{"id":40005,"date":"2016-11-17T12:43:02","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T17:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/"},"modified":"2024-02-22T10:05:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T15:05:36","slug":"five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery","status":"publish","type":"blog_posts","link":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":40006,"template":"","resource_tax_market":[],"resource_tax_dept":[],"resource_tax_type":[164],"resource_tax_region":[],"resource_tax_outcomes":[],"resource_tax_topic":[],"resource_tax_products":[],"resource_tax_solutions":[],"resource_tax_services":[],"class_list":["post-40005","blog_posts","type-blog_posts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_tax_type-blogs-uk"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery | Granicus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery | Granicus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Granicus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicusco\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-22T15:05:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"590\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Granicus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Granicus Marketing\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/86d618ccb52051e285962f72626e8881\"},\"headline\":\"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-17T17:43:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-22T15:05:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\"},\"wordCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\",\"name\":\"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery | Granicus\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-17T17:43:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-22T15:05:36+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":590},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"Granicus\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Granicus\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Granicus-G-logo-Red.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Granicus-G-logo-Red.svg\",\"width\":\"1024\",\"height\":\"1024\",\"caption\":\"Granicus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicusco\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Granicus\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/granicusinc\/\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicusco\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicuslac\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@GranicusLAC\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/granicuslac\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/granicuslac\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/granicuslac\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GranicusUK\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/86d618ccb52051e285962f72626e8881\",\"name\":\"Granicus Marketing\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f18a3514fa5c1d54c5ef212b4ddd23f1946461a2d8d778191a29a45101706969?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f18a3514fa5c1d54c5ef212b4ddd23f1946461a2d8d778191a29a45101706969?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Granicus Marketing\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery | Granicus","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery | Granicus","og_url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/","og_site_name":"Granicus","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicusco\/","article_modified_time":"2024-02-22T15:05:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":590,"url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@Granicus","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/"},"author":{"name":"Granicus Marketing","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/86d618ccb52051e285962f72626e8881"},"headline":"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery","datePublished":"2016-11-17T17:43:02+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-22T15:05:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/"},"wordCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg","inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/","url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/","name":"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery | Granicus","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg","datePublished":"2016-11-17T17:43:02+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-22T15:05:36+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog_Header_importance-functional-government-website-1.jpg","width":1440,"height":590},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/blog\/five-things-ive-learnt-about-govdelivery\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"5 things I\u2019ve learnt about GovDelivery"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/","name":"Granicus","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#organization","name":"Granicus","url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Granicus-G-logo-Red.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Granicus-G-logo-Red.svg","width":"1024","height":"1024","caption":"Granicus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicusco\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Granicus","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/granicusinc\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicusco","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/granicuslac","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@GranicusLAC","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/granicuslac\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/granicuslac","https:\/\/twitter.com\/granicuslac\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/GranicusUK"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/86d618ccb52051e285962f72626e8881","name":"Granicus Marketing","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f18a3514fa5c1d54c5ef212b4ddd23f1946461a2d8d778191a29a45101706969?