Government Agencies: Why Aren't More Using Social Media?

The use of social media is growing exponentially, and it appears that this expansion isn't stopping anytime soon. We see hundreds of federal agencies and organizations jumping on the band wagon to use social media to build professional networks, engage in dialogues with stakeholders, spread information quickly, etc. There are many tools available, but this doesn't necessarily mean that government agencies are embracing all of them, even the most popular ones.

For example, we recently read at Federal News Radio that the National Archives has jumped on the social media bandwagon after trial pilots proved "very successful." Their discovery that a more direct and stronger connection with the public can be built using these media forms. And although some organizations, like the Archives, applaud the convenience and consistency of streaming media and other social media tools, others find it hazy whether or not these tools are advantageous.

Many agencies are hesitant and may see several detriments or risks. Arguments against social media usage include:

• The more relaxed constraints are for employees, the greater the risk that loose-lipped sharing may spill confidential information
• Employees are distracted at work by the constant binging from information feeds and consequently, are unproductive
• Privacy is compromised as hackers or viruses find new avenues into an organization

Consequently, some agencies, such as Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, limit use of social media tools to a case-by-case basis or block streaming media, according to Alica Lipowicz. It will be interesting to see if these agencies loosen their restrictions over time, and jump on the social media bandwagon, as well. At Ideen, we'll keep assessing the trends ...

Government and Social Media -- Who Is Using It?

Ideen has been exploring the social networking phenomenon that closes gaps and opens doors when it comes to sharing information online. Recently, we've come across a website -- http://govsm.com/w/Federal_Agencies -- that provides a lengthy list of federal agencies that use popular social networking tools, such as Twitter, Facebook, RSS, and Flickr.

The list includes 142 organizations. Of these, we find that:

• 86 use Facebook
• 101 use Twitter
• 68 use YouTube
• 102 use RSS
• 34 use Flickr
• 25 use other social media, such as UStream

The 24 largest and perhpas best-known organizations -- e.g., The White House, the Commerce Department, the US Treasury -- appear to make the most use of the social networking tools. Lesser-known organizations -- e.g., the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Administration of the Aging -- appear to use them less. Is there a connection here? Is it resource deriven, or is something else at work?

We imagine that these descriptive statistics don't tell us the whole story. How do we know if the organizations that appear to use the tools most are actually the most savvy in their use of the tools? Social media tools are prized for being user friendly, simple to set up, and beneficial in their respective ways. So, why might different departments and agencies that are capable using social networking tools elect to use only certain ones? Ideen will be further researching this topic to identify trends in the government sector.