Digital communities exist everywhere − the trick is finding and engaging the ones that serve your constituents
Before you begin promoting a program or initiative online, get to know your community. That means figuring out where different groups hang out online. Can you identify both the influencing and underrepresented voices speaking to relevant issues across channels? And are you taking demographics like age, culture, ethnicity, interest, background, gender, sexuality, etc., into consideration?
If you want to facilitate deeper conversations and get constituents involved in what you’re doing, it’s worthwhile to observe. Start by diving into the data − what relevant topics, concerns, or questions are trending? Have you begun documenting citizen experiences and voices in community forums? What are those voices telling you? We can use those insights to inform where and how you enter the public consciousness.
Communicating from a place of humanity makes a profound impact. Authentic voices tend to speak louder than authoritative ones.
Simply showing up to the proper social channels with information related to your services or agenda isn’t the most effective way to get people involved. Even if you have a large following on a social account, that doesn’t necessarily mean your followers are engaging with the content you’re sharing.
Addressing the problem of engagement is twofold. You’ve got to do deep market research to know what matters most to your target audiences. That will give you clues on how to tailor digital campaigns and communications to address public needs. But there’s another step. Because people’s trust in government is hard won and often fleeting, tone and emotional intelligence speak volumes. That’s why it’s wise to have a plan that informs how your agency shows up in digital spaces. Let departments know when and where to lead with humor, what topics warrant greater sensitivity or compassion, or how to invite and guide two-way conversations while managing misinformation. Together, we can create a winning strategy that reinforces trust.
Produce a steady stream of digital content and track performance over time
Once you’ve started connecting with constituents, you can’t stop. There needs to be a steady, constant flow of content published across social channels. Cadence is key. And consistency is going to nurture community engagement across the weeks, months, and years. Every individual message or deliverable you post should be on brand − that means speaking the same language, upholding the same values, and complying with the same internal policy guides.
This is where we can add value by extending your internal marketing and communications resources. After defining a digital strategy tailored to your audience, we can put it into practice. Our account managers and social media specialists are prepared to go the distance with you, collaborating with stakeholders from Public Relations, Communications, Customer Service, Marketing, Government Affairs, and others to launch high-performing digital campaigns at scale while driving organic social outreach.
Make it clear where and how people can learn, access resources, request services, and engage
How should people interact with your agency? Your brand is only effective if it can deliver on its promise. It’s not enough to share information online; you’ll need to point people to a single source of truth − a place that is easy to find, access, and navigate.
To become more visible online and engage customers for longer on your agency’s website, it can be valuable to rebuild, revamp, or rewrite web pages to enhance the utility and discoverability of your content. Please take a moment to assess and optimize pages to help community members find what they need. Use your site as a more effective communication tool to interface with constituents. Or consider digitizing your services and investing in accessible UX designs to make them widely available on your platform. There are many opportunities we can help you capitalize on when it comes to elevating the usefulness of your website, from compiling public resources in one place for easy access to managing a column that stays up to date with the latest news and announcements.
View our Capability Statement to discover our complete list of competencies, differentiators, and expertise.
