Use Social Media to Engage with Constituents

Dave Atkins Media! can help you bring people into the loop. It's frustrating for elected and appointed officials--people who have dedicated their lives to service--to hear citizens complain that no one is listening to them. Dave Atkins Media! can suggest innovative ways to better serve the community.

Purpose

Participation is not a means in itself, but an indicator. Why don't people come to meetings? Why didn't they know about the thing that was planned for 5 years? Let's sit down and talk about how the purpose involves service, responsiveness, respect, timliness and communication.

Focus

Every town has a website these days. Then departments spawn their own. Or they start email lists. All great ideas. But the focus needs to be more on communication than information. Social media creates new opportunites to reach more residents at their convenience.

Measurability

How do you gather feedback to know if a strategy is working? Is there a consistent survey process? Are offline methods coordinated with online? Does the website really "work" for residents?

Transparency is not always fun Expect some negative feedback. But realize that sometimes negative feedback--in a public forum--provides supporters an opportunity to be heard as well.

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