5. Collaboration: Social media is not just about communication
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2025 4:32 am
Tip: follow relevant websites such as Frankwatching closely for the latest news , preferably daily! The fact that you are reading this already indicates that you are on the right track. If you really want to develop as a specialist: let yourself be guided and advised by professionals in that field.
3. Budget: The sun doesn't rise for free
Facebook is free, right? There is a good chance that you will hear that when you want to reserve a small budget for the use of a paid campaign. In order to be more visible as an organization (and therefore also as a municipality) on the timeline of your target group, you can turn two buttons: creating appealing, distinctive content and using advertisements. Both are important. Of course, it is always preferable to reach a large part of your residents with rock-solid content free of charge. But sometimes you also want to reach residents who do not (yet) follow you or your target group for a certain post is so specific that you do not want to bore the rest with it. In these cases, paid advertisements are an excellent opportunity to spend your euros effectively.
We previously wrote about the skewed relationship between the budgets for placing municipal news in the local paper and for advertisements on social media. At that time we wrote: 'start by requesting a budget of 5,000 euros per year.' Have you succeeded yet?
4. Strategy: Do everything with a purpose
A strategy can only be successful if you make sharp choices. If you 'feel it rubbing' when you make them. This applies to every (communication) strategy and therefore also to social media. Are you going to use all channels for all target groups? Then there is a good chance that you will not achieve what you want. So make choices. It is also wise to make choices at the content level. The biggest challenge: no longer posting messages at the request of directors and colleagues on all kinds of subjects, but making themes discussable from a well-considered content strategy that match the questions and needs of your target group.
Of course, you also have to deal with the administrative priorities. If these priorities do not match the priorities of your country email list residents, try to use a different angle so that you are still relevant with your content. Work from a content year calendar with fixed sections, but also keep enough free space in your planning for ad hoc matters.
Photo of the newsroom of the municipality of Dordrecht.
The newsroom of the municipality of Dordrecht
More and more municipalities work on the principle of a newsroom . This means that you continuously listen, interpret and act with different disciplines (communication, service provision (KCC), data analysis and policy). They listen to the conversation in the outside world, but are also alert to developments within the walls of the town hall. Together they determine what this means for the organization and the communication. And ultimately the actions are determined in the newsroom. This can be informing a colleague, requesting (online) data, setting up a detailed environmental analysis, using social media or adjusting the website. But you can also decide together not to do anything for a while and continue to follow it closely.
In several municipalities, these newsrooms have already proven to be successful. However, there are at least as many where the plug was pulled after a while. The problem: on the one hand, people listened well, on the other hand, the broadcasting simply continued. The connection was missing: the essential link in the success of your newsroom.
3. Budget: The sun doesn't rise for free
Facebook is free, right? There is a good chance that you will hear that when you want to reserve a small budget for the use of a paid campaign. In order to be more visible as an organization (and therefore also as a municipality) on the timeline of your target group, you can turn two buttons: creating appealing, distinctive content and using advertisements. Both are important. Of course, it is always preferable to reach a large part of your residents with rock-solid content free of charge. But sometimes you also want to reach residents who do not (yet) follow you or your target group for a certain post is so specific that you do not want to bore the rest with it. In these cases, paid advertisements are an excellent opportunity to spend your euros effectively.
We previously wrote about the skewed relationship between the budgets for placing municipal news in the local paper and for advertisements on social media. At that time we wrote: 'start by requesting a budget of 5,000 euros per year.' Have you succeeded yet?
4. Strategy: Do everything with a purpose
A strategy can only be successful if you make sharp choices. If you 'feel it rubbing' when you make them. This applies to every (communication) strategy and therefore also to social media. Are you going to use all channels for all target groups? Then there is a good chance that you will not achieve what you want. So make choices. It is also wise to make choices at the content level. The biggest challenge: no longer posting messages at the request of directors and colleagues on all kinds of subjects, but making themes discussable from a well-considered content strategy that match the questions and needs of your target group.
Of course, you also have to deal with the administrative priorities. If these priorities do not match the priorities of your country email list residents, try to use a different angle so that you are still relevant with your content. Work from a content year calendar with fixed sections, but also keep enough free space in your planning for ad hoc matters.
Photo of the newsroom of the municipality of Dordrecht.
The newsroom of the municipality of Dordrecht
More and more municipalities work on the principle of a newsroom . This means that you continuously listen, interpret and act with different disciplines (communication, service provision (KCC), data analysis and policy). They listen to the conversation in the outside world, but are also alert to developments within the walls of the town hall. Together they determine what this means for the organization and the communication. And ultimately the actions are determined in the newsroom. This can be informing a colleague, requesting (online) data, setting up a detailed environmental analysis, using social media or adjusting the website. But you can also decide together not to do anything for a while and continue to follow it closely.
In several municipalities, these newsrooms have already proven to be successful. However, there are at least as many where the plug was pulled after a while. The problem: on the one hand, people listened well, on the other hand, the broadcasting simply continued. The connection was missing: the essential link in the success of your newsroom.