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f18a3514fa5c1d54c5ef212b4ddd23f1946461a2d8d778191a29a45101706969?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Granicus Marketing"}}]}},"acf":{"page_type":"internal","external_url":"","page_template":"centered","sidebar_position":"right","post_author":"","post_date":"","post_description":"","post_link":"","post_file":false,"media_gallery":false,"project_metrics_title":"","project_metrics":false,"show_hero":false,"hero_margin":false,"hero_type":"image","hero_subhead":"","hero_headline":"","hero_text":"","hero_button":"","hero_icon":false,"hero_image":false,"sidebar_type":"sticky","content_builder_sidebar_group":{"content_builder_sidebar":false},"flexible_page_builder_group":{"flexible_page_builder_fields":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","add_menu_anchor":false,"anchor_menu_text":"","wysiwyg_group":{"show_section":true,"alignment":"left","subhead":"","headline":"","wysiwyg":"<p>As you may have read, I recently joined the GovDelivery team here in the UK and am busy getting up to speed about how the company and its technologies work. This has entailed a lot of different types of learning, and as Dave Worsell put it, \u201cit\u2019s been like drinking from a fire hydrant\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Usually in new roles we quickly slip into the organisation\u2019s way of doing things and all too soon forget what it\u2019s like to be new. We forget the questions we asked, as well as the things we found surprising and interesting at first; before too long these become commonplace and pass\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I thought I\u2019d share five things I\u2019ve learnt since joining GovDelivery while they are still new to me.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">GovDelivery sends messages. A LOT of messages<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Okay, so if you know anything about GovDelivery then you\u2019ll know they send emails and SMS messages\u2026 2 billion a year to be exact. Sending digital messages is at the core of what is called the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.govdelivery.co.uk\/solutions\/communications\/\">Communications Cloud<\/a>\u201d. Through a user interface that\u2019s so easy even I can use it, users either create messages with a simple WYSIWYG editor or they sit back and relax while RSS feeds from their existing website(s) do the work for them. These e-bulletins and messages then go out to however many thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people are signed up to receive them.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a lot messages, all going from organisations to people who have actively signed up to receive the updates. Excellent. And truly excellent delivery rates too.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, at time of writing GovDelivery connects 9.5 million citizens in the UK, all of whom receive targeted bulletins on the topics they\u2019re interested in. From recycling reminders to bad weather alerts to event updates to planning applications to job opportunities to health advice and much, much more besides. These are messages that can make people\u2019s lives easier, and better.<\/p>\n<p>To help organisations build trusting and better relationships with the citizens they serve, they have control over the look and feel of their e-bulletins, branding them for a seamless customer experience. Take a look at <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/downloads\/12-examples-of-awesome-public-sector-emails\/\">12 great emails from GovDelivery customers<\/a> to get some ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and if you think 9.5 million registered subscribers in the UK is a lot; GovDelivery actually has more than 120 million users worldwide. Put it this way, if GovDelivery were a country, it\u2019d be the ninth biggest in the world, just above Russia. And because we grow globally at a rate of 50,000 new users every 24 hours, it won\u2019t be long before we\u2019re taking over from Bangladesh in eighth position. Our community is already bigger than Spotify\u2019s.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">It&#8217;s not just emails<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>\u201cSo you send emails then?\u201d was the response when I tried explaining my new role to my family. Well, yes, but no. It\u2019s so much more than that.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, the Communications Cloud platform sends out messages and it does this via email \u2013 primarily because despite the best efforts of Facebook, Twitter et al, email is still the most ubiquitous comms channel out there and the most reliable. But if it was just about email then there are plenty of other platforms out there to use; GovDelivery\u2019s capabilities are deeper than this.<\/p>\n<p>The GovDelivery platform is a tool for getting meaningful messages out there to the people that need them. Think bitesize one-liners to get an emergency notification across, more in-depth newsletter-style updates with links to further info, drip campaigns which educate citizens and encourage behavioural change over time, <a href=\"https:\/\/govdelivery.wistia.com\/medias\/7q5ymyhrm7\">segmented campaigns<\/a> which evolve based on a subscriber\u2019s actions or socio-demographic characteristics, and messages which prompt action \u2013 transactions online, citizen feedback, event participation, and, easy contact with government.