City Council Worksession

South St. Paul MAYOR/COUNCIL WORKSESSION SSP City Hall 125 3rd Avenue North Monday, July 9, 2018 7:30 p.m. AGENDA: 1. 7:30 - Presentation: Communications Audit by AE2S 2. 8:00 - McMorrow Field Opening – No Attachment 3. 8:30 – Best Value Contracting 4. Removed 5. 8:35 - Civil Air Patrol Lease 6. 8:45 - Budget Discussion CITY OF SOUTH ST. PAUL  TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CURRENT SITUATION & GOALS 2. COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 3. DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 4. COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY 5. COMMUNICATIONS STAFFING  CURRENT SITUATION & GOALS 1 CURRENT SITUATION AND GOALS SOUTH ST. PAUL DEMOGRAPHICS The City of South St. Paul has a diverse and dynamic population of about 20,160. An inner ring suburb of St. Paul, South St. Paul is an older community and has one of the largest proportions of low income households in the metro area. There is a large population of residents who speak English as a second language (ESL). The varying economic levels of residents and population of Spanish speakers means South St. Paul’s communication methods need to be accessible to a wide audience, using a variety of communication tools and techniques. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 1.1  CURRENT SITUATION & GOALS 1 UNDERSTANDING YOUR CITY'S DEMOGRAPHICS South St. Paul has a history of being one of the nation’s largest stockyards and meat packing cities in the United States. Since those days, South St. Paul has evolved into a diverse community. Gone are the days of stockyards, the City has worked to diversify its industries, businesses, and amenities for residents. The demographics of the City have evolved to reflect a more diverse population: 12% 4% 83% Hispanic African American 20,000 PEOPLE White 1% Other 31% 20% Children Single Parents 8,200 >18 (presumed separated or divorced) HOUSEHOLDS HOUSEHOLDS Racial diversity is more Although there is no current prominent in the data on English as a Second school system: Language (ESL), it was noted that 42% data from the South St. Paul Special 22% School District suggests an increase + Hispanic in diverse population and also Students receiving free or reduced lunch economically disadvantaged students. SCHOOLS South St. Paul educates its children through its public and private education systems & enjoys a strong relationship with the South St. Paul School District Historically Younger Population <12% ELDERLY ELDERLY City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 1.2  CURRENT SITUATION & GOALS 1 LOW INCOME COMMUNICATION ACCESS Broadband services are available to South St. Paul residents. However, the City has a below average percentage of homes with broadband service. Pew Research* that compared income with broadband access sheds some light on why South St. Paul has lower than average broadband usage. Pew Research notes that only 47% of homes with an income of $30,000 or under have broadband, while 71% of homes with an income of $30,000-$50,000 have broadband. Broadband usage increases in conjunction with greater income. Although it’s unlikely the majority of South St. Paul residents are using personal computers due to the low level of broadband usage, it is likely that residents are using mobile phones to connect with the City. Government programs such as Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications provides cell phones at reduced rates or for free. These programs also reduce cell phone bills for Americans on assistance, which has created greater access to cell phones for low income citizens. Pew Research* studies compared income levels and cell phone usage found that 90% of homes that have an income of $50,000 or less use mobile phones. In fact, 94% of teens at that income level use cell phones. An important thing to note, however, is Pew Research also found that only 40% to 45% of people in the less than $50,000 income bracket access email via their cell phones. This research suggests that the children and teens of South St. Paul play a crucial role in access to information, dissemination of information, and potentially have the ability to reach or influence others in their home who do not have easy access. *2014 Pew Research studies. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 1.3  CURRENT SITUATION & GOALS 1 OPPORTUNITIES DRIVE COMMUNICATIONS The research and South St. Paul demographics suggests that digital communication must utilize mobile friendly website design and content, social media, and text messaging to inform and engage a certain amount of citizens. It was recently reported by Statista that there are 40 million Hispanics and Latinos using social media. But is the Hispanic and Latino population in South St. Paul utilizing social media in the same way? Those type of questions and refinements still remain. REACH ALL STAKEHOLDERS And let’s not forget the demographics of stakeholders such as City staff, local and state legislators, and other influencers in your community. Oftentimes, these folks serve as ambassadors to your community. Communicating clearly and providing messages to internal and external stakeholders is critical to carrying out the mission and goals of the City. REASON AND GOALS FOR PROJECT The City of South St. Paul embarked on the Comprehensive Communications and Strategy Audit project with a goal of enhancing its internal and external communication to keep its community members informed and engaged. The AE2S Communications team reviewed the City’s communication methods, making note of what is working well for South St. Paul and what can be improved. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 1.4  CURRENT SITUATION & GOALS 1 SOUTH ST. PAUL COMMUNICATION METHODS When the project began, the City of South St. Paul communicated with residents through a website, one Facebook page, quarterly SSP City News newsletter, quarterly Parks & Recreation brochure, and Council Meetings televised on public access, special events such as State of the City address, and other events. These communication methods are conducted on a modest budget, without the benefit of a City employee who is solely focused on communications. Since the commencement of the project, the City has updated the website and added a Facebook page. The City of South St. Paul also enjoys a healthy relationship with the local schools, library, and other organizations which has created further opportunities to engage its young and young at heart citizens. EXAMPLES City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 1.5  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS SOUTH ST. PAUL COMMUNICATIONS The City of South St. Paul is successfully using multiple communication mediums to educate and engage with the community. AE2S Communications reviewed the usage and analytics of the City’s website and social media channels, as well as the SSP City News, Parks & Recreation brochure, and public access TV. The team’s recommendations are based on best practices, goals and economic reality for South St. Paul communications, and reviews of aspirational communities. