The town of South Berwick should beef up its website and its social media presence, consider hiring a part-time communication coordinator, and work more closely with local media outlets.
These were among the recommendations of a public relations consultant hired by the town to look at its communication with the public.
Without a dedicated communication coordinator, it has been challenging for the South Berwick town staff to do effective public outreach, according to a 23-page report put together by Barbara McCleod of CrossCurrent Communications of Kittery.
“It has been challenging for the current small staff to address community engagement and public relations demands,” said the report, which noted the audit was meant to help the town better “inform citizens, disseminate accurate information, and lead to a more engaged general public.”
The report praised staff members for “an excellent job of keeping the website updated and working within the constraints of limited technology.” It also praised the town’s monthly newsletter, the South Berwick Journal, but suggested it could have more impact if the town invested in software that would let it email its newsletter, among other things.
Since the report was given to the town staff in May, officials have followed the recommendations to update the website’s contact page, town history, list of resources, and Community Center page, according to Assistant Town Manager Jennifer Janelle, who summarized the report at the July 22 Town Council meeting.
The town has also given users more information on how to use the drop down menus and how to find the South Berwick Journal newsletter, Janelle said. In the near future, she added, the town plans to establish an Instagram account, increase the font size of the newsletter, write shorter posts on Facebook, and post more often, as recommended.
The consultant, who was paid $2,500 by the town to complete the audit, recommended a more strategic approach to social media, including a town Instagram page.
“The South Berwick social media presence should be greatly improved and expanded,” the report said. “It’s an important tool to engage with the community and makes sharing information easy.”
For instance, the consultant recommended more announcements or photos of community events on the Facebook page, as well as sharing more about the South Berwick community and local businesses to “generate more engagement than lengthy posts or formal announcements.”
The report also stressed the town’s need to work with the South Berwick Reporter.
“Be responsive to media requests and understand the importance of timely responses,” the report said, recommending a weekly call between the town manager or staff and the South Berwick Reporter staff “to reduce friction and help with the flow of timely information.”
It suggested the town and the Reporter “have shared goals: an engaged, informed citizenry who can access information they need to thrive and find answers to questions,” and proposed a Communications Working Group that would meet monthly, “creating a pathway for collaboration.”
Regarding the South Berwick Reporter, Janelle encouraged correspondents at the online news source to “give us a call and ask questions” in efforts to provide coverage of town news.
The report noted the town has no emergency notification system and suggested it adopt a mass notification system to deliver important messages to a large number of people simultaneously, ensuring timely and accurate information.
The goal, CrossCurrent concluded, is “to strengthen trust and transparency between South Berwick and its residents, and to increase civic engagement and improve the town’s reputation in Maine and beyond.”
Finally, the audit cited the need for “a dedicated professional to implement the recommendations in this report.”
Each of these recommendations as well as many other suggestions are spelled out in more detail in the audit report. In addition, the report indicates problem areas with each page of the website and with social media sites.
Following Janelle’s report, Councilor Melissa Costella suggested a sign in front of Town Hall to announce meetings or events like the upcoming National Night Out. “It is very simple, but it works,” Costella said.
Councilor John James stated, “I commend our staff and organizations like the South Berwick Reporter for getting the word out” about town news and events.
“I commend everybody in town for what they have done,” he said, referring to both Town Hall and Reporter staffs. “You’ve really done a lot.”
