Social Media
Use social media to effectively communicate with your audience.
By using social media, agencies can strengthen their connection with the public, promote transparency, and respond to their audience’s needs. Social media meets customers where they are, and it is a great place to communicate with them — making it an essential tool for communications during emergencies.
Related Policy
M-10-23, Guidance for Agency Use of Third-Party Websites and Applications (PDF, 103 KB, 9 pages, June 2010)
Social media: Essential knowledge
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6 important factors to consider for digital advertising in government
Learn about the benefits and potential pitfalls of digital advertising and paid media.
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Guidelines for the secure use of social media
Follow these guidelines from the Federal CIO Council and use social media in a manner that minimizes risk.
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How to start and sustain a federal podcast
Discover how to create and maintain a successful podcast at your federal agency.
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Three Tips for Using Facebook and Instagram Stories
See how USA.gov and USAGov en Español use stories to increase their engagement rate and number of followers as they deliver helpful information to the public.
Social Media events
How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency
2021 Federal Plain Language Summit
SocialGov Summer Sessions 2021
Social Media news
Celebrating the work of public servants
Performance.gov invites you to participate in their #GovPossible campaign to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW)! Recognize the invaluable efforts of government employees who ensure that the everyday needs of Americans are met. Access a range of tools and resources to help you join the #GovPossible campaign and show your support. The #GovPossible toolkit makes it easy for you to participate in this important (and fun!) campaign.— via Performance.gov
Getting the word out about voter registration: Vote.gov’s first social media takeover with USAGov
Last fall, vote.gov and the USAGov program partnered for their first-ever social media takeover on National Voter Registration Day. The campaign, which encouraged the public to register to vote, reached 36,000 people across USAGov’s platforms and generated over 2,000 engagements. The partnership raised awareness for vote.gov, boosted vote.gov’s website traffic, and laid the groundwork for the future collaborations and resource-sharing between the two entities. This collaboration between vote.gov and USAGov offers a model for social media takeovers and partnerships between federal agencies and teams.— via USA.gov
Kids Online Health and Safety
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Task Force on Kids Online Health & Safety, NTIA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are working with other agencies to advance the health, safety and privacy of minors online by identifying current and emerging risks, potential benefits, and efforts to mitigate harms.— via National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government
OMB released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).— via The White House
The art of storytelling in a hybrid world
Combined with technology and audience awareness, our increasingly digital, hybrid world can still leverage that in-person charm through the art of storytelling.
Resources on Social Media
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Hurricane Milton guidance for U.S. government websites and social media
Addressing web and digital communications related to Hurricane Milton
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Hurricane Helene guidance for U.S. government websites and social media
Addressing web and digital communications related to Hurricane Helene
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Social media cyber-vandalism toolkit
Cyber-vandalism presents a serious challenge to online-based communication tools. This resource provides information for agency practitioners to prepare for, recover from, and respond to cyber-vandalism.
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An introduction to working with social media influencers
Learn how to partner with social media influencers and design, implement, and measure an influencer program.
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How to start and sustain a federal podcast
Discover how to create and maintain a successful podcast at your federal agency.
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Introduction to QR codes
What is a QR code and how can you create one? What are some alternatives to using QR codes? This introductory resource will help you explore your options.
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Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media
Guidelines and recommendations for using social media technologies in a manner that minimizes risks are analyzed and presented in this document.
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Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act
This memo clarifies when and how the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA) applies to federal agency use of social media and web-based interactive technologies.
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Social Media Cyber-Vandalism Toolkit
Cyber-vandalism presents a serious challenge to online-based communication tools. This document provides guidance and security practices to federal, state, and local government employees. Suggestions and resources prepare users to respond to cyber-hijacking.
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Improving the Accessibility of Social Media in Government
Government agencies are increasingly using social media to engage with citizens, share information and deliver services more quickly and effectively than ever before. But as social content, data and platforms become more diverse, agencies have a responsibility to ensure these digital services are accessible to all citizens, including people with disabilities.
