BUILDINGPOWERFULOUTREACH

E x E c u t i v E R E s E a R c h B R i E f

2 Executive Research Brief

1Building Powerful Outreach

Engagement 101

You’ve done the research. You’ve gotten lead-

ership buy-in. Your government program is set to

start helping people. But if nobody knows about it,

your program will never make a difference. It’s like

if a public health department had prepared thou-

sands of flu shots — but no patients showed up to

get them.

For a government program to be truly success-

ful, for a project to have made a difference, for

an initiative to create change, it first has to have

an effect. And that can’t happen

without effective outreach.

Government engagement

and communications have

transformed over the last

10 years. Now email mar-

keting, social media and

text messaging are the tools

of the trade. And in order to

have an impact, you need

significant outreach and en-

gagement. But more often

than not, engagement and

outreach are not baked into

government planning – and

they suffer as a result.

“There are very few

programs where having

stakeholder engagement

isn’t part of a program’s

success,” said Scott Burns,

GovDelivery’s chief executive

officer and co-founder. “If you’re

hoping to engage stakeholders or the public, you

need to think of your outreach and communications

strategy as a critical part of your program’s launch

or implementation. There are not many things in

this world that work well with the ‘if you build it and

they will come’ strategy.”

In our latest GovLoop report, we look at why out-

reach is often secondary to creating engaging com-

munications that can drive stakeholder action and

measuring a program’s success.

Specifically, this report highlights:

Analysis from a GovLoop survey of nearly 400 public-sector professionals.

Scott Burns’ three-part process for creating a communications strategy.

Why email reigns as king of outreach.

How to rise above resource challenges.

Five insider tips for implementing a successful outreach strategy.

Government communications and the future of engagement.

“In technology, we often say that there are more good LGHDV� WKDQ� JRRG� FRPSDQLHV�ȋ� %XUQV� VDLG�� Ȋ7KH�GLHU-ence is often that companies launch products without a strategy for generating customers. Programs are the same way. There are probably more well-intentioned programs than successful programs, and a solid, mea-surable communications strategy is frequently the missing ingredient.”

A B R I E F I N T R O D U C T I O N

2 Executive Research Brief

– Scott Burns, GovDelivery CEO & Co-founder

3Building Powerful Outreach

Survey Overview

In order to get a clearer picture of what engage-

ment looks like right now in the public sector, Gov-

Loop, in partnership with GovDelivery, conducted a

survey of 390 public-sector professionals.

The survey included responses from state, local,

federal and international public-sector employees.

(See Figure 1, page 4.)

2XU�ȴUVW�VWHS�ZDV�WR�ȴJXUH�RXW�KRZ� LPSRUWDQW�SHRSOH�felt communications and outreach were to a program’s

success. (See Figure 2, page 5.) Then we examined how

much their agency was willing to invest to make the en-

gagement happen. (See Figure 3, page 5.)

More than 70 percent of respondents said their agency

was willing to invest in outreach, but when asked to de-

scribe their organization’s actual initiatives, they were

less enthusiastic.

Ȋ2XU� RXWUHDFK� HRUWV� DUH� D� ELW� GDWHG�ȋ�said Jay Kosluchar of Fridley, Minn. “We have a strong reliance on newsletters, and print ad-vertising is still the core.”

Agency budget constraints

often force people to con-

tinue with what has proven

HHFWLYH� LQVWHDG� RI� WDNLQJ�risks on new initiatives.

Most participants cited

budgeting issues as the

main challenge facing their

digital outreach initiatives.

“We are operating on a very

tight shoestring budget,” said a U.S. Geological Survey

SXEOLF� DDLUV� VSHFLDOLVW� IURP� /RXLVLDQD�� Ȋ:H� KDYH� RQH�designated outreach person. Basically, we rob Peter,

Paul and Mary to make outreach work.”

GovDelivery’s Burns wasn’t surprised by this separa-

tion. “Historically, many programs have treated com-

munication as a side note, and the current disconnect

is the leftover impact of these old bad habits,” he said.

