244
c h a p t e r10: OrganizatiOnal COnsideratiOns■as an opportunity and perhaps become overzealous about overusing it as a marketing
channel, popularity tends to have the opposite effect in government agencies. a large
following or fan count demonstrates success, but ironically senior government officials
will want to then step back to ensure that it fits into other government initiatives and
that many of the risks are identified and mitigated. the attorneys enter, and ultimately
the project looks a lot different than it did originally. in the end, it sometimes then
misses the mark with the very people the project was intended to serve.
so, what do you do if you are a government employee looking to inject Facebook
or other social media into your outreach to citizens? First, make sure it can work in
your community. although social media is becoming increasingly popular worldwide,
your community may not respond well to government communications through social
media. second, talk to citizens, and solicit their feedback as you would for any other
new program. even small focus groups with friends and family can tell you a lot about
how people will perceive your ideas for social media. next, stay focused, and set
attainable goals for your effort. part of the solution is making sure that you are doing
things the right way, and as we’ve mentioned previously, this may require some experi-
mentation along the way. Finally, understand the internal environment in your agency.
anticipating future problems early in the process will help you make good decisions
that will benefit you later.Featured Case: GovLoop, the Social Network for Government 2.0
If you’re in a government agency or other organization, you certainly aren’t alone as you navigate
Government 2.0. In fact, there is a social network available for you to meet other government
employees who similarly are seeking interesting ways to take advantage of social media and
Web 2.0. GovLoop (www.govloop.com) is perhaps the biggest social network available for
Government 2.0 professionals. We took a few moments to talk with GovLoop founder and presi-
dent Steve Ressler about his site and trends in Government 2.0:
Q: Tell us a little about GovLoop in your words.
A: GovLoop is the “Facebook for government” currently connecting more than 21,000 federal,
state, and local government innovators.
Q: What gave you the idea for GovLoop?
A: I was a public servant for five years working in various departments including the SSA,
Department of Education, and DHS. I always saw agencies re-creating the wheel and wished
there was a way to connect with other departments on a peer level. With the rise of social
networking technology, I saw the way to create the platform I always wanted—and thus
GovLoop was born.