Social media engagement can be a bit complicated for government pages and the public sector in general. You want to reach and engage citizens and people outside your community who may be interested in your city, organization, or the work you do. You want to be a source of credible information and updates. You want to ensure the timely distribution of news and information, and you want people to see and engage with your content. But, sometimes commentary turns negative, irrelevant, and even critical. Here are a few things to keep in mind when handling comments and engagement on government social media pages.
1. Stay on Top of Commentary
It’s important to stay in-the-know about what’s being said on your social channels, so you can take next steps to address, contain, or otherwise respond when needed. For organizations with multiple entities or offices, and accounts across multiple platforms for each, this can be especially challenging. Technology can help, thanks to robust social media management and moderation features designed specifically for regulated industries. This includes keyword flagging, which lets you build custom lists of keywords and alerts admins when they’re used on your pages or in comments directed at or tagging your pages.
2. Develop Clear Moderation Guidelines
It’s a good idea to establish and publicly post guidelines for acceptable commentary and behavior on your pages. This sets clear expectations for individuals posting to your pages and tagging your organization. It also provides a framework for expectations around engagement and makes it easier to take action when users are posting offensive or inappropriate content. Importantly, you’ll want to define what constitutes inappropriate content, such as hate speech, threats, or spam. Technology can make it easier to enforce these guidelines consistently by filtering user commentary into one accessible place, so page admins can decide how they will respond to and/or take action when users violate the established guidelines.
3. Respond Professionally & Encourage Constructive Dialogue
Aim to respond to comments in a timely manner, especially those that ask questions or raise concerns. Use a professional and respectful tone, and provide accurate information. If you cannot address the issue immediately, it’s usually a good idea to acknowledge the comment and inform the user that you are looking into it.
Look for ways to foster a community of engagement by encouraging constructive dialogue and participation among citizens. Ask open-ended questions, invite feedback, and show appreciation for positive comments. Highlight contributions that add value to the discussion, helping to build a positive community atmosphere.
4. Handle Negative Comments with Care
Negative comments are inevitable, but they can be managed effectively. Acknowledge the comment, address the concern directly, and provide any necessary information to resolve the issue. Avoid getting defensive or engaging in arguments. If the comment violates guidelines, consider flagging or removing it, but be aware that social media communications are considered official government publications, which means the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applies. This law aims to ensure government transparency and fair public access to records of interest, making deleting unsavory social posts an untenable course of action in most cases and instead requiring records retention and audit trails.
5. Utilize the Right Tools
Social media management tools can help when it comes to monitoring, moderating, and responding to commentary of all types. In fact, tools built for the unique needs of regulated industries have specific features that streamline content and compliance to save time, mitigate risk, and keep everything tracked. Use social media management tools to monitor and manage comments efficiently, track engagement, filter inappropriate content, and respond to comments across multiple platforms in one convenient place. And, streamline archival without additional administrative burden and with customizable access permissions that prevent moderators from making missteps.
Social Assurance for Government does all this and more. Our social media management software is built specifically for the unique needs of the public sector, ensuring compliance, records retention, and more effective social media management at every step. Interested in learning more?
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