“I’m not surprised to hear there’s a disconnect be-

tween creating an outreach plan and implementing,

GHVLJQLQJ��RU�UHȴQLQJ�D�LW�ȋ�

The survey also revealed a sense that the communi-

cations government tries to send aren’t always clear

and easy for consumers to understand. “We try to

communicate clearly, but we don’t

always speak the same language

as the general public,” a public

health specialist said.

Some agencies have taken a

step to help bridge the com-

munications divide. “We

MXVW�KLUHG�D�VWD�PHPEHU�to develop a program to

better communicate with

our constituents,” said a

ȴQDQFLDO�VHUYLFHV�GLUHFWRU�from Helena, Mont.

But having a clear mes-

sage is only half of the

battle. Another struggle

is maintaining a consis-

tent message and brand

with scattered outreach.

A P E E K I N T O G O V E R N M E N T

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

4 Executive Research Brief

“Our program does intensive outreach, but it is not really coordinated very well,” said Jeleen Brisco, an avian specialist at the Agriculture Department. “So VRPHWLPHV�� WKH� VDPH�DXGLHQFH�KHDUV�GLHUHQW� WKLQJV�IURP�GLHUHQW�SDUWV�RI�RXU�SURJUDP��ZKLFK�FDQ�FDXVH�a lot of problems.”

More than three-quarters of survey respondents said

outreach should be considered when drafting a new

program. Responses included:

Although 75 percent of respondents said outreach

should be considered when implementing programs,

many said they themselves did not participate in any

engagement or communications with the public.

“I think communication is important, but only our

VHQLRU� OHDGHUV� DQG� RXU� SXEOLF� DDLUV� GHSDUWPHQW�handle outreach,” said one survey respondent from

the Treasury Department.

“Will it be part of everyone’s job to be able to create a newsletter or draft a press release or produce a video?” Burns asked. “Probably not. But private-sector compa-nies like Amazon and Apple have taught every single employee that he or she is an extension of the brand of their company, and part of that requires communica-tions and outreach.”

Outreach is only half of the equation. Measuring results

is also essential for engagement success, but for many

government organizations, metrics and analytics pose

another major challenge. Several survey respondents

said they wanted more metrics but were unsure how to

incorporate analytics into the project plans.

“Metrics are poorly understood and are not a top con-

FHUQ�IRU�P\�VHQLRU�OHDGHUV�ȋ�D�SXEOLF�DDLUV�VSHFLDOLVW�from Oregon said.

Others used more informal metrics to chart success,

such as attendance at events, media coverage, refer-

rals and feedback from constituents.

Others have a more tangible way to prove success.

Guam’s procurement specialist, Anne Camacho, said

VXFFHVV�LV�DOO�DERXW�KDYLQJ�PRUH�FRQWUDFWV�ȵRRGLQJ�LQ��Ȋ)RU�SURFXUHPHQW��WKH�QXPEHU�RI�TXDOLȴHG��UHVSRQVLYH�DQG�UHVSRQVLEOH�SURVSHFWLYH�ELGGHUV�RU�RHUHUV�ZKR�submit proposals, bids [and] price quotes to ensure

maximum practicable competition and best value – if

that [increases], we have been successful in our out-

reach,” Camacho said.

About a fourth of respondents considered “growing

their reach” to be their top communications priority.

(See Figure 4, page 5.) Burns agreed.

“Programs need participants, whether that isv 100 people or 100,000,” he said. “A program’s success is about generating results on a scale that matters: more SHRSOH� JHWWLQJ� ȵX� VKRWV�� PRUH� SHRSOH� GULYLQJ� VDIHO\��more people being aware of how to stop bullying, more people avoiding fraud traps. People are at the center of programs, so connecting with more people and getting them to take an action is critical.”

Lastly, our survey asked how government organiza-

tions were getting the word out about a new program

or feature. (See Figure 5, page 5.) Not surprisingly,

email was the No. 1 method.

