying exploring topics at great length online more so than reading straight books these days.  I get really immersed in subjects and I like listening to lots of different opinions.   Will spend months reading blogs, watching videos and listening to podcasts about different things.  Will probably change my opinions on them multiple times along the way.

KK: What's your favourite reference site?

JK: Whichever one gets the job done for the problem at hand.  Though I do love the randomness and diversity of Reddit.

KK: What advice would you give the 20-year-old you?

JK: Live it, think it, enjoy it! Make the best decision you can in the circumstances you’re given.  If you can, find a mentor and then really try to listen to and understand their advice.  It’s easier said than done.

KK: Who was your best boss and what made them special?

JK: I have been really fortunate to have had some great bosses – the ones that stick out do so because they were really open to new ideas and had the courage to back them.

KK: What would you consider the greatest lesson you've learned in digital/social media?

JK:  That’s it’s not very hard once you are on the bike.  Really nailing the “who are we, why are we doing this” type questions is the hard part, the rest comes in time.

KK: Best tip for someone wanting to establish a career in digital?

JK: Be Honest, be passionate and be yourself... It sounds a bit naff but I think having strong principles, a lot of drive and energy and being a bit different is a pretty tough package to beat.

KK: What are the qualities that really stand out in successful members of your team?  

JK: This is interesting – what has been really successful for us is allowing our people to be themselves.  We don’t micro-mange things.  We obviously have a lot of clarity around what we can’t do, but on the other side of that our people have enormous freedom to have fun with what they can do.  If you think you can work in a gag about your favourite song/movie/TV show/whatever then go for it.  Sometimes they are terrible, sometimes they are just magic. 

KK: No 1 social media peeve?

JK: Oh, it’s tendency to reduce incredibly complex issues down into simplistic, implacably polarised arguments.  A lot of very smart people talk a lot of nonsense on social media.

KK: What do you find the most challenging thing about working in the digital space?

JK: Not sure if there is a most challenging thing.  If you are genuinely customer focused, you will find solutions to all the little bumps along the way. You need to stay flexible and be open to the constant change.

KK: Mac or PC? 

JK: PC – I bet I’ll be the only one in the series to say that!

KK: Do you take your phone to the loo with you?

JK: Definitely - What else is the loo there for?