County governments and social media

[vraiblonde]

Charles County is all over it - they tweet and FB, do a great job of letting the public know what's going on.

St. Mary's and Calvert, not so much.

It's amazing to me that they have this perfectly good means of communicating with residents, and it's FREE!, yet they don't use it. They have accounts, and very occasionally make posts but it's always boring vanity stuff about their meetings that are mostly unproductive blather that nobody cares about. There are a million things going on in each county, so why wouldn't they fill their Twitter and FB with them??

One county doesn't even know how to send out a press release. They'll send a notice via email....as a graphic. So if the recipient wants to post it online or put it in their newspaper, they have to post the graphic or retype the whole thing. It would be easier to send out the original doc - Word or even Notepad, whatever they use - so the recipient can copy/paste, but no...they save it as a graphic and send that out.

This stuff just makes me crazy and today I'm fed up enough to complain about it. You'd think they'd pop for the money to hire a real media person to handle this stuff - one who is familiar with a computer and social media and knows what they're doing.

 

[vraiblonde]

You know who else does a great job? MWR Pax.

 

[stgislander]

My guess is that Charles has a full-time PA employee that does nothing but social media, and St Mary's and Calvert do not.

 

[vraiblonde]

My guess is that Charles has a full-time PA employee that does nothing but social media, and St Mary's and Calvert do not.

Both counties have a communications director who handles public information.

http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/pio/

http://www.co.cal.md.us/index.aspx?nid=2204

 

[Kyle]

Don't we have a town crier?

 

[stgislander]

Both counties have a communications director who handles public information.

http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/pio/

http://www.co.cal.md.us/index.aspx?nid=2204

Agree, but do their public information offices have a dedicated staff person to handle social media? Again, I'm guessing in SMC and CAL that social media is a collateral duty

 

[MiddleGround]

Don't we have a town cryer?

I heard he lives on an island...

 

[kwillia]

Don't we have a town crier?

<--- Are you going to take that, Tranny?

 

[GregV814]

Well, here inCalvert County, specifically Huntingtown, we have Gordon Bowens store. Anything worth knowing is discussed at Bowen’s. Ask Beverly about her 8th grade award winning science fair project!!!

 

[Bird Dog]

Well, here inCalvert County, specifically Huntingtown, we have Gordon Bowens store. Anything worth knowing is discussed at Bowen’s. Ask Beverly about her 8th grade award winning science fair project!!!

We have Buzzy’s...........

 

[Grumpy]

Well, here inCalvert County, specifically Huntingtown, we have Gordon Bowens store. Anything worth knowing is discussed at Bowen’s. Ask Beverly about her 8th grade award winning science fair project!!!

Don't forget the Huntingtown FB page where a certain pompous commissioner regularly chastises all.

 

[lucky_bee]

Agree, but do their public information offices have a dedicated staff person to handle social media?

Most likely, but I think that's Vrai's point. Ours is lacking and maybe we could use a full-time dedicated staff member to run our county's social media accounts. It's fairly standard.


Who does run our accounts? Someone with the Chamber of Commerce?

 

[Chris0nllyn]

What do you all feel is missing that would be gained by hiring someone to maintain a social media account?

It should be noted that a number of social media accounts currently exist. I'm just curious what would be gained in hiring someone.

 

[stgislander]

We have Buzzy’s...........

And Chief's.

 

[vraiblonde]

What do you all feel is missing that would be gained by hiring someone to maintain a social media account?

Um, timely public information?

I don't think they even need to hire someone. They already have a person who sends out press releases and public communication. It would be a simple thing to pop it on Twitter and FB.

But now that I think about it, maybe the communications person doesn't put *anything* out besides boring meeting minutes. Maybe they truly do nothing to promote the county events or human interest tidbits or emergency information.

Whatever. Charles County does it right, and SM and CAL should take notice.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Um, timely public information?

I don't think they even need to hire someone. They already have a person who sends out press releases and public communication. It would be a simple thing to pop it on Twitter and FB.

But now that I think about it, maybe the communications person doesn't put *anything* out besides boring meeting minutes. Maybe they truly do nothing to promote the county events or human interest tidbits or emergency information.

Whatever. Charles County does it right, and SM and CAL should take notice.

What public info? That's a broad statement. Calvert's Govt Facebook page gives links to local places to shop, the newsletter (that shows upcomign events), meetings, RFPs/RFQs, etc. From what I can see, Charles County's govt FB page is almost identical.

 

[Bann]

Don't forget the Huntingtown FB page where a certain pompous commissioner regularly chastises all.

If it's who I think you mean, he gets on my last nerve!

 

[Grumpy]

If it's who I think you mean, he gets on my last nerve!

That's the guy!!