Krystine has been instrumental in transforming the Council’s communication strategies, making them more human, relatable, and engaging. In our conversation, she delves into the concept of “humanising communication” in government social media, explaining how personal, transparent, and authentic messaging can bridge the gap between the Council and the community.
Humanising communication is making our messaging more personal and relatable, rather than sounding overly formal or robotic. This involves using a friendly tone, being transparent, admitting mistakes, and engaging authentically with the community.
Government communications have traditionally had a specific tone—a distinctly “Council and Community” way of speaking. But since the Council is part of the community, our communications should reflect this. Often, government messaging has felt robotic and insincere, making it easier for people to respond negatively or abusively online. People forget that Council staff are human, maybe because we fail to show them that we are.
Think of it like dealing with a vending machine. If it gets stuck or takes too long, we might get frustrated and even hit it because it seems like a robotic, unfeeling object. Now, imagine if there was a person inside the vending machine. Knowing this, we might be more patient and understanding. It’s the same when we let the community know that behind those screens they are dealing with real-life people.
When we stick to a single, rehearsed tone, we dehumanise the people who work within the Council. However, if we adopt the tones and voices of our community, we reveal ourselves as humans working with humans. We apologise for our mistakes, laugh with the community, and show that we, as staff, deserve the same respect and treatment as anyone else.
Humanising council communications comes with challenges. It’s a shift from the traditional view that government communications should always be extremely professional. This raises questions about what is considered professional. For example, if we use humour in a social media post, does that make it unprofessional? Some community members, especially those with traditional expectations, might think so, leading to pushback. Are we changing the scale of how professionalism is measured?
Humanising our channels means stepping outside the usual safe zone, which can lead to mistakes. Social media managers are learning to navigate whether a post is genuinely humorous or unintentionally offensive. However, these mistakes also provide opportunities to apologise, recognise errors, show compassion, and rehumanise ourselves.
Each department within the government has its own way of working and expectations for how their information is communicated. It can be challenging to convince them to adopt a different tone and approach. Modern communication strategies need to be demonstrated and proven effective to gain acceptance across the business.
Handling negative feedback requires balancing individual and business responses.
As an Individual: It’s important not to take criticism personally. Remember that negative feedback isn’t about you; you’re a crucial part of the community. It’s okay to remind your community that you are one of them, a fellow human being. And if you need to step away and process your emotions, that’s perfectly human. I may or may not have cried a few times in this job.
As a Business: We accept all feedback, good or bad, as long as it is respectful. We collaborate with various departments to gather information, ensuring our responses are well-informed. From there, we manage empathetic and human conversations, with education as the driving force. Our responses can vary depending on the situation, sometimes using pre-prepared responses, other times engaging more deeply in the conversation as ourselves.
For example, when we recently installed water meters in wider towns, my personal experience with them helped address irrational reactions in the comments section. I used my human experience to explain the positive aspects and correct any mistruths. Engaging in conversations with understanding and empathy holds significant power. Facts alone can feel cold but facts delivered with empathy are generally easier to accept.
With social media, we often encounter and report misinformation in online community groups. At HDC, we have a proactive leadership team. Our Chief Executive and my manager are excellent at monitoring these groups, and we typically address misinformation quickly. When we spot incorrect information, we draft a response within the group and reach out personally to offer discussions in person, over the phone, or online. Transparency is key. If you have nothing to hide and trust your team, you can effectively combat misinformation and rumours.
We aim to be proactive, especially on contentious topics. Instead of just sharing basic information and leaving the community to speculate, we provide as much detail and transparency as possible. We’ve also begun using the “Facebook Live” feature more frequently. For tough conversations or when rumours are circulating, we assemble a panel of staff to discuss the situation publicly and authentically, answering questions in real-time. This approach has proven valuable and is well-received by the community.
Read also: Inspiring Engagement at the 2nd Public Sector Comms Week
The digital divide is something we consider at HDC. It acknowledges that while many in our community have access to the digital world, others are excluded for various reasons—lack of internet access, affordability, poor service quality, limited digital literacy, or personal choice. Access to necessary equipment like computers and smartphones can also be a barrier.
To address the digital divide and ensure community safety, our council has implemented several strategies:
Outside of social media, we make sure that similar messages are shared via different means for those without digital access. We advertise these forms of delivery on our social media channels as well:
I believe that humanising our Social Media Channels also contributes to closing the digital divide. People are more likely to follow our pages and listen to what we have to say when it is in a tone and voice that they can understand. We are more likely to reach our younger age brackets when we follow trends and show up on accounts that they are using.
When you have a community of 36,000 you need to be open to learning 36,000 ways to communicate.
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Adrianne Saplagio is a Content Producer at Comms Room, where she combines her passion for storytelling with her expertise in multimedia content creation. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for engaging audiences, Adrianne has been instrumental in crafting compelling narratives that resonate across various digital platforms.
