CiviSocial

NYS local government friends/colleagues - Our New York State City/County Management Conference in Cooperstown, NY at the Otesaga Resort Hotel will be a fantastic professional development experience. Sam T. from CiviSocial and Jason Duff from Small Nation will be keynoting talks on Thursday May 1st. Ryan Piche, Amie Hendrix, Rita Azrelyant, MPA and Emily Giovanni will also be presenting and leading sessions. Something for everyone and always networking, comradery, fellowship, and good cheer. #localgovernment

??Fighting Back on Social Media ?? What can #localGov do when the keyboard warriors are spreading false information? Let me show you a real life example! - This week, I was working with the City of Salina Kansas - There was a social media uproar about their animal shelter losing its “no kill” designation - The keyboard warriors were on the attack, spreading lies about how the shelter (and city) were deliberately killing animals - The reason was the shelter had a fatal outbreak of a very painful disease in its cat population which necessitated humane euthanasia - But that information wasn’t getting out there… - So we made this video. Took < 10 minutes to shoot and < 10 minutes to edit - They posted the video on Monday and received over 10,000 views in less than 24 hours (25% of their total population)! - Comments were all positive and neighbors were sharing the video with those who were up in arms ? Take aways: - Responding to comments is a fools errand! - Use content instead! - Human led, video content!

The life of a CAO is a difficult one ?? This scene from the amazing Veep perfectly describes what so many of you in #LocalGov experience every day. You have our gratitude and respect!

AI ?? + Social Media ?? Wanted to share a trend that is happening across Social Media right now, powered by AI. Figured we’d use the NFL’s 2024 MVP. For those who know our founder, the reason is self evident! If your #LocalGov has a library of photos that shows the progress you’ve made over the years, it can be leveraged using AI to create an amazing video just like this! We offer a full toolkit of amazing AI recommendations to our clients, empowering them to transform social media much as Josh Allen has transformed the NFL ??

Under 40 is the new MAJORITY! “The majority of humans in the US are, NOW, under 40. If you're over 40, for many of you, for the first time in your lives, welcome to the minority! There are now two VERY DIFFERENT, DISTINCT viewing ecosystems... one for those OVER 35 and another for those UNDER 35." Wise words from my media friend Evan Shapīro who is THE guru who studies media data like none-other. If you are a Local Government who has prioritized Facebook and Traditional Communications… you’re now officially only speaking to the minority of those you serve!

Check out CiviSocial founder Sam Toles’ new book - absolutely free for City and County Administrators / Managers on request!

The Social Media Playbook For City and County Managers Sam Toles is excited to announce his new book which will debut May 1st at the NYSCMA conference in Cooperstown, New York. In the meantime, here is an AI generated podcast preview of the book's key learnings (https://lnkd.in/gq9HvTtN)

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Binder… ???? When I started CiviSocial, I knew I wanted every #LocalGov client to walk away with more than just advice — I wanted them to have a playbook. A real, physical, bursting-at-the-seams binder packed with strategies, insights, and proven tactics from my time at Bleacher Report, Vimeo, MGM Studios... But what's really added to this binder is the fact that every single city, town, and county I work with brings something new to the table. New challenges, new solutions, new ideas. And every time I refine, tweak, and expand the playbook to meet their needs. And now? That binder is about to explode!! It’s become a living, breathing roadmap — a collection of the best practices that have helped local governments master proactive, positive, and engaging social media. But at this rate… ?? We’re gonna need a bigger binder. #LocalGov #SocialMedia

Does Your Facebook and Instagram Look the Same? Probably! Why? Because Meta desperately wants to keep Facebook from becoming a retirement home! So they make it easy… one post, one click, and boom—it’s live on both Facebook and Instagram. Efficient? Yes. But you’re destroying your most important opportunity to connect with your largest population! Your audience on Facebook is NOT the same as your audience on Instagram. Facebook = Boomers - Half of U.S. adults 65+ are on Facebook. They stopped reading their newspaper and migrated to this platform instead! Comments are a key driver of the algorithm and unfortunately controversy is the primary driver of comments among this older demographic. Instagram = Gens X, Y, Z - Mean age is 39; the typical mean age of most #localGov populations! - They want video, and they share positive, people driven stories! If you’re tired of the negativity of old people shouting at you, start making IG a priority platform. But know that video content that tells your story in a personal way is the key to success here. Posting static Canva flyers or simple snapshots with walls of text is NOT going to resonate. Again, this isn’t Facebook - which, for most government agencies is a good thing! ??Two Young People Meet In A Bar… Are you trying to recruit Gen Y and Z into critical roles like Public Safety? Consider this … when young people meet for the first time, what is the very first thing they do? Exchange Instagrams! Why? Because this is the way they get to know their new friend. When a young person is seeking a new opportunity and considering an employer- what’s the first thing they’re gonna do? Check out your Instagram! If it looks like their parents or grandparents Facebook… they’re gonna “walk on by”! Is it efficient and easy to cross post? Sure. But this isn’t about making your job easier. It’s about making your content work better which means less negativity towards your staff, and more young faces in your workforce! So before you hit “cross-post” on that next update, ask yourself this: ? Am I posting the same thing on both platforms? ? Am I ignoring how my audience actually uses Instagram? ? Am I just checking a box instead of truly engaging people? And getting back to that last part about it being hard to manage a video first platform like Instagram… that’s where CiviSocial can help. We’ll unlock a squad of creators in your own government agency that can help make great content and give you the opportunity to be more strategic and effective. We can help you begin to win on social media!

??Book Alert?? Just ordered TWO copies of “Who Is Government?” as it came recommended to me by a good friend and looks like an amazing read! Why did I order 2 copies? Because I always talk about the importance of “shares” on social media and thought this might be a great opportunity to do an IRL share with one of my friends in #LocalGov. If you follow CiviSocial - you might just get a DM from me letting you know you’ve been randomly selected as my “share” and get a copy of this book! If you aren’t following CiviSocial, it’s easy and you’ll be in on this and other future shares!