Strategic Government Digital Communications

With the growth of social media channels focusing on “narrowcasting,” or communication among smaller groups of people, government agencies will need to participate to stay relevant in the citizen experience. Citizen’s use of these channels – like SnapChat and Instagram Stories – will require that marketers adopt new, creative approaches to content that fit within their overall digital strategy. By understanding how to harness this trend as a part of an overall digital strategy, you will be able to better ensure success.

Learn how to implement innovative content strategies into your communications plan, including how to:

• Use narrowcasting on the most popular and current channels
• Learn from examples - how organizations and Federal agencies currently use narrowcasting
• Approach narrowcasting planning to fit within a larger digital strategy
• Utilize content ideas that work for narrowcasting

Emily Zeigenfuse, Senior Digital Strategist

Hager Sharp

As social media platforms and communication preferences continually evolve, so too must the digital communications and public affairs offices across the Federal government.

This session will provide actionable insights to better use social media in an official capacity to raise awareness about your mission or services, appropriately leverage digital platforms, and build a sustainable social presence. 

During this hands-on workshop, you will learn new strategies for your social media campaign, including how to:

• Understand available social media platforms, including best practices among public and private sector organizations
• Devise a cohesive strategy to leverage social media for owned, earned, and paid opportunities
• Measure impact and results using new tools and tips

The ways in which the public and private sectors communicate to citizens and consumers has evolved. 85% of American adults use mobile devices to digest their day-to-day news and content. 91% of American teens use their mobile devices exclusively for accessing online content. As a result of these trends, government communication practices must include a better understanding of human-centered design and its applications to new media and emerging technology.

In this interactive workshop, learn how to design a mobile communications strategy to increase citizen engagement and interaction, including:

• Understanding principles of good design for citizen engagement
• Crafting a persona map & understanding your core audience
• Establishing a brand that matches your civic message
• Utilizing new media and emerging technology to cultivate a following

This session will examine how TSA launched and is using social media to engage with customers, including how you can:

• Understand why social media customer service matters to government
• Recognize what tools are available to help engage with your audience
• Implement a customer engagement strategy of your own

David Johnston, Social Media Strategist 

Transportation Security Administration

“Are we or are we not a clandestine organization?” “Don’t you think social media is just a fad?” “What could CIA possibly Tweet?” These are some questions CIA’s Public Affairs office faced before launching @CIA. Since then CIA has proven a government intelligence agency can be relevant, innovative and informative on social media despite the constraints of secrecy.

Throughout this session you will learn how to overcome organizaitonal reluctance to engage new audiences through digital channels, including how to:

• Avoid the pitfalls and reap the rewards of social media platforms
• Consider three types of audiences for structuring your social activations
• Learn about five main categories for segmenting your social activations
• Have fun, no matter what brand

• Utilize new, intriguing ways to look at storytelling and “content”
• Learn from the constant storytelling happening around you every day
• Harness the power of storytelling to create engaging visual content such as videos, infographics and social posts

Association of American Railroads

The third anniversary of the U.S. Digital Services (USDS) provides us the opportunity to consider the future of digital government. One thing is certain, digital is not simply a side project of the White House, but a booming industry and an expected condition of business. The real question becomes not if, but how the government can mature and scale digital services – whether at USDS or elsewhere.

Discover the emerging trends in digital government and how the larger digital services effort can move forward, including:

• Securing technology that works
• Understanding critical inputs to successful digital government
• Gathering data for results, decisions, and transparency
• Scaling to size digital across organizations

 The communications field is rapidly changing. The deluge of information demands we present our work in a clear and concise ways. This session will provide you with insights on sharing your work through podcasts and engaging landing pages.

During this session, you will gain insight for starting your own podcast series and improving your landing pages, including how to:

• Use analytics to inform your decision making
• Identify resources for starting your own podcast
• Design mobile-friendly landing pages
• Leverage social media to promote your podcasts and landing pages

• Establishing essential relationships across the organization
• Governance and policy
• Adjacent strategies, like SEO or traditional stakeholder outreach

Amanda Nguyen, Director of Marketing Strategy

CHIEF

What do agencies need to do be customer friendly on mobile devices? 

GSA's Mobile Program Management Office helps agencies better utilize customer experience technologies and techniques to improve the internal and public-facing mobile products (apps, mobile websites, progressive web apps) that serve employees and citizens of the United States.

You will learn the six principles of mobile customer service that your agency should apply to successfully engage your mobile audiences, including how to:

• Understand why a mobile customer experience is important, 
• Create a meaningful mobile strategy for your audiences
• Learn to emulate a strategy from examples of great customer experience from government agencies

Jacob Parcell, Director, Mobile Program Management Office

General Services Administration

Social Media is always changing. Because of this, we must think outside of the box while keeping the user in mind. Hear how the Defense Media Activity is increasing engagement with their audience on social media and measuring the impact of their messages.

You will learn how to use creativity and user habits to maximize the impact of your social platforms, including:

• Best practices for driving interaction on social media videos
• Utilizing platform tools to amplify your agency’s messaging
• Understanding, organizing, and reporting social media analytics

As human beings, we love stories. Stories carry on tradition and culture from one generation to the next. They make us who we are, and allow us to relate to others. Stories make complicated topics easier to understand.

Learn how to create engaging, digital content using storytelling and universal themes while driving home the overall mission of your agency, including:

• Understanding why narrative digital content is the best way to connect with your audience
• Creating narrative, digital campaigns using a simple, thematic guide
• Taking a real-world example and apply it against the thematic guide

Sarah Herrmann, Digital Communications Manager

American Battle Monuments Commission

Transition always brings change, but what happens when your new leadership doesn’t want to participate in social media? You adapt, adjust and redefine your strategy.

This session will help steer you around different roadblocks and obstacle you may encounter, including how to:

• Find ways to deliver your message even if your limited
• Think outside of the box… step away from your comfort zone
• Gain organizational buy-in when leadership is unwilling to support

Tiffany Miller, Social Media Lead - Office of the Secretary of Defense

U.S. Department of Defense