![Image of google hot searches page. recovery.gov results.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwxRNnFOy2AJkGHLeHOnFxVZhXROItCViP9k3uakPN832jHMRFCgJGLnjF_erM9vnzBUmIAOusQlchWy6jsMlv6WgBNhqYyYZFHhrvbA-a0GLMaKduVoK5KMslDkG7aFXobKChyy-Ijc/s400/Picture+1.png)
President Obama, in his weekly video address spoke about a new "under construction" website called recovery.gov.
Next to immediately, people flocked to google and made the search for recovery.gov "spicy" (I guess that's google for "hot.")
![Image of under construction recovery.gov site](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFwehtYt_fOCGyoMRB_kipc2QudaFsIteVlv7lVjNjGiBUYCI74BNtPM7a8UT3Jd82DrNC26RNJgRkCPFG-tZKBYv6_04sawx8V1aWvDkaIR8e_Cdwp3HK9mstO6qpItobmcACtCBH-4/s320/Picture+2.png)
The President has the power to drive people to a web site by saying "something dot-gov." And he is using the power of the Internet and the echo-effect of social media to broadcast further than a radio address. (Although, I hope he continues to broadcast his address on radio, too, for that audience that might never get to You Tube.)
This administration is providing one case-study after another in harnessing the power of multi-channel communications. While most agencies do not have the reach of the White House and President Obama, these techniques can be used on a smaller scale to broadcast messages to specific audiences and stakeholders.
It's important to remember that it will take time to build your own electronic network. So, a few things to keep in mind:
- Start by tracking usage from day one. You won't know how far you have come if you don't know where you started. First day, zero.
- Have an idea of where you want to be. A great thing about social media is that it's easy to find benchmarks--the data is frequently right there. See how other agencies, non-profits, companies do with their video views, Technorati rankings (for blogs), rss subscribers. Also, check-in with your dot-gov colleagues and ask them about their numbers. (See www.webcontent.gov to find folks.)
- Figure out how to use current tools, like email and your current website, to drive your audience.
- Be consistent in your efforts. People need to learn to count on your information. This is a long-term process.
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