Past Webinars

5/9/23 - Fast, Free, and Fabulous: Filling Your Toolbox with New, Effective Strategies

In this highly engaging session Josh Hirsch will peel back the curtain and share how local governments can use email campaigns to build a relationship with residents, how to use social media to boost engagement, and how to use video content to further deepen relationships. True to form, Josh will share some of his favorite tools that every communications professional should have at the ready.

Josh Hirsch has worked in the nonprofit sector since 2006 with a focus on educational philanthropy. He has an extensive background in social media, digital communications, and marketing. He has spoken nationally on digital communications and has had numerous articles published in professional journals. He is a favorite of many 3CMA members with his focus on finding great resources at little to no cost!

4/13/23 - Ten Completely Made-Up Words That Will Change Your Life

Having the opportunity to hear from a nationally-recognized leader in innovation is huge. When that person understands and focuses on local government, it is an event you can't miss! That innovation is showcased in a unique discussion related to words! Part of our challenge is knowing what words to use as communication professionals, but what about when the words never existed? How can completely made-up words reframe what we do and how we do it? This informative and provocative webinar will help us learn new ways to engage with our residents, coworkers, friends, families, and, most importantly, ourselves. Yes, it will be silly—and serious—but most of all, it will be a lot of fun. Kittle, a nationally-renown civic innovator and author of Sustainovation, will use one of his favorite techniques, Sniglets, to help us explore the world through a new lens. So if you’re tired of the same-old words and the same-old meaning, join us for this one-hour event to help you approach life differently!


3/21/2023 - Taking Your Social Media to the Next Level - Say Yes to Engagement

Take your social content to the next level with simple tips, reminders, and ideas for creating more engaging, entertaining, dynamic, and--most importantly--effective social content. Fall in love with your feed again! 

3/7/2023 - Taking Your Social Media to the Next Level - Content Planning 101

How to identify key talking points tailored for your community and develop a content plan and schedule that will actually make your work easier, faster, and more effective. Too good to be true? Maybe! But definitely worth checking it out to see for yourself!

2/9/2023 - A Facebook Insider’s Perspective – Bringing Communities Together

One way to enhance relationships with your residents is by building meaningful communities on Facebook. Join us for an inside look at exactly how to do that with Pamela Tyll Radisek, a Facebook Fellow and Power Admin. With her experience assisting many local government projects, she will give insight into the community engagement cycle, highlight new tools and programs, and share ways to build greater community participation. 

You will walk away with a: 

  • Overview of current and relevant Facebook programs 
  • Deep understanding of the community engagement cycle
  • Primer on new tools benefiting government entities on the platform

1/11/2023 - Managing Your S.E.L.F. in Times of Change and Crisis 

Working in local government has always required integrity, resilience, and the ability to juggle multiple crises simultaneously while maintaining a professional demeanor… but the past few years ratcheted the load up to a whole new level. As burnout rates increase, how can you continue to serve your community and take care of yourself? In this session, communication and life coach Rachel Beohm will give you mindset shifts and practical skills that you can use to manage your Stress, Energy, Load, and Framework.

You will discover:

  • How to change your relationship with stress
  • Simple ways you can boost your mood and energy levels throughout the day
  • Personal values that can help or hinder your productivity
  • And more!

Begin the year with tools that will support your well-being during times of change and crisis.

11/3/2022 - The Science of a Great Call to Action

It's not enough to simply create campaigns to inform your residents - you also need calls to action that people are likely to accept and act on. Too often, these public campaigns focus on awareness but leave people wondering exactly what to do. The results can be life-threatening at their worst, or simply meaningless. 

But a well-crafted call to action empowers communities and helps you focus your resources where they can have the greatest effect.  A great call to action makes it easier to get measurable results that accomplish your goals and desired outcomes. 

In this webinar, you'll learn the importance of focusing your calls to action on individuals who can make a difference, understand how to apply social norming to your communication efforts, and apply social, behavioral, and cognitive science to motivate people to act. You'll leave with a framework to ensure that your calls to action inspire people to act. (realgoodcenter.jou.ufl.edu)

Presenter: 
Ann Searight Christiano is the founder and director of the Center for Public Interest Communications, where she and her colleagues work with partners around the world to apply social, behavioral, and cognitive science to massive communications challenges. Their work has included partnerships with the UN Agency on Refugees, the International Labour Organization, the City of Gainesville, the Manufacturing Institute, the Center for Coastal Solutions, and dozens more.

They've worked on issues as diverse as building confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, generating support for investments in global health, ending forced and child labor, fighting red tide blooms, and increasing engagement with the arts. The Center presents the frank gathering each year in Gainesville, Florida, where the leading minds in social change gather to share their best ideas.

10/11/2022 - Ten Social Media Trends to Track Into 2023

What social media trends should government communicators keep an eye on in the coming year? It’s a question on most communicators’ minds every year. In this session, Arik Hanson, adjunct professor, long-time blogger, and founder of Arik Hanson Social Media, will share ten social media trends he believes will emerge in the year ahead — based on research, data, and real-world examples. His engaging style and data-driven recommendation will ensure you come away from this webinar with fresh ideas and approaches to chew on and integrate into your plans for the rest of 2022—and into 2023.

Presenter: Arik Hanson
With more than 25 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry, Arik has been providing midsized and Fortune 500-level companies across the U.S. with customized social media audits, strategies, coaching, and content development as the founder of Arik Hanson Social Media for the last 13 years (arikhanson.com).

8/16/2022 - Social Media and the First Amendment – Monitoring Controversy and Comments on Government Accounts

What do you do when a comment appears on your social media feed that’s contrary to your agency’s values or ignites controversy with the public? Or when an elected official demands to have comments removed from a city social channel? Do you know what you can (and cannot) post on social media during a crisis like a pandemic or civil unrest? How do you create a practical social media policy? This 3CMA Webinar with Mark Weaver will answer these questions and more. He is a renