{
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    "title" : "Big in SocialGov in 2014: Services, Access and Participation |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Big in SocialGov in 2014: Services, Access and Participation",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/31/big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Big in SocialGov in 2014: Services, Access and Participation","summary" : "Social media for public service is a diverse field that uses platforms and data from both the private and public sectors to improve citizen services, make them easier to access and deliver them more cost effectively.","date" : "2014-12-31T14:25:53-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"jherman" : "Justin Herman"},"topics" : {
        
            "social-media" : "Social media",
            "user-experience" : "User experience"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2014-12-31-big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2014/12/2014-12-31-big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2014/12/2014-12-31-big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2014/12/2014-12-31-big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation.md","slug" : "big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/31/big-in-socialgov-in-2014-services-access-and-participation/","content" :"\u003cp\u003eSocial media for public service is a diverse field that uses platforms and data from both the private and public sectors to improve citizen services, make them easier to access and deliver them more cost effectively. It is not just public affairs or communications, but spreads into customer service, resource development and more. Many of the best examples of social media in government can’t be seen on the surface of a tweet or post, but in how these collaborative, engaging strategies improve the processes of public services themselves. We still want to share with you examples of how these programs shined in 2014, however, and for that we’ll tell the story with color.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe won’t call it “The Best of 2014” because hundreds of examples rise to the top, but here are just some of the advances and trends that made 2014 an exciting year to work  in social media in government.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"from-space-to-sea-3d-printing-and-drones\"\u003eFrom Space to Sea, 3D Printing and Drones\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo compilation of social media in government can start without \u003cstrong\u003eNASA\u003c/strong\u003e. NASA \u003ca href=\"http://www.nasa.gov/connect/social/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehosted 22 NASA Socials\u003c/a\u003e, bringing hundreds of people who engage with NASA via social media together for unique in-person experiences of exploration and discovery. The agency’s Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Instagram accounts are the most followed in the federal government. Success in social media for government is more than volume metrics, however, as we strive to find new and more inclusive ways to connect people with public services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image image-right image-right-legacy\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-250-NASA-ISS-tweet-for-3D-printer-wrench.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 250 NASA ISS tweet for 3D printer wrench\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNASA made international headlines recently after \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-12/19/3d-printed-space-wrench\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e“emailing” a ratchet wrench to the International Space Station\u003c/a\u003e for an astronaut to 3D print and use for a repair. Shortly after, NASA used social media to share the wrench with their millions of community members. Through a combination of innovative technologies like 3D printing and innovative engagement, NASA demonstrated how easy it is to put the space-age resources literally in the hand of anyone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom space we move to the expanses of our oceans, where agencies like the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u003c/strong\u003e also collect content from new sources to bring science and research to people. For the first time ever, \u003cstrong\u003eNOAA Fisheries\u003c/strong\u003e used a hexacopter drone to \u003ca href=\"http://www.cnet.com/news/drones-capture-first-stunning-footage-of-killer-whales/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecapture tens of thousands of stunning images\u003c/a\u003e which they then shared through social media platforms \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/p/uIsNjMv7yt/?modal=true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eincluding Instagram\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/600-x-367-NOAA-fisheries-Killer-Whales-on-Instagram.jpg\"\n    alt=\"600 x 367 NOAA fisheries Killer Whales on Instagram\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"natural-beauty-and-cultural-history-for-all\"\u003eNatural Beauty and Cultural History for All\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image image-right image-right-legacy\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-299-Dept-Interior-Tweet-Glacier-NPS-quote-Robin-Williams-RIP.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 299 Dept Interior Tweet Glacier NPS quote Robin Williams RIP\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAgencies continue to use social media to find new ways to social media to connect people with science and technology, but sometimes they want to experience our cultural history or the beauty of our natural resources.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime Magazine\u003c/strong\u003e recently recognized \u003ca href=\"http://time.com/3625851/instagram-interior-department-parks/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e“\u003cstrong\u003eThe Department of Interior\u003c/strong\u003e‘s Most Popular Instagram Photos of 2014″\u003c/a\u003e with vibrant images of our nation’s most beautiful public lands coast to coast.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterior’s most engaged post in 2014 was a tribute to comedic actor Robin Williams and his appreciation for \u003cstrong\u003eGlacier National Park.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can imagine the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Archives and Records Administration\u003c/strong\u003e has something to share, with more than 10 billion pages of textual records; 12 million maps, charts, and architectural and engineering drawings; 25 million still photographs and graphics; 24 million aerial photographs; 300,000 reels of motion picture film; 400,000 video and sound recordings; and 133 terabytes of electronic data. It doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun sharing our cultural history, however.