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.1  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY This page includes an overview of our recommendations that have been prioritized on ease of implementation and importance. For more in-depth information and more recommendations, look on the pages listed below. WEBSITE | PAGES 2.3 - 2.8 • Use icons to make the page easier to scan. This is also helpful for ESL citizens, those with poor eyesight, and other reading comprehensions. • Place a Google Translate button, social media icons, and contact information at the top of the page. • Get a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). This improves security and trust, which will improve Google rankings, or how close to the top the website is when searching. • Look at analytics each quarter and make adjustments based on what is seen. SOCIAL MEDIA | PAGES 2.9 - 2.10 • Use Facebook Live to share authentic messages that are important to citizens. Of all the types of Facebook posts, Live videos tend to get the most engagement. Live feeds can include 60 second "commercials" for upcoming meetings and construction updates to full-length coverage of important events. • Identify influencers in the community. Ask them to help share your messages and use a unique SSP hashtag. • Utilize new platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, to engage with the community in new ways and connect with other demographics. • Utilize a scheduling tool like Hootsuite or CoSchedule to help stay on schedule and keep consistent pots for multiple City accounts. • Look at analytics each quarter and make adjustments based on what is seen. NEWSLETTERS & RECREATION BROCHURE | PAGE 2.11 • Redesign the newsletter with Spanish speaking citizens in mind. Create a newsletter with English on one side and Spanish on the other side. • Create a digital newsletter and brochure, which will allow for it to be shared easier and to obtain better analytics. • Consider using the Parks and Recreation brochure to also feature what South St. Paul has accomplished and upcoming accomplishments. PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL & OTHER MEDIUMS | PAGE 2.12 • Utilize Town Square Television to rebroadcast events in the community. These events would include public meetings and the State of the City Address. Share the set programming with the community. • Work with local, popular radio talk shows to set up interviews and share information with the community. Ask "seasoned" department leaders to be interviewed. • Expand the text alert system to reach more residents. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.2  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 WEBSITE During the process of this plan, South St. Paul updated the City website using the CivicPlus website platform. The new design prominently features the News and Calendar sections on the homepage, along with quick links to popular pages, such as online Payments. The following information on this page is from the previous website. PREVIOUS WEBSITE TOP SEARCH TERMS 7% Solicitor Snowbird Snow Related Actions Parking 35% Various Activities 58% VISITOR LOCATIONS St. Paul 4,727 Minneapolis 3,162 Inver Grove Heights 1,055 South St. Paul 1,055 + Milwaukee, Maple Grove, Las Vegas, Seattle, Stamford City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.3  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 WEBSITE RECOMMENDATIONS hostnames to the other, or create a search-and-replace filter that strips "www." from hostnames. • Use very top of webpage for quick contact info, phone, social links. GENERAL • Keep font face simple. "Script" text or heavily designed fonts may make it harder to translate/read for ESL users. Serif fonts are becoming easier to read • Place Google translate button to top of digitally with emergence of better font page, if possible. support and retina displays. • Property southstpaul.org is • As you go down the page, offer three receiving data from redundant main choices or "buckets.” Typically hostnames. Some of the redundant this is the most visited pages based on hostnames are southstpaul.org and analytics. They should be “above fold,” www.southstpaul.org. Redundant occupy about half vertically on desktop, hostnames are counted as separate have bigger font, and a clear call-to- rows in reports, so hits that are going action to dig in. The updated website, to the same page on your site from puts the main offerings in buckets. different hostnames will be split into multiple rows. With data split across • Be sure to take advantage of your new multiple rows, traffic to specific pages website News and Announcements will appear lower than it actually is. To area. It’s a great space for alerts like avoid this problem, consider setting up snow emergency or road closures. a 301 redirect, with your web hosting Follow up with a text or email alert company, from one of your redundant using your notification system. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.4  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 WEBSITE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUED • Overall, the page should be simple • Don’t overuse bold, headline sized and easy to scan. The user should fonts. Use headline hierarchy be able to look at a main menu item, established by your brand book, or bucket title and be assured that consistently. Headlines down the more information can be found by the page, should be h2, h3 and smaller as descriptive header tags you use. they are secondary to main focus, h1 bold fonts, bigger fonts. • Sometimes there’s just not a lot of information for a whole page. Find • Use buttons for important/priority ways to group content. A general call-to-action, text link for a secondary rule is once on a landing page, a user call-to-action. would rather scroll than click and load a new page. • Don’t be afraid to use an exclamation point to create a sense of urgency if • A good user experience feature we needed or to get that engagement noticed on an aspirational site was from users. Studies show it tends to City of Eagan having a menu item that work. “Sign up today!” vs “Subscribe”. says “How do I….?” • Color matters. Look at split • There are free online icon libraries test study results online that can integrate with websites via to see trends for user CSS, like Font Awesome. Icons next to engagement. text or on a button can be helpful for ESL citizens, those with poor eyesight, or other reading comprehensions. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.5  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 hidden at the bottom of the menu on the left side of the mobile home page. • Add City logo and image to top of default mobile view. MOBILE • Instead of making the News section the primary part of the mobile experience, consider featuring only one News Flash and move the other links to a different section on the homepage. • The default mobile site has none of the branding that appears on the desktop • Show the menu options at the top of site, which could be confusing for homepage so people can see their viewers. The View Full Site link shows options right away instead of navigating the desktop version, but the link is through multiple pages. ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY In addition to supporting ESL, it is important to be mindful of people with vision or hearing disabilities. Some examples of supporting this are adding descriptive text to "alt" tags (associated with images helpful for users of screen readers) or adding captions to video for those hard of hearing. Inclusivity can also include considering the words we use. WORD CHOICE • Use non-specific pronouns • Use acceptable labels for race & (like “they”). ethnicity (get guidance from the • Address the user directly as members of those groups). “you” or “your.” • Acknowledge a range of sexual • Avoid gendered nouns wherever identities and orientations (avoid you can (“server” vs “waiter” or exclusive labels and language). “waitress”). City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.6  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 The Piwik script used on the website is at the bottom of the HTML code. For best tracking GETTING BETTER ANALYTICS results, move Piwik script to <head> per their recommendation. You can customize the Piwik widget use to put more tracking results front and center on dashboard. SECURITY CROSS AND CHANNEL SPEED TRUST PROMOTION Get an SSL (Secure The link to Facebook Adding photo Sockets Layer) is a great addition to carousels or things certificate for your the website. Continue with JavaScript website. Read why by linking all sources can slow your site every website should of City information to down. Ask yourself have one here: the website, including if the image you're more prominently considering is http://bit.ly/ promoting the cable necessary. WhySSLCertificate access channel. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.7  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 We realize you just completed a major website redesign. When updating or editing CONTENT pages, try using the following grid as a tool to mimic your screen (left to right, top to bottom) when deciding on where you are adding content on your website. TIME-SENSITIVE NON-URGENT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT TIME-SENSITIVE NON-URGENT NON-IMPORTANT NON-IMPORTANT City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.8  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 SOCIAL MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS GENERAL • City of South St. Paul, Minnesota The City’s new Facebook page 618 Followers is off to a great start with more than 600 followers in just a few weeks. • South St. Paul Events and Activities In fact, all of the City’s Facebook 2,366 Followers pages appear to have strong followings. AE2S Communications • South St. Paul Police Department reviewed four South St. Paul 6,286 Followers Facebook profiles, listed below with their corresponding number of • South St. Paul Public Library followers as of May 2018. 986 Followers TOP POSTS City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.9  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 • Boost your posts when it makes sense. Boosting a post on Facebook can be as reasonably priced as $10- $20 for a targeted audience. Use this feature when soliciting feedback or engagement, asking citizens to take a GENERAL survey, or for recruitment. • Always use a picture or graphic with every post. When possible, use video as it has greater appeal. • Cross post or “share” relevant posts amongst all of the City’s pages. Events • Post three to four times a week. When and Activities should share Library, possible, feature people, event or Police, or City event posts, etc. business and tag them. • Distinguish between the official City of • Use a consistent hashtag for the City South St. Paul Facebook and the South of South St. Paul on all your posts. St. Paul Events Facebook by publishing #IloveSSP or something of that nature. only official City business on the City of South St. Paul and use the share feature • Use trending hashtags when relevant to on the Events page if the City post is reach wider audiences. relevant to the Events audience. • When appropriate, utilize the Facebook • Remind citizens to like and follow your Live feature. This allows your post to pages every chance you get, including show up at the top of news feeds. Live on all your literature, utility bills, at videos get six times more engagement council meetings, etc. than any other post on average. • Identify and ask influencers in the • Focus on sharing a variety of topics to community to like your page and share keep the page fresh and interesting. with friends. Also ask them to tag your • When posting, always ask yourself, is page in their posts and share your this something I would like or share. If posts on their personal page. not, it is likely that others will feel the • Ask City employees to follow your same way. pages, invite their friends, and • Utilize a scheduling tool, like Hootsuite encourage them to like and comment or CoSchedule, to help manage multiple on posts to increase the likelihood it will pages and platforms. appear in their friends' feeds. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.10  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 NEWSLETTERS & RECREATION BROCHURE The SSP City News newsletter is posted visit the website and like and follow online and mailed to residents. The popular social media outlets. Parks and Recreation brochure is published seasonally. Analytics were not available to • If the brochure is costly to print, the team at this time. consider devoting the back page to local advertisers. Make all the ads the • Redesign newsletter with English on same business card size to make it one side and Spanish on the other side easier for design and production. to better communicate with Spanish- speaking residents. • Updated the newsletter and brochure to a digital format, which will allow analytics to easily be tracked. This can provide the number of downloads taking place, as well as insights that can be used to show what is working well and what could use improvement. • Post archived issues of the newsletter on City website. • Consider using the Parks and Recreation brochure to also feature what the City has accomplished or will be accomplishing in the next six to nine months (seasonal initiatives). Use one to two pages of the brochure to provide the update and encourage people to City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.11  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL & OTHER MEDIUMS South St. Paul broadcasts its City City initiatives. All it takes is a Facebook Council meetings on its cable access account, a mobile phone, and a steady channel, Town Square Television. The hand or tripod. The City used this City’s website includes access to live web for the 2018 State of the City event streaming of Town Square Television, as and should continue to utilize it for well as previous City Council meetings. other events. Remember to promote upcoming Facebook live events • Utilize Town Square Television to beforehand so your followers know rebroadcast events, such as, public when to tune in. meetings and the State of the City Address. Share the set programming. • Contact popular local radio talk shows to set up live interviews when the • Consider asking the Chamber of City has major upcoming construction Commerce or other organizations to projects, events, or announcements