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve also invested in a brilliant one-way and two-way text messaging tool, allowing organisations to text citizens knowing that these messages get opened 98% of the time, and are read within 3 seconds of opening 90% of the time. These are jaw-dropping stats, especially when you have urgent information to get across. For example, see how the Centers for Disease Control is helping to <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/2016\/11\/17\/how-text-messaging-informs-travellers-to-helps-prevent-further-spread-of-zika\/\">curb the spread of Zika using text.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Using the two-way communication feature you can get users to text you back, following a simple tree of responses to send tailored questions and gather useful feedback. Hey, if it\u2019s good enough for my dentist &#8211; and for Sky, Vodafone and other big digital players &#8211; why isn\u2019t it good enough for you?!<\/p>\n<p>GovDelivery also has toes in open data (especially Drupal-friendly DKAN work), as well as a knowledge network for government called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govloop.com\/\">GovLoop<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s like Facebook but for \u201cgovvies\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>We also share a range of <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/downloads\/\">best practice guides and case studies<\/a> and run a load of webinars. So do have a browse at <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/resources\/\">govdelivery.co.uk<\/a> to see what\u2019s coming up. I recently moderated our webinar <a href=\"https:\/\/govdelivery.wistia.com\/medias\/3hl7219k1v\">Citizen Engagement that Supports Change in Modern Government<\/a>\u00a0which I recommend for anyone involved in communications and business transformation.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">Reach matters<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>We all know what Wembley stadium looks like, even if we\u2019ve not been there; imagine it empty but for a single person sitting in their seat. No matter how loud they shout and sing, no matter how engaged with the game they are, they are never going to be heard outside of the stands. The impact they can have is very limited.<\/p>\n<p>Now, imagine 1,000 people there. Better, yes, but again, even if every single one of them jumped up and down, the echo would only resound in the confines of that stadium. Also, odds are that not everyone will be singing, though the noise of 10% of them would do more than the single person they replaced.<\/p>\n<p>Then, fill Wembley to the rafters \u2013 90,000 bums on seats. Suddenly everything changes. There\u2019s a ripple effect \u2013 if she\u2019s singing, I will sing too. Even though many fans won\u2019t shout and sing, there is constant noise, and it\u2019s almost deafening. People outside the stadium know about it.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not that much of a stretch to point out that this correlates with the approach you should take to growing your audience, for government-citizen messages. Sending updates to the same small list you\u2019ve had for years simply isn\u2019t enough. You need to actively been trying to reach as many people as possible to increase the number of people engaging with your content, and actually DOING something about it.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/solutions\/network\/\">GovDelivery Network<\/a> is growing in the UK by 50,000 people every month. Joining it will help your organisation engage more people than ever before, all without you needing to do a single extra piece of outreach. The cross-promotion of your services happens automatically. And you\u2019ll be able to see the impact of collaborating with other organisations in the network using the simple analytics dashboards.<\/p>\n<p>Having 100 really engaged people is good. Having 100,000 is better.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">We get out and about &#8211; want to meet?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>In the past, I\u2019ve worked at places where I have been quietly pulled to one side and told \u2013 explicitly, clearly and in no uncertain terms \u2013 that my job was to stay at the office and not to go out to meet and speak with other people in other places. They had their jobs, I had mine; no good would come of going out into the world and trying to share ideas or collaborate with others.<\/p>\n<p>Take that thought and flip it on its head. That\u2019s GovDelivery.<\/p>\n<p>In the first month of my being here I\u2019ve attended events and conferences as varied as one on using digital communications platforms to generate income (attended by 20 people), to the GovDelivery <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%23ukcomm16&amp;src=typd\">#UKComm16<\/a> annual conference (attended by over 400 people). I\u2019ve been to meetings in Sussex, Surrey and across London, as well as spending the best part of a week in Liverpool at the LGComms Academy event. GovDelivery really commits itself to staying relevant to its customers, and getting under the skin of the challenges the public sector is facing.<\/p>\n<p>Our team gets out and about for sure. And I\u2019m up for many more chats and meetings about how we can help your organisation keep citizens informed, safe and well. Just drop me a line and I\u2019ll be there.