Social Media in the Government
Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG) is a non-partisan organization that promotes leadership in service to Texas by offering professional development opportunities. We had the opportunity to present our training How To Increase Your Leadership With Social Media during their distinguished monthly luncheon.
It’s not about “if” but about “how”
Social media has been revolutionizing the way we communicate for over a decade now. No longer is it a niche corner of the web reserved for millennials. Today, everyone from big brands to health care authorities are using social media to bolster their profile through public engagement. And increasingly, that trend is also shifting the flow of discourse between government bodies and the public.
With 2.5 billion users, social media is now the dominant arena for global communications. Naturally then, social media has also become one of the public’s favorite forums for engaging in government and public issues—the allure of which are many fold. Immediate and transparent, social media has provided the public with greater control, participation, and influence over governmental issues and initiatives.
From small municipal matters to sweeping revolutionary movements, social media is now very much the de facto voice of democracy. And with or without public sector engagement, citizens around the world are continuing to freely express their opinions towards the governmental issues that surround them. For governments of all levels, attention to this shift is critical.
In this post, we’ll look at how executives in government can use social media to increase their leadership.
Our social sales system teaches The 6 Golden Rules of Social Media. This is the foundation to start using this powerful tool.
Rule Number One:
Social media isn’t different from making real connections. Think about how you would connect with someone that you meet at a local store. You will build rapport and see if there is something in common that will open a conversation. You won’t suddenly stop a stranger to tell them how amazing you are and how perfect your life is. That would be considered inappropriate. If that situation happens on social media, the result will be exactly the same. You won’t connect with a stranger and send them links with your information and ask them to do things for you unless there was a reason.
Rule Number Two:
It’s not about you. If you are representing an organization, use social media to showcase your values so people can have a connection with your organization. Whenever you have setbacks and doubts, just think that social media isn’t about you. It’s about your organization and your people.
Rule Number Three:
Be personal, not private. This is my favorite rule. We all have that friend that takes selfies all the time. She does multiple “check-ins” and is constantly sharing everything, literally. Even when she goes to a doctor or having a health issue. You don’t have to be that extreme. You want to show people that you are a real person, without crossing the line to host a reality show.
Rule Number Four:
Give value first. It’s the Golden Rule. Do to others what you want them to do to you. Do you want to read positive quotes on social media? Create them! Do you want to see positive content? Find it and share it! Do you want to attract leaders? Be that leader! It all starts with your intention to offer value first.
Rule Number Five:
Influence with stories. Storytelling is by far, the best way to engage with people. Leadership is about helping others to become better in what they do. The more stories you share about people that you have helped, the better your personal brand will look. This strategy helps leaders to be more comfortable with what they share on social media.
Rule Number Six:
Engage with people to get the return on your investment. Time is your biggest asset. Leaders should use social media with a goal in mind. One of the goals that I suggested during the training was to find 5 new Facebook Groups a week. This will allow them to increase their network.
We have less than 2 seconds to create a first impression online. How does that look? This image shows what not to do! Your profile picture needs to show YOU, approachable, transparent, likeable and trustworthy.
PthotoFeeler is a great tool to discover if your profile photo looks influential. We recommend that you create an account and discover what others think about your picture.
Leaders in the government need to reflect upon the values that their agency represents. This is an example of possible values and can be used to create content to share on social media.
During our training, leaders had the opportunity to take our assessment. We had a lof of fun! You can take our assessment too. Click here.
