In the March/April 2023 issue, we spoke with Brianna Schreurs, the communications strategist for parks and recreation at the City of Sioux Falls, about social media marketing.
What are the benefits of social media marketing, and what are your goals at the City of Sioux Falls?
All of the city’s social channels inform residents. Whether it’s seasonal hiring to recruit lifeguards for city pools or snowplow updates, we try to keep our posts cut and dry to keep followers in-tune with city department happenings. Social media gives us the ability to be fun, quick and use multiple mediums of communicating.
Which social media platforms do you find most beneficial? Has this changed over the last couple of years?
Facebook is the city’s most-followed platform. Our Fire Rescue team uses TikTok to share safety messages and feature their crew’s personalities. The growth has been explosive and the TikToks are so fun.
What are your favorite metrics or reports for measuring engagement?
We’re big on volume — impressions and reach. When sharing important messages about snow alerts and severe weather, we want them seen by as many of our residents as possible.
What is your best advice for social media marketing in 2023? What trends do you predict to be most beneficial?
For the city, we are thinking about how to be more strategic with our social channels. For us, this means going back to the basics. We’re thinking about how people go to different networks for different reasons and how to say the same message multiple ways — meaning, keeping TikTok content funny and lighthearted while Facebook content keeps a resident up to date on city events and current events.
