Compared to the private sector, governments and public institutions face a unique set of challenges when it comes to communicating with customers. For starters, governments are held to higher standards to ensure government operations are transparent and accountable to the tax paying public. 

Not only that, but the volume of information that governments communicate to the public on a daily basis is extraordinary. Governments also have the unique responsibility to communicate complex and often life-saving information to entire populations. 

What’s more is the way in which governments communicate this information. Messaging must be clear, concise, simple enough so the majority can understand. That’s no small task, but there are many strategies available to make public communication a bit easier to manage. 

Here are the top three challenges of writing in government: 

1. Governments must communicate the same information to large, diverse audiences with different interests and backgrounds. 

When writing in the private sector, copywriters and marketers are trained to create a “client avatar” or customer profile. The profile is a compilation of characteristics, preferences, demographics, and other unique identifiers of a very specific audience. 

This unique set of characteristics allow writers to know who they are writing for. Writers choose words and emotions that speak directly to that specific audience, so the potential customer will ideally identify strongly enough with the message to take action. Understanding your audience at this deep a level helps to write copy that compels the intended audience to comply with your call to action.

Due to the service nature of government work, the purpose of government communication is often to inform and educate entire populations. Writers are put in a unique position when crafting public communication to an unspecified audience.

This is why many government communicators use plain language writing to ensure messaging is clear and can be understood by the majority. You can imagine how challenging it can be to explain complex matters using simple language, but government communicators do this every day. 

If complicated language or complex grammar is used, messaging can easily be taken out of context or misunderstood. This can result in accusations that governments are intentionally hiding or withholding information. Public trust in government can suffer as a result of vague or poorly written messaging.

One strategy local government writers can use in certain situations is to create a “resident avatar” to represent a specific neighborhood or issue area. This can help guide communication efforts for certain areas or groups. Check out our previous blog post on ways to develop a resident avatar. 

2. There is a higher purpose to government communication.

Compared with most business communication, the stakes are higher in government. Not only are governments uniquely responsible to communicate life saving information during emergencies, but also responsible to communicate information that impacts the quality of life of citizens. 

Local governments in particular must communicate changes to programs, upcoming impacts of construction activity, road closures, water quality issues, or delays in refuse pickup. This requires communication to be clear and concise to avoid confusion or ambiguity. 

Other forms of communication may ask for citizen participation, such as responding to surveys, providing feedback on an upcoming budget, or submitting service requests to 311. The level of community engagement is often influenced by how directions are communicated. Without clear guidance and instruction, citizens will not know how to participate or why their participation is important. 

Governments also communicate changes to policies and procedures that can result in penalties if not complied with. Levels of compliance influence that amount of resources dedicated to issuing warnings and fines, which can have budget implications. 

3. Governments are uniquely accountable to the public. 

Governments and other public institutions funded with tax dollars are uniquely accountable to the public. This means that most written documents created by public institutions are accessible to the public. 

Through the Freedom of Information Act, the public can request copies of everything from internal reports to emails and text messages. There are exceptions if a document is considered a working paper, classified or confidential, as determined by law. 

It can be challenging to conduct business in public without information being taken out of context and inciting panic, but this level of transparency is intended to keep governments and other public institutions accountable to the tax paying public.  

There is a delicate balance between keeping the public fully informed while also being able to make decisions efficiently and transparently as possible. 

Strategies to Writing Well in Government

Many of these challenges can be overcome by using the strategies outlined below. There are many other strategies, but here are a few to get you started:

• Use simple words that the majority will understand, and replace formal words with words that are easy-to-understand. 

• Keep sentences short and direct. Avoid any confusion by breaking up long sentences. It’s better to be direct than eloquent. 

• Know your main point before you write. If you’re writing something with length, write the main point of your message first. Make sure every paragraph and point refers back to the main point. This keeps your message clear and coherent. 

• Follow Plain Language guidelines. The Federal government issued plain language requirements for all Federal agencies to ensure the general public can understand government documents. Check out this post all about using plain language in local government communication. 

The stakes might be higher in government communication, which just means that writers need to pay closer attention to how messaging will be received. The main takeaway - write as simply as possible without removing important details or seeming too vague. Remember, writing (even in government) is an art, not a science! The more you practice, the easier it will become.