Personalizing Community Communication

Personalization is an aspect of life everyone has become accustomed to, from picking your favorite ice cream or pizza toppings to selecting your push notification preferences. Why shouldn’t your community’s civic experiences also be personalized?

Researchers at the University of Texas found that personalization comes down to two essential factors: Information overload and desire for control.

Residents constantly receive information through email, social media, text messages, postal services, and phone calls, creating information overload. When this occurs, your message, regardless of the medium it’s relayed through, isn’t being received by the recipient. Allowing your residents to choose the medium and frequency at which they’d like to receive information fulfills their desire for control, and messages are better received.

Personalized Notifications

Thankfully, technology solutions on the market help improve department and staff workflows, like mass communications tools, local government websites, or meeting and agenda portals.

These solutions help local governments efficiently operate while conducting business with residents. But how can your community interact and benefit from these solutions?

One way is to use notifications. Many of these solutions allow your residents to stay updated on what is happening in their community by signing up for personalized notifications.

When deciding on a product that will help improve your civic management, think of how your community will personalize their interactions with the tool.

• Are they able to select between text messages or email notifications?
• Can users select specific topics they’d like to be alerted about?
• Are users allowed to choose the frequency at which they receive newly published information?

Resident Portals

No two members of your community are the same. From submitting permits to staying updated on local government ordinances, each resident interacts with their governing body differently.

Resident portals allow your community to personalize their interactions with their local government on a whole new level. These centralized hubs create an easy way for residents to pay their utilities, register a pet, sign up for recreation leagues, or watch a recording of a recent public meeting; the opportunities for personalized self-service are endless.

Resident portals prevent information overload by allowing the user to select the information and services that are most relevant, creating meaningful and positive interactions.

Creating Positive Civic Experiences

In your community of hundreds or millions, you might feel like creating personalized interactions with residents is an overwhelming possibility, but remember that every interaction with your residents — digital or analog — is an opportunity to delight. Small personalizations can make significant differences in helping people feel seen and heard. Communities operate only through the engagement and input of the collective. So, by making residents feel as though they are part of the greater good, you’ll benefit from their regular commitment to doing their part to maintain a safe, engaged community.