Overview
When you’re communicating with the public, it’s not about you (or your agency) — it’s about your users. Government must communicate in a way that helps people understand essential information and take action.
Clear communication helps users accomplish tasks, makes their lives easier, and builds their trust in government services.
Problem
Too often, government communications face inward. Agencies are talking to themselves. We tout accomplishments — “subcommittee issues preliminary recommendations to panel” — without explaining what they might mean for people and communities. We use acronyms and initialisms and jargon.
Result: we waste time and effort on communication that confuses (or is ignored by) its intended audience. And the public doesn’t find out whatever we were trying to tell them.
Solution
As a civil servant, it’s not enough to just release information, to get it up on your website or fire off a press release. Instead, you need to have a conversation with your audience. Don’t just say what you want to say. Figure out what your audience needs, then say that instead.
Better communication is a low-cost solution that has an outsized impact. (It could even reduce cranky phone calls to your offices.)
Context
Know your audience
Decide who you want to reach
If your answer is “the public” or “everyone,” think again. Narrow down your target. Having a specific audience in mind will help you focus and improve what you write.
For example, if you’re drafting a news update about improvements to your transit system, your audience isn’t just “the public.” It’s more specific — maybe commuters, students, people with lower-incomes. The most effective approach may be targeted messages to different groups using different channels.
Learn about your users
User research might sound daunting and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You can learn a lot by doing informal interviews at a community center or library. Talk to family, friends, or neighbors. Outside perspectives will challenge your assumptions.
Have empathy
The people you’re communicating with are busy and distracted. They have screaming toddlers. They have learning disabilities. They’re sick, their cat is climbing on their keyboard, their wifi is atrocious.
You are writing for people who are skimming (at best), not reading.
That’s especially true if you’re communicating about difficult topics. Users learning about housing assistance or probate may be especially stressed and struggle with complex information. Be kind to them.
Check yourself
Set aside your ego
Let’s say you’re really proud of the work your team has done improving your recycling program. It’s taken years of listening sessions, meetings, research, and writing.
But before you make a webpage about that new program, with a timeline and names of everyone on the task force, ask yourself: who is this page really for? Will residents actually care? Maybe all the public needs to know is which color bin their plastics go in now.
Don’t overshare
Government agencies strive for transparency — a worthy goal! But being transparent doesn’t mean sharing everything. Don’t flood your communication channels with every memo and pie chart of performance metrics. Only share something if your audience needs it.
Oversharing undermines the goals of transparency — because it becomes much harder for people to find what’s valuable amid all the other stuff.
Be strategic
Keep it focused, simple
Don’t tell people everything you know about a topic. Share only what they need to know. If you overwhelm people with 25 bullet points on a topic, they may ignore all of them.
Stay targeted on your audience and main message. Use plain language and usability best practices.
Use readability tools
While they are blunt instruments, readability formulas give you some direction about how to improve your communication. (This chapter is written at a grade 6 reading level, and aiming for grade 4 is even better.)
Collect feedback and iterate
After you share information, track metrics — like website activity or a reduction in phone calls. Keep improving your communication based on what you learn (although try not to be too reactive to a few loud voices).
Mantras
- Give the people what they need
- Need-to-know, not nice-to-know
Checklist
- Start with a clear audience and main message.
- Center your audience as you write.
- Include only need-to-know information.
- Have a clear call to action.
- Keep it conversational.
- Don’t overshare.
Questions to ask
- Does our audience need to know this? Will they care?
- Why are we sharing this information? What’s our goal?
- Are we having a conversation, or are we lecturing?
- Are we helping our audience understand how to take action?
- Are we really legally required to publish this — or are we just assuming we are?
