Communication on Digital.gov

California wildfires guidance for U.S. government websites and social media

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Addressing web and digital communications related to the California wildfires.

An introduction to podcasts

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Explore the basics of launching a podcast and determine if creating a podcast is right for your agency.

Making government text messaging more effective with Notify.gov

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

To improve access to government services, GSA launched Notify.gov, a notification tool that sends text message reminders about government services and benefits programs. This service aims to ensure families receive the right information at the right time on the government services they use.

Driving Digital Transformation Across Government for Lasting Impact

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Digital promotes effective, usable federal services that enhance public trust in government. Over the past four years, the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer (OFCIO) has laid the groundwork for a modern, secure, and user-friendly federal government. From advancing cybersecurity to forging global partnerships and streamlining IT investments, these efforts have improved how millions interact with government services.

How we measure the success of coaching engagements

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

18F measures the success of coaching by tracking the progress of first-time product owners. Through self-assessments and ongoing support, they focused on developing key skills such as product discovery and vendor management. This approach allowed them to visibly track growth and ensure agency partners were empowered to lead their technology modernization projects with confidence.

Ensuring Effective and Timely Usability Research

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Usability reflects how easily a user can accomplish their goals while using a product or service. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has issued new guidance to streamline usability testing for federal forms, websites, and services, helping agencies conduct usability tests in a more quick and efficient manner that is consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). By enabling faster, more effective testing, OIRA aims to enhance public interactions with the government and ensure equitable access to federal resources.

Crafting quality content throughout its lifecycle

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn about the life cycle of content, how content comes across to the user, and how to develop a content management strategy.

Transition Post 3: Managing Electronic Messages and Social Media Accounts

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released a new blog on the management of federal records and transitions for federal agencies. Shedding light on the usage of agency-managed communication platforms and social media accounts, agencies are given instructions on how to best comply with the requirements outlined in the Federal Records Act.

Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement With the Federal Government

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Government works best when it incorporates transparent engagement and feedback from the public. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is enhancing public participation in federal decision-making through draft guidance and a proposed toolkit. These resources aim to standardize best practices, improve accessibility, and ensure underserved communities have meaningful opportunities to contribute. By prioritizing transparency and collaboration, OMB seeks to create politics that reflect the voices and needs of the public.

Are social media influencers right for your digital media campaign?

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn how to work with social media influencers to achieve your goals, while accounting for different budgets.

An introduction to multilingual glossaries

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:12:00 -0500

Learn how to use multilingual glossaries to share common translations and contribute to consistent communication across government.

Hurricane Helene guidance for U.S. government websites and social media

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Addressing web and digital communications related to Hurricane Helene

How Login.gov uses roadmapping to build trust with its partners and the public

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

To increase transparency, the Login.gov team publishes a program roadmap that lays out their upcoming initiatives.

Department of Justice recognizes anniversary of executive order to improve access for people with limited English profiency

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Department of Justice recently marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, which aims to improve access to federal services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Its Civil Rights Division reviewed language access plans across federal agencies, emphasizing progress in hiring and staff training, improving language assistance services, and expanding multilingual content. The department is committed to eliminating language barriers in federal programs, improving communication and access for all communities.

Department of Labor, General Services Administration to centralize government benefits information on USA.gov and USAGov en Español

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In September 2024, Benefits.gov will be discontinued, with its services and information moved to USA.gov and USAGov en Español. This change, which aligns with Executive Order 14058: Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, aims to create a seamless, user-friendly experience for accessing government benefits in both English and Spanish. The new platform, with a focus on equitable access to information, will feature improved navigation and benefit-finding tools.

Reassessing priorities: Adapting to additional work without additional resources

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s Open Data, Design, and Development (ODD) team is taking on management of a fourth website, despite being short-staffed. As a result, they have revisited and reprioritized their yearly goals. To do so, they utilized a prioritization matrix, developed a structured impact assessment, and laid out a transition plan. Their process ensured realistic workload adjustments, improved team morale, and highlighted the importance of practical goal-setting, especially when teams are short-staffed.

Introducing the Department of Homeland Security customer experience toolkit

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Department of Homeland Security’s Customer Experience Directorate developed a customer experience (CX) toolkit to help agencies implement CX strategies using a human-centered design approach. The toolkit offers resources to enhance service delivery, processes, and systems, following a “Ready, Set, Grow” framework for planning and implementation. It aims to serve as a reference for organizations bringing CX practices to their own agencies.

