We have entered the age of “Web 2.0” and social media – Facebook, Twitter, Digg, YouTube, etc. Companies have more ways than ever to get their message in front of their customers – in fact, Manatron utilizes these tools to do just that. As an elected official or county worker, you may be thinking – “I don’t have any use for these things.” Well, that may not be entirely true. Your constituents are your customers – if you don’t effectively communicate with them and provide them with the information they want, when they want it – you put yourself in a position of vulnerability and ultimately jeopardize your chances of re-election. It is important for you to be in control of your message – not the media or bloggers or message board posts.
Many government entities – including the White House – are utilizing the web to communicate with their constituents. Your citizens are becoming more and more web and tech savvy – this means, in order to communicate with them successfully, you need to keep up.
For instance, Rick Auerbach, the Los Angeles County Assessor, is utilizing YouTube to communicate to his base what his office does and is responsible for. This way, there is less confusion when questions arise. In addition, he has posted videos warning citizens of a recent property assessment scam. Mr. Auerbach has figured out how to use this powerful communication tool to benefit him, his office and his constituents.
YouTube: LA County, CA Assessor
King County, Washington (Seattle); Dallas County, Texas; and others use Twitter as a county-wide communication tool providing citizens updates on weather and road conditions, government meetings and county events.
Twitter: King County, WA
Twitter: Dallas County, TX
Allen County, Indiana (Fort Wayne) has developed a Facebook fan page in which anyone on Facebook can become a fan and receive updates and information from the County.
Facebook: Allen County, IN
For the most effective results, I would suggest you utilize all three of these tools. Your constituents are spread all over the ‘Net and you can’t predict which of these networks they are or are not a part. So maximize your exposure by creating a presence on all three and even find others that may fit your specific geographic region or other demographic.
Finally, a couple of key points to consider:
1. Keep updated with fresh and relevant content
2. Allow your followers and fans to comment and post – this is the best way to understand the thoughts and concerns of your base.
3. Find other governments and companies to follow and learn from what they are doing well and not so well.
Want to learn more about social media and marketing on the web? Take a look at David Meerman Scott’s “The New Rules of PR and Marketing”
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