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">Nice guys don&#8217;t have to finish last<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>This last point is a little introspective perhaps, but it\u2019s another one of those things which soon gets forgotten among the hubbub and acceptance of a new organisational culture. Professional doesn\u2019t mean po-faced. Brilliant doesn\u2019t mean boring. The GovDelivery team are reaffirming to me that you can be both supremely talented and passionate about your job while somehow still having a lot of fun (as anyone who joined us on the second night of LGComms will attest to).<\/p>\n<p>The team at GovDelivery has welcomed me into the fold with open arms and warm smiles \u2013 in the same way as they do with customers. I\u2019ve already started to refer to us as the \u2018GovDelivery family\u2019, which is the best way yet I\u2019ve found of describing the way the team supports clients and each other, while still pushing them to be even better than they currently are. Nothing makes my colleagues prouder than seeing success, which is celebrated all round every time.<\/p>\n<p>Not every office is like that. I\u2019ve looked around places before and counted on one finger the number of people I worked with that I\u2019d want to share a meal or a glass of wine with. So far, I\u2019ve not met a member of the GovDelivery family who I wouldn\u2019t want to spend time with. That matters a lot.<\/p>\n<p>What I\u2019m trying to convey is that this is a great team to work with both on a colleague basis and as a customer. Genuinely.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">The future<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>So what next? Where do we go from here? Well, I\u2019ll certainly continue getting out and speaking to people, trying to be helpful and connecting good ideas with good people. It would be wonderful if you \u2013 yes you, reading this \u2013 could <a href=\"mailto:glen.ocsko@govdelivery.com\">drop me a line<\/a> and let me know when would be good to speak over the phone or over a cup of something hot. We can share some ideas and look for an opportunity to collaborate. I\u2019m part of the GovDelivery family now, and I want to extend the same opportunity to you.<\/p>\n<p>Come on in. We have cookies.<\/p>\n","button":""}}]},"posts_slider_group":{"show_section":true,"posts_slider":[{"add_anchor":false,"anchor_name":"","background_color":"green","slider_subhead":"","slider_headline":"Discover More Blogs","slider_text":"","slider_type":"blog_posts","manual_resources":false,"slider_resource_tax":"recent","add_additional_filters":false,"department_filter":false,"market_filter":false,"outcome_filter":false,"product_filter":false,"region_filter":false,"solution_filter":false,"topic_filter":false,"slider_link":{"title":"View All Resources","url":"\/uk\/learning-center\/","target":""},"slider_link_icon":false}]},"centered_layout_builder_clone":{"flexible_page_builder_group":{"flexible_page_builder_fields":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","add_menu_anchor":false,"anchor_menu_text":"","wysiwyg_group":{"show_section":true,"alignment":"left","subhead":"","headline":"","wysiwyg":"<p>As you may have read, I recently joined the GovDelivery team here in the UK and am busy getting up to speed about how the company and its technologies work. This has entailed a lot of different types of learning, and as Dave Worsell put it, \u201cit\u2019s been like drinking from a fire hydrant\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Usually in new roles we quickly slip into the organisation\u2019s way of doing things and all too soon forget what it\u2019s like to be new. We forget the questions we asked, as well as the things we found surprising and interesting at first; before too long these become commonplace and pass\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I thought I\u2019d share five things I\u2019ve learnt since joining GovDelivery while they are still new to me.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">GovDelivery sends messages. A LOT of messages<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Okay, so if you know anything about GovDelivery then you\u2019ll know they send emails and SMS messages\u2026 2 billion a year to be exact. Sending digital messages is at the core of what is called the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.govdelivery.co.uk\/solutions\/communications\/\">Communications Cloud<\/a>\u201d. Through a user interface that\u2019s so easy even I can use it, users either create messages with a simple WYSIWYG editor or they sit back and relax while RSS feeds from their existing website(s) do the work for them. These e-bulletins and messages then go out to however many thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people are signed up to receive them.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a lot messages, all going from organisations to people who have actively signed up to receive the updates. Excellent. And truly excellent delivery rates too.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, at time of writing GovDelivery connects 9.5 million citizens in the UK, all of whom receive targeted bulletins on the topics they\u2019re interested in. From recycling reminders to bad weather alerts to event updates to planning applications to job opportunities to health advice and much, much more besides. These are messages that can make people\u2019s lives easier, and better.