3 Ways Video Streaming Improves Citizen Engagement

3 ways video streaming improves citizen engagement.

Think back to the last time you had no idea about a topic and didn’t know where to start, it's likely you referenced an online video to help guide your learning, and statistically speaking- it’s the way most users like to consume information too. 

“A survey conducted in 2021 showed that almost half of U.S. American and Canadian radio listeners surveyed stated to stream video every day.” (Statista)

What does this information mean for local governments and engagement best practices? It means that video streaming is growing rapidly, and there’s a reason why. Video streaming is a concise and thorough way for residents to find out what’s going on in their community, without the hassle of reading through pages of minutes. 

We know from research that when users are looking for information they want quick and digestible updates. Local governments should instill this approach when preparing content for citizen engagement in order to accommodate a broader audience. 

To better explain how video streaming can help improve citizen engagement, let’s begin with transparency and use cases:

1. Transparency

Video streaming allows for transparency in local governments, and it gives citizens the chance to really see what’s going on in their community.  One component of transparency is making sure that all citizens in the community have access to information equally.

For example, municipalities like the City of San Antonio, TX, have both a large English and Spanish population. This requires that community information should be accessible in both languages for inclusivity. 

Using Swagit to improve citizen engagement.A solution to this potential transparency gap is broadcasting live stream meetings in both English and Spanish, and offering on-demand PDFs of meetings in both languages after the meeting is recorded. 

 

The City of San Antonio, TX has the transparency component figured out and provides two streams of meetings prepared in both English and Spanish. By providing streams in both languages, the city delivers transparency and inclusivity to its constituents. The city has won awards for its dedication to transparency, showing the positive impact of live streaming. 



2. Ease of Consumption

As before mentioned, citizens don’t have the time to sit and read pages upon pages of information on updates in their community. It’s inefficient for timeliness' sake, and citizens can become overwhelmed by too much information.

Videos are an easy and low-stress alternative to consuming information- think about all the times you’ve thrown on news in the background while doing other tasks to catch up on information quickly.  

How Citizens prefer to receive information.




“Video is the number 1 source of information for 66% of people.” (Tech Jury)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Enhanced Technology 

Whether ahead or behind the curve, technology is always evolving and new trends set the scape for standards in local government. We saw over pandemic times that most residents don't mind virtual meetings for consuming information, and virtual meetings can actually help reach a larger audience. 

Some municipalities, like Louisville, Kentucky, adopted the streaming trend before virtual meetings became more popular during pandemic times. The city saw residents become more engaged with the video platform as an engagement tool.

“We’ve seen four or five hundred residents on real-time with Facebook,” Seidt said. He later added, “You want to put it on as many platforms as you can.” (Gov Tech

Using technology to engage with citizens.

 

By taking the proactive approach with video streaming technology, Louisville, KY could work out the kinks that come along with new tech platforms before the digital landscape changes even more. 

Bottom Line: Video streaming improves citizen engagement through transparency, ease of consumption, and enhanced technology. With hybrid and virtual events on the rise for local government meetings, staying ahead of the tech curve will help empower citizens and city staff alike to engage with each other through communication. 

Now we've got some bases covered on the importance of video/live streaming improving citizen engagement, read here for ways to enhance that experience for your citizens even more. 

 







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