Following government marketers on social media can help you stay current with industry trends, identify new tools and tactics, and find campaign inspiration.
But who, exactly, should you be following?
To help you, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best government marketers to follow on social media.
1. Amanda Dolasinski
Who is she?
Amanda Dolasinski is the Social Media Manager at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Where can you find her?
Follow Amanda on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow her?
Coming up with a constant stream of content ideas is tough — especially in government agency social media when you’re often trying to communicate complex and/or “dry” topics that the average person won’t find instantly engaging.
That’s why we love Amanda.
She regularly shares examples of the campaigns she’s worked on for the USPTO. Like the collaboration she pitched with NASA and astronaut Jeanette Epps:
You can check out some of the campaign content here:
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Even if your agency doesn’t have anything to do with technology or inventions (or space), Amanda’s content will encourage you to think outside the box and shoot for the stars when planning future campaigns.
2. Anthea Thomas
Who is she?
Anthea is the Senior Strategic Communications Specialist for the City of Fort Lauderdale.
Where can you find her?
Follow Anthea on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow her?
Anthea is a comms expert. And, fortunately for all of us, she’s happy to share her best practices and key learnings for engaging government audiences.
Plus, because she’s a natural communicator, she does it in a fun way:
She also shares a ton of “behind the content” posts that lift the lid on some of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s top campaigns, which is a fantastic source of inspiration for your own content strategy:
3. Zack Seipert
Who is he?
Zack is the Marketing & Communications Specialist at the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and President of the Government Social Media Professional Association Membership Council.
Where can you find him?
Follow Zack on LinkedIn, check out his website, and read the book he co-authored — The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever.
Why should you follow him?
Zack is a fantastic source of advice for furthering your government social media professional career.
For instance, he’s a big advocate of joining a community.
He also recommends plenty of other resources (like newsletters, podcasts, and conferences) that are worth your attention.
4. Jessie Brown
Who is she?
Jessie Brown is the Social Media and Communications Specialist at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and was previously a Vice President for the Government Social Media Member Council.
Where can you find her?
Find Jessie on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow her?
Jessie is all over the latest developments in the world of social media — and she frequently shares her own views on how best to react to those changes as a government marketer:
She also shares a ton of relatable content to help you get through those tough days in the social media trenches:
And we all need a little reassurance from time to time!
5. Frances La Rue
Who is she?
Frances is the Public Affairs Manager at the City of Anna, Texas.
Where can you find her?
Connect with Frances on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow her?
Frances doesn’t just share some of her favorite content examples; she also takes the time to investigate the strategy behind those ideas.
For instance, when the City of Anna introduced their new (fictional) “neighborhood champion,” Ms. Jan, Frances explained the thinking behind the strategy and how the character relates to the agency’s goals:
This makes her a valuable source of inspiration for the whole content creation process, from ideation to execution.
6. Judy Pal
Who is she?
Judy is a consultant and instructor on communications for public safety, and is also a member of T-Mobile’s Public Sector Advisory Council.
Where can you find her?
Follow Judy on LinkedIn and check out her consulting business, 10-8 Communications.
Why should you follow her?
Judy shares best practices on a wide range of public safety-related comms issues, from dealing with crises to planning for change within your organization:
She’s also quick to share her thoughts on emerging communications challenges, such as the threat presented by AI-generated imagery:
7. Jennifer Davies
Who is she?
Jennifer is the Strategic Communications Manager at the City of Las Vegas and an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies.
Where can you find her?
Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow her?
Jennifer is happy to share the results of her marketing efforts for the City of Las Vegas. She writes about the insights and takeaways she’s gleaned from all that data.
For instance, Jennifer posted highlights from the city’s year on YouTube, revealing that the agency saw a 289% year-on-year increase in views:
Even more importantly, she explained that one of the biggest drives behind this upturn was YouTube Shorts, YouTube’s short-form video platform. That’s valuable information for any government social media marketer looking to get more eyes on their agency’s content.
8. Monica McAlister
Who is she?
Monica has a lot of irons in the fire. As well as being the Social Media Coordinator for the Charter Township of Fenton, Michigan, she’s the Public Information Basics Instructor at the Michigan State Police Emergency Management Division and an Executive Director for the Michigan Emergency Management Association. Oh, and she’s also the Social Media Specialist for the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association.
With all that on her plate, it’s incredible she finds the time to post on social media at all!
Where can you find her?
Follow Monica on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow her?
Given her wealth of experience, Monica is a fountain of knowledge on all things government comms-related, so her advice is worth listening to. For example, she discussed the importance of leveraging census data to better understand your community.
She also highlighted the importance of making your social media content accessible:
Even if you’ve worked in government comms for years, there’s a good chance you’ll learn something from Monica.
9. Russel Lolacher
Who is he?
Russel is Product Director for DriveBC Modernization at British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit. He’s also a professional public speaker, host, and consultant.
Where can you find him?
Follow Russel on LinkedIn, visit his website, or listen to his podcast, Relationships at Work.
Why should you follow him?
Russel is a constant source of inspiration for another common challenge for social media marketers: leadership. You might be fantastic at creating engaging content, but that doesn’t mean you can get the best out of your team.
He shares his thoughts on some of the biggest leadership-related challenges, like building a high-performing culture and supporting younger generations:
Not all of his content is specific to government social media, but there are always plenty of valuable takeaways.
10. Warren Kagarise
Who is he?
Warren is the Digital Engagement Manager for King County, WA. He was named 2023 Social Media Professional of the Year by Government Social Media.
Where can you find him?
Follow Warren on LinkedIn.
Why should you follow him?
Warren is a genuine thought leader in the field of government social media.
For starters, he (literally) wrote the book on effective emoji use for public agencies:
Plus, he shares a ton of insights from the presentations and sessions he leads at various events:
Are you seeking social media marketing tips, insights, and best practices for government social media? Register for our next social media conference!
Featured image by Pexels.