<\/p>\n<p>To help organisations build trusting and better relationships with the citizens they serve, they have control over the look and feel of their e-bulletins, branding them for a seamless customer experience. Take a look at <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/downloads\/12-examples-of-awesome-public-sector-emails\/\">12 great emails from GovDelivery customers<\/a> to get some ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and if you think 9.5 million registered subscribers in the UK is a lot; GovDelivery actually has more than 120 million users worldwide. Put it this way, if GovDelivery were a country, it\u2019d be the ninth biggest in the world, just above Russia. And because we grow globally at a rate of 50,000 new users every 24 hours, it won\u2019t be long before we\u2019re taking over from Bangladesh in eighth position. Our community is already bigger than Spotify\u2019s.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">It&#8217;s not just emails<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>\u201cSo you send emails then?\u201d was the response when I tried explaining my new role to my family. Well, yes, but no. It\u2019s so much more than that.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, the Communications Cloud platform sends out messages and it does this via email \u2013 primarily because despite the best efforts of Facebook, Twitter et al, email is still the most ubiquitous comms channel out there and the most reliable. But if it was just about email then there are plenty of other platforms out there to use; GovDelivery\u2019s capabilities are deeper than this.<\/p>\n<p>The GovDelivery platform is a tool for getting meaningful messages out there to the people that need them. Think bitesize one-liners to get an emergency notification across, more in-depth newsletter-style updates with links to further info, drip campaigns which educate citizens and encourage behavioural change over time, <a href=\"https:\/\/govdelivery.wistia.com\/medias\/7q5ymyhrm7\">segmented campaigns<\/a> which evolve based on a subscriber\u2019s actions or socio-demographic characteristics, and messages which prompt action \u2013 transactions online, citizen feedback, event participation, and, easy contact with government.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve also invested in a brilliant one-way and two-way text messaging tool, allowing organisations to text citizens knowing that these messages get opened 98% of the time, and are read within 3 seconds of opening 90% of the time. These are jaw-dropping stats, especially when you have urgent information to get across. For example, see how the Centers for Disease Control is helping to <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/2016\/11\/17\/how-text-messaging-informs-travellers-to-helps-prevent-further-spread-of-zika\/\">curb the spread of Zika using text.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Using the two-way communication feature you can get users to text you back, following a simple tree of responses to send tailored questions and gather useful feedback. Hey, if it\u2019s good enough for my dentist &#8211; and for Sky, Vodafone and other big digital players &#8211; why isn\u2019t it good enough for you?!<\/p>\n<p>GovDelivery also has toes in open data (especially Drupal-friendly DKAN work), as well as a knowledge network for government called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govloop.com\/\">GovLoop<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s like Facebook but for \u201cgovvies\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>We also share a range of <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/downloads\/\">best practice guides and case studies<\/a> and run a load of webinars. So do have a browse at <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/resources\/\">govdelivery.co.uk<\/a> to see what\u2019s coming up. I recently moderated our webinar <a href=\"https:\/\/govdelivery.wistia.com\/medias\/3hl7219k1v\">Citizen Engagement that Supports Change in Modern Government<\/a>\u00a0which I recommend for anyone involved in communications and business transformation.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">Reach matters<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>We all know what Wembley stadium looks like, even if we\u2019ve not been there; imagine it empty but for a single person sitting in their seat. No matter how loud they shout and sing, no matter how engaged with the game they are, they are never going to be heard outside of the stands. The impact they can have is very limited.<\/p>\n<p>Now, imagine 1,000 people there. Better, yes, but again, even if every single one of them jumped up and down, the echo would only resound in the confines of that stadium. Also, odds are that not everyone will be singing, though the noise of 10% of them would do more than the single person they replaced.<\/p>\n<p>Then, fill Wembley to the rafters \u2013 90,000 bums on seats. Suddenly everything changes. There\u2019s a ripple effect \u2013 if she\u2019s singing, I will sing too. Even though many fans won\u2019t shout and sing, there is constant noise, and it\u2019s almost deafening. People outside the stadium know about it.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not that much of a stretch to point out that this correlates with the approach you should take to growing your audience, for government-citizen messages. Sending updates to the same small list you\u2019ve had for years simply isn\u2019t enough. You need to actively been trying to reach as many people as possible to increase the number of people engaging with your content, and actually DOING something about it.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/govdelivery.co.uk\/solutions\/network\/\">GovDelivery Network<\/a> is growing in the UK by 50,000 people every month. Joining it will help your organisation engage more people than ever before, all without you needing to do a single extra piece of outreach. The cross-promotion of your services happens automatically. And you\u2019ll be able to see the impact of collaborating with other organisations in the network using the simple analytics dashboards.