IDC Insights Counsels Governments on Leveraging Social Media

A recent survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) survey highlights that 40% of local government executives and 30% of central government executives indicated that the authority they work for had adopted some form of social media for business purposes.

The survey revealed that Spain, the U.K., and France are leading the way among the largest countries in Western Europe in adoption of social media by central and local governments.

The IDC Government Insights recommends that governments should consider social media for internal collaboration, citizen engagement, and citizen service improvement, thus defining a clear digital strategy that aims to improve quality or reduce cost of service delivery instead of just setting up institutional Facebook or YouTube pages.

It is critical to complement digital strategies with social strategies that align with the needs of the target audience to drive participation.

Governments should explore ways to show interest in people (e.g., by implicitly recognizing individuals through games and related awards) and spot those that need special attention, while making sure that employees, not the institution, are front and center.

"Governments should not consider social media as just another digital channel to broaden the options for one-to-one interactions between the institution and its constituents," said Massimiliano Claps, research director, IDC EMEA Government Insights.

"Rather, they should consider it a different type of channel where communities of multiple stakeholders come together to satisfy social needs."

The study is part of a series of studies that analyzes the results of IDC Government Insights' annual survey.

Other studies will analyze mobile and Big Data.

IDC Government Insights assists government policy, program, and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers that serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services.

Staffed by senior analysts with decades of government and IT industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the federal/central and local/provincial governments.

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market.