Every level of government, in order to make themselves more accessible to the public, are going digital. But having a website isn’t enough anymore, nor is it interactive enough for many viewers. So governments are offering up new online features so as to keep up with the popularity of social media and other web marketing tactics. In fact, many web pages are linked to Facebook and Twitter. Others are being revamped by a social media agency that knows how to best attract visitors.
by Alyssa Copeland
Every level of government, in order to make themselves more accessible to the public, are going digital. But having a website isn’t enough anymore, nor is it interactive enough for many viewers. So governments are offering up new online features so as to keep up with the popularity of social media and other web marketing tactics. In fact, many web pages are linked to Facebook and Twitter. Others are being revamped by a social media agency that knows how to best attract visitors.
However, there are some concerns with e-government pages. There are the big ones, like website design and how social media will be used by the government. But there’s also the matter that many people in government are ignorant to social media methods. When they hear the word “Re-tweet”, they usually have no idea what you are talking about. However, all of the problems can be easily solved by using the expertise of a social media agency.
And every social media agency worth its salt is starting to take advantage of this growing demand for social media. In fact, many are popping up that are strictly for cultivating social media for government use. One such example is Digital Gov Group, founded in Reno, Nevada, that helps city, county, and state level governments establish proper social media use and policy. The big appeal for using a social media agency like this one is they can help set up communications channels, which are especially important in times of crisis (such as natural disasters).
However, there are those states that have chosen to avoid using a social media agency whenever possible. Utah is one such example. According to Utah CIO Steve Fletcher, if social media policies are made in-house, than those who created and then abide by them will understand them better. Also, with Facebook and Twitter accounts being free, they just don’t see the point of spending the money on a social media agency. The argument I make is that, although these sites are free, maintaining an account can become time consuming. For governments who wish to spend time on other things than having employees flounder in social media, using a social media agency is a great way to train staff until they have the skills to use the pages.
Overall, social media is a great tool to use. Governments are realizing this, and are on their way to implementing social media to reach out to the public. However, for those that don’t have the resources or the people to catch up on the demand for this level of interaction, hiring a social media agency can be a great start or a useful way to have others handle the social media while you use your staff to handle other official matters.
Call fishbat at 855-347-4228 for more information about social media company services.
