It's well known that citizens spend lots of time on social media, both for fun and as a source of news. However, people are becoming more passive in their usage, engaging less and less with content. Sprout Social found that while social media usage is growing, brands are seeing a median engagement rate of just 0.09% per post!!!

GCN has 3 simple ideas to inspire citizens to engage with your content. We have adapted them to our current context and are sharing them with you.

1. Create authentic, human-friendly content

While most government agencies are on social media, many use it as a digital notice board or a way to broadcast news. These posts can be important at times, however they often don't encourage citizens to engage. Try using content that can't be found elsewhere, such as photos from a fun event or something uplifting that has happened with one of your projects.

2. Produce snackable videos that engage and inform

Video is key to a strong social media strategy. Instead of long formal videos, try creating short, social style videos lasting no longer than 3 or 4 minutes, and post these natively (that is, uploading the video directly to the social media platform). This simple video from the National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia is a great example of video content creation that gets attention!

3. Be consistent with response times

Many citizens expect customer service via social media. They want their questions and complaints heard and answered. Agencies that decide to use social media for customer service need to be consistent with hours, staffing and response times. Some agencies will engage at inconsistent times, or set unrealistic response-time expectations. Use your bio/about section to clarify the days and times questions will be addressed.

Citizens have made it clear that they are active on social media, we need to ensure we are creating content and responding to meet this demand.