18F's engineering craft practices at 10

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

18F recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by renewing its commitment to refining and sharing best practices through regular publications, tech talks, and updates to the 18F Engineering Guide. They also created a permanent principal consulting engineer role to enhance digital service delivery and support skill development within the organization.

18F's engineering craft practices at 10

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

18F recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by renewing its commitment to refining and sharing best practices through regular publications, tech talks, and updates to The 18F Engineering Guide. They also instructed a permanent principal consulting engineer role to enhance digital service delivery and support skill development within the organization.

Bridge the gap between policy and implementation: Impactful solutions and strategies for success from Digital.gov's spring 2024 summit

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:55:00 -0500

The summit highlighted digital transformation, emphasizing the significance of recent OMB memos for improving accessibility and customer experience.

Digital front door: Expanding access to VA

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

More Veterans are turning to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for healthcare and benefits, accessing these services online through tools like the VA Health and Benefits mobile app and VA.gov. With over 2.28 million app downloads and 17.8 million monthly visitors on VA.gov, these digital tools provide faster, easier, and more inclusive access to VA services. Learn more about how these technologies are often Veterans’ first interaction with VA by watching their latest video, Digital Front Door: Expanding Access to VA.

Three tips for using meta descriptions

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, the goal is to make content more useful to the public, and meta descriptions are one way to help people quickly find the government information they’re looking for. These brief summaries of webpage content appear in search engine results to entice users to click through, attracting visitors to agency websites. Regularly updating these descriptions based on user data can enhance their effectiveness. Read in more detail about their three tips to create effective meta descriptions: identify commonly searched keywords, write engaging and actionable descriptions, and ensure each one is unique.

A five-step plan for communicating with leadership

Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

How to engage leadership personally, adapt communication styles, and choose appropriate timing for effective interactions and feedback.

One year with the new USAGov

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

It has been a year since USA.gov and USAGov en Español were relaunched using human-centered design principles. Using task backlog, the USAGov team has addressed content gaps, improved discoverability, and implemented technical updates. Through usability tests, visitor comments, and click behavior the team was able to unravel and respond to user feedback and unmet needs, leading to noticeable increases in visitor satisfaction and task accomplishment. Moving forward, the focus will shift to enhancing public engagement with the government, improving the search for benefits-related content, and exploring interactive and personalized user experiences.

FEMA National Summit on Risk Communications, Crisis Communications, and Community Engagement

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of External Affairs is convening risk and crisis communicators and community leaders who are on the front-line of the climate and emerging hazard crises. Attend the free, June 10, 2024, summit virtually, or in Washington, DC. The agenda includes: the sharing invaluable tools and insights, how to implement culturally competent and accessible communications, how to integrate behavior change strategies, and more. An ASL interpreter will be provided.

Celebrating the work of public servants

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Performance.gov invites you to participate in their #GovPossible campaign to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW)! Recognize the invaluable efforts of government employees who ensure that the everyday needs of Americans are met. Access a range of tools and resources to help you join the #GovPossible campaign and show your support. The #GovPossible toolkit makes it easy for you to participate in this important (and fun!) campaign.

18F practices in action (spoiler: this stuff works)

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

How well do 18F software development practices work? The 18F team reflected on a recent project for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) .gov registry to gauge the effectiveness of six recommendations aligned with what they actually did.

Reconsidering the consent form: the least user-friendly aspect of UX research

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team has replaced signed consent forms with a more accessible user research agreement process, offering multiple opt-in points. This ensures informed consent and participant autonomy. Explore why and how the ODDD team implemented this comprehensive participant consent process in their user research.

An introduction to working with social media influencers

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 13:12:00 -0500

Learn how to partner with social media influencers and design, implement, and measure an influencer program.

The CDC Clear Communication Index

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 15:59:00 -0500

The CDC Clear Communication Index is a research-based tool to help you develop and assess public communication materials.

PlainLanguage.gov

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:14:00 -0500

A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.

Speaking your language USAGov outreach approach to bilingual content

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:29:00 -0500

As a bilingual program, USAGov aims to give English and Spanish-language audiences the information they want in the cultural context they need. Here are a few main things the team learned when transcreating messaging through the USAGov and USAGov en Español outreach channels.

Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:26:00 -0500

OMB recently released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).

6 lessons from a project handoff

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:22:00 -0500

Project handoffs are not simple. Teams have their own cultures and work styles. Without planning, a project could lose institutional memory, time, quality, and funding when it passes from one team to the next. Here are 6 lessons we learned as a recent project changed hands.

Making the case for sentence case on USAGov’s websites

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:53:00 -0500

What is the best case style to use for titles and headings? For the new USAGov websites, we discuss the decision to use sentence case on USAGov products.

4 steps writers and editors can take to demonstrate value

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 21:00:00 -0500

As plain language writers and editors, we need to demonstrate the value we bring to projects. This writeup explains how to calculate the costs of our work and articulate its value.

10 ways to recognize employees at work

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 18:26:00 -0500

Showing appreciation works best when it’s not one-size-fits all. Here are 10 ideas to get started.

Personas: learn how to discover your audience, understand them, and pivot to address their needs

Fri, 19 May 2023 15:48:00 -0500

Advice from five federal experts on creating user personas.

Introduction to translation technology

Thu, 11 May 2023 15:28:00 -0500

What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.

An introduction to plain language

Mon, 01 May 2023 14:30:00 -0500

Understand how and why to use plain language on government websites and other digital services

The art of storytelling in a hybrid world

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:52:00 -0500

Combined with technology and audience awareness, our increasingly digital, hybrid world can still leverage that in-person charm through the art of storytelling.

A happy compromise between people-first and plain language

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:31:00 -0500

Find out how the National Institute of Corrections is using people-first plain language in its communications. See what words and phrases they’re changing.

Building Beta: The Foundation

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 10:41:00 -0500

The USAGov program has been developing a new iteration of our bilingual sites, USA.gov and USAGov en Español. In the process of building beta.USA.gov and beta.USA.gov en Español, we’ve been rethinking our work style and priorities. Follow the “Building Beta” series to learn how we’re reimagining the way we approach product management, usability, accessibility, content creation, analytics, and outreach.

Three Tips for Using Facebook and Instagram Stories

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:57:00 -0500

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, we’re always looking for better ways to connect people to government information through social media. Using stories has helped us increase our engagement rate and our number of followers as we deliver helpful information to people. Stories may be a good addition to your agency’s social media strategy, too. These three tips can help you get started.

Jargon Madness: A Plain Language Exercise

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 19:14:00 -0500

During the 2022 Plain Language Summit, Laura Rabuck of the Veterans Health Administration demonstrated how to promote plain language practices by focusing on jargon, a common enemy of all plain writers.

Managing Stakeholder Feedback: Lessons from Experience

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:59:00 -0500

During the 2022 Plain Language Summit, Stephanie Morrison from the Department of Health and Human Services provided five tips for managing reviewers when asking for feedback.

6 Important Factors To Consider for Digital Advertising in Government

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 12:38:00 -0500

The Federal Communicators Network community shares how agencies can approach digital advertising.

Webinar Recap: How to Measure Effectiveness of Your Digital Outreach and Communications

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:52:00 -0500

Panelists shared their experiences, lessons learned, and best practices for what works in federal government agencies that have robust programs reaching a diverse American public.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Partner Toolkit

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes the need for governments, states, territories, tribes, crisis centers, and partners to speak with one voice to ensure there is a clear understanding about what 988 is and how it will work. We encourage you to use these communication outreach materials and build upon them with your community coalitions to meet the needs of your specific audiences.

Content Design for beta.ADA.gov: Writing for Action and Flexibility

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 18:00:00 -0500

C-SCRM Acquisition Community of Practice (ACoP) Interact Site

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:10:00 -0500

Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 21:17:00 -0500

Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:26:00 -0500

This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.

Webinar Recap: How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:44:00 -0500

In this panel discussion, experts from different agencies shared how they’ve used social media to reach Hispanic audiences during emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keynote Speaker Recap: Would More Plain Language Have Saved Us From the Worst of the Pandemic?

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 13:02:00 -0500

A summary of Cynthia Baur’s keynote at the 2021 Plain Language Summit.

Webinar Recap: The Part-Timer

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:51:00 -0500

Learn how Joanne Short of the United States Postal Service (USPS) opened professional doors by going beyond her job description in her Plain Language Summit session, The Part-Timer.

