Question

Topic: Strategy

What (marketing) Tactical Campaigns Can Help Increase Awareness & Usage Of Government Services Online

Posted by Anonymous on 5/16/2004 at 2:23 PM ET 250 Points
We own a govt-run portal that consolidates govt services (incl. payment services) online. While individual govt agencies can promote their own services online, this portal aims to be the only page a consumer needs to bookmark for ALL his/her govt e-service needs.

The portal has been around for more than 4 years, but awareness has been a consistent low (below 25%). Efforts had been made to revamp the portal through focus group discussions; as well as re-grouping of e-services by likely consumer needs, vs. what each govt agency offers.

For this year, we are investing in outdoor advertising and print advertising (using classifieds) and a series of promotions. For promotions, we have the type that rewards people for transacting online; as well as those that are viral (e.g. recommend our site to their friends via email addresses).

However, I do not have a comfort feel that we would be able to improve the awareness rating.

Are there tactics we can consider to do better? I know budget is limited, but I can't help feeling something is still missing. We have to assume that there is resistance from the mgt to improve the portal further ... :-]

Thanks.

Petrified. :-)
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 5/17/2004 at 3:41 PM Accepted
    I would ask OTHER states what they have done successfully to promote awareness of e-gov portals. Here in Texas, the portal is www.texasonline.com; go to the About Us page, then the Contact Us page to find the director's name.

    Maybe you could use an e-gov resource like NECCC (see www.ec3.org) to help you "broadcast" a survey to the right people at different states. Ask 'em some short, pointed questions like

    - do you have a portal? how long?
    - what's your site awareness rate?
    - do you have a promotional budget? how big?
    - what have been some of the most effective promotional efforts? least effective?

    Tell the NECCC director that you'd be happy to provide a summary report of your findings. They might be able to connect you with someone else in their membership who can collaborate with you. By the way, normally this would be a project proposal that NECCC would review in January for their annual project workload, but if you keep this small in scope, you might get them to help.

    Now... one other suggestion:
    Get your school systems involved. Start a campaign for different grades and subjects that encourage/require kids to use the portal to look up certain info. (A social studies assignment? A scavenger hunt contest?) Their parents are likely to help with this homework, so you get immediate exposure there, plus a long-term audience from the kids. Teachers get dipped, too!

    I've been on the fringes of e-government, and I applaud your efforts in the public sector. You never have the resources for the miracles you are required to pull off!

    - Shelley
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Strategy)