Today’s social media has a wide array of internet-based tools, platforms, and apps that allows for the sharing of information rapidly. Most departments use these platforms for sharing warnings, traffic detours but there are far more ways to market your department. The classical question of needs versus wants now surfaces. How big of a social media presence do you need? If you use a standard, mundane post - you will not gain many followers. If you become to glitchy and whimsical, you could run the risk of losing creditability. You must have a contemporary, steady webmaster monitoring it.
One of the fastest avenues to outreach is through collaboration with other sites. Friend or tag posts from police, fire, EMS, emergency management and other local government sites. This will drive traffic to your site. The overall goal is to have a solid, collective voice in everyone’s safety. Your goal is to centerstage your department as a viable part of the community and its future.
There are those who create a Facebook page and say, “that’s it, done”! You are so missing the opportunity to move your agency forward. Once you start this project, someone has to monitor your site(s) several times a day, not once a week. When you create followers, you expand your customer base. Your image is now global and does not stop at your area code. Followers have needs from your new service portal. Some want to stay current with the town that grandkids live in, their favorite vacation spot and many other reasons.
Your social media footprint is a valuable recruiting tool.
Here you have on full display your department’s culture. Here a potential applicant can envision themselves as a part of your team. This form of marketing can be linked to your recruitment team or hiring application (www.policeapp.com) to get the process started. The generation that we are recruiting from 21 and up are wired-in with social media. Do not cling to the old school recruitment methods! With the amount of technology that we use daily, only makes sense to recruit from this technology-savvy base. The platform you use will help create your loyal followings. Whereas Facebook is the widest used, some generations use more trendy applications. Explore these in your area.
Reach out to your traditional (electric & print) media on this. They too are competing with Cell Phone Reporters. They still want the ‘true story’ and lead, so their connectivity with you is important. You can link your media releases with several social media platforms with other services (www.crimewatchtech.com) to get media releases out to all at once.
So, what are you going to post today?
One tip is creating a social media calendar to remind you of upcoming special events, traditional seasonal reminders and such. Timeliness is a huge element. Posting times for best exposure follows the news cycles. Early in morning most check-in, later at lunch and post-dinner. Watch your grammar, spelling and the jargon. Not everyone knows ‘copspeak’ and radio signals - keep it readable. Do not forget pictures for the eye appeal. Of course, good quality photos work to keep the readers’ focus. Some like to add video messages, if it is longer than a minute, do not expect many hits. Quick stories are like commercials less than a minute.
Explore the analytics, algorithms and metrics on your account. The developers have these for you to maximize ‘hits’ and best manage activity. Keywords will surprise you and create more focused followers. As these numbers increase so will your search engine hit probabilities.
Tips for crime-solving opens up the records retention.
You should have an open-records officer who should capture all of these records generated in social media. Check with your state’s records retention standards. Finally, have a strong social media policy for staff, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. In closing, do not look at this as a new portal for crime prevention or media releases. This is creating your departmental brand. It is not just your department’s logo being viewed but its brand and culture that are on center stage.
William L. Harvey | Chief
William L. "Bill" Harvey is a U.S. Army Military Police Corps veteran. He has a BA in criminology from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute of the University of Louisville (103rd AOC). Harvey served for over 23 years with the Savannah (GA) Police Department in field operations, investigations and completed his career as the director of training. Served as the chief of police of the Lebanon City Police Dept (PA) for over seven years and then ten years as Chief of Police for the Ephrata Police Dept (PA). In retirement he continues to publish for professional periodicals and train.