In a recent research report, eConsultancy noted that

“Email is a component of virtually any integrated cam-

SDLJQ� DQG� WKH� ȴUVW� VWRS�ZKHQ� D� QHHGOH� QHHGV� WR� EH�moved, content needs distribution or an event is on

the horizon.”

• “Absolutely! Individuals have to be empowered, and pre-paredness has to start with individuals.”

• ȊΖ� XVXDOO\� LQYLWH� VWD� WR� MRLQ� ȆIRFXV�JURXSVȇ� GXULQJ� VWHSV�along the way so the program can be created with the users in mind.”

• “I use the thirds rule to set up and run programs: one-WKLUG� SURJUDP� JRYHUQDQFH�� RQH�WKLUG� YDOXH�EHQHȴWV�management/tracking, one-third stakeholder manage-ment and communications.”

• Ȋ$OZD\V��WKH�ȴUVW�WKLQJ�Ζ�WKLQN�DERXW�LV��Ȇ:KR�LV�P\�DXGL-ence? What do they need to hear and how do they need to hear it?’”

• “We are mandated to create public reports every quarter on how the foster care system is functioning.”

• “I developed a veterans email list that allows me to reach out to about 1,250 veterans.”

What level of government do youwork for?

Local: 34%

Federal: 32%

State: 21%

Other: 9%

Industry: 4%

FIGURE 1

5Building Powerful Outreach

How important is comminication and outreach to the success of a program?

FIGURE 2

Is my agency willing to invest resources to get more people aware and engaged in our agency’s government program?

Yes: 70%

No: 30%

FIGURE 3

Which of the following are priorities in your outreach activities?

Reaching large amounts of stakeholders: 25%

Complying with regulations 18%

Internal guidance: 18%

7LPH�HHFWLYHQHVV�ZLWK�OLPLWHG�VWDɝQJ�����

Crafting a compelling message: 14%

Matching the medium to the message: 10%

FIGURE 4

What methods do you use to get the word out about your government program?

Email: 82%

Press Release: 75%

Social Media: 69%

35�(RUWV�����

Magazine Advertising: 32%

Internet Advertising: 32%

PSA: 30%

TV Commercials: 13%

SMS: 12%0

20

40

60

80

100

FIGURE 5

6 Executive Research Brief

A B R I E F C A S E S T U D Y

Email Reigns as King of Outreach

More than 80 percent of our survey respondents

said their primary outreach method was email.

“Email is really the foundation of how people com-

municate online and the channel with the greatest

return on investment across the public and private

sectors,” Burns said.

Overall, email is the most widely used digital chan-

nel and the one that is most accessible for profes-

sional and official communications. “What’s even

better is that other channels, like social media, do

much better for programs if the programs promote

them through email,” he said. “The reality is you

can’t create a Facebook account or a YouTube ac-

count without an email address.”

The U.S. Department of Education demonstrates

the success of its outreach and communications

strategy with more than 250,000 email subscrib-

ers and a 52% engagement rate. They have been

able to parlay their success with email marketing to

other channels like Twitter and Facebook.

Futhermore, every year roughly 20 million prospec-

tive college students fill out the Free Application

for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. “When stu-

dents get frustrated with the FAFSA process, they

tweet about it,” said Nicole Callahan, new-media

analyst for Federal Student Aid at Education. “We

want to know when they’re frustrated. We want to

pull feedback straight from the consumer’s mouth.

Facebook is a good source to reach out to parents.

You just have to cater to your audience.”

Email is the rock for engagement and the platform

within which the core of communication messaging is

set – and it needs to be a priority in your communica-

tion’s plans.

Creating a Communications

StrategySo what does a successful communications strat-

egy look like? For one federal communicator regis-

tration numbers are important, but making sure the

public is informed is paramount to success. “If the

community feels their concerns have been heard

and taken into consideration during the course of

the agency’s activities, if the community feels they

have a voice in the process, then outreach is a suc-

cess,” he said. “We measure that by asking com-

munity members and leaders if we’re fulfilling that

mission in their opinion.”

