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The city of Roanoke, Virginia, left TikTok when the state’s governor issued an executive order banning the Chinese-owned platform at the end of 2022—but that hasn’t stopped the city from having an otherwise robust social media presence.
Thirty-nine states have banned TikTok from government devices over national security and privacy concerns. Still, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, Nextdoor, Pinterest, and YouTube remain effective and inexpensive methods for creatively sharing information that residents need to know.
While some city officials may hesitate regarding this modern method of news-sharing, experienced government communications professionals say the trick to balancing social media’s benefits and challenges starts with a clear strategy and policy.
“Social media is an extremely powerful tool to educate your community and provide information to your community,” said Carol Corbin, the Communications and Community Engagement Specialist for Roanoke. “It’s worth a try to be able to provide information to as large an audience as possible.”
Ms. Corbin said the city updated their social media policy in 2023 in response to the bans on TikTok. In the new document, they’ve built upon what they’ve learned over the years to educate the community without relying on the news cycles of print publications and broadcast channels in the region.
The city’s main Facebook page has about 90,000 followers, but sometimes, the reach can be much bigger. For example, in January, Ms. Corbin posted a meme about the potential for a big snowstorm—not long after the forecasters predicted a storm that never came.
“Expect zero to 100 inches of snow,” started the meme, which reached 250,163 people and generated 15,581 engagements, 2,957 comments, and 2,560 shares. “Stock up on all necessities immediately to prepare for snowpocalypse… or a normal weekend. Either is possible!”
Humor works well with weather-related posts but isn’t always appropriate for more controversial topics. Ms. Corbin estimated that she spends about 25 percent of her week creating and scheduling nearly daily posts on the city’s accounts to be intentional with tone and message.
She said frequent posts are important to gain the trust of residents who check the page for the latest information. Here are some other best practices she recommends for maximizing engagement, limiting challenges, and boosting the benefits of social media for local government.
“Anytime you’re looking at getting out information, it’s good to have a strategy of how to do that,” Ms. Corbin said. “When there is turnover, you want to make sure the rules and regulations you are looking to follow can be passed on.”
A social media policy is a written document approved by the city manager or, more rarely, elected officials. It should be reviewed annually, especially as social media platforms and best practices can change quickly. Then, it should be shared with all employees.
Social media policies should include:
Often, these are dynamic documents that can be updated as new situations appear—which is sure to happen as social media evolves.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for local governments active on social media (beyond the fact that they’re at the whim of algorithms that can make reach difficult) is responding strategically to critical post comments. Ms. Corbin said Roanoke has had their share of trolls, but other residents often defend the city against unwarranted attacks.
“At the end of the day, we want to ensure our residents are as educated about changes or information about what’s happening in the city as possible. We know that not everyone will buy into what we put out 100 percent,” she said. “Ensuring we get truthful, accurate, and timely information, that’s all we can do. Not everybody will like everything we post.”
The city’s policy is to respond to all questions within one business day but to avoid engaging with anyone who is simply being rude. It’s also good practice to reply as the official page, rather than from a personal account. When necessary, it’s appropriate to follow up with a direct message, she added.
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Just as elected officials often have political pages they use for elections, different departments within a local government may want to host individual social media pages. Ms. Corbin said that was encouraged as long as the department picks an administrator who is active in the upkeep.
Each department’s social media administrator works closely with Roanoke’s communications department to share information that all city residents may care about. Some departments, like public safety, have around 50,000 followers, but the stormwater department, for example, may only have 3,000. Sometimes, it makes sense for the main city page to share the information and tag the other departments, she said.
Another powerful method to share important information with residents through social media is to partner with neighboring cities, towns, and counties. Often, they have updates that residents need to know.
In Roanoke, for example, an infrastructure project in a neighboring county impacted a popular path to the Appalachian Trail. Another nearby town, Vinton, recently lowered the speed limit to a street that leads into the city.
“We wanted to make sure we amplified their messages,” Ms. Corbin said. “It’s a regional support system.”
While social media helps local governments share their messages without relying on local news outlets, there’s no doubt that it can take up a lot of time that employees don’t have. That’s why Ms. Corbin recommends sticking with platforms that perform well.
This means tracking the number of posts each month with data like impressions, profile visits, page reach, and likes—among other metrics that are built into the platforms.
“You can’t spread yourself too thin,” she advised. “Having a goal for how you are looking to utilize social media gives you a blueprint to make sure you are effectively putting resources toward the right direction.”
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