By Ben Hayle

“Do these city leaders have any clue what they are doing?”
“This mayor is an idiot!”
“I can’t stand the police department!”
“Why are they letting those people in my neighborhood!”

Every government social media page has experienced these types of comments and often much worse, leaving those who manage social media to determine when to engage and when to ignore.

These types of remarks also generate questions from elected officials and city staff asking why the comments can’t just be deleted. The answer to that question is quite simple: The First Amendment protects this type of speech on our government social media pages.

First Amendment protections

No matter how well your city’s social media policy is written, it will never supersede the First Amendment. In most cases, removing comments limits the user’s First Amendment right to have their opinion viewed. Even hate speech has been deemed protected speech in a unanimous opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court.

A way to engage

It is important to remember that social media pages are not your website or newsletter. Social media is designed to be a place for conversation. Engaging with your community on social media is key to building trust and growing your audience. Everyone who manages social media will at some point wish they could just ignore the comments and move on to the next task, but by engaging on social media you will build a platform that is relevant and trusted.

Tips for success on social media

Ensuring your social media pages are informative, engaging, respectful, and legally compliant can be tricky. However, here are some tactics that will help you achieve success:

Develop a social media policy. It’s critical to have a well thought-out policy that details how your organization will conduct business on social media. This policy should be reviewed by your city attorney. It’s also a good idea to have your attorney consult with another attorney who specializes in this area.

Participate in ongoing training. Anyone who has access to your social media pages should receive government social media training each year. There are several good resources for training. In Minnesota, both the League of Minnesota Cities and the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators are good options. The Government Social Media association provides professional development opportunities, and hosts an annual conference solely focused on government social media topics and trends.

Be innovative. Do not be afraid to try something new and different on social media. You should be able to have some fun on the various platforms, even if you work in government. Have your police officers help you recreate the latest TikTok trend, or go on a ride along in a snowplow during the next snow storm and share updates.

Social media has changed the way that we communicate, and it continues to evolve all the time. This powerful tool can be a great resource, a chance for real two-way engagement, and a place to make your community shine. Being responsible for a city’s social media is not an easy role, but with the right training and support you can use it for the betterment of your city.

Ben Hayle is the communications manager for the City of Blaine.