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The answer is a resounding yes. Many developed private sectors have indeed utilised social media not so much to their own advantage, but more importantly, to the advantage of those they have been elected to serve.

This article takes a look at the advantages of the government using social media to get their messages across and inform the public about their services. The perception is that mobile marketing tools, primarily those used to power social media platforms are open to abuse. Indeed, many users, whether private, well-known, or serving in public office, use devices to post short, shift comments, often illogical, to publicise personal, subjective opinions on issues of the day or personal information that the public would not have been privy to otherwise.

Many private companies’, already utilizing mobile marketing strategies, have already put in place checks and balances to curb abusive, non-corporate behaviour on their mobile devices and company platforms. Let’s be clear about this; crass manipulation of social media is a universal issue. But through teamwork and the erudite application of censoring mechanisms, personal abuse can be curbed.

Like the corporate world already does, the government should be using social media to promote services to taxpayers, ratepayers and all civilians. It can serve as an effective gateway to a long list of services previously held to be cumbersome and extremely difficult to obtain. Think about one or two scenarios to promote government’s utilization of social media. By using short, easy to understand texts accompanied by video presentations, social media users can learn quickly how to go about applying for passports and visas without having to stand in long queues and fill in reams of forms.

This article is based on surveys conducted by a marketing analyst, Swapnil Kulkarni, of VoucherBin UK, which also conducts research and surveys and provides analyses across some sectors, particularly news media platforms and the corporate sector.