City using social media to ‘tell story’

Published 8:02 am Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The City of Bainbridge government is taking a multimedia approach to connect with citizens and visitors and spread the word about city programs and services.

Adrienne Harrison, the city’s communications director, spoke before the City Council last week about the various avenues she is using to “tell the city’s story” on a weekly basis.

Harrison visits Live 101.9 every Tuesday morning to talk about what’s happening with the city. She also submits press releases and other information to The Post-Searchlight and other area media outlets.

Email newsletter signup

But perhaps the most interesting ways Harrison and her co-workers in the city’s Community and Economic Development division are using to get the word out involve new Internet-based media.

On its website, www.bainbridgecity.com, the city now posts everything from requests for bids on equipment and services to signup information for city-organized sports leagues. There’s also an updated events calendar and links to find other pertinent information, such as how to pay city fees and fines online.

One of the newest additions to the city’s website is the SeeClickFix page, which allows anyone to report an issue that city employees are prepared to handle—anything from a pothole in a street to litter or even criminal activity.

What makes SeeClickFix better than a traditional email or phone call, according to Harrison, is that it allows users to pinpoint exactly where their issue is located and automatically send an email directly to the person responsible for a particular type of issue. So for example, a pothole would be reported directly to the city’s Street Department, while an animal complaint will go to Public Safety’s animal control officer. Users can even use their smartphones to report an issue and attach a picture of the problem, Harrison said.

In addition to an e-mail newsletter sent out each week, Harrison has also began posting video updates of what’s happening with the city government on YouTube. So far, the video updates have included mostly the same information as the printed newsletter, but in an easier-to-follow format. But Harrison said she has plans to have videos focus on various city employees and what they do on a daily basis, so that residents and visitors alike can better understand how the city provides its many services.

 

 

Social media links

The city’s social media pages are:

Facebook – www.facebook.com/bainbridge.georgia

Twitter – www.twitter.com/bainbridgecity

Flickr – www.flickr.com/photos/bainbridgecvb

YouTube – www.youtube.com/user/BainbridgeCity