Instagram for government is an effective way to communicate directly with citizens through images, videos, and short snippets of text. It is a wonderfully versatile platform. More and more governments are joining the ‘gram train and are using Instagram to share and connect.
Instagram allows you to increase transparency, raise awareness, take polls, share some of the day-to-day operations of government officials, and more. Citizens can like, share, and comment on the content they care about. It’s useful, personable, and fun for everyone.
If you’re just getting started on Instagram, here are some quick tips:
Balance Business with Fun
- Include fun images and videos as well as important information about local or national issues.
Link Instagram to Twitter and Facebook.
- Encourage Twitter and Facebook followers and friends to follow you on Instagram.
- Automatically publish your Instagram feed to Twitter and Facebook.
Use Gov #hashtags
- #localgov – local government
- #egov – eGovernment (tech savvy, internet friendly government)
- #gov20 – government 2.0 (policies that improve transparency and efficiency)
Reciprocate
- Follow your followers back.
- Like and share their content.
- Even leave comments, time permitting.
Use Apps for Instagram to Enhance Content
The best way to become Instagram savvy is to learn from great examples. Here are 12 government Instagram accounts you should follow.
1. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti
Garcetti shares photos of the city, local establishments, and current events. Occasionally he includes more personal photos using the hashtag #tbt (Throwback Thursday).
2. The City of Monterey
Monterey posts images of its gorgeous town, both on ground and in the water. The folks who man this account really take advantage of the text you can include with each photo. They post about city projects, places to visit, fun facts, and award-winning attractions.
3. York Region
Located in Ontario, Canada, York Region joined Instagram in June, 2014 and has featured a wide variety of content. What’s great about their Instagram is that they are experimenting with branding on images, holding Instagram contests, and posting videos like this one about pedestrian safety.
4. iEfficiency
iEfficiency is all about ending water waste and motivating Californians to engage in drought-tolerant landscaping. They communicate the message “Your future is more important than your lawn” by incorporating text into their images for maximum impact. They keep their image descriptions short and to the point.
5. The City of Eastvale
On the City of Eastvale‘s Instagram, which has been active for almost a year now, you’ll find weather updates, event flyers, lost dog notices, information about local businesses, occasional beautiful images of the sky, and more. Their posts are usually very specific and very helpful.
6. The City of Issaquah
Averaging at least a post a day, the City of Issaquah, WA is very active on Instagram. They often share seasonal and holiday specific images. Recurring themes include the gorgeous foliage and the Salmon they’re known for. Issaquah’s Instagram is friendly, fun, and inviting.
7. The City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat, Australia is proud of its history. In addition to beautiful images of their city, they use the hashtag #wbw (Way Back Wednesday) and create hashtags of their own like #loveballaratinspring and #loveballaratinwinter.
8. The City of Sydney
The City of Sydney puts an emphasis on local events and local art, but also often posts images of the stunning cityscape.
9. The TSA
The TSA is on Instagram! There are a lot of travel tips and images of weapons discovered in carry-on luggage at airports around the U.S. They also feature TSA Explosives Detection Canines. (Cute! But they mean business.)
10. NASA
NASA is on Instagram too, with space related images and time-lapse videos of earth to boot. It’s awe-inspiring. Definitely check it out.
11. The U.S. Department of the Interior
The U.S. Department of the Interior‘s mission is to protect the great outdoors. You find beautiful landscapes and rare animals on their Instagram.
12. The Boston Fire Department
The Boston Fire Department consistently uses the tags #BostonStrong, #BostonsBravest, and #BostonFire to share photos of fires in the city, honor brave firefighters, and show fire trucks new and old.
We hope this list has given you ample ideas and inspiration to create and improve your own Instagram account.
Did we miss some great accounts? Tell us about your activity with Instagram and we just might feature your work next time!
This post was originally published on CitySourced Gov 2.0 Blog
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