Follow US: Social Media & The Government

The Social Media movement is in full swing and from big business to small business they are cultivating and reaping the benefits of social technologies. Although in Private Sector vs. Public Sector, generally consumer or customer interaction is achieved and manipulated differently; social media strives to integrate optimal solutions across the board. From Web 2.0 to Government 2.0, social media is transforming, strategically aligning and taking flight positively in Federal, State and Local Government. Governments can successfully participate in social media without compromising the integrity of the agencies or constituents and evoke positive social change.

Any Internet user can be a writer, author, subject matter expert, or share information due to the changes made to the Internet by Web 2.0 (Dadashzadeh, 2010). The Private Sector uses social technologies to reach and engage their target audiences globally. Companies are still learning how to cultivate the engagement and social strategies into ROI; however the investment can be minimal and the return high. What does Web 2.0 mean for government agencies? The Government’s approach would certainly be one of caution. The Government’s interest evolves around common good for all citizens. With a working platform for the government from social networking to blogs, they are all considered on the scope of Government 2.0 (Howard, 2010).  As a transferable example, in May 2008, a United States government employee launched a social networking site that connects government employees on all levels to contractors i.e. GovLoop.com (Dadashzadeh, 2010).  GovLoop.com currently has over 42,000 members both federal and contractor employees. Initial social platforms like email allowed people to communicate across the world but new social media allows them to communicate in real time, simultaneously.

Keeping up with social technologies is no easy task, especially with consistent updates and changes as well as new platforms. How does the Government transition from its cryptic ideology of static and assurance of data control? The Government’s transition began with e-Government services or ecommerce for Government services, such as filing franchise taxes online or searching marriage and business records. Although, there are some local government entities or counties that have not moved away from paper records just yet. Do the services offered online translate the need for government agencies to expand to all social media platforms? Before the question is addressed, there are factors that aid in the resistance of government agencies and their contractors from adopting new media. The most significant factor in the transition has been the barriers. These barriers include bureaucratic policies, information assurance, national security and foreign relations and the high turnover rate with elected officials and budget cuts can hinder long-term planning (Drapeau, 2009). Web 2.0 options such as Cloud computing could provide great cost savings for the government but on the flip side the fear of information security breach is prevalent. Blumenthal recommends two approaches for public and federal employees. 1. “Promote a social-media-friendly environment.” There is no reason to create unnecessary boundaries to resist social change. 2. He recommends “educate ourselves about the capabilities and limitations of social media.” (Blumenthal, 2009) Policies still need to be developed to account for social responsibility in the workplace.

Despite the challenges of social media in the Public Sector, the Government can and has leveraged the rising trend to implement community and citizen engagement. The government has been consolidating, integrating and intermingling many operations from information technology to department outsourcing (Sing, 2010). Social media may enable standardization across the board allowing agencies to streamline processes and procedures. Strategically governments may use storytelling to depict agency missions; they can show widespread support; and remain transparent with searchable features (Bhargava, 2009). Social media should translate not only as information gathering and sharing but also as a way to enhance policy through commitment. Citizens are interested in the issues but if those issues had a face behind them, that could relate to those affected, the government could expect more involvement as a result of the transparency. Some U.S. government agencies are forerunners in social engagement; the U.S. Army has integrated their digital presence as an extension of their organization as opposed to a separate project (Hudson, 2010). Other countries can utilize social media to propel their economies to another level. Britain and Australia have recognized the momentous evolution in new media and Britain has fully integrated social strategies into their agencies.

Beneficial advantages for using the Web 2.0 tools in government or public sector platforms are ever growing over the disadvantages. As with any good or sound decision, there are effects to consider but with first-class policy and thoughtful planning, barriers, research and outsourcing can be minimized. Social media can touch the masses, cut costs, provoke community participation and depict social responsibility. NASA has made videos and in turn provided podcasts of shuttle launches and the Smithsonian has a Flickr account for photosharing. These are strides toward governmental transparency.

Social Media has become an integral part of people’s daily life and private and public sectors alike have an interest to contend through these platforms. The Government may not jump on every social bookmarking site or use all widgets; however with strategic planning and processes they can select tools that provide optimal engagement. Energies and resources should be allocated concisely with precision to achieve premium results. When agencies suffer from paralysis of analysis they can miss the worth of engagement from jump or they can get onboard and make social media work for their agency.


Resources:

Bhargava, R. (2009). Why Government Needs Social Media NOW. Siliconindia , 12 (3), 8.

Blumenthal, A. (2009, April 15). Why Social Media Matters for Government. Retrieved May 30, 2011, from Nextgov: Technology & The Business of Government: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090415_9417.php

Dadashzadeh, M. (2010). Social Media In Government: From Government To eGovernance. Journal of Business & Economics Research , 8 (11), 81-86.

Drapeau, M. (2009, January 5). Government 2.0: How Social Media Could Transform Gov PR. Retrieved May 30, 2011, from Public Broadcasting Service, Inc.: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/01/government-20-how-social-media-could-transform-gov-pr005.html

Howard, A. (2010, May 10). 5 Ways Government Works Better With Social Media. Retrieved May 28, 2011, from Mashable: Social Media: http://mashable.com/2010/05/10/social-media-government/

Hudson, R. (2010). GOVERNMENTS WHO GET SOCIAL MEDIA. B&T Magazine , 60 (2712), 14.

Sing, N. S. (2010). eGovt: social media to deliver best results. Enterprise Innovation , 6 (1), 34-35.