Another Reason To 'Like' The City of Alexandria

I just spilled coffee on my iPhone, and my communications life flashed before my eyes. The good news is the phone did not take a direct hit and seems to be working fine. However, as a local government communicator my iPhone is not something I can work without, even for a short period of time. Now that the old days of one-way communications from your local government are over, we are evolving in the way we provide information-- just like you are changing the way you receive it.

Quick, updated, transparent, two-way engagement is our daily mission. We begin each day with the goal of providing relevant information that the Alexandria community craves, not on our terms but yours. And since our tools are constantly changing the City of Alexandria’s Office of Communications and Public Information wants to keep you updated on the ways we share important information with our community. So here it is--the first blog post from the city regarding communications.

Over the next few months I hope to share with you some of our strategies for communication, and improving city customer service. And the good news is you are able to comment and respond, so I am looking forward to your input and suggestions.

First, we know how important it is to communicate with you in the places where you spend your time the most. So like most of the world the City is on Facebook and Twitter, and that’s the first topic I wanted to cover. (Right now you can “Like” the City of Alexandria on http://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaVAGov , or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/AlexandriaVAGov)

On Facebook and Twitter we consistently provide updated information about everything happening in Alexandria. There is news about events, big projects, and all important things you need to know about. We post pictures, videos and all kinds of exciting things that you may not find any place else. Most importantly we also provide emergency information when necessary, such as urgent weather alerts and critical information involving public safety.

In addition you can comment on our Facebook page or ask us a question on Twitter. We welcome this type of engagement, and we will respond to you as quickly as possible. We get all kinds of comments on social media and appreciate your input. We believe that by answering your question, we can communicate with everyone else that may have a similar question, and the good news your input is mostly positive.

Social media is just one strategy we use for communicating. Over the next several months we look forward to sharing information about our other tools with you. But for now, make sure you like AlexandriaVAGov on Facebook, follow AlexandriaVAGov on Twitter--and tell your neighbors and friends!