Cities and other local governments are discovering the benefits of social media, including blogs. The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) just published an article titled Top Blogging Tips for City Managers | icma.org, that provides City Managers with a few tips for getting started in the blogosphere. The article points out the importance of blogging with a purpose, and among other tips. The following is a summary of the article's tips, or you can read the entire article on the ICMA's website here.
- Know and say why. Every blog needs a purpose. A local government blog will serve to inform and educate constituents on matters at hand. The sooner you publicize your mission statement, the better people will understand your blog and want to follow along.
- Create an editorial calendar. An editorial calendar is vital to scheduling weekly posts and topics to stay organized and on track.
- Utilize guest posts. Hosting a member of your local government or expert in his or her profession to virtually-appear on your blog to write a guest post provide a different or new perspective about a situation or issue.
- Create a spotlight. Highlight members of your community who are actively making a difference and promote their cause. In addition to bringing your government issues to the light, this is the perfect time to showcase charitable causes or campaigns that are occurring in your community.
- Involve your youth. It’s hard to deny that Millennials have a natural understanding of the virtual environment. Give opportunities to young people to gain experience and use their social networking skills to promote local government.
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