Tools and Services
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DotGov Registry
We make it easy to register and manage a .gov domain for US-based government organizations.
More News and Events on Social Media
329 posts
Celebrating the work of public servants
Performance.gov invites you to participate in their #GovPossible campaign to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW)! Recognize the invaluable efforts of government employees who ensure that the everyday needs of Americans are met. Access a range of tools and resources to help you join the #GovPossible campaign and show your support. The #GovPossible toolkit makes it easy for you to participate in this important (and fun!) campaign.— via Performance.gov
Spring 2024 Community Summit
Getting the word out about voter registration: Vote.gov’s first social media takeover with USAGov
Last fall, vote.gov and the USAGov program partnered for their first-ever social media takeover on National Voter Registration Day. The campaign, which encouraged the public to register to vote, reached 36,000 people across USAGov’s platforms and generated over 2,000 engagements. The partnership raised awareness for vote.gov, boosted vote.gov’s website traffic, and laid the groundwork for the future collaborations and resource-sharing between the two entities. This collaboration between vote.gov and USAGov offers a model for social media takeovers and partnerships between federal agencies and teams.— via USA.gov
Kids Online Health and Safety
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Task Force on Kids Online Health & Safety, NTIA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are working with other agencies to advance the health, safety and privacy of minors online by identifying current and emerging risks, potential benefits, and efforts to mitigate harms.— via National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government
OMB released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).— via The White House
The art of storytelling in a hybrid world
Combined with technology and audience awareness, our increasingly digital, hybrid world can still leverage that in-person charm through the art of storytelling.
A happy compromise between people-first and plain language
Find out how the National Institute of Corrections is using people-first plain language in its communications. See what words and phrases they’re changing.
Three Tips for Using Facebook and Instagram Stories
At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, we’re always looking for better ways to connect people to government information through social media. Using stories has helped us increase our engagement rate and our number of followers as we deliver helpful information to people. Stories may be a good addition to your agency’s social media strategy, too. These three tips can help you get started.— via USA.gov
#GovLove 2023
We’re spreading the #GovLove with Performance.gov the week of February 13th to celebrate public servants like you! Prepare your hearts to be warmed.— via Performance.gov
6 Important Factors To Consider for Digital Advertising in Government
The Federal Communicators Network community shares how agencies can approach digital advertising.
Medicare Open Enrollment Period Outreach & Media Materials
Medicare Open Enrollment kicks off this Saturday, October 15 and runs through December 7. Join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on social media to help spread the word! For suggested posts and shareable images, use their partner social media toolkit – available in both English and Spanish. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #MedicareOE to engage with the conversation online.
U.S. Department of Defense Releases First Departmentwide Social Media Policy
The DOD released a policy that for the first time spells out, from the highest levels of the defense community, how DOD military and civilian personnel should use official social media accounts to best advance the mission of the U.S. military and further instill trust in the credibility of the DOD.
Webinar Recap: How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency
In this panel discussion, experts from different agencies shared how they’ve used social media to reach Hispanic audiences during emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three Ways USAGov Outreach Can Help with Your Agency’s Next Campaign
Three Ways USAGov Outreach Can Help with Your Agency’s Next Campaign—Does your agency have an idea for a new marketing strategy? USAGov’s Outreach team can support your agency in all stages of your campaign. We can brainstorm with your team, discuss best practices, and try new marketing approaches to grow together in serving people. Learn how to begin partnering with us.— via USA.gov
How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency
2021 Federal Plain Language Summit
SocialGov Summer Sessions 2021
Key Insights from the White House Director of Digital Strategy, Robert Flaherty
This article highlights unique tips related to digital content, audience reach, video posting, and strategic communication, that were shared by Rob Flaherty, the Director of Digital Strategy at the White House, during the Digital.gov event, Digital Strategy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Deep Fakes and Social Media: A Q&A With Alex Cohen
The questions in this post were curated from attendees of the Deep Fakes and Social Media Webinar, hosted by the SocialGov Community of Practice and Digital.gov on May 18, 2021.