host the State of the City address to to share. Also feature "seasoned" increase its visibility. The State of the department leaders. City event was a very well executed presentation. Ensure more people see it • Expand text alert system (on an opt- live by streaming it on the website. in basis) to reach more residents. Be careful not to overuse this method • Facebook live is another great way to however, to avoid user fatigue. broadcast City events or to promote City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.12  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS COMMUNICATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS Beyond the recommendations provided with each of the communication mediums, AE2S Communications would offer the following recommendations to further enhance the ability to reach a broader audience of citizens. • Invest in and utilize digital signs to provide information in places where residents gather, such as a popular City parks, at the library, or on well-traveled roads. This will provide an opportunity to inform citizens about upcoming events and can easily be programmed to post in multiple languages. • Consider hosting a “Pop-Up City Hall” booth at popular events to provide information to residents. This can capture an audience who wouldn’t ordinarily go to the actual City Hall to ask a question. It also provides a unique citizen experience for those who don’t normally think about City Hall or City functions. • Make an effort to recruit bilingual staff members for the various City departments. If bilingual staff are already employed, consider inviting staff members to various City events. An example event could be Public Works Week where the citizens are invited to see equipment or a Public Works open house. • Create a regularly scheduled event at local cafes or eateries that feature the Mayor and/or Council members. Coffee with the Mayor or some other event once a month can tackle soft or hard issues. This also gives the City an avenue for focus group types of discussions. • Utilize the great relationship the City has with the schools, library, Chamber, and other organizations. City initiatives such as a sales tax vote, utility rate changes, or other issues are best introduced and supported by influencers. Other initiatives, such as water conservation or recycling, can be supported by school campaigns that aim messaging to students with a goal of reaching their parents. • Consider citizen experience/citizen communication training for all City employees. Training may include guidelines for customer (citizen) service, where or how to find out information about the City, and specific training for City initiatives. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.13  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 In this section, we look at aspirational ASPIRATIONAL cities. SSP can continue to look at the CITIES positive things these communities are doing and sharing and emulate them in SSP. CITY OF HOPKINS, MN WEBSITE SOCIAL/DIGITAL MEDIA OTHER INITIATIVES • The use of a mega menu Facebook • Implemented an “Ask the displays all available links City” help desk. allowing the viewer to easily • Events pages created for understand the navigation specific events provide an • Weekly newsletter system and find what effective location for event “Connections” that have they are looking for. In details and increase the four articles that are in a addition the mega menu opportunity for additional digital format, which allows is functionally easier than viewers to both pages. for better analytics (clicks on a flyout menu because it articles). • MnDOT, safety, and project doesn’t require the user updates keeps residents to hover over the menu to informed and helps avoid see the next level of links. miscommunication. Hovering can be difficult on some machines. • Job Opportunities encourage shares and attract • Calendar layout provides new viewers. quick comprehension of upcoming events. Other • Community highlights • Also utilizes Twitter and section integrates the City YouTube for wider reach and into the community and video compilation. culture. • Clean, intuitive layout increases comprehension and ease of use. • Report a pothole and other direct engagement tools included. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.14  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 CITY OF EAGAN, MN WEBSITE SOCIAL/DIGITAL MEDIA OTHER INITIATIVES • Social media and contact Facebook • Residential newsletter links on the top of every is published six times page. • Variety of topics attract a variety a year with a focused of residents and encourage format to cover five to six • Page links and content repeat views. areas. are extremely focused on the end-user perspective. • Weekly update videos provide • Implemented a “Citizen This technique engages consistency with website and Support Center” to the audience and make quick explanation of information. assist citizens to navigation intuitive. • Events pages created for navigate information, ask specific events provide an questions, or general • Use of concise statements assist as needed. and icons vs. high-quality effective location for event graphics increases the load details. • Teamed with local speed. • Articles that link to the City businesses to host “Ask website increase website traffic the ____”. For instance, • Limited choices increases Home Depot hosted an end-user comprehension and opportunity for further education. “Ask the City Inspector” and doesn’t overwhelm the forum. The business viewer. • Fun videos like “The Heat” is related to the city • Weekly update videos give wings challenge from Police & department to attract the the user a quick snapshot of Fire contrast the educational right crowd. engage the user. information and create a buzz on social media sites. This • Hosts free workshops on • Hot topic items are located increases viewership and seasonal issues. on the scrolling banner encourages return users. providing an effective way to interest the viewer • Repost of other local pages and encourage further helps increase views for both investigation of the site. pages. • Use of #onlyinEagan creates a brand for City information and encourage residents to partake in information sharing. Other • Also utilize Twitter and Instagram to reach larger demographics. • Photos on Instagram are mostly people focused. Good photography. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.15  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 CITY OF PLYMOUTH, MN WEBSITE SOCIAL/DIGITAL MEDIA OTHER INITIATIVES • Simple user interface Facebook • Implementing FlashVote. increases comprehension – a new online survey and ease of use. • Surveys encourage interaction by tool that gives residents the viewer. a quick and easy way to • News highlights are share input with the city. showcaseed in the banner • Variety of topics attract a variety and include links to internal of residents and encourage • Hosts workshops related pages. The photos engage repeat views. to topical/seasonal the viewer and encourage • Repost of other local pages helps issues. action. increase views for both pages. • Publishes a residential • The use of a mega menu • Video posts from local cable newsletter six times a displays all available links station provide content that year, with additional allowing the viewer to easily viewers are interested in with “extras” for special understand the navigation little effort by the City. events and topics. system and find what they are looking for. In • Safety reminders keep views • Well-designed addition, the mega menu informed and encourage frequent newsletter with specific is functionally easier than return users. sections including a a flyout menu because it section of “what you • #Plymouth_____ & may have missed on doesn’t require the user #PlymouthProud hashtags create social media”. to hover over the menu to a brand for City information and see the next level of links. encourage residents to partake in • Photo Contest with Hovering can be difficult on small prizes. Photos information sharing. some machines. are published on a Other number of platforms and mediums. The City has • City also utilizes Twitter, LinkedIn, rights to the pictures. YouTube, CCX • Focused on • CCX is Connected Community environmental education Experience and acts as a and has developed centralized media desk. class room lessons, • CCX Media is a service of workshops, etc. Northwest Community Television serving the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.16  COMMUNICATION AUDIT & RECOMMENDATIONS 2 CITY OF EDINA, MN WEBSITE SOCIAL/DIGITAL MEDIA OTHER INITIATIVES • Branding and consistency Facebook • Implemented a “Speak Up across the website and Edina” message board on other materials provides an • Events pages created for website that tags specific “official” feel to everything specific events provide an topics for discussion. produced and makes it easy effective location for event Powered by Speak Up – it is for viewers to recognize details and increase the its own platform. content and trust the opportunity for additional information. viewers to both pages. • Perform Quality of Life surveys every other year and • Social media shown across • Video updates provide share results. the top of every page. consistency with website and quick explanation of • Photo contest “Images of • Opening page linked to information. Edina”. Contest winners YouTube. receive prizes in five • Branding and consistency categories and are featured • Easy link to current and across the website and in multiple platforms. City upcoming projects keeps other materials provides an has access to photos. residents informed and helps “official” feel to everything avoid miscommunication. produced and makes it easy • “Walk with the Mayor” events for viewers to recognize to showcase different parts • The use of a mega menu content and trust the of the city or projects. displays all available links information. allowing the viewer to easily • Open houses in different understand the navigation • Variety of topics attract a City departments tied with system and find what variety of residents and events. they are looking for. In encourage repeat views. addition the mega menu is functionally easier than Other a flyout menu because it • Other social media includes doesn’t require the user Twitter, Instagram, and to hover over the menu to YouTube. see the next level of links. Hovering can be difficult on • The Instagram page is quite some machines. successful as it shares artistic, eye-catching images that get great engagement. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 2.17  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING SOUTH ST. PAUL COMMUNICATIONS When you think about how you access most of your news, it is mostly though digital platforms. According to Pew Research, that is true for most Americans. 2/3 of Americans receive some of their news from Facebook alone. 1/3 of those Americans get all or most their news from Facebook. This is only one of the many reasons Facebook is a necessary tool for sharing your message. It is also a great tool for engaging with citizens. The key to successful social media is having a plan. This section includes a calendar of upcoming events to make sure no opportunities are missed. AE2S Communications shared example posts, which feature best practices. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.1  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WHO USES SOCIAL MEDIA? The number of people who use social media grows everyday. That is not surprising. But what is surprising is who is using it the most, and how often they are using it. In fact, according to the Global Web Index, 30% of all time people spend online is allocated to social media use. Many people also believe the tech savvy, millennials are the generation who spend the most time on social media. A Nielsen study found this assumption to be wrong. Generation X actually spends more time on social media then any other generation, followed by Baby Boomers. 27 40% Being able to connect with organizations MILLENNIALS through social AGES 18-34 HOURS media chat and Average time spent Likelihood of using social media comments is very important on social media per week in a bathroom (national avg. 20%) to this generation. GENERATION X AGES 35-49 31 HOURS They’re likely to be on Facebook on Sundays via smart phone, while watching primetime. 25% Of the time females are online Average time spent on social media per week they are on social media. BABY BOOMERS AGES 50-70 29HOURS 19% more likely to share posts compared to other generations Average time spent Facebook is the most popular on social media per week platform for this generation. SOURCE: Pew Research and Nielsen City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.2  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WHAT PLATFORMS ARE MOST POPULAR? FACEBOOK Facebook is the most popular social media network. According to Facebook, 1 in 5 minutes that people spend on their phone is spent in the Facebook app. Millennials are the youngest generation using this platform. There are slightly more females than males who regularly use this platform. INSTAGRAM instagram is the second most popular social media platform. It is a high-visual platform where people share creative images, videos, and stories. This platform is very popular with young generations, particularly females. TWITTER There is currently over 330 million active users on Twitter. Millennial's and Generation X make up over 75% of the users. They are likely to have a college degree. Users share news and post more times per day on this platform compared to others. SNAPCHAT Snapchat is a mobile app used to chat with friends and share stories through video and images. Filters can be added to these graphics. Approximatively 70% of the users are under 34 years old, but more and more older generations are downloading the app. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.3  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WHAT PLATFORMS ARE RECCOMENDED? FACEBOOK | CURRENTLY USE The AE2S team strongly suggests continuing to post regularly on Facebook. It is a great way to connect and share information with the community. It also gives the community another way to contact and share messages with the City. INSTAGRAM | RECOMMEND Instagram is a great way to visually show the community. There is an opportunity to share the projects, people, and places in SSP. It is important that there is capacity to take on the role of taking and sharing great photography. Without that the page will likely not get the desired engagement. TWITTER | RECOMMEND Twitter can be a beneficial tool for sharing news, especially news that can be seen as urgent, as people are constantly updating their feeds see to the most recent posts. Messages from other platforms could be shared on Twitter, but will likely reach a different audience, or be a reminder to those who have seen it. SNAPCHAT | DO NOT RECOMMEND Snapchat could be utilized to connect with younger audiences. This can be done through creating stories. This feature is also available on Instagram. However, SSP could create filters for different events that take place throughout the year. The price of the filter depends on demand, time of day, length, and distance. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.4  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 ASPIRATIONAL CITIES City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.5  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 DIVING INTO DIGITAL MEDIA SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL MEDIA Are you connecting with your community? Social media is an effective and efficient tool to share messages with your target audience. Thankfully, creating a successful post is as easy as 1, 2, 3. STEP 1 | Plan Ahead Get a jump on it and save time by planning and preposting! Set aside an hour every other week or once a month to schedule your posts ahead of time. The posts will be published automatically and you can go about your week! For the best engagement, some times during the day are better than others to post. SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 9 am 11 am 1 pm 3 pm 5 pm 7 pm 9 pm *Based on Facebook analytics STEP 2 | Catch Their Eye What should you post? Post something you would “like” if you saw it. Look at other accounts for inspiration, think back to your communication goals, or reuse something you already have. Once you have the text, make sure to tag other pages by using “@.” If it is appropriate, add a #hashtag or even create your own. Most importantly, always include a picture, video, GIF, or article. @ STEP 3 | Track Analytics and Boost Keeping track of your posts analytics helps you see what works and what doesn’t work. Don’t waste your time posting things which have previously received low or no response. If you have an important message and want to show a greater audience, boost or sponsor your post. Sponsoring posts is cost effective and can help get your message to a specific targeted audience. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.6  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 SOCIAL MEDIA PLANNING WEEK 1 | June 1 - 9 1 Curbside Appliance Pickup 4 Economic Development Authority Meeting 4 City Council Meeting 6 Planning Commission JUNE All Week | All City Garage Sale Registration WEEK 2 | June 10 - 16 11 Economic Development Authority Meeting An opportunity for South 14 Flag Day St. Paul is to utilize Facebook 15 Curbside Appliance Pickup Live. Facebook Live could be All Week | All City Garage Sale Registration used regularly to update the community either monthly or weekly about topics or WEEK 3 | June 17 - 23 projects at City Hall and 17 #NationalGarbageManDay EDA meetings. This creates 17 Father's Day transparency and allows the 18 City Council Meeting community to engage and ask questions. 21 First Day of Summer (feature parks) 22 Curbside Appliance Pickup June's posts should focus All Week | South St. Paul All City Garage Sale on promoting the All City Garage Sale and Curbside Appliance Pickup. It would WEEK 4 | June 24 - 30 also benefit the community 25 City Council Work Session to promote Independence 29 Curbside Appliance Pickup Day events, activities, and All Week | Begin sharing Independence Day events safety tips. and safety tips City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.7  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WEEK 1 | July 1 - 7 2 Economic Development Authority Meeting 2 City Council Meeting JULY 4 Independence Day 6 Curbside Appliance Pickup All Week | Independence Day Celebration Another opportunity for South St. Paul is to encourage WEEK 2 | July 8 - 14 people to comment on their 9 Economic Development Authority Meeting posts. Recently, Facebook 9 City Council Meeting made changes as to what is 11 Planning Commission seen as authentic engagement. They discovered comments are 13 Curbside Appliance Pickup key. Posts that generate lots of All Week | Youth Summer Activities comments are seen higher on users' timelines. WEEK 3 | July 15 - 21 To start the month, 16 City Council Meeting encourage the community to 20 Curbside Appliance Pickup tag the City's Events page in All Week | Youth Summer Activities Independence Day events. Share the best photos and/or WEEK 4 | July 22 - 31 giveaway a prize. July's posts should focus on promoting 23 City Council Work Session and sharing Youth in the 27 Curbside Appliance Pickup community. This can include All Week | Youth Summer Activities events, sports, volunteering opportunities, interns, etc. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.8  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WEEK 1 | August 1 - 11 1 Planning Commission 6 Economic Development Authority Meeting 6 City Council Meeting AUGUST 10 Curbside Appliance Pickup 11 National Bowling Day 11 National Garage Sale Day All Week | National Farmers’ Market Week South St. Paul should incorporate boosting in its social media planning. Based WEEK 2 | August 12 - 18 on budget, this could be done 13 Economic Development Authority Meeting as often as needed. Boosting, 13 City Council Work Session or sponsoring posts, allows the 17 Curbside Appliance Pickup page to reach a larger, targeted audience. Boosted posts result All Week | Back to School Safety in higher engagement and an increased number of followers. WEEK 3 | August 19 - 25 An example of a boost for 20 City Council Meeting August could be the post about the Farmers Market. Boosting 24 Curbside Appliance Pickup the post for as little as $10 for All Week | Back to School Safety a few days can have great results. WEEK 4 | August 26 - 31 This month will focus on 26 #NationalDogDay the Farmer's Market, Back to 27 City Council Work Session School, and World Water Week. 31 Curbside Appliance Pickup Some materials can be found All Week | World Water Week for National Farmer's Market Week and World Water Week by searching online. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.9  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WEEK 1 | September 1 - 8 3 Labor Day 4 Economic Development Authority Meeting 4 City Council Meeting SEPTEMBER 5 Planning Commission 7 Curbside Appliance Pickup All Week | Feature Administration Department WEEK 2 | September 9 - 15 This month the page 10 Economic Development Authority Meeting will begin featuring the City 10 City Council Meeting departments. Social media is a great way to humanize what 10 National Swap Ideas Day the City does. This can be done 14 Curbside Appliance Pickup by featuring employees of each All Week | Feature Building Permits and Inspections department. Another way to feature the departments is to show how each one is involved WEEK 3 | September 16 - 22 in the community and which 17 City Council Meeting services they provide. 