Newsletter  |  November 2010

From the Desk of Dave Worsell, Director of Government Solutions

That's interesting and pretty naive.  Instant messaging already killed email, then RSS killed it, then SMS, then Twitter, and now, finally, Facebook has killed it.  Email is the most frequently killed digital communication channel in history. (see: Channel Surfing)

Email has actually thrived as new channels have increased time online and digital communication in general.

Far from killing off email, Facebook's move has increased email's relevance in social communication.  Email‘s strengths as a channel continue to be reinforced in a world where digital communication increasingly dominates all other forms of human interaction.

Strength 1: Email works well with others.  For most people online, email is the hub of all online activity.

Strength 2: Email is asynchronous.  Facebook Messages is supposed to incorporate email into the real-time communication that we apparently all want and need.  While that might work for techies and children, most of us still spend a lot of our time not plugged into the "digital Matrix."  Google Wave was launched to make interactions and collaboration more real-time.

Facebook Messages seems to draw from the same flawed belief amongst young techies that no one should reflect on anything or go offline for more than a few minutes.  Even digital natives will eventually have demanding jobs, children, school conferences, etc. that limit their ability to be online 24/7 and perhaps reduce their interest in doing so as well.

Strength 3: Email is open. Facebook Messages does make Facebook email more relevant by creating optional email addresses for Facebook users to allow non-Facebook users to get messages "in" to the Facebook inbox.  This will be particularly useful for government agencies because it will provide an efficient way to get new messages to Facebook users without going through the Facebook message sending interface.

For government organisations, Facebook Messages doesn't seem to address any of the major challenges facing Government today. How do you build your audience in the first place? How do you automate multi-channel communication?  How do you engage people effectively?  How do you track results?  How do you give them exactly what they want?  It's nice to get more direct access to the Facebook "inbox," but that's just Facebook addressing a deficiency.

There doesn't appear to be any new or truly unique benefits offered within Facebook Messages from the standpoint of government-to-public communication.  (see "Facebook Messaging is NOT Good Enough for Government Work on GovLoop")

It is up to Government to look towards technologies that allow Facebook users to personalise the type and frequency of messages that they receive from you.  Without this you'll almost certainly end up in the Facebook Messages equivalent of the spam folder.

In our work at GovDelivery with over 400 government agencies, we've seen a few things hold up across channels. 

1. Allowing subscribers to personalise the messages they receive because agencies have diverse content and the public has diverse needs and interests. 
2. Automating messages when information changes so information goes out quickly and consistently on topics of interest. 
3. Tracking message usage and reach and connecting outreach opportunities and content across multiple channels and government offices.   

While Facebook has it out with its competitors, governments can continue to focus on these basics and be happy that they now have even greater access to Facebook users than ever before using a channel that once again seems poised to thrive in the aftermath of an assassination attempt... email.

MyGovAlerts (from CityCamp London)

		If you live, work or play in London, you know where to get the latest news. You'll buy a newspaper, use online news services or tune in to a TV or radio station that syndicates newsworthy stories from across London.

Suppose you're looking to move to the city and need housing. You might want a social care job anywhere in the London area. The planned development on your route to work could disrupt your commute. Do you know where to get this type of information? Do you know when and where to go back if it changes? You're unlikely to find it in the local press.

Traditional public service boundaries don't necessarily make sense in a city like the size of London. There's a rich set of valuable information on public service websites but you'll often need to go to many different sources across the city to get all the information that's important to you.

MyGovAlerts London

MyGovAlerts London has been designed to give you easy access to the latest public sector information from across London in a single location. MyGovAlerts makes it easy for residents, businesses and visitors to see real-time information as it is posted on any given topic, in any given location, from any London Borough, Local Community Group or Government agency.

The service provides a live stream of content with a Twitter-like search interface that displays a customisable dashboard view of the latest public service news.  Information is categorised by topic and location so you can browse, search and signup for real-time updates on specific topics of interest. You can register to receive updates on any topic directly via email, SMS, or RSS.

For example, a search on "Housing" might reveal results from Brent, Barnet, Islington or Chelsea. Information can be presented together with the latest crime figures, trading standards alerts, local events, planning information, leisure services and council tax data. You can now subscribe to receive automatic alerts via email, SMS or RSS when new "Housing" information is published. Ideal if you're thinking of moving to the capital.

The benefits aren't all directed at the public. The MyGovAlerts dashboard promotes channel shift and supports avoidable contact initiatives by encouraging the public to use online services. It makes public services more transparent, opens data stores and helps drives engagement in multiple service areas.