Three Ways USAGov Outreach Can Help with Your Agency's Next Campaign

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:56:00 -0500

FAR Updated To Add Revised Section 508 Standards for Information and Communication Technology

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0500

8 Ways Community of Practice (CoP) Managers Can Improve Member Engagement on Listservs

Fri, 21 May 2021 09:31:00 -0500

Are you a Digital.gov Community of Practice (CoP) lead? Find yourself participating in a CoP discussion and wondering what else you can do? We’ve got some suggestions.

How to Present Like a Pro

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 12:09:00 -0500

Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.

6 Ways To Navigate the Civic Tech Sea of Newness

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 15:22:00 -0500

Two former private-sector marketers now serving as Presidential Innovation Fellows share tips for building relationships and finding your way as a civic technologist.

Five Insider Secrets to Engaging Emails

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 10:39:00 -0500

Engaging readers who receive hundreds of emails a day is not easy, but it starts with the most critical starting point—empathy for their time.

Join the Communicators

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 18:49:00 -0500

Improve written and verbal communication to make government more effective.

Product lessons from the front lines of COVID-19 civic tech response

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Two Presidential Innovation Fellows share how we can build digital services quickly without compromising quality for the public in times of crisis.

Bringing Our Human(ity) to Work: 5 Ingredients for a Delightful Town Hall

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:00:00 -0500

How to design impactful and engaging Town Hall or large group meetings.

Experimenting with SpecialAnnouncement Markup (Updated June 09, 2020)

Mon, 11 May 2020 12:00:00 -0500

What USA.gov learned during its pilot with SpecialAnnouncement markup to make COVID-19 information easier to find in search results, now updated to reflect changes by major search engines.

Section 508 IT Accessibility

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:00:00 -0500

To support people working to enhance access to federal information technology (IT), we identify and promote best practices for compliance with Section 508 law, and conformance to the Revised 508 Standards.

Join the Plain Language

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:58:53 -0400

Promote the use of plain language to provide better service to the public.

Guidelines for Digital.gov event presenters

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:43:00 -0500

A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.

Join the Web Managers

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:31:00 -0500

Create a better online experience for the public alongside government web content managers.

Spring 2024 Community Summit

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience.

Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency

Wed, 24 May 2023 14:00:00 -0500

Tune in to learn what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is doing to ensure financial products and services are accessible to all consumers, including those with limited English proficiency.

The plain language tie to translating digital content

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:00:00 -0500

Join us to discuss the plain language and cultural components of effectively translating digital content into multiple languages.

2022 Federal Plain Language Summit

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Join the best and brightest plain language practitioners from across the federal government.

How Effective Is Your Communication?

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Join us to learn about best practices for measuring communication and outreach efforts.

Increase Your Impact With Plain Language

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Get tips and lessons learned from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division on using plain language to increase their impact and influence.

Plain Language + Compassion Help People in Crisis

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Meet the content strategists who worked to transform FindTreatment.gov to connect people in crisis with the help that they need.

Results of the 2021 Federal Report Card

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0500

David Lipscomb from the Center for PL will review the results of this year’s Federal Plain Language Report Card and answer questions.

2021 Federal Plain Language Summit

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 10:00:00 -0500

On 9/21/21, PLAIN’s Fourth Federal PL Summit showcases federal employees’ plain language projects. Topics include COVID-19 agency responses, accessibility, user experience, and career enhancement.

Using Plain Language To Tell Our Stories

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Learn how to tell a story and figure out what role plain language plays in storytelling.

Plain Language Webinar: Using Words to Build Better Digital Experiences

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Words make digital experiences human-centered, and require just as much thought as the branding and code. As federal agencies strive to use human-centered design, they need to remember that words and design work together. See how interfaces rely on language, and how your writing can make or break an experience. Learn principles for UX writing that anyone who works on digital products can apply to their own work.

Positioning Yourself as a Plain Language Editor

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Learn how to brand yourself as a plain language expert and get the credit at work that you deserve!

Deep Fakes and Social Media

Tue, 18 May 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Deep fakes are an emerging threat that can disrupt agencies’ communication efforts and federal agencies should be prepared. Learn about deep fakes on social media, and how federal agencies can plan to combat a deep fake if they are targeted.

