By DEREk BELT

How New Technologies Can Help You Do Old Things Better

ElEmEnts of a social mEdia stratEgy

October 2014 | Government Finance Review 27

The term “social media” means different things to differ-

ent people. For some, it’s a set of marketing channels

used to push out information. For others, it’s a method

of generating buzz. And for the really savvy, it is customer ser-

vice reimagined. Whatever your perspective, social media has

changed the way we communicate — and there’s much more

to it than simply hitting “publish.”

In our everyday lives, social media is the Facebook group

that connects former coworkers long after they’ve left the

company; the Twitter chat that unites educators from across

the country to learn about new teaching trends; the Pinterest

page a couple uses to keep track of their home remodel

ideas; or the blog a student uses to

document her first trip abroad. And

government that is “for the people”

needs to embrace social media in a

way that reflects these everyday uses.

It’s about making connections and

bringing the public back into pub-

lic service. Used appropriately, social

media gives people a voice and makes

them an integral part of the decision-

making process.

BUSINESS AS USUAL

King County, Washington, has a social media specialist,

and this position serves as copywriter, strategist, analyst, cus-

tomer service specialist, and player/coach. A social media

specialist advocates for new media, ideally by embedding

social media in the organization’s existing communications

plans. Social media shouldn’t operate in a bubble — to be

successful, it must be part of everyday operations.

The role of technology is constantly expanding and chang-

ing the way we do things. Two decades ago, few people could

work remotely because they physically needed to be in the

office to stay connected to coworkers. The Internet has obvi-

ously changed that. And today, social media tools such as

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs are changing the way

we operate again. Interactions between people and govern-

ment and are easier now, and they can happen faster, and

engage new audiences.

Facebook’s fastest-growing demographic is adults aged

45-54, a segment that has grown 45 percent since 2012.

Also, roughly 25 percent of online Hispanics and African-

Americans are on Twitter, compared with just 14 percent of

whites. Instagram is mostly women (68 percent) and people

under 35 (90 percent), while LinkedIn has the white-collar

audience and skews toward men (61 percent). However,

LinkedIn also offers the least diversity, with 80 percent of

users identifying as white.

These tools present governments with wonderful oppor-

tunities to connect with the people and communities they

serve. But making proper use of them means knowing who

is using which social network and which ones are right for

the job at hand. Just as a golf glove isn’t especially useful at

a baseball park, and it doesn’t make

sense to start a YouTube channel if

the jurisdiction doesn’t have videos to

publish. Remember: Right tool, right

fit, right opportunity.

kNOW WHAT TO MEASURE

An important part of any social

media strategy is choosing what to

measure. To figure this out, a govern-

ment needs to consider what success

looks like and identify the metrics that will reflect it. Social

media return on investment (ROI) can be different for every

team and every project — and that’s fine.

Following are a few social media metrics to understand:

n Reach: How many people see the message. Amid rounds

of public hearings dealing with possible bus cuts, King

County’s #MetroFuture hashtag on Twitter was used 634

times during a single meeting, reaching 271,000 people. It

was the top trending topic in Seattle, meaning more peo-

ple in the region were talking about Metro bus cuts than

anything else on Twitter that day.

n Engagement: How people interact with the jurisdiction’s

content. Every April, King County celebrates Earth Week

by sharing household tips people can use to be green at

home and help the environment. Throughout the week,

the county posted 12 tips on Facebook, generating 255

likes, comments, and shares. That’s 23 interactions for

each post.

n Traffic: How many people visit the website. King County

Archives posts old photos, maps, and records on Pinterest,

Government that is “for the people” needs to embrace social media in a way that reflects the way citizens

use it every day.

28 Government Finance Review | October 2014

a popular photo-sharing site. One

month’s metrics showed that 16

pins drove 126 clicks to the archives

website, or eight visits for every pic-

ture shared. That’s great ROI for a

team that has traditionally struggled

to drive website traffic.

n Growth: How quickly people fol-

low the jurisdiction’s pages. This

can be measured over time or for

a specific event. Followers King

County’s main Twitter account, for

example, increase by 5-10 percent

every month, whereas each tweet

promoting the county executive’s

e-newsletter yields 20 or more new

subscriptions.

n Time/Money Saved: The King County Assessor’s Office

recently launched a custom-built iPad app for its 140

property assessors to use in the field. The time and effi-

ciency savings they have realized will save an estimated

$6.1 million over the next five years — equivalent to eight

full-time employees. That’s big-time value for a relatively

small up-front investment.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Government agencies that are looking to invest time or

budget in social media should choose a combination of tra-

ditional and social media that complement each other and

reach relevant audiences. Social media isn’t the only option

— it’s merely part of the solution.

King County’s internal communications team mixes old

and new media to connect with employees. Posters and

printouts are widely distributed across county facilities, while

an e-newsletter reaches most employees, and a blog for the

public, along with a Twitter account and LinkedIn page, con-

nect with other audiences and prospective hires.

To help teams make strategic decisions about which tools

are appropriate for their needs, they submit a social media

action plan to the social media specialist. This three-page

document helps teams kick off their internal discussions

about social media, moving them to think about integrat-

ing new tools into existing strategies. The county doesn’t

want teams “winging it” on brand new

channels, or starting new ones just

because they can.

The social media action plan

explains where certain channels —

Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram — are

better fits than others. It also covers

goals and objectives, target audienc-

es, resources and staff time needed,

marketing and public outreach strate-

gies, and realistic success metrics that

are both easy to obtain and capable

of providing information about what

has been learned and what we be

improved.