GovDelivery’s Burns agreed. He’s developed a

three-part strategy to help create a robust engage-

ment culture:

Priorities + Buy-in + Audience

=

Communications Success

“People are at the center of programs, so connecting with more people and getting them to take action is critical,” Burns said. “You can’t forget that.”

A T H R E E - P A R T P R O C E S S

Set priorities: Ȋ7KH�ȴUVW�VWHS�LV�XQGHUVWDQGLQJ�WKH�REMHFWLYHV�your program is trying to achieve.”

Get buy-in: “You need to get some level of agreement

within your organization on those objectives.”

Find the audience: “Examine how and where reaching more

people will impact your program, and

determine who you want to reach and how

you can reach them. Knowing the audience

for your program is critical in developing a

communications strategy.”

7Building Powerful Outreach

Rise Above the Resources Challenge

A Q U I C K H O W - T O

GovDelivery was cited in The Washington Post as the Afford-

able Care Act’s secret weapon for

driving traffic to HealthCare.gov.

But not all programs are as mas-

sive or as visible as that one. Our

survey found that although most

government agencies want to

implement an outreach strategy,

they are stifled by a lack of time

and resources. So how can agen-

cies implement an outreach plan

despite the obstacles?

“First, program managers need to set clear objectives up front and make sure that the right amount of funding is allocated to out-reach,” said Burns. “Otherwise, the program is going to face problems over time. A program that is poorly used and poorly understood does not always last.”

Second, the outreach strategy

should use existing tools and

audiences at the agency that

align with program objectives.

“FEMA, for example, reaches

over 1 million people with email

and SMS messaging by con-

necting their digital proper-

ties (FEMA.gov and Ready.gov)

with our platform,” Burns said.

“When they sought to build an

online component to their na-

tional preparedness community

(http://community.fema.gov),

they leveraged FEMA’s existing

online audience to drive com-

munity participation and adop-

tion rather than starting from

scratch.”

Finally, the program should

divide its communication strat-

egy between building audience

and generating action. “Building

audience is about maximizing

the number of people that can be

reached through digital channels

by growing your email and text

messaging database and social

media following, where appropri-

ate,” Burns said.

“One way we’ve seen programs build their audience dramatically is by working with other agencies to cross-promote sign-up options so someone visiting the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s] website can sign up to FEMA’s Ready program at the same time,” continued Burns. “Then, programs can use that large online audience to generate actions that help meet objectives, whether that’s showing up at an event, applying for a grant or adopting healthier behavior.”

This dual focus on connecting with

more people and getting people

to take action helped increase

FEMA’s national preparedness

community’s nationwide reach

from approximately 6,000 people

to more than 40,000 members

and has led to measurable impact

in the form of member-hosted

preparedness events across the

country that have engaged more

than 1.4 million people.

The Small Business Administration has empowered economic growth and job creation by :

Increasing total number of email subscribers to 1.3 million.

Increasing number of small businesses taking entry-lev-el courses by 255% and visits to targeted resources by 72%.

USA.gov has provided trusted, timely and valuable government information to a larger audience by:

Doubling the ability to proactively provide resources by adding 244,000 new subscribers in 6 months.

Increasing engagement of messag-ing with a 66% increase in total opens and 156% increase in total clicks in 6 months.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has increased awareness of healthier school lunches by:

Increasing the total number of parents and providers receiving information about healthier food options by 143% in 6 months.

Expanding reach beyond FNS through other key government stakeholders, reaching 500,000 additional stakeholders.

8 Executive Research Brief

Government outreach has under-

gone a tremendous transforma-

tion in the past 10 years. “There

has been a massive transition

from communications as a public

UHODWLRQV� RU� SXEOLF� DDLUV� DFWLYLW\�into communications as a strate-

gic asset to change behavior and

support program objectives on a

massive scale,” said Burns. “Gov-

ernment is increasingly using com-

munication to have a critical and

measureable impact in areas that

matter greatly, and that is exciting.”

