Your hub on all things social media. Widespread recognition of the potential of social media technology for achieving public outcomes does not match our understanding about how and why specific tools are being used for specific purposes. The Internet changed this. Social media has a strange role in America as both kingmaker and career wrecker. We've seen that Twitter is the preferred platform for many politicians as the micro-blogging service has become a broadcast tool. It can also be a very powerful way for government agencies to interact with the public. "While you might think this is obvious – it's not. Yet there are innovative agencies that are breaking through the red tape, making it easier for to serve the community.". "I would recommend always having a Facebook presence. These two platforms are now referred to as ‘traditional social media' – they have been around for 12-years plus – but that doesn't mean we have necessarily mastered them or that we're getting the most from them. Having Twitter and Facebook accounts and posting to them, whilst a positive, isn't on its own enough to get the most from social media. Overall, the use of social media is likely to improve services of local government and contribute to more efficient use of public resources. Stop stressing about social media. 23! Become a confident, successful social media professional with training specifically focused on the unique needs of government agencies. People use social media as a means to connect with people, share their views, and to know about the happenings around the world.. Social media is a great way to get quick information about what is happening everywhere. It is the new positive “disrupter” in community engagement. Good luck, and don't forget share your successes and lessons with us @LGAcomms. Using social media well is way beyond simply sending out a tweet and moving on to the next task. Social media build on many of the same concepts and technologies of Web 2.0, most basically, the creation and exchange of user generated content (O'Reilly, 2007). But managing a social program for a government agency requires a unique strategy that often differs from what's expected for business. For example, Connecting with Communities research found Brisbane City Council created history when they used social media during the Brisbane floods in the summer of 2010/11. York suggested that politicians and local officials spend at least five hours simply digesting content from the site. In fact, having social media skills has gone far beyond a niche skill. Written by CivicPlus. Best Practices for Local Government Social Media Usage in North Carolina . As long as you keep your page updated and reach out to citizens by advertising its existence, it’s possible that people will follow just for emergency updates and news. If your target market is 45 plus, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are not the best use of time. Government agencies at the local, state, and national level are finding new and innovative ways to leverage social platforms as a low-cost and effective communication tool. Discover why it's so important, how to maximise it and what to avoid for local government to succeed on social media. Your hub on all things social media. Overall, the use of social media is likely to improve services of local government and contribute to more efficient use of public resources. government. "Cities, like businesses, can use professional platforms to promote economic development activities – locally and globally," explained Russo. There is really no reason why local government shouldn't embrace social media as much as possible. Social media are internet-based applications designed to facilitate social interaction and for using, developing and diffusing information through society. The consequence of democratic societies was an institutionalised information "When so many different agencies and individuals have easy access to instantly push out communications, coordinating and staying on message can be tricky.". You still need to have great web pages, use email effectively, engage positively with the media and manage your corporate identity well. This is true and always worth remembering. "Take a minute to think about the broad mission of cities and their often massively diverse and geographically distributed constituencies," said Dr. Paul Russo, vice provost at Yeshiva University and professor in the Masters of Data Analytics and Visualization Program. As social media has evolved, the government is viewing it more as a tool rather than a mandated “e-government” initiative for public service delivery. Social media allows you to be innovative and responsive as well as providing links to useful sources of information or sign-posting to other organisations. Many social media platforms allow government agencies to post meeting minutes, records, project proposals, maps, applicable local laws and various other documents for public dissemination. 4 Common Mistakes in Government Social Media Policies These best practices are commonly overlooked in the development of government social media policies. "It will not work. "If social media can determine a President, it can also determine a representative or mayor, and with much less effort.". It’s events like COVID when social media channels such as Twitter come into their own. "Social media, if used correctly, can be the best channel for communicating all messages from a local government," added York. Adopting and generating value from the use of social media at the local government level requires knowledge and understanding of best practices, as well as the potential pitfalls and challenges. Social media has forever altered the way information is created, curated and shared across the world. However, to connect with constituents, local government should utilize a broad reaching social media strategy. If you're trying to get 18-year-olds active, and you haven't heard of TikTok, you're missing a meaningful opportunity.". They decided who saw what, when and where. This could be extremely important as we've seen a decline in small community newspapers. Social media can be a powerful tool for state and local government. See this collection of social media policies from cities, counties, other levels of government and the private sector. Toggle navigation. Serving as a timelier alternative to email, phone calls or face-to-face meetings, platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram make government officials more accessible than ever. Social media moderator You also need an integrated approach to communications where the elements of your organisation's comms mix work together and not individually. For every social media success story like President Barack Obama's 2008 grassroots campaign there is another of a career-crippling gaffe, like Weinergate, when New York Rep. Anthony Weiner accidentally tweeted a picture of his crotch.Social media, and particularly Twitter, have become a type of soapbox in America, on which many politicians are able to speak directly to their constituents. Social media platforms are fast-paced networks with the ability to attract a lot of attention in a short amount of time. Whichever social media is used, it is important that the context of the platform is understood! Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Councils have a huge opportunity to reach many of their citizens on social media, but they need a strategy in place. Almost all UK councils have at least one Twitter and Facebook account now. "The issue is local governments typically don't have entire social media teams like national organizations. Social media has changed the way in which we can communicate and engage – it's opened up access and provides us with a wealth of opportunities to talk to people in a very human and non-corporate way. How Social Media is Being Used by the Government April 20, 2007 – U.S. senator Barack Obama sends his first tweet: “Thinking we’re only one signature away from ending the war in Iraq” A little premature and optimistic, but government leaders and agencies are increasingly harnessing the powers of social media to both connect with the public and extract information. According to a Morning Consult/Politico poll from last year most voters said President Trump uses Twitter too much – with 72% saying he should use it less, and just 2% saying he should use social media more. Step 4: What does good engagement look like? Skip to main content Local Government Association LGA. These latest figures do however build a useful and telling picture of the current state of social media usage in the UK. Social media isn’t just a good way to share memes and keep up with what’s trending. PDF • 71.03 KB. "If someone wasn't sure if social media was effective in local politics, I would ask them, 'Do you think social media had an effect on the 2016 presidential election?' Social Media and Government. EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation BrandVoice, Morning Consult/Politico poll from last year, Anirudh Ruhil, professor at Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, Dr. Paul Russo, vice provost at Yeshiva University and professor in the Masters of Data Analytics and Visualization Program. The picture will continue to change too. Equally, social media can be a large ‘time-suck' – getting the balance right between the two and resourcing your social media accounts appropriately is the target for communicators now. Responding to negative comments quickly and appropriately can defuse tension and maintain a local government’s credibility. For example, Facebook users have fallen since the same report published in 2015, whilst platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat have grown quickly over the past 12-months. Social media should remain a tool after Election Day – and while we've seen that some may think the President tweets too much, the truth is that this is a way for elected officials to share a message directly to voters. Almost all UK councils have at least one Twitter and Facebook account now. Even someone who isn’t involved in local government can become interested if they follow you on social media. But social media is important and influential - it's where conversations take place, it's where reputations can flourish or whither, and it's often where emergencies and crises first hit. Government officials routinely use social media to communicate policy, advocate positions, introduce new legislation, and various other functions. ", © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. This provides a high level approach to implementing social media in local government - a full presentation of… If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. 2. 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