As a new way to reach targeted audiences, Minneapolis has recently joined
Foursquare, a location-based social network.
On Foursquare, users can connect with friends by “checking in” at a site on their smartphone or other mobile device.
They’re able to swap local knowledge or get deals that are tied to certain locations.
Minneapolis spokesperson Matt Lindstrom says that the city is offering tips at specific places that help “advance and achieve specific goals for the city.”
He adds, “We’re trying to be strategic about where we reach people on Foursquare.”
For example, if someone checks in at an area dog park or a pet store, they’ll find information about pet licensing, which “is important for animal control.”
The city is also trying to build awareness for its
STEP-UP youth summer jobs program. On Foursquare, people can learn more about the program when they check in at school.
Likewise, check-ins at city buildings will pull up tips about following city council meetings in person or online, which, Lindstrom says, promotes transparency.
More tips will be added later on. “We want our tips to make sense and have a purpose for where we leave them,” he says.
Minneapolis has also been successful with
Twitter and
Facebook, according to Lindstrom.
Recently, the city got props from
Government Technology magazine for having a couple of the most-followed municipal Twitter feeds nationwide.
“The reason we do [social media] is because that’s where people are,” he says. “It’s a great way to quickly share news and information. It’s also a way to hear what people have to say.”
Source: Matt Lindstrom, spokesperson, city of Minneapolis
Writer: Anna Pratt