[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElsaT6xb67o&hl=en&fs=1]
One thing cities don’t do well is take risks, blogger Dave Ruller says in this video about the importance of cities adopting to and embracing market-driven change.
Ruller is no ordinary blogger, though.
With recent posts on rising gas prices, the importance of fixing bridges, and the necessity of regional collaboration, Ruller is the city manager of Kent, Ohio.
BusinessWeek wrote a cover story in May 2005 on the culture of blogging and how the phenomenon would change the face of business.
The magazine may well have written about government agencies, which must operate like businesses to stay afloat and keep its employees and residents happy.
Sadly, not all firms and government groups have embraced new technology:
How many restaurants and retailers can you name who don’t have a website?
How many technology news reporters do you know who don’t blog, tweet, and digg? (Orlando Sentinal tech reporter Etan Horowitz recently asked that very question, though focused on his peers who don’t tweet.)
How many times have you tried paying a bill online, only to call the company or city clerk’s office and ask where the link is, if there is one?
A lot has changed in three years, and BW recently looked at business life beyond blogging, focusing on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.
How many municipal officials blog? How many are active in social media?
I recently wrote about city councilor Ed Cameron who is the only Newburyport official (to my knowledge) with a blog.
Cameron joins Lowell city manager Bernie Lynch, Haverhill Mayor Jim Fiorentini, and Methuen Mayor Bill Manzi, who all have blogs with different posting frequencies and topical banter.
Just like many cities have websites (albeit with different features), cities must take risks when presented opportunities to change. If one fails, another is ready to jump up and take the increased business.
I find it incredible that the longest highway in the United States passes through Newburyport, yet nobody chooses to advertise on Route 1 billboards where the first Newburyport signs appear in Revere.
Ruller said, If you’re always living in the past, you become irrelevant…If you’re standing still, you are absolutely losing ground. That’s a sad reality but it’s a hypercompetitive world we live in.
I recognize that some people are wary of change. Maybe local government leaders are also skeptical. Maybe they don’t understand new technology. Let me help.
I’m willing to donate a few hours a month to teach local leaders how to use the Internet, why social media marketing is important, and explain the benefits of online communication beyond mere email. The city doesn’t have to spend a penny.
Are city folks interested?
Would you be interested in reading future posts about social media, maybe see more blogs and videos by other public policy leaders, and online policy implications for government and business?
Related posts:
- How Climate Change Will Link Global Bloggers
- Guest Post by Christina Chan: Why Solving Climate Change Begins with Humanity
- Stop Spinning Business and Government
Comments:
Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
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Ari,
I once had to contact Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan and was told by his staff not to leave a phone or voice message, but to send him an email.
“Will he respond?” I asked.
“Absolutely!” was the reply.
- Gillian
And he did.
This is just the basic level of what’s out there for city officials as regards communications. I heartily applaud Ed Cameron for having a family, a FT job, his Council work, and still maintaining a blog.
Some city councillors don’t even have published email addresses; but I note that the NPD has a page on MySpace, I think it is.
Although I’m not up on all this social networking, I agree that cty officials should be. Who knows what it might lead to?
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