Five Things to Stop Doing Right Now
In our local gov world, the rush to be responsive, modern, and data-driven makes it easy to mistake activity for effectiveness. The result? Burned-out staff, scattered messaging, and communities that still feel disconnected. If you want to build trust, credibility, and real authenitic communications, it may not be about doing more. It may be about stopping a few things first.
Here are five to consider.
1. Confusing communication with community engagement
“The comms person can go collect feedback, right? They’re great with residents.”
Maybe. But communication and community engagement are not the same thing. Communication is about clarity. It helps people understand what’s happening and why it matters. Engagement is about process. It intentionally designs how input is gathered, documented, and used in decision-making. Engagement is its own discipline. It requires training in facilitation, equity, data collection, and public process, not just strong messaging skills.
When you confuse the two, you risk performative meetings, unrepresentative feedback, staff burnout, and eroded trust.
2. Chasing new outreach tools without evaluating the ones you have
“How come we’re not on TikTok? We need to reach a younger demographic.”
Maybe. But before you add another channel, ask a better question. Are your current tools actually underperforming? While your community might appreciate experimentation. What they value more is reliability. Residents are not asking for you to be everywhere. They are asking for minimal credible sources that consistently deliver clear, accurate updates. Before you launch something new, evaluate what is already effective. Optimize it. Strengthen it. Then decide if expansion is truly necessary.
Shiny tools do not build trust. Consistency does.
3. Obsessing over and responding immediately to social media comments
“This guy just posted that the street is closed, even though it isn’t. We need to correct it right now.”
Step 1: Sigh
Step 2: Pause
Not every comment requires a response. And not every critic is looking for clarification. Some people are genuinely confused and deserve accurate information. Others are looking to provoke a reaction. When you respond to every inflammatory comment, you risk amplifying it and rewarding the behavior. Social platforms often self-regulate. Other residents will correct misinformation, ask for sources, or shift the conversation's tone. Jumping in too quickly can escalate conflict rather than resolve it. Constant monitoring and reactive responses can also drain staff capacity and create legal or policy complications if moderation is inconsistent.
Not every spark needs oxygen.
4. Dismissing print because you cannot measure it perfectly
“Where’s the data on the success of this postcard? Why are we still doing this?”
Not everything that matters is easily measurable.
Print is not going away. Many older residents prefer tangible information they can hold onto. At the same time, some younger audiences are intentionally limiting screen time and digital noise; they’re embracing “barebacking”. A mailed publication signals effort. It reflects planning, budget, and intention. Residents understand that a printed piece requires time and coordination. That perception often translates into credibility.
Do not abandon a trusted channel simply because the analytics dashboard is quieter. Trust is not always measured in clicks.
5. Treating video like a nice-to-have instead of a core tool
“We’ve been posting updates on Facebook every day. Why isn’t anyone paying attention?”
Most people are not looking to read paragraphs online. They are scrolling. We live in a visual, short-attention-span environment. When people have a spare minute, they reach for their phone, not a dense block of text. Short-form video meets residents where they already are. More importantly, video humanizes your government. When a city engineer, public works director, or city planner explains a project on camera, residents see a real person. A neighbor. A professional who cares about the work. That credibility is hard to replicate in a written post.
If you want people to listen, show up in the format they already prefer.
More activity does not always mean more impact.
Local government communication has never been more visible or more scrutinized. Residents expect transparency, speed, accessibility, and authenticity all at once. In response, many organizations are doing more than ever before. More platforms. More posts. More meetings. More monitoring.
Refocus your energy on what builds credibility, and let the rest go.
Ryan Burke
Founder, Slate Communications
Ryan has more than 29 years of experience in creative marketing and brand development as well as 21 of those years specializing in local government communications. His work has won awards through 3CMA, TAMI, Center for Digital Government, American Advertising Federation and the Society for Publication Designers.