Local Government Social Media Tips
Social media and local government are two things most people don’t think of going together; however, local government’s social media presence has become a critical component of community relations and external operations. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, local governments have been tasked with a variety of community-facing responsibilities. Citizens looked to local governments for public health and safety information. Socially-savvy local governments had the opportunity to serve as a voice of reason amidst a rapidly evolving global crisis. Restricted to their social distancing bubbles, community members utilize social media at increasing rates. Local governments that had invested in effective social media strategies were positioned to serve their communities in this time of need by meeting them where they were - online.
The Unique Challenges of Social Media Management for Local Government
Managing social media accounts for local governments differs somewhat from small businesses, nonprofits, or corporations. Government communicators may encounter sector-specific challenges when managing government social media accounts. Local governments are not selling goods or services in the traditional private sector sense. Instead, they must connect residents with information and resources related to the community’s governance, regulations, and safety. The many branches and departments of local government - city/county administration, elected council, emergency response, municipal courts, law enforcement, schools, etc. - fulfill responsibilities critical to the community’s success. Social media provides local governments an opportunity to connect with community members and enhance their mission effectiveness.
5 Tips for Local Government Social Media Strategy:
Draft a mission statement for local government social media presence.
Before posting anything on social media, local governments should evaluate the potential impact of an engaging social media presence and how their online objectives can help support the overall municipal mission. Drafting a mission statement specific to the local government’s social media initiative can help government leaders and employees optimize social media effectiveness while sidestepping the potential pitfalls of ill-prepared online communications. Consider inviting input on this mission statement from government employees from various departments. The social media mission statement should align with the overall municipal goals and clarify how social media can best support the community. Unlike the private sector, the goals of local government social media are not to get thousands of “Likes” or hundreds of online sales. Instead, the local government’s social media strategy should involve improved community relations and enhanced citizen well-being through information accessibility.
Learn more: 4 Government Social Media Challenges (and Solutions!)
Develop and routinely review social media guidelines.
Local governments should develop social media guidelines specific to the municipality. These guidelines should include what should and should not be posted, how comments should be moderated and responded to, what sources can be used for images and videos, how breaking news related to the local government should be released, what social media-specific disability accessibility measures should be included (examples: image descriptions, video captions, etc.). Having these guidelines in place may help local governments avoid damaging public relations crises and ensure communications continuity for the government's social media accounts. Should the local government face employee or agency turnover in the communications department, guidelines are in place to efficiently onboard a new social media manager without a deviation in account style or tone. From a managerial perspective, having written social media guidelines for the local government social media account can improve leadership collaboration and effectiveness.
Learn more: Government Social Media Strategy Insights
Put a face to the local government.
Historically, local government communications tended to involve a lot of faceless press releases and rehearsed press conferences. The Digital Era we live in has ushered in new norms and expectations for government communications. Additionally, community trust in government officials remains low - a challenge that can readily be addressed through effective social media strategies for local governments. When given the opportunity, consider putting a face to the local government through social media channels. This can be accomplished by hosting Q&A Live events with municipal employees, featuring local government employees online, and sharing behind-the-scenes shots of the local government at work. Posting a link to a text-saturated press release on the government’s social media account will get very little engagement from the public. Instead, local governments can creatively use social media to draw the residents’ attention and build trust through more personalized, relationship-building information delivery.
Learn more: Storytelling in Government Communications
Consider an interdepartmental social media management approach.
Operating in a silo is rarely effective for creative, organizational-wide communications. While it’s tempting to designate one person or department as the social media “go-to,” restricting social media input to one department or team member can significantly limit the local government’s social media effectiveness. Social media presence isn’t just a box to check - it can enhance the local government’s ability to fulfill its mission, build community-government trust, and improve external operations. Evaluating ways local governments can include input and content from various intergovernmental sources can cost-effectively improve the social media strategy. Social media is more than just a method of information delivery; while it can fulfill that role, it also has the potential to do much more for the local government entity, both externally and internally. Including multiple departments in social media planning may encourage employee equity in the local government’s image, improve service delivery through accountability, and provide valuable insight into the diverse community the government exists to serve.
Learn more: Building an Effective Public Engagement Campaign
Utilize multiple social media platforms.
Local communities are multigenerational - a demographic observation that has the potential to influence local government's social media strategy. An effective social media strategy meets target audiences where they are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Each social media app’s user base differs in terms of demographics. Understanding these user demographics and applying this information to the government's social media strategy can improve such communications initiatives’ effectiveness. Social media is no longer a teenage fad. Over 80% of the US adult population is on social media. The fastest-growing segment of Facebook users is Baby Boomers, while Gen Zers are rapidly flocking to TikTok. Integrating a multi-channel social media presence into the local government’s social media strategy can help the municipality reach more community members. Research social media user demographics and compare them with resident demographics when identifying potential social media channels on which to be present.
Learn more: Multigenerational Marketing Strategies
Social Media Strategy for Local Governments
Social media can offer local governments many benefits; however, it also presents quite a few challenges. Understanding social media’s role in communities and how this can align with the local government’s mission can help government leaders develop an effective strategy for social media presence. Implementing social media guidelines can help prevent image-damaging communications pitfalls, and integrating department collaboration around social media can help enhance community engagement. Evaluating community demographics alongside social media app user trends can help local governments reach more residents through the online presence.
Social media itself isn’t good or bad - the outcome of organizational social media is dependent on its applications. When an effective social media strategy is applied, local governments can build community trust through social media - a critical community component in our rapidly changing world. Connecting community members with their local government can improve public safety and well-being on multiple fronts. Together, community members can persevere through challenging times, build collective resilience, and secure a bright and sustainable future for generations.
Additional Information:
For more information on how local governments can use social media to improve community connections, contact Becker Digital to schedule a consultation. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your organization’s goals and learn how we can help support the mission.