Twitter, Facebook and blogs have become commonplace in the corporate communications ‘toolkit’.
But how do people view the government’s adoption of these social platforms? In August 2011, Fleishman-Hillard’s Vancouver office commissioned a national Canadian survey to find out.
More than half (54 percent) of respondents would likely engage more with government if there were ways to participate online. The results show that social media should be considered in every public affairs communications plan. For governments to reach the largest number of people in a two-way dialogue, being present in social media is no longer an option.
The responses varied by age as well as geography. Not surprisingly, the youngest respondents (18 – 35) are most likely to engage more through the internet. In terms of regional findings, BC residents are more likely to interact more with government if there are ways to participate online.
So what do these numbers mean for government officials trying to connect with their constituents? While social media engagement is by no means the solution to all public affairs issues, the results favour the adoption of social media: One-third (33 percent) of respondents have an improved perception of elected politicians who use social media, whereas only a quarter (14 percent) said social media use negatively affected their perception of the elected politician.
Our survey also shows that elected politicians and government services should employ a carefully formulated ‘digital’ strategy to communicate their position to the public. Decisions should be made based on both the geographic location of the audience, as well as the audience’s age.
Government has begun to realize the need for social media. In November 2011, the federal government released a set of guidelines for Twitter and Facebook use, to encourage the adoption of social media within civil servants and government services.
As you can see by Service Canada’s Twitter account – which has approximately 1,500 followers – social media is already being embraced by some government departments.
Service Canada on Twitter
In this day of multi-media, smartphones, and an increasing expectation for two-way communications, our survey shows that all levels of government should consider social media in their communications mix.
Contributions to this post also made by Jeremy Twigg.