So what's next?

MyGovAlerts London is a beta service. It needs more granular data feeds and requires links from organisations across London who are happy to provide data.

Any London council, community group or public body can submit or suggest feeds and notifications to be included in MyGovAlerts London. Dashboard feeds can be included from almost any source, for example, local authority news, community group events, weather warnings and any Social Media sources like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook or Flickr.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice Dartford isn't a London Borough. Dartford's inclusion demonstrates how a Local Authority with almost 100 granular RSS, Email and SMS alerts can derive additional value from the service by allowing residents to get only the information they want, when they want it, how they want it while at the same time building a large subscriber list.

If you have feedback or can think of other uses of the Dashboard, please get in touch.

Client Success Metrics

Hear the latest thinking on citizen-centric communications! Join us December 8 for a webinar: "Localism: Connecting Communities for a Big Society"

Be sure to join us for a no-cost 45-minute webinar on Wednesday, 8th December at 1 p.m. Entitled "Localism: Connecting Communities for a Big Society". The webinar will examine the importance of keeping residents and businesses and the third sector working in local communities better connected. It promises to be a timely and thought-provoking exchange of ideas.

Key topics to be discussed include:

• Connecting local communities
• Effective channel shift & avoidable contact strategies
• Impacts of the new council publicity code
• The value of citizen-centric communications

This is an excellent opportunity to hear the latest thinking on the Big Society and how effective communication will help the public sector better serve their communities and significantly reduce customer service costs.

The way authorities communicate will be a critical success factor for future service delivery. GovDelivery's latest white paper "Big Society: A What Society?" introduces proven solutions to local communication challenges and offers practical advice from leading agencies who are serving large on-line communities. This insightful and anticipated white paper will be introduced during the webinar .

Register today for the webinar!

Norfolk County Council overview

Having realised that many Norfolk residents were receptive to digital communications from the Council, they looked for more efficient methods of sending the latest news, events and public service updates electronically.

Norfolk County Council decided that a one-size-fits-all electronic newsletter wasn't the most effective way of engaging a wide audience.  Personalised alerts would enable Norfolk to provide a range of information whilst ensuring that each message was relevant to the recipient, who would choose the information they wanted, and when and how they received it.

Following a detailed evaluation, Norfolk County Council selected and implemented GovDelivery's Digital Subscription Management (DSM) service which addressed the Council's desire to engage residents in an efficient, personalised and measurable way.

"Norfolk County Council recognises the need for personalised communication with its residents", said Vanessa Lindsey, Norfolk County Council Web Communications Officer. "Through GovDelivery, we can offer our residents the option to sign up for email updates on a range of topics, from committee papers and news releases to library events and Adult Education courses. This way, our residents are kept informed of changes to our information and services, particularly the things they are specifically interested in".

Learn more about how Norfolk County Council has saved money using GovDelivery.

"Using Cloud Computing to Cut Costs, Reduce Avoidable Contact & Increase Audience Reach" Event Held in Birmingham

All of the event presentations are now available online. Take a look at how the Met Office and Driving Standards Agency are delivering online success and hear the thought-provoking sessions from Dominic Campbell and Liz Azyan.

The presentations can be downloaded here and videos of the sessions can be seen here.

		John Ploughman Digital Communications Manager, Driving Standards Agency Shifting Communications Channels to Reduce Avoidable Contact and Enhance Customer Service DSA sends out automatic messages on topics including driver training and testing. The agency has found that its shift to this method of communications has worked well to reduce the rate of avoidable contact, in addition to improving customer service with stakeholders.

		Simon Swan Web Marketing Manager, Met Office Marketing Government Services Ensuring your government agency is adequately communicating with its core constituency is critical when crafting your messages. As the primary source of UK weather data since 1854, Met Office has embraced technology and found innovative ways to get its word out to audiences including digital communication and social media.

		Dominic Campbell FutureGov Is There a Place for Digital Communications in the 'Age of Austerity'? During challenging economic times, digital communication has prompted government to open its doors to new audiences in new ways. This "digital democracy" has given rise to a more engaged public, and is responsible for many innovations in the way governments connect with their residents both locally and nationally.

		Liz Azyan Independent Researcher and Blogger Moving Paper Processes to More Cost-Effective Online Usage Reducing use of paper has become a major issue as many of the governments in the industrialised world have become more environmentally aware. As a result, many agencies see digital communication as a cost-effective alternative to print and a more efficient way of connecting with key audiences.

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