Have you ever checked the Facebook or Twitter page of your city, your department, or your region? According to the Local Communication Barometer*, only four out of ten citizens follow their local authorities on social networks. So why don’t 6 out of 10 people do it? Maybe the local authority doesn’t have a Facebook account yet (yes, it still happens!) or perhaps citizens don’t see the point.
Digital technology: a challenge for local authorities. Digital technology is everywhere, including in the lives of most citizens. 31 million French people have a Facebook account, 12 million are on Twitter, 10 million on Instagram, and 8 million on Snapchat. Investing in these tools to be present where citizens are numerous and ready for exchange seems natural. Many local authorities have taken the digital turn: the vast majority of Regions, 70% of Departments, and half of prefecture cities are now on Facebook.**
Do local authorities take into account the specificity of these developments? Not always. According to La Gazette des Communes, some local authorities still use social networks as a simple RSS feed. However, the uniqueness of social networks lies in interaction. Asking for citizens’ opinions, engaging in debate, responding to their requests in comments or private messages, broadcasting live videos… Social media can be a real tool for proximity and direct local democracy. Involving citizens via social networks is a way to get them involved differently in the life of the city, especially with young people. Furthermore, social networks are an excellent way to promote the assets of one’s territory internationally.
Who to hire? For local authorities that have taken the digital turn, another question arises: who to hire to manage this social media presence? In principle: a community manager… but one must still find that rare gem! They must possess a territorial and administrative culture, writing skills, a sharp political sense, strategic vision, an innovative spirit, great creativity, and perfect mastery of social media operation and management tools. These agents must also demonstrate pedagogical skills to convince others of the utility of investing in various networks, know how to identify politically sensitive subjects that require more consultation, and at the same time engage and moderate exchanges with users. Where are these “Swiss army knives” trained? They are often atypical profiles. Coming from the private sector and “converted” into public officials, or territorial agents who took the digital turn a bit before the others and trained themselves… these profiles are hybrid since they develop at the crossroads of different but complementary worlds.
Like all profiles at a crossroads, they have a major asset: a great capacity for adaptation and creativity on a daily basis in an environment that is sometimes hostile to them. So, if you invest in a Swiss army knife, use all its features and don’t limit yourself to the “corkscrew.”
* http://barometrecomlocale.fr/
** La Gazette des Communes