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir most engaged Instagram post of 2014 took us back to \u003ca href=\"http://instagram.com/p/w9iFUVnUKh/?modal=true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ea holiday season long ago with Mr. T\u003c/a\u003e, but don’t think they limit themselves to just sharing images — NARA is a leader in using social media to help crowd source better historical records through \u003ca href=\"http://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003etheir \u003cstrong\u003eCitizen Archivist Dashboard\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. This year they \u003ca href=\"http://www.amara.org/en/teams/national-archives/videos/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eopened more than 120 YouTube videos\u003c/a\u003e for almost 500 citizen archivists to help caption and tag for better accessibility.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"better-customer-service-for-public-services\"\u003eBetter Customer Service for Public Services\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image image-right image-right-legacy\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-267-Twitter-photo-AskFAFSA-team.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 267 Twitter photo AskFAFSA team\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSocial media in government isn’t just about experiencing different places and times, it’s about improving where you are now and making it easier for you to access public services (as well as for public services to learn from you). One of the leading examples of how agencies are using social media to improve the customer service of public services comes from \u003cstrong\u003eThe Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid\u003c/strong\u003e program.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery month they facilitate an \u003cstrong\u003e#AskFAFSA\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/askfafsa\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eforum on Twitter\u003c/a\u003e that answers any questions future, current or past students may have about student loans. Rather than call in or wait for an email response, people are able to ask their questions and receive responses in real time, and find out more from other people’s questions. Their process is refined so well they have been able to answer almost 50-150 questions in an hour, and in two languages — a method any agency can learn from to improve their own digital customer service programs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile prospective students and social media seem like the perfect match, customer service improvements spread to even the most unlikely programs. \u003cstrong\u003eGSA Auctions\u003c/strong\u003e allows anyone regardless of location to bid on surplus federal assets ranging from commonplace items such as office equipment and furniture to airplanes and lighthouses, resulting in cost savings for tax payers. Who would think you could bid on surplus lighthouses and tanks, though, am I right? Social media helped GSA Auctions connect with potential customers and improve access to bidding opportunities. These examples and more are found in \u003ca href=\"https://storify.com/GSA/2014-year-in-review\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGSA’s 2014 Year in Review\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/496-x-642-GSA-auction-tweet-for-1965-Shelby-Cobra.jpg\"\n    alt=\"496 x 642 GSA auction tweet for 1965 Shelby Cobra\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"its-about-giving-and-receiving-too\"\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s About Giving AND Receiving Too\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSocial media in public services is a two-way street, and the curation of participation and data is critical to developing better programs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image image-right image-right-legacy\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-195-CDC-Ebola-virus-image.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 195 CDC Ebola virus image\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eNational Library of Medicine\u003c/strong\u003e’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and provide access to historical material related to human health and disease, and this year they \u003ca href=\"http://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2014/11/19/future-historical-collections-archiving-the-2014-ebola-outbreak/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elaunched a new initiative to capture and preserve selected “born-digital content”\u003c/a\u003e documenting the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Born-digital content includes websites and social media from government and non-government organizations, journalists, healthcare workers, and scientists in the United States and around the world, with an aim to collect and preserve a diversity of perspectives on this unfolding health crisis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image image-right image-right-legacy\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-343-FDA-Twitter-Nutritional-Labels.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 343 FDA Twitter Nutritional Labels\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eU.S. Food and Drug Administration\u003c/strong\u003e also \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/us_fda/status/439433009884712960\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecombined social media with traditional outlets\u003c/a\u003e like the \u003cstrong\u003eFederal Register\u003c/strong\u003e to encourage public comment on the new proposed nutritional facts label. These were the first changes in 20 years for the proposed new nutrition facts labels for food products, and social media helped the agency facilitate a 90-day comment period for citizens to share their ideas and perspectives.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to see more of the best from the \u003cstrong\u003eDepartment of Health and Human Services\u003c/strong\u003e? \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/2014athhs?f=realtime\u0026src=hash\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCheck out #2014atHHS.\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe upcoming \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/11/25/help-shape-public-participation\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eU.S. Public Participation Playbook\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e will further help agencies build and evaluate their public participation program, like FDA’s comment period, by combining best practices and performance metrics. The playbook is in development with contributions from 70 federal managers, almost a dozen civil society experts from associations to startups and academia, and citizens.