#1: Citizen Experience (CX): The most significant trend in public engagement coming out of the pandemic.
Between WFH, mask mandates, shifting social distance protocols and immunization worries, the public became a mass consumer amid COVID, emerging with information seekers who sought instant response and transparency and were willing to express themselves with ferocity when they felt it lacking.
The pandemic required the public sector find new ways to communicate and discard same-old-same-old practices in favor of digital approaches once out of reach, and the public expects that will continue. Though improving customer satisfaction is a long-standing public-sector aim, the goal of incorporating new ways to improve the quality, frequency, and speed of interactions has increased in priority.
Even with shortfalls in tax revenue, citizens—the customers of the public sector—expect quick and complete responsiveness from governments. Here are ways to get started:
Leverage technology to collect data you can use to better understand and map the journey your customer takes to find the information they need—along the way, you will be able to identify citizen touchpoints where you can intersect to deliver information and services. Try the “journey map” function on Miro, or the customer experience option on Smaply.
Understand public opinion, trends, concerns, and misinformation in real-time to detect issues at their earliest stage and decrease response time. Tools like Salesforce for Government enable you to integrate data from multiple sources to inform new solutions, increasing customer confidence. If budget is a challenge, try Keyhole, Social Mention, or Talkwalker for a command center your team can use to respond to real-time input.
Utilize AI such as chatbots, live chat, and virtual assistants to disseminate clear, consistent messaging that will combat misinformation, address crisis events, and respond to citizens' information needs. Use creator tools like MobileMonkey to build chatbots on Facebook Messenger and Instagram, which enable instant communication with customers on the apps they already use.
Adapt to CX—your public is expecting it. Here’s why:
Co-creating solutions. Problem solving with communities will build credibility in the public sector solutions that impact the way people live.
Digital transformation isn’t a one-off. More than a series of tactics, CX is a way of thinking, one that will evolve along with public interest and organizational requirements.
Curbside delivery isn’t just for dinner. The public has shifted to online ordering, and now expects delivery almost on demand—integrating new tools, like Artificial Intelligence, can help governments speed the delivery of answers, building trust in public sector responsiveness.
So, what comes next in public engagement?
The end to 21 Digital Trends for 2021 came in a blink—we’ve learned a lot along the way and hope you have as well. Each of the 21 Trends, from Sonic Branding to this last exploration of Citizen Experience (CX), is available on www.asc-remote.com. Follow us on social media to stay current with the latest in digital for public engagement.
Interested in seeing these trends in your outreach? Let’s get to work, give us a call and schedule a meeting today.
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