Like most people, I’ve been using facebook for personal connections for quite some time now. It’s fun to catch up with old classmates or see pictures of what’s happening in the lives of my family and friends.
But we’ve never suggested that a client join facebook before. Not because it’s not a great tool, it just has to be the right tool. In addition, with any type of social media, there must be a commitment. Social media is not a “one night stand”. If you jump in then your audience expects you to be there regularly, contributing, responding to their comments and offering something useful. To start a facebook page and let it languish does a disservice to your brand. You’re the guy/girl that didn’t call the next day so to speak.
The City of Summerside was ready to make the commitment and the results from their facebook fan page have amazed us. After just six weeks, they have over 400 fans, regularly commenting and discussing in a candid way that you just cannot get from a survey or a townhall meeting. It has allowed the City to connect both with current citizens and those that have moved away. And the price tag for this kind of connection? $0, other than the time it takes to maintain the page and keep it fresh.
If you are willing to make the commitment, social media can be an excellent tool for municipalities to connect with the people they serve. They may hear things they don’t want to hear, but that’s the first step to doing something about them. We’ll be keeping an eye on their progress, and can’t wait to see how the discussion evolves.