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"yes-use-gifs-but-with-a-purpose-and-hard-g\"\u003eYes Use Gifs But with a Purpose (and hard g)\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile social media in public service is dedicated to measurably improving citizen services, making them more accessible and inclusive while also reducing costs, it doesn’t mean we can’t be creative when needed. \u003cstrong\u003eThe Peace Corps\u003c/strong\u003e is a leader in turning user generated content from out in the field, across the globe, to catch eyes for opportunities in their agency and convert them to recruite the best candidates.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis year the Peace Corps worked with \u003cstrong\u003eBuzzfeed\u003c/strong\u003e for a colorful feature on “\u003ca href=\"http://www.buzzfeed.com/peacecorps/7-peace-corps-volunteers-youll-meet-or-be-duri-nvuy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e7 Peace Corps Volunteers You’ll Meet (Or Be!) During Service\u003c/a\u003e,” which used volunteer-created animated gifs of their work in the field to add a vibrant focus to their mission.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"center\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg\n      src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/10/anigif_enhanced-22066-1404221304-77.gif\"\n      alt=\"7 Peace Corps Volunteers You\u0026#39;ll Meet (Or Be!) During Service\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n  \n \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n   \u003cimg\n     src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/10/anigif_enhanced-23307-1406042572-50.gif\"\n     alt=\"7 Peace Corps Volunteers You\u0026#39;ll Meet (Or Be!) During Service\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n \n\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"center\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg\n      src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/10/anigif_enhanced-6065-1406134131-2.gif\"\n      alt=\"7 Peace Corps Volunteers You\u0026#39;ll Meet (Or Be!) During Service\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n  \n \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n   \u003cimg\n     src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/10/anigif_enhanced-27092-1406214666-13.gif\"\n     alt=\"7 Peace Corps Volunteers You\u0026#39;ll Meet (Or Be!) During Service\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n \n\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"social-media-in-government-is-no-secret\"\u003eSocial Media in Government is No Secret\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is also the year the \u003cstrong\u003eCentral Intelligence Agency\u003c/strong\u003e joined Twitter with the second most retweeted first post in the history of the platform.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/600-x-465-CIA-tweet.jpg\"\n    alt=\"600 x 465 CIA tweet\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat you may find interesting is that the CIA’s top performing posts are ones with historical significance that share research and information on their mission. For example, \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CIA/status/484429844777037824\" target=\"_blank\"\u003etheir most clicked-through post of the year \u003c/a\u003eshared research into the U2 spy plane. Even actor and director \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BenAffleck/status/530859696610365440\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBen Affleck joined in on the discussion\u003c/a\u003e when the CIA used social media to educate it’s community about the fact and fiction in the movie Argo.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Office of the Director of National Intelligence\u003c/strong\u003e maintained their \u003ca href=\"http://icontherecord.tumblr.com/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIC on the Record Tumblr\u003c/a\u003e for “direct access to factual information related to the lawful foreign surveillance activities of the U.S. Intelligence Community.” While this may sound overly wonky, their efforts at using social media to improve transparency landed them among Tumblr’s “Big in 2014” notables including Jimmy Fallon and Sesame Street. ODNI published more than 4,500 pages of declassified material on Tumblr, and hosted the Intelligence Community’s first social media Q+A.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"whats-next-in-2015\"\u003eWhat\u0026rsquo;s Next in 2015?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/communities/social-media/\"\u003eSocialGov Community\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e of more than 800 federal managers working together to advance digital engagement across government, has big plans in 2015 for data analysis, emerging technologies, performance management, and public participation. The idea of social media itself will look different than what it did just three years ago, with more seamless integration of public services into any device, the Internet of Things, crowdsourcing, customer service and data for decision-making.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image image-right image-right-legacy\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/12/250-x-233-DOT-Taxi.jpg\"\n    alt=\"250 x 233 DOT Taxi\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe just worked with \u003cstrong\u003eYelp\u003c/strong\u003e to \u003ca href=\"http://officialblog.yelp.com/2014/12/yelp-api-powers-us-department-of-transportations-saferride-app-helping-to-save-lives-this-holiday-se.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003euse their API to infuse user reviews\u003c/a\u003e into the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u003c/strong\u003e’s new \u003ca href=\"http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2014/SaferRide-app-and-new-data-highlight-holiday-drunk-driving-crackdown\"\u003eSaferRide app\u003c/a\u003e, aimed at providing rides to holiday celebrants and reduce drunk driving fatalities. Whether we’re using innovative APIs from the private sector or sharing our APIs with them to use for their own services, like when \u003cstrong\u003eFacebook\u003c/strong\u003e used our Registry to \u003ca href=\"http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/youll-never-like-the-wrong-cia-again-on-facebook#.csDyQDXYQ\" target=\"_blank\"\u003everify more than 1000 public services pages in a day\u003c/a\u003e, in 2015 we’ll see more communities, relationships and partnerships built between citizens, public services and technology innovators.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you have an idea? Let us know on the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23socialgov\u0026src=typd\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e#Socialgov hashtag\u003c/a\u003e — we’re listening… and planning.\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}