Government is at a crossroads.

Today, communication tools are

leading the government into

the future, helping modern-

ize and transform how govern-

ment agencies connect with the

public. By adopting these tools

and strategies, you will put your

agency on the path toward more

adoptions, efficiency and effec-

tiveness and re-energize your

organization by transforming the

way you engage with the public.

• 2HU�D�FOHDU�ZD\�WR�VLJQ�XS�IRU�LQ-formation updates on your agen-cy’s homepage. But don’t have the sign-up option only there. You should have sign-up boxes on every page that has compel-ling information and on pages WKDW�VHH�D�ORW�RI�WUDɝF��

• Implement an overlay on your homepage. The overlay will dark-en your homepage, but it high-lights the ability to sign up for content from your organization. GovDelivery has seen public sec-tor organizations increase their outreach by more than 500 per-cent using overlays.

• Find a collaborator. Find entities that have similar programs or mission goals and work together to promote one another’s con-tent and information. If your pro-gram is focused on bullying, then work with an education organiza-tion or department to promote your content.

• Craft a message that is relevant to your audience. When draft-ing a message consider whom you are trying to reach, what you want to inform them about and what you want them to do with the data.

• Use a single platform that can track goals to coordinate multi-channel engagement tools. Give all internal stakeholders access to the platform, and utilize roles and permissions to drive consis-tent, cohesive messaging.

5 Tips for Implementing a Successful Outreach Strategy

Government Communications & the Future of Engagement

A F E W P O I N T E R S

A Q U I C K S U M M A R Y

Ȋ:H� KDYH� ���� VWD� SHRSOH� WR� GR�marking and communications. We do the best we can with what we have, but if we had more resources we could and should do more. Our goal is to show people that we can enhance their lives and the com-munity by providing exceptional experiences.”

– GovLoop Survey Participant

Successful engagement is not

just clicks and likes. “Success is

about getting a large number

of people to engage with the

program in a way that sup-

ports the program’s objectives,”

Burns said. “If you’re trying to

get people to comply with laws,

how many are reading the most

recent regulations and dem-

onstrating comprehension or

improved behavior? If you are

promoting flu shots, can you

demonstrate where outreach

supports that goal?”

To help you make successful pro-

grams, Burns has outlined five

easy insider tips for creating a

robust engagement strategy:

9Building Powerful Outreach

About GovLoopGovLoop’s mission is to “connect government to im-

prove government.” We aim to inspire public sector

professionals by serving as the knowledge network for

government. GovLoop connects more than 100,000

members, fostering cross-government collaboration,

solving common problems and advancing government

careers. GovLoop is headquartered in Washington D.C.

with a team of dedicated professionals who share a

commitment to connect and improve government.

For more information about this report, please reach

out to Emily Jarvis, GovLoop Online Editor on twitter:

@emichellejarvis or via email: emily@govloop.com.

GovLoop

1101 15th St NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20005

Phone: (202) 407-7421 Fax: (202) 407-7501

www.govloop.com

Twitter: @GovLoop

About GovDeliveryGovDelivery enables public sector organizations to

connect with more people and get those people to

take action.

More than 1,000 organizations, from the smallest

local parks to the largest national agencies, trust

GovDelivery’s secure, scalable, cloud-based plat-

form to deliver highly impactful communications.

In total, GovDelivery connects its clients with more

than 60 million people.

GovDelivery’s enterprise-class technology allows

organizations to transform their communications

to meet mission and program goals, resulting in

safer communities, happier commuters, healthier

families, and better government.

Additional GovDelivery solutions allow public sector

organizations to deliver emergency notifications,

enhance online transactions, build online collab-

orative communities, and track customer requests.

For more on GovDelivery,

visit govdelivery.com

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