Social media case study: The #BostonMarathon

Information Technology Division

Executive Office for Administration and Finance

Geoffrey Kula, Mass.gov Director Geoffrey.Kula@state.ma.us

Agenda/Contents

Overview
Mass.gov efforts Takeaways

10/25/2013

Overview
On Patriots Day, two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street Mass.gov spent the week updating a single blog post outlining closures, etc., tweeting safety information and responding to constituent questions This is an instance where the editorial calendar goes out the window; its there for business as usual times
Agencies/departments need to be nimble

Leverage IT to innovate & transform government services.

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Mass.gov blog (4/15-20)

Mass.gov updated this blog post at least once/day and tweeted out each update Central location for updates on constantly evolving situation; easier to manage Most read blog post: ~6,500 views Most commented-on: 12 comments
10/25/2013

471 Likes on FB

Mass.gov Twitter

Establish Mass.gov Twitter handle as an active, relevant instrument for receiving information about services the government offers, as well as a two-way communications channel for constituents.
Promote other agencies, their news & services
Mass.gov sends 1 tweet/secretariat/day (plus State Offices & Courts) Put their info in front of our followers; expand their audience
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Mass.gov Twitter (4/15-20)

99 tweets [~50 avg] 2,000+ new followers (+12%) 98 agency tweets RTd by us (closures, delays, etc.) [~6 avg] 2,150+ RTs of our content by others [~70 avg] 250+ mentions [~50 avg] 20 constituent concerns addressed (donations, aid, etc.) [~4 avg]
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Mass.gov Twitter
Most popular tweet (4/16): RT @massgovernor: official statement http://ow.ly/k6R40 1,355 clicks (5x next most-popular)

10/25/2013

Mass.gov Twitter
20 constituent concerns addressed (donations, assistance, etc.)

For some, however, it was still business as usual and we had to address their concerns as well. Eventually, the Governors office requested a moratorium on non-emergency related info.
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Mass.gov Twitter
Most RTd tweet (sent ~9p Thursday): View photos & video of the 2 #BostonMarathon bombing Suspects at Mass.gov Tips? 1-800-CALL-FBI

10/25/2013

Mass.gov Twitter
Friday morning Mass.gov began RTing information being broadcast by MEMA, EOPSS, MassDOT, BPD & others to keep citizens updated

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Key takeaways Post useful information

and people will help spread the word

Use #hashtags for trending topics

Make your content easy to find for people looking for it - Twitter search & trending topics can help

Social media = legitimate news source

Incentive to keep content stream current & relevant

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