3 Lessons Learned for Government Communications

I just watched a video from GovDelivery client Ann Marie Felicio, Public Affairs Specialist at Tricare. Ann Marie explains some of the benefits of GovDelivery and their products and services. There are a lot of interesting take-aways from the video, and it is interesting to consider how technology is helping to leverage efficiencies how agencies can manage their communications initiatives.

There are three key insights that I was reminded of from the video:

1. Government agencies need to be efficient in their communications strategy

With the large amounts of data that is coming into an agency, and the constant flow of information, the more that communications can be streamlined and automated – the easier the management of information becomes.

2. Technology enables more engagement – tech does not create engagement

Using technology is wonderful – but there is a lot of work on the back end for engagement, most of the time my hunch is that technology is just an enabler. The hard work comes from crafting the right message, using the right tone/voice, and knowing what email segments to use to reach the right people.

3. The stakes are now higher for government communications

With so many different types of technology and services, information moves at the speed of light. One mistake can be extremely damaging to an agency. Agencies need to invest the time to make sure they are sending out the right information to the right people, not releasing any confidential information and absolutely sure that their messaging is correct. The stakes are now higher, one mistake can quickly spread to thousands of people.

How does technology impact your communications strategy?

GovDelivery is the #1 sender of government-to-citizen communications, serving over 400 government entities worldwide and more than half of major U.S. federal agencies. Organizations use GovDelivery to send over 200 million messages every month on a broad range of topics including national emergencies, health alerts, tax policy changes and more. Check out their User Group on GovLoop as well as the Technology Sub-Community of which they are a council member.