Recently Techwire reported on GovGirl’s effective ways government agencies can use social media to communicate their work, build good will, and build a following to be cool and relevant to their citizens and users. It was noted "People who do good things for society (socially responsible) are cool."http://techwire.net/govgirl-make-government-agency-cool-via-social-media/
The #SFBatKid phenomena – resulting in 78,000 tweets, press coverage across the world, and thousands of volunteers taking part in a caped flash mob and playing the part of grateful Gotham City citizens – illustrates many of the key points on how government may effectively to use social media to engage your citizens.
Government Agencies Should Have a Sense of Humor
One tip was for government officials to have a sense of humor and build their social media followings showing they are socially responsible and do good things. During this heartwarming charity stunt, prominent local politicians quickly volunteered to help convert San Francisco into Gotham City. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr played a key role as a Commissioner Gordon figure. Chief Suhr made the initial "broadcast" appeal on Miles’ hotel room TV for help from Batman because of nasty villains terrorizing Gotham City (San Francisco). Suhr winked before delivering a plea to Batman at the end of the message – "Bring Bat Kid!" When a Batman actor showed up in full Batman regalia, Miles got the world’s coolest Bat Kid costume complete with black bat ears and fake muscles. Up rolled a black Lamborghini transformed into a Batmobile. Chief Suhr "loaned" Batman and Bat Kid the assistance of the S.F. police for the day as they went to rid Gotham City of villains, like the Riddler and the Penguin. Later, Chief Suhr was on hand at City Hall to present Bat Kid with an SF Police baseball cap for his help catching the bad guys.
Mayor Ed Lee came out looking almost as cool as former Newark Mayor of Cory Booker, a masterful user of Twitter and a real life hero who rescued a woman from a burning apartment building. Mayor Lee played a prominent role after Bat Kid had stopped a bank robbery in progress by the Riddler at 505 Montgomery, rescued a damsel-in-distress tied to a fake "bomb" at Hyde and Green on the cable car tracks, and rescued a kidnapped Lou Seal after a chase through AT&T Park after evil doer, The Penguin. The Mayor came onto the big screen TV at AT&T Park inviting Batman and Bat Kid to City Hall to be thanked for saving Gotham City from the villains. Before thousands of cheering adoring fans, Mayor Lee presented Miles with a chocolate key to "Gotham City by the Bay" and a framed front page of the "Gotham City Chronicle" with a banner headline "Bat Kid Save City", and thanked him before a cheering crowd of thousands packed into the San Francisco Civic Center. While the Giants still hold the record for attracting the most fans to Civic Center with their World Series wins, Bat Kid definitely gave them a run for their money. https://twitter.com/mayoredlee/status/401496107454189568/photo/1
Use What’s Trending
Government agencies should use what’s trending to appear cool. Even if a politician wasn’t directly involved in the Bat Kid caper like the Mayor and the Police Chief, it didn’t stop many politicians from trying to associate themselves with the popular event. The most important politician in the world, President Barack Obama, took time out of his busy day to tweet "Go Get ‘em" to Bat Kid then later taped a Vine video saying "Way to go, Miles! Way to Save Gotham!" https://vine.co/v/htbdjZAPrAX
Not to be outdone, First Lady Michelle Obama personally sent a tweet, "Thanks for catching all those bad guys #SFBatKid! You’re an inspiration to us all. –mo" Vice President Biden was early to send along an encouraging tweet, along with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi who issued a press release praising Miles’ heroic acts as Bat Kid and during his illness. http://pelosi.house.gov/news/press-releases/pelosi-statement-recognizing-gotham-city-s-miles-the-batkid
Not every politician got the memo on how to best handle this kind of infectious, "feel good" event. The politician who stuck his foot in his mouth the most was District 1 City Supervisor Eric Mar. Supervisor Mar posted a photo of a Bat Kid reserved parking spot in front of City Hall on Instagram, and said "Waiting for Miles the Batkid and wondering how many 1000s of SF kids living of SNAP/Food Stamps could have been fed from the $$." The Twitter feedback was rapid and primarily negative, accusing him of being a "wet blanket" and politicizing a positive event for his own purposes. KRON4 reported that one person responded "‘Waiting?’ So you don’t have work to do and you’re putting a price on hope and awareness and happiness and love? Also, the event attracted thousands of people who paid for parking and other local goods and services but I guess it’s easier to make snide remarks about a joyous occasion than donate any of your important time or money." In light of the stinging attacks, Supervisor Mar felt obliged to post a clarifying press release praising the Make-a-Wish Foundation event and defending his position.
It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent Yourself
Another piece of advice in the Techwire article was that even if your government agency had a stodgy or dull reputation, it was never too late to reinvent yourself. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI got in the Bat Kid spirit, issuing a humorous indictment against villainous Riddler and The Penguin for multiple counts of kidnapping and conspiracy, and praising the actions of Batman and Bat Kid. Their "indictment" got plenty of media play, given these are two ultra serious government agencies who displayed a rare bit of humor and whimsy. http://www.justice.gov/usao/can/news/2013/2013_11_15_riddler.penguin.charged.press.html
Simply Your Language
Techwire’s article also suggested government avoid legalese and use plain language in communicating with its citizens in social media. The US Attorney’s Office and the FBI earned a one-time waiver from this rule, because their legalistic "indictment" of the Penguin and Riddler was clever. To wit, the indictment said the dastardly duo knowingly kidnapped Lou Seal and "tried to convert him to a Los Angeles Dodgers Fan – very much against his will and in violation of all the laws of Gotham City, not to mention San Francisco as well." However, they did revert to plain English at the end of the indictment where it said the Penguin and the Riddler will get 24 years in a dark prison cell. "They will have the ability to appeal any verdict but good luck with that. Because even if you get out of jail someday, you will never succeed in your criminal actions as long as Miles, aka "Batman" aka "Batkid" is looking out for the citizens of Gotham." http://www.justice.gov/usao/can/news/2013/docs/RIDDLER%20&%20PENGUIN%20-%20Indictment.pdf
New Advice: Be Prepared
A new piece of advice we will offer is to be prepared. The Make-a-Wish Foundation’s website crashed as thousands of members of the public – touched by the efforts made by thousands for young Miles — sought to donate to the charity. The Foundation’s leader apparently expected a few thousand local residents to participate and never realized the heartwarming story would touch people’s hearts across the world. The viral nature of social media sped the story nationally and internationally. It pays to ensure your website can take ramped up traffic before pulling off a major fundraising drive.
Final Advice: Remember Bat Kid When You Make Your Social Media Plans
As government agencies engage in social media, take a lesson from the now famous Bat Kid episode and use social media to your advantage. Say "Ka Pow" to legalistic pronouncements and boring reports on agency meetings. Be creative in how you engage your constituents and users. Use a sense of humor to show people that your agency does good things for its citizens. Be upbeat and emphasize the positive. And be prepared for success!