Social Media Spring Session 2021

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Join the SocialGov Community of Practice for the latest updates on social media topics including advertising campaigns, content archiving, and podcasting.

Plain Language: Accessibility for Content

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Come join us as we focus on concerns and opportunities shared by the Section 508 and plain language communities in Government!

Federal Social Media Week 2020!

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 14:00:00 -0500

2020 has been an unprecedented year for challenges and opportunities in social media. SocialGov’s Federal Social Media Week 2020 will bring you some interesting perspectives on how to keep social media moving and successful for 2021.

2020 Federal Plain Language Summit

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 -0500

Join us for discussion from government and private-sector leaders on how to advance plain language in government communications. Hear lessons learned and victories of every size.

Plain Language Basics: Online Workshop

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 13:00:00 -0500

Take this three-hour online workshop to learn how to write and edit in plain language.

Plain Language Basics: Online Workshop

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Take this three-hour online workshop to learn how to write and edit in plain language.

Short Case Study: A/B Testing for Data-Driven Design

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500

See how our Office of Strategic Communication used A/B testing to resolve a difference of opinion within a cross-functional design team.

The Average American Reader Needs You to Write (Even More) Clearly

Wed, 13 May 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Learn about the skills and needs of American readers, how we are failing our audiences, and ways to do better.

Connecting Americans to Coronavirus Information Online

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0500

The American people need access to the most up-to-date public health guidance and information on coronavirus testing facilities. To help Americans find coronavirus information online, incorporate Schema.org’s new standard tags into all web pages related to COVID-19.

Let’s Talk Shop: How USAGov Outreach Connects With Agency Partners

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0500

USAGov Outreach connects with agency partners in a variety of ways—if you’re from a federal agency looking for new ways to reach your audience, learn about partnering with USAGov!

Writing for the Accessible Web

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Watch this special presentation featuring 18f Content Strategist, Ryan Johnson, where he discusses how you can effectively write accessible web content.

SocialGov Talks: Tips for LinkedIn Content Strategy, with Matt Ross

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 15:00:00 -0500

Matt Ross, of LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions Government & Advocacy team, will share tips and best practices on how to improve your agency’s use of content to maximize engagement with your core audience.

Principles of Speaking Plainly

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 15:00:00 -0500

This seminar adapts principles of plain language to the context of speaking, covering not only wording but also structure and integration with visual aids.

Managing Your Plain Language Career

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 15:00:00 -0500

We’ll discuss how to document and publicize your formal and informal plain language work — teaching, training, reviewing, or copyediting.

Marketing-as-a-Service: An Introduction to USAGov's Partnership Toolkit

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 15:00:00 -0500

The USAGov team will talk about their new Partnership Toolkit and focus on how government agencies can partner with USAGov to market various programs and services.

New USAGov Program Aims to Help Agencies Market Within the Federal Government

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0500

The Outreach and Marketing team from USAGov helps agencies amplify their key messages through a variety of channels.

The Data Briefing: How to Build a Chatbot in a Weekend

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:40:00 -0400

As chatbots have become more popular, some online sites will let you create a chatbot with little or no programming.

Design and Conflict: Do You Know Your Conflict Style?

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 09:00:34 -0400

Building empathy towards users is always a part of the UX process, but it’s not always common practice to build empathy towards our teammates. Here’s an idea to proactively address conflict and build empathy through understanding on your team.

How Federal Leaders Can Build the Will, Skill, and Velocity Needed for Digital Transformation

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 03:00:31 -0400

Learning—and practicing—five imperatives of network leadership can help agencies improve their odds for successful digital transformation. Many organizations are undergoing digital transformation because the organizations see that it is necessary for long-term survival. However, digitally reinventing the organization is “one of the hardest journeys to make.” According to industry experts, two-thirds of organizations will fail

Webinar Recap: Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) June Meeting

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 03:00:41 -0400

This June 2017 meeting featured the presentation, Plain Language Spectrum: Every Step Counts!

Style Guides by Government Agencies

Tue, 23 May 2017 03:43:08 -0400

This page is a collection of style guides created by government agencies.