Overall, the county’s goals for social media are to improve

customer service, support media relations, and promote com-

munity engagement.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

People don’t look at social media channels like Facebook

and Twitter just as sources of information. In many cases, they

are direct lines of contact to organizations and officials who

can be difficult to reach otherwise. Whether people feel more

comfortable reaching out to their government by a phone

call, e-mail, trip downtown, or tweet, the county’s objective is

to be a responsive government.

Listening to what people say is the backbone of great cus-

tomer service. That’s why the description for the King County

Facebook page says, “Learn about King County services you

can use, and tell us how we can serve you better.” The county

gets all kinds of inquiries and comments on the Facebook

page, and it’s customer service policy specifies a 24-hour

response time.

Another component of great customer service is the ability

to reach people where they are. People no longer need to be

in the office or in front of a television set to get the latest news

and information. The county’s social media posts come right

to them. Metro Transit riders get real-time updates via e-mail

and text messages while they’re on the bus. It’s a popular fea-

ture, and more than 60,000 people signed up for transit alerts

across the Puget Sound region.

Social media presents governments with wonderful opportunities to connect with the people and communities

they serve. But making proper use of these tools means

knowing who is using which social network and which ones are right for the job at hand.

October 2014 | Government Finance Review 29

King County is a leader in many such areas, includ-

ing efforts to enroll people in health insurance under the

Affordable Care Act. Recently, someone responded to a

tweet about health-care enrollment, saying they were having

trouble signing up. The county reached out to that person

directly via Twitter and provided contact information for

the public health department. Here’s that person’s follow-up

tweet: “I can’t thank you enough for your help today!!! I didn’t

know where else to turn. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

That’s one example among many of how King County is using

social media to help people access services.

MEDIA RELATIONS

Press releases are not the ideal way of working with the

media — every reporter gets exactly the same pitch. Where’s

the incentive in that? The idea of blanketing reporters and

hoping they run a story is completely outdated in today’s fast-

paced digital age. There’s even a term for it: “Post and pray.”

King County uses social media to push the envelope and

engage reporters. Last year, the county’s Office of Emergency

Management hosted a disaster recovery summit with stake-

holders from across the region, including key executives from

the private sector. The goal was to discuss what government

should prioritize after a natural disaster such as Hurricane

Sandy. This was important work that was expected to gener-

ate media interest, but it didn’t. The county had sent a media

advisory and reached out to reporters via e-mail, but by 9 a.m.

on the day of the event, no one was covering the event. Trying

one more angle, the county sent a direct message on Twitter

to the local beat writer at the Seattle Times. Direct mes-

sages are private messages between two people. It’s basically

Twitter’s version of e-mail or a text message. The reporter

responded to the tweet within a few minutes and asked to

connect with someone at the event. The county passed along

a cell phone number, and two days later, a great piece about

the event appeared in the region’s largest newspaper.

Neither news release nor e-mails had caught this reporter’s

attention, but a direct message on Twitter got through and led

to the media coverage the county wanted.

COMMUNITy ENGAGEMENT

In-person public meetings can be a lot of work to set up and

generally reach a small numbers of community members.

Questionnaires and surveys are the definition of one-way

communication where you talk and I listen. But social media

allows for open dialogue that many people can participate in

and share with their own social networks.

Earlier this year, King County updated its strategic plan

and needed public feedback on where to focus its atten-

tion over the next five years. The county hosted a handful

of in-person public meetings, which were poorly attended,

and also promoted the project through local ads and public

service announcements. The county also gave people the

chance to share their thoughts in an online forum, working

with a third-party vendor to create a site that people could

visit at their own convenience. All comments were visible on

the forum for others to see, leading to even more meaningful

discussions.

More than 500 people participated in the project, which

was much better-attended than the in-person meetings. The

online forum also had more than twice as many attendees

as a similar discussion in the past. When the county followed

up with participants and asked if they would be interested in

30 Government Finance Review | October 2014

attending a public meeting, most peo-

ple said no, not if there was an online

option available. People are busy, and

it’s tough to find child care or fight

traffic to get to a public meeting at a

certain time. Governments need to

offer more choices, and social media

is providing the solution.

TAkING THE FIRST STEP

Traditional media outlets such

as newspapers and television were

once the gatekeepers of information

because they had the broadcasting power. Anyone who

wanted to reach an audience had to go through the media.

That’s not the case anymore. Online technologies allow gov-

ernments to go straight to the people they serve and engage

them directly in real conversations. Social media in particular

has leveled the playing field and given governments more

ways than ever before to reach the right audiences.

King County has used blogs to share story ideas with the

media instead of blanketing them with press releases, and

hashtags to amplify time-sensitive infor-

mation. The county uses YouTube vid-

eos to get people talking about current

issues. And it has posted the county

executive’s entire State of the County

speech in 140-character tweets.

The point is that communications

has changed. Social media has leveled

the playing field and given govern-

ments more ways than ever before to

reach the right people. It’s a lot more

fun — and more effective — to be

innovative and forward-thinking.

That can be difficult for government, but it’s time to take

the first step. Your constituents, partners, and stakeholders

are waiting for you. y

DEREK BELT is the social media specialist for King County,

Washington. A former journalist, he uses social media to identify

target audiences, build trust with residents, and bring it all together

with strong analytics and reporting.

Government agencies that are looking to invest time or budget in social media should

choose a combination of traditional and social media that complement each other and reach relevant audiences.

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