<\/p>\n<p>Having 100 really engaged people is good. Having 100,000 is better.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">We get out and about &#8211; want to meet?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>In the past, I\u2019ve worked at places where I have been quietly pulled to one side and told \u2013 explicitly, clearly and in no uncertain terms \u2013 that my job was to stay at the office and not to go out to meet and speak with other people in other places. They had their jobs, I had mine; no good would come of going out into the world and trying to share ideas or collaborate with others.<\/p>\n<p>Take that thought and flip it on its head. That\u2019s GovDelivery.<\/p>\n<p>In the first month of my being here I\u2019ve attended events and conferences as varied as one on using digital communications platforms to generate income (attended by 20 people), to the GovDelivery <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%23ukcomm16&amp;src=typd\">#UKComm16<\/a> annual conference (attended by over 400 people). I\u2019ve been to meetings in Sussex, Surrey and across London, as well as spending the best part of a week in Liverpool at the LGComms Academy event. GovDelivery really commits itself to staying relevant to its customers, and getting under the skin of the challenges the public sector is facing.<\/p>\n<p>Our team gets out and about for sure. And I\u2019m up for many more chats and meetings about how we can help your organisation keep citizens informed, safe and well. Just drop me a line and I\u2019ll be there.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">Nice guys don&#8217;t have to finish last<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>This last point is a little introspective perhaps, but it\u2019s another one of those things which soon gets forgotten among the hubbub and acceptance of a new organisational culture. Professional doesn\u2019t mean po-faced. Brilliant doesn\u2019t mean boring. The GovDelivery team are reaffirming to me that you can be both supremely talented and passionate about your job while somehow still having a lot of fun (as anyone who joined us on the second night of LGComms will attest to).<\/p>\n<p>The team at GovDelivery has welcomed me into the fold with open arms and warm smiles \u2013 in the same way as they do with customers. I\u2019ve already started to refer to us as the \u2018GovDelivery family\u2019, which is the best way yet I\u2019ve found of describing the way the team supports clients and each other, while still pushing them to be even better than they currently are. Nothing makes my colleagues prouder than seeing success, which is celebrated all round every time.<\/p>\n<p>Not every office is like that. I\u2019ve looked around places before and counted on one finger the number of people I worked with that I\u2019d want to share a meal or a glass of wine with. So far, I\u2019ve not met a member of the GovDelivery family who I wouldn\u2019t want to spend time with. That matters a lot.<\/p>\n<p>What I\u2019m trying to convey is that this is a great team to work with both on a colleague basis and as a customer. Genuinely.<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #0070c0;\">The future<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>So what next? Where do we go from here? Well, I\u2019ll certainly continue getting out and speaking to people, trying to be helpful and connecting good ideas with good people. It would be wonderful if you \u2013 yes you, reading this \u2013 could <a href=\"mailto:glen.ocsko@govdelivery.com\">drop me a line<\/a> and let me know when would be good to speak over the phone or over a cup of something hot. We can share some ideas and look for an opportunity to collaborate. I\u2019m part of the GovDelivery family now, and I want to extend the same opportunity to you.<\/p>\n<p>Come on in. We have cookies.<\/p>\n","button":""}}]}},"post_slider_clone":{"posts_slider_group":{"show_section":true,"posts_slider":[{"add_anchor":false,"anchor_name":"","background_color":"green","slider_subhead":"","slider_headline":"Discover More Blogs","slider_text":"","slider_type":"blog_posts","manual_resources":false,"slider_resource_tax":"recent","add_additional_filters":false,"department_filter":false,"market_filter":false,"outcome_filter":false,"product_filter":false,"region_filter":false,"solution_filter":false,"topic_filter":false,"slider_link":{"title":"View All Resources","url":"\/uk\/learning-center\/","target":""},"slider_link_icon":false}]}},"call_to_action":{"hide_call_to_action":false,"color":"red","custom_cta":false,"custom_subhead":"","custom_headline":"","custom_description":"","custom_link":null,"custom_image":false}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_posts\/40005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog_posts"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_market","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_market?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_dept","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_dept?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_type?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_region?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_outcomes","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_outcomes?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_topic?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_products","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_products?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_solutions?post=40005"},{"taxonomy":"resource_tax_services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_tax_services?post=40005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}