Build Your Audience by Hosting a Twitter Chat

Mon, 01 May 2017 15:00:08 -0400

Twitter is more than just a platform for sharing news and updates: it can be a tool for directly communicating with your community and understanding what is important to them. One way you can connect with your Twitter audience is by hosting a Twitter Chat. They can be a good way to discuss key topics,

Improving Stakeholder Collaboration Can Improve Software Development Performance

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 11:00:17 -0400

It’s important for software development organizations to make it as easy as possible to enable improved stakeholder behavior. Development stakeholders can include business development representatives, product managers, and senior project managers, and they are typically carrying the weight of the organization’s mission. They are concerned about the organization’s goals, and are usually focused on ensuring

Letting Go of 85 Percent of Our Email Subscribers

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 13:04:16 -0400

Late last year, Business.USA.gov (BUSA) began transitioning its web presence to USA.gov and with its content, came its social media and email accounts. While transferring ownership of a Twitter account is fairly easy to do from a technical standpoint, transferring email ownership and tools is not. We had to tackle

Writing for the Web Is Easy. Writing for Users Is Not.

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 11:00:25 -0400

We all do it. Whether on Twitter, Facebook, or the comment section on a news article, it’s easy to get our writing on the internet. Many of us have personal websites or contribute to blogs. We work at organizations with content management systems that allow us to publish pages with a single button click. The

The Essentials of an Editorial Calendar

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:00:37 -0400

Anyone engaged in content marketing or content production probably owns a robust editorial calendar. A calendar that is quickly updated, helps keep deadlines and is flexible can serve as a helpful blueprint of your content activities for the year. At USAGov we cover a lot of topics and partner with many agencies. Having an editorial

Where Content and Marketing Meet: An email Case Study

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:00:28 -0400

Content marketing is everywhere and you’re hearing more about it every day—but how do you do it well? While content marketing can take many forms (articles, infographics, videos, and more), it shares a common purpose: providing useful content to attract new customers to your product or service. At USAGov, customized email messages to our subscribers

The Content Corner: Will You Read This Entire Post?

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 11:00:29 -0400

Deep down we’ve always known that people only read a small portion of any content shared online. In many ways that can’t be fixed but there are ways to help people read more or at least scan better. There was a book I loved as a child that featured the Sesame Street character Grover, titled

Transcreation: Why Do We Need It?

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:00:14 -0400

Transcreation is a relatively new term that blends the words translation and creation. In a nutshell, transcreation involves taking a concept in one language and completely recreating it in another language. A successfully transcreated message (either written or visual) evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target language as it does

The Content Corner: Four Ways to Help Your Content Stand Out

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:00:28 -0400

When discussing trends for 2016, I made some mention of the content overload that started in 2015 but will certainly increase in 2016. Contently recently found that organizations created 73% more content in 2015 than in 2014. I see no reason why that number will decline in 2016, especially as content becomes the beast of

Good Content Needs Plain Language

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:48:55 -0400

If good content is essential to good user experience, as Tyrus Manuel proposes in his November 23, 2015, DigitalGov post, then plain language is also part of good user experience. Plain language helps the public do what they need to do—find forms, apply for benefits, look up information and more—when they use federal websites and other

The Content Corner: Is Pair Writing Right for You?

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:00:35 -0400

Fresh from last week’s article about workflows and their importance in the content creation process, I stumbled upon a new twist in content production known as pair writing. Many of you familiar with agile methodologies or software programming in general should know the term pair programming. Pair writing hopes to take some of the same

Getting Serious About Good Writing—EIA’s Write Right Curriculum

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:10:22 -0400

Let’s see–you want to improve the skills of your agency’s writers. Here’s a to-do list: Enlist a high-level champion, ideally your agency head, to make statements saying writing skills are critical—check. Create a Writing Style Guide—check. Hold classes to introduce the Style Guide—check. Expand internal editing resources—check. But what’s next? If you really want to

Roadmap for Creating a Writing Style Guide: One Step at a Time

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 10:00:37 -0400

So, you’re tired of seeing little (or big!) errors on your agency’s website, and you flinch at the random writing styles. You feel like your agency’s content is good, but there are still too many inconsistencies. What you need is an agency Writing Style Guide. A good guide can set styles that improve your agency’s

Technical Writing Need Not Be Abstruse—Use Plain Language for Maximum Impact

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:00:55 -0400

Author writes: Additionally, the method utilized a myriad of factors for the purpose of incentivizing production to hit record-high levels of magnitude in the equivalent time period. Author thinks: My work sounds serious, impressive and interesting. Reader thinks: Huh? Technical writers are great—some of my favorite colleagues are technical writers. But technical writers often need

Income Scams Are Subject of New FTC Fotonovela

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 10:00:28 -0400

The FTC’s second Spanish-language fotonovela is about scams that promise you can make money selling high-end products or brand-name merchandise. If the pitch sounds familiar, that’s because the story is based on facts from a recent [Federal Trade Commission] FTC lawsuit against a

The Content Corner: Should You Stop Writing and Start Podcasting?

