2015 Gov trends for digital engagement reflect rising citizen expectations

There’s no doubt that customer expectations for government are changing. The shift toward offering more services online, enhancing digital resources, and offering more efficient ways for audiences to engage with government online is the new normal for many agencies. Organizations are evolving to meet new demands and redefining the way that their teams can continue to improve, innovate, and meet the needs of citizens as customer expectations shift and grow.

GovDelivery surveyed more than 600 government agencies to find out how they were meeting their audience’s changing expectations and varying needs. We found 6 key trends across state and local public sector agencies that revealed the major challenges that teams will need to work toward solving in 2015. From building an active online audience, to enhancing the way organizations are partnering with their communities on open data initiatives, we found that many agencies had common goals when it came to their top priorities for 2015.

1) Public engagement remains the top priority across government organizations.

Agencies are tasked with addressing growing needs for services and information from their stakeholders. Agencies surveyed are looking for ways to increase customer satisfaction while driving use of online services and building a more engaged digital audience. 51% of agencies reported that they planned to increase engagement and touch points with customers through digital channels.

2) Lack of resources is still an issue

Organizations responded that they lacked in both budgetary resources as well as expertise when it comes to executing on their key digital engagement initiatives. 54% of survey respondents cited lack of budget as a major obstacle to achieving communication goals, 39% say lack of expertise and specialized skills are in the way.

3) More public sector organizations are dedicating resources to redesign their online presence for engagement.

When it comes to providing services, agencies are investing more into building an online presence to scale and meet the needs of constituents. Many agencies are leaning heavily on social media to promote access to services and promote public awareness. On top of all this, smart organizations are looking to email as a more reliable channel to drive consistent engagement and website traffic to available online services.

Looking to learn more about all 6 digital engagement trends that will shape how public sector teams are achieving their strategic goals and initiatives? Watch the 2015 Digital Engagement Trends Webinar Replay where we discuss how agencies throughout the country are overcoming the challenges their agencies face around transforming outreach and engagement strategies in the digital age to meet the changing needs of their communities.