By Special Guest Writer
Jasmine Tiger Public Safety Dispatcher
Founder, CMXI Media
In the digital age, social media is a powerful tool for public safety agencies to use to connect with their communities, educate the public, and enhance transparency for FREE. However, many agencies still feel like the only content they can post on their platforms are the basic non-emergency number information, how to file a report, and wanted people. Followers on these platforms experience content fatigue, and many agencies miss the mark on so much potential they have to offer their citizens, including trust. Public safety agencies have a long way to go to fully catch up on what social media has to offer their organizations.
Agencies must maintain values, missions, safety, and privacy protections of confidential information, which are all key. However, there is always room for more content that adds value and educational information for citizens.
Here are some strategies that can be implemented to help elevate your agency’s social media feeds, ensuring they provide value and organic content across different platforms.
Diversify Content Across Platforms
Each social media platform has unique features and audiences. Tailoring content to fit these nuances can significantly enhance engagement. Here are some of the popular platforms:
Facebook: Use for detailed updates, community stories, and educational posts. Facebook’s longer format is ideal for in-depth information and community discussions.
X (Twitter): Best for real-time updates, quick alerts, and brief announcements. Utilize X threads for ongoing incidents or campaigns.
Instagram: Focus on visual content like photos and short videos. Highlight community events, behind-the-scenes looks, and infographics.
TikTok: Leverage short, engaging videos to educate the public on safety tips, showcase community interactions, or debunk myths about law enforcement.
LinkedIn: Share professional achievements, policy updates, and collaborations with other agencies or organizations.
Tailor Content to the Platform
Tailor! Tailor! Tailor! Tailoring content to each platform, rather than copying the same content for every platform, is crucial for maximizing impact. Different platforms serve different purposes and audiences, so your content should reflect that.
Platform-Specific Content: Adjust the length, tone, and style of your posts to suit each platform. For example, a detailed blog post might perform well on Facebook, while a concise, impactful message is better suited for X.
Visuals and Formats: Use platform-appropriate visuals and formats. Instagram thrives on high-quality images and short videos, whereas LinkedIn prefers more professional and formal content.
Engagement Strategies: Customize engagement strategies to fit each platform’s strengths. Use Instagram Stories for quick updates and interactive polls, while Facebook Live is great for in-depth Q&A sessions.
Educational Content
Providing educational content, along with content of value, not only informs but also builds trust within the community and enhances the relationships between public safety and the citizens.
Safety Tips: Share seasonal safety tips, crime prevention strategies, emergency preparedness advice, and escape routes in popular attractions/areas of your city.
Explainer Videos: Create short videos explaining legal procedures, the role of different units within the agency, or how the public can engage with law enforcement.
Infographics: Use visually appealing infographics to break down complex information, like crime statistics, in an easily digestible format.
Case Studies and Success Stories/Solved Cases: Share stories of solved cases to demonstrate effective policing and how community tips helped in solving crimes. You can even reach into the archives and find some historical cases.
Behind the Scenes: Offer insights on a “Day in the Life of…”, training, or equipment.
Community Resources: Spotlight mental health and social support programs, including youth services.
Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Share posts about citizens' rights during traffic stops, searches, and arrests. This can include what to do and what not to do in various situations.
Showcase Community Involvement
Highlighting your agency’s involvement in the community fosters a positive image and strengthens public relations.
Event Coverage: Post live updates and recaps of community events, such as charity runs, safety workshops, or school visits.
Human Interest Stories: Share stories of officers going above and beyond, community members collaborating with law enforcement, or successful interventions.
Local Heroes: Feature community members who have made significant contributions to safety and security, and encourage followers to nominate others.
Agency Employees: Your people (if they are willing to share and it’s not a conflict of interest) are more often than not doing great things outside of their work as well. Showcase them!
Collaborations: Feature partnerships with local organizations, schools, and other agencies.
Interactive Content
Encourage public interaction and feedback through engaging content.
Q&A Sessions: Host live Q&A sessions on Facebook or Instagram, allowing the public to ask questions directly to officers or agency leaders.
Polls and Surveys: Use X polls or Facebook surveys to gather public opinion on community issues or new initiatives.
Challenges: Launch challenges or campaigns encouraging community participation in scavenger hunts or photo contests. Safety challenges are a great way to encourage the public to participate in safety-related activities, like creating emergency kits or practicing fire drills and share their experiences on social media.
Call to Action: Diversify your call to actions when utilizing them. You do not need a “visit our website” call to action after every post. Occasionally, it’s okay when it fits, but people will know how to find your agency and more info if they want it.
Live Ride-Alongs: Stream live ride-alongs with officers to give the community a real-time look at their daily activities and interactions.
Resource Locators: Create interactive maps or directories of community resources, such as shelters, counseling centers, and youth programs, and encourage users to explore them and suggest additions.
Consistent and Authentic Messaging
Tailoring content to each platform is crucial as well as maintaining a consistent and authentic voice is key. Somethings that can remain consistent while tailoring to each platform are the following...
Branding: Ensure your agency’s branding (logos, colors, and messaging style) is consistent across all platforms.
Transparency: Be honest and transparent in your posts. Address community concerns openly and provide clear information based on facts.
Avoid Repetition: Refrain from posting the same content verbatim across all platforms. Each post should offer something new or be tailored to the platform’s audience.
Graphics: There are some things that do not need to be consistently posted, such as the non-emergency number or curfew time, etc. You can make 3-5 different graphics with that type of content and then rotate them daily or weekly, depending how often they need to be posted. You can also change and update the set designs to use for the next 6-12 months.
Downsides of Repetitive Content
Many public agencies have the same content repeatedly posted without adding new value. This can lead to several issues.
Audience Fatigue: Followers may become disinterested if they see the same posts across multiple platforms without variation.
Decreased Engagement: Repetitive content can lead to lower engagement rates as followers might ignore posts they’ve seen before.
Lost Opportunities: Posting the same content overlooks the unique opportunities each platform offers for engagement and education.
By diversifying, tailoring content, providing educational value, showcasing community involvement, and maintaining consistent messaging, law enforcement/public service agencies can effectively enhance their social media feeds. This approach not only improves public relations, but also educates and engages the community in meaningful ways, such as building trust between the agency and the community.
About the Author:
Jasmine Tiger has been a Public Safety Dispatcher since 2015. She is a Mentor, Communications Training Officer, Supervisor, mental health advocate, graphic designer, video gamer, geek, and an outdoor enthusiast. She left one agency after 11 years of service when she realized the heroes wearing headsets there were neglected. Her eyes were opened to industry resources that are available to support these heroes and she wanted to join in making a difference. Jasmine founded CMXI Media (911 in roman numerals) and the 911 Initiative, an idea she had during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in 2020 that ignited into a movement. She has set out to help communications centers create sustainable positivity and wellness through engagement, connection, sharing, inspiration, and support for those under the headset who serve the public.
This is such great information Jasmine. Thank you!