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:00:35 -0400

Several months or so ago, I raised the question of whether you and your agency should be podcasting. Incidentally, my post coincided with the launch of DigitalGov’s new podcast series.

FAQs Done Right

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:00:35 -0400

In the circle of Web content life, FAQ sections are an endangered species. We’ve previously discussed the relevance of FAQs: Should FAQs go extinct, or are they a useful tool in your content ecosystem? Kathryn Catania, Chief of the Plain Language and Content Division at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, encourages agencies to take

The Content Corner: Optimize Your Content

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 10:00:08 -0400

For the past several weeks, I have been writing about fairly cerebral and more technical aspects of content generation and language in general. This week, I felt it was time to get back to a more basic content concept: content optimization. Frequently when content optimization is discussed it is heavily focused on search engine optimization

18F’s Style Guide for Open Source Project Documentation

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:00:04 -0400

We routinely publish our best practices in the 18F Guides, and today we’re happy to launch a new one: the 18F Open Source Style Guide. The Open Source Style Guide is a comprehensive handbook for writing clear, accessible, and user-friendly documentation so that

The Content Corner: Finding Your Voice

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:00:55 -0400

No, this is not another post about podcasting but about a different voice entirely. It is the words you use, the conversation that you are having with your users.

Plain Language Web Writing Tips

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 02:58:29 -0400

Help your readers complete their tasks with these Plain Language writing tips.

Get Out of the Jargon Trap: Plain Language Training Can Help

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 10:00:22 -0400

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is the official federal working group designated to help agencies with plain language, including training. PLAIN offers free 3.5-hour classes in the principles of plain language and plain language for Web writing.

Using Visual Content to Drive Engagement

Mon, 23 Jun 2014 10:00:41 -0400

When USA.gov was preparing to launch our campaign introducing the 2014 Consumer Action Handbook (CAH), we wanted to create highly-visual social content to see how it would do in comparison to standard text and link social media content.

Civic Hacking: Pathways for Participation

Fri, 02 May 2014 10:00:00 -0400

The National Day of Civic Hacking is actually a weekend. An awe-inspiring two days of collaborative work where coders, designers, writers, innovative thinkers,

How to Tell Your Agency’s Story—Plainly

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:00:23 -0400

You’ve got the right words, the active verbs, the carefully chosen adjectives and adverbs. You’ve got the facts. You’ve got the talking points. All you have to do is put it together, right?

Plain Language Page Titles: More Important than Ever

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 01:00:27 -0400

Government Web pages are found mainly through search engines. Google recently redesigned its search results page and there are quite a few small, but impactful, changes in this latest redesign. Specifically, it affects how page titles are displayed. Many experts now recommend even

Creating E-Books: Think Functionality, Not Aesthetics

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:12:10 -0400

E-books are great for one thing: reading on mobile devices. Their reflowable text adjusts to fit the reader’s smartphone, tablet, or e-reader in the type size the reader chooses. They are essential for reading on smartphones, and better than pdf’s for all but the biggest tablets.

Top 10 Lessons Learned from Launching an Engaging Social Intranet

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 15:19:34 -0400

On January 16th, the Federal Communicators Network gathered at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The topic of the day was Driving Employee Engagement through a Social Intranet, and Kelly Osborn, NARA’s community manager for the Internal Collaboration Network (ICN) was the expert speaker. Kelly has been the driving force behind the project from

5 Tips for Communicating Technical Information: iPad Pilot

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:35:40 -0400

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” — Mark Twain It’s simple—you’re the technical expert; you know the topic inside out, so of course you can easily explain it to a captive audience. Right? Not always. Communicators in every industry know that message

Plain Language Expert

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 08:24:42 -0400

A few days ago a coworker asked me to look at a paragraph. He said it was on the top customer service priorities in our division. So I scooted my chair over and looked at it. Then I looked at him and asked, “But what

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.