By Mary Yang, Marketing Communications Manager, GovDelivery
Earlier this month, the State of Indiana crossed the 1 million subscriber milestone with their digital communications program. It’s sort of mind-boggling (and awesome) when you think about what that means: Indiana was able to get 1 million of their residents to raise their hands and say, “Yes, I want information directly from my government about these services.” Their citizens signed up to receive e-newsletters, alerts and SMS text messages about all kinds of topics, from workforce development to DNR news and pharmacist licensing information.
In July, McKinsey published an article around research they conducted, focusing on the rapid shift to digital devices and platforms: “Nearly 50 percent of US online consumers are now advanced users of smartphones, social networks, and other emerging tools—up from 32 percent in 2008.” The research from McKinsey isn’t really news – many of us recognize this shift already. I’m sure I’m not alone in logging into email, Facebook and Twitter first thing in the morning. Yet some in government are still slow to switch to a digital communications system.
In 2008, the State of Indiana made a bold move. They implemented an enterprise-wide digital communications system, across the state, to help increase their reach and engage with their citizens more directly. The folks at Indiana understood that their citizens relied on the digital flow of information in their everyday lives and that their state government could be part of that flow by simply plugging right into the routine behaviors of the public. Three short years later, and they’ve crossed the 1 million subscriber mark!
What are they doing right? Take a look at www.in.gov. Aesthetically, I think it’s much nicer than other similar sites. Plus, their design draws your attention to the icons along the left corner of the scrolling banner image. The icons promote digital communications through several channels:
- Sign up for email notifications
- Get an RSS feed
- Watch the state’s YouTube channel
- Follow them on Twitter
- Scan their QR code
- And more
I think what they’re doing right is fully embracing the world of digital communications. The State of Indiana is just a great example of how impactful public sector organizations can be by harnessing the power of digital communications.
Indiana’s done an amazing job in their efforts to increase communications with the public and build awareness around the state’s many services. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating them on this awesome achievement. Find them on Twitter at @in_gov.
