7 Ways Local Governments Can Get the Word Out

Getting the word out about issues isn't a priority for many local governments.  Many of my local government comrades would take me to task for that statement.  No way, that is absurd, they would say, we take engagement seriously! We advertised this in the local paper!  We produced staff reports and agendas, we have talked about this issue before in meetings!  WE PUT IT ON FACEBOOK!

Well then, why do we continue to hear someone say "This is the first time I've heard of this"?   It's actually pretty common, isn't it? How many meetings have you attended with no one in the audience? If local governments were really committed to informing citizens about issues, such comments would be rare and there would be people showing up for meetings.

The problem is that we as insiders; who work on local government issues, assume that everyone is as engaged as we are.  I learned an important lesson on just how little effort there is to engage the average citizen a few years ago.

I worked in a small town and I wore a lot of hats.  There wasn't much that was going on or being discussed I did not know about.  I later took a job in another community, but still lived in the same Town that I had previously worked in.  One day driving into Town I saw a small festival going on.  I realized at that moment, that I had become an outsider. I was shocked how quickly I went from knowing everything to being clueless about what was going on.

Luckily, there are many easy and inexpensive ways to get the word out.  However, to make any outreach program work, local governments must make public engagement a top priority.  I recommend developing a full scale marketing plan, but that is time consuming.  So while that is being done, there are seven easy things that can be done to engage the public.  By doing these seven things in concert with one another civic engagement will go up.

1. E-mail notification.  Often known as an e-mail blast, this technique sends out periodic messages with important information.  The key to using this method successfully is make it predictable.  Be it every Friday or every third Tuesday, it does not matter as long as it is the same every time.  That way people will start looking for the e-mail on those days.
   
   
2. Social Media.  It is extremely easy to set up a a website, Facebook page and a twitter account. 
   
   
3. News Letters.  This is a great format for issues that require more than a few lines to explain.  It allows the author to go into detail on the issue to explain it more thoroughly. This format is especially useful for helping people keep up with things that will take a long time to accomplish.
   
   
4. Print Media.  For many the news paper is still the number one way to get information.  However, advertisements are not the only way to get the word out.  Informative articles are extremely important.  People are more likely to read a news story about an issue than dig through the paper looking for government ads. 
   
   
5. Radio.  People spend a lot of time in their cars.  Additionally, many radio stations are streaming their content over the internet.  Using radio ads can be a very effective way to reach people. 
   
   
6. Public Access Television.  Many local governments have a public access channel. It is a good place for routing information to be presented, meeting announcements etc.
   
   
7. Engage Civic Groups.  These groups are always looking for speakers.  The local chapter of Rotary International has meetings every single week!  The great thing about these groups is they are filled with very social people.  They will spread the word for you.
   

Image Credit:  Liquid Studios