Telling Our StoryThe WSDOT Blog utilizes personality to engage the public, share important news and (sometimes) post pictures of goats

TransComm 2015 Skills CompetitionAnnapolis, Maryland

Lars Erickson

Communications DirectorWashington State Department of Transportation

Goat “Weed Warriors”When WSDOT expanded its goat weed clearing pilot project statewide we shared the news on our blog.

The blog was used in conjunction with media events and a “#MissionGoat” hashtag to help spread the word.

Generated 2,052 page views (and counting!) and several earned media stories about the project.

http://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/goat-weed-warriors-ready-for-battle.html

The goat weed whackers were fun, and cute, but also highlighted:

• WSDOT’s environmental stewardship efforts

• Fostering new ideas from employees – a key agency goal

• Being fiscally responsible, testing the program to see if goat power pays

• The WSDOT Blog as a trusted source for information, from features to emergencies

Goats! Now that I have your attention…

• WSDOT Blog articles use a first person style for an engaging conversation – “we” share the news

• Style allows writers to share their personality and have some “fun” with topics while relaying accurate information

• Helps connect to our readers rather than just telling them new facts

We first used hoof-powered weed control last year in Vancouver. This year – appropriately enough the Year of the Goat – we’re expanding the pilot program. Goat weed warriors will tangle with brush and weeds in Olympia and Spokane as well as return to battle at more Vancouver sites. – WSDOT blog

Sharing the story of our work

We used Twitter and Facebook – and goat pictures and memes – to drive people to the blog. A “#MissionGoat” hashtag was used to drive Twitter viewers to the blog. Some news stories resulted straight from the blog; others used it as a background for their news coverage of our media events.

Social media strategy spreads the word

Timely cross promotionNew postings – and goat arrivals – allowed us to drive readers back to the blog beyond the first day goat rollout.

Other agencies also got into the “goat game” and helped spread the word:

Humor is used where warranted, but the blog’s main purpose is to communicate news to the public. The blog allows us to:

• Rapidly push out serious information to a large population during emergencies

• Explain complicated projects or issues, answer the “why did they do that?” questions.

• Give the public an “insider’s view” of some of our projects, providing a better understanding of our work.

Trusted sourceof information

When heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in January 2015, our blog became a central source of up-to-the-minute closure information.

•Nearly 10,000 page views the first day

•More than 17,000 page views overall

•Allowed staffers to post updates in real-time

Tackling storm updates by blog

“Goat Weed Warriors” blog by the numbers

• Most viewed story for the month of May

• 2,052 page views

• 17.5 percent of all page views that month

• 477 page views the day after blog debuted

• Another peak (264 page views) when second round

of goats arrived in Olympia

WSDOT Blog overall• 286,141 page views in past 12 months

• 102,206 page views so far in 2015

– On pace to surpass 2014’s overall 214,188 page views

• Most popular in 2015 was the January storm updates blog

– 17,782 page views

– 9,666 alone on first day

– 17.4 percent of all page views in 2015 year to date

Cultivating interest; growing our brand

The blog’s conversational style encourages interactions with readers and lets us quickly answer questions, clarify items or just further engage with the public.

During January’s storms:Goat weed warrior blog comments:

Engaging with users