18 Economic Development Advisory Board This is also a great 21 Curbside Appliance Pickup opportunity to boost website All Week | Feature City Clerk traffic. When creating the posts, add a link to the departments' WEEK 4 | September 23 - 30 section on the website to drive 23 First Day of Autumn traffic back to the website for more information. 24 City Council Work Session 28 Curbside Appliance Pickup 29 National Coffee Day All Week | City Code Enforcement City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.10  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WEEK 1 | October 1 - 6 1 Economic Development Authority Meeting OCTOBER 1 City Council Meeting 1 Curbside Appliance Pickup (Last one) 3 Planning Commission All Week | Financial Planning Week October is the last scheduled curbside appliance pickup day. Make sure the WEEK 2 | October 7 - 13 community is aware of this. In 8 Economic Development Authority Meeting October, the page will continue 8 City Council Work Session to feature its departments and All Week | Community Affairs and Volunteering services. In Week 3, there are two WEEK 3 | October 14 - 20 national celebrations, Support 15 City Council Meeting Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day and National 16 National Boss’s Day Business Women's Week. 17 #SupportYourLocalChamberofCommerce Make sure to tag the national All Week | National Business Women’s Week pages and use the hashtags for a chance to be featured on WEEK 4 | October 21 - 31 their page and reach a larger audience. 22 City Council Work Session 31 Halloween During the week of All Week | Halloween Events and Safety Halloween, post safety tips and events. Consider holding a costume contest and let your Facebook followers vote on the winner. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.11  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 WEEK 1 | November 1 - 10 4 Daylight Saving Time Ends 5 Economic Development Authority Meeting NOVEMBER 5 City Council Meeting 7 Planning Commission All Week | Feature Economic Development WEEK 2 | November 11 - 17 When possible, it is great 12 Economic Development Authority Meeting to capture a video to use for a 13 City Council Work Session social media. Because videos 14 GIS Day catch users' eyes, they tend to get higher engagement. 17 Veterans Day When looking at video insights, All Week | Feature the Engineering Department it shows more data, like how many views took place and WEEK 3 | November 18 - 24 how long people watched the video. 19 City Council Meeting 20 Economic Development Advisory Board During the third week of 22 Thanksgiving November, focus on small local businesses. There are 23 Black Friday marketing materials available 24 Small Business Saturday #ShopSmall on the American Express All Week | Feature Local Small Businesses website. It is a great way to show the businesses that WEEK 4 | November 25 - 30 make your community unique, as holiday shopping officially 26 City Council Work Session begins. All Week | Feature the Public Works Department City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.12  DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLANNING 3 EXAMPLE POSTS City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 3.13  COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY 4 COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY SOUTH ST. PAUL COMMUNICATIONS A digital survey using an online service such as Survey Monkey, rather than print, is the most cost effective method of surveying residents. In addition to being cost effective, Survey Monkey or other services allows for more advanced data and analytics. AE2S Communications recommends conducting the following survey in the spring of 2019, a year after the new website and City Facebook page were unveiled. This allows for some time to get a reasonable baseline for communications data. The survey responses should help future communication efforts by identifying how South St. Paul residents get information about the City, which mediums they use, and their preferences. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 4.1  COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY 4 DRAFT SURVEY The purpose of this survey is to gather input from South St. Paul residents on how they find information and communicate with the City. Please answer the following survey questions to help South St. Paul better serve you. This survey should take about five minutes to complete. 1. Do you work or live in South St. Paul? No___ Yes___ 2. When searching for City information, where is the first place you look? City Website___ TV___ Newspaper___ Radio____ Social Media___ Other____ 3. Over the past 12 months, have you searched the City website for information? Yes____ No____ Unsure____ 4. Are you aware of the "Notify Me" option on the South St. Paul website which allows users to subscribe to different categories of announcements? Yes, I’m signed up!_____ No, I wasn’t aware of the Notify Me option.____ Yes, I am aware of the option but didn’t sign up because (fill in the blank)_______ 5. How often do you read the City's Newsletter, the SSP City News? Monthly___ Quarterly___ Every Six Months___ Annually___ Unsure____ Do not read it____ Other (Please Specify) ________ City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 4.2  COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY 4 6. Do you read the seasonal South St. Paul Parks and Recreation booklet? Yes___ No___ Unsure____ 7. Do you use social media? Yes___ No___ Prefer not to say____ 8. Do you feel informed about the general operations at the City? Informed____ Somewhat informed____ Not informed_____ 9. Do you feel informed about upcoming City projects or events that may pertain or affect you? Informed___ Somewhat informed____ Not informed_____ 10. Do you feel you have the opportunity to provide input to the City of South St. Paul when needed? Yes___ No___ Unsure____ 11. If the City has important information to distribute to its residents, what is the best way to get the information to you? (Please select your top three choices, with 1 being the best way to reach you followed by the second and third best ways to reach you. Disregard undesirable options.) Text Message ____ Email ____ Letter ____ City newsletter ____ City website ____ Social media post ____ Newspaper/Radio/TV ____ Other (Please Specify)__________ City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 4.3  COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY 4 12. Please rate the City in providing up to date information? Excellent____ Good___ Medium_____ Poor____ Bad______ N/A________ 13. Are you satisfied with your search results on the City website? Yes___ No___ Unsure____ 14. What type of information were you searching for on the City website? Community Events___ Weather Alerts/Closures___ Utility Billing ____ Road Construction___ City Council_____ Other (Please Specify)______ 15. How often do you watch the local cable access channel, Town Square Television? Daily___ Weekly____ Monthly____ Infrequently____ Never_____ 16. How do you access Town Square television? Live TV_____ Web Streaming___ Other (Please Specify)______________ 17. Do you follow any of these social media accounts on Facebook? (Check all that apply.) City of South St. Paul, Minnesota__________ South St. Paul Events & Activities__________ South St. Paul Public Library_____ South St. Paul Police ______________ South St. Paul Neighbors_________ South St. Paul Neighborhood Talk_________ Central Square Community Center ___________ Other (Please Specify)___________ 18. What type of information do you expect the City to share on social media? City Announcements___ City Events____ City Weather Alerts/Closures________ Water, Street or Other Utility Announcements____ Holiday Announcements______ Public Safety/Crime Information______ Other (Please Specify)_________ City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 4.4  COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY 4 We would like to know a little more about you and your family to better serve you as a resident of South St. Paul. DEMOGRAPHICS 19. What is your gender? Male___ Female___ Prefer not to say_____ 20. What is your age? Under 18___ 18-24____ 25-34____ 35-44____ 45-54______ 55-64_____ 65+____ Prefer not to say___ 21. How many people live in your home? 2 or less___ 3-5____ 6-9____ 10+___ 22. What is your annual household income? Up to $50,000____ $50,000-$100,000____ $100,000-$150,000___ $150,000-$200,000____ $200,000+___ 23. Are you married? Yes___ No___ Prefer not to say____ 24. How many children live in the home? 0___ 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6+___ 25. Do you speak English as a second language? Yes___ No___ Prefer not to say____ City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 4.5  COMMUNICATIONS STAFFING 5 COMMUNICATIONS STAFFING Moving forward, South St. Paul leaders have indicated they would like to create a Communications Strategist position to manage the City’s communication efforts. Here is a draft job description for the Communications Strategist role. provide information and assistance to City Administrator, City Council, department heads, and the general public to build strategic relationships for the City of South DRAFT JOB St. Paul. DESCRIPTION Supervision Received: Receives direction from the City Administrator and City Council. Supervision Exercised: COMMUNICATIONS None. STRATEGIST Essential Job Functions: Essential responsibilities and duties may Summary: include but are not limited to, the following: Coordinates and implements communication activities consistent with 1. Assist in organizing, coordinating and the values, goals and positive image of planning communications related to City the City of South St. Paul; to disseminate of South St. Paul events and programs. information about the City’s municipal activities and programs to the public, 2. Prepare and coordinate media and other entities; to coordinate communications, documents, and outside activities with other departments, presentations on behalf of Council and divisions, and outside agencies; and to City Administrator to aid in dealings City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 5.1  COMMUNICATIONS STAFFING 5 with state legislative and executive to produce clear, effective and officers, federal administrative timely communications; serves as agencies and officials, officers of local Public Information Officer and media governments, schools, and community spokesperson as directed. groups; coordinates activities on behalf of Council or City Administrator as 7. Oversees the broadcasting and directed while exercising interpersonal presentation of content during sensitivity, tact and diplomacy in public public meetings utilizing audio-visual contact. equipment, online resources, and print media; oversees audio-visual 3. Develops visual and style standards and recording equipment used during for print and digital media to be used public meetings; provides updates by City departments; advises City staff and information through social media on formatting presentations of content related to public meetings; proficient in for internal and external dissemination; technologies. advises Commissioners and City staff on emerging trends, technologies, 8. Prepares Council and City staff and strategies that may be used in with communication program for communication. special events and collaborates with departments in communicating public 4. Compile City data to support the goals events. and objectives of Council and City departments; produce metrics and 9. Oversees web communications data summaries to promote projects, strategy and content that is sensitive, services, and events; direct public high-priority, cross-departmental, and/ inquires to appropriate departments or related to key initiatives; provides and City information sources. direction and guidance on tone, look and feel of website; recommends 5. Collaborate with Commissioners and implementation of technologies City Administrator to develop public that may aid in the collection and relations strategies based on key distribution of information within the legislative issues; remain engaged with community (mobile applications, etc.). legislative groups to understand topics that may impact the community. 10. Develops City’s social media strategy in coordination with other departments; 6. Supports Emergency Services ensures compliance with City policies, Departments during emergencies formatting, and visual standards. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 5.2  COMMUNICATIONS STAFFING 5 11. Acts as designated point of contact for 15. Perform related duties and Open Records requests excluding those responsibilities as assigned. related to Public Safety; coordinates the delivery of information from appropriate Desired Education and Experience: departments; works closely with City Five years of increasingly responsible Administration and City Attorney to communications, public relations, television develop Open Records Request Policy broadcasting, or journalism experience. consistent with Minnesota law. Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, 12. Provides training and coaching Journalism, Public Relations, Humanities, or to Council and City staff on related field is preferred. communications skills such as public Possession of, or ability to obtain, an speaking, media interviews, social appropriate, valid driver’s license. media, and presentations. Any equivalent combination of education, 13. Assists Council and City staff in training, and experience that provides the cultivating working relationships with requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities community stakeholders including, but for this position may be substituted at the not limited to, public boards, agencies, discretion of the hiring authority. media groups, private companies, and community organizations. 14. Perform all work duties and activities in accordance with City policies and procedures. City of South St. Paul COMMUNICATIONS PLAN 5.3  It has been our pleasure working with you! We look forward to working together again in the future. If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Andrea Boe, AE2S Communications Practice Leader. ANDREA BOE AE2S Practice Leader Andrea.Boe@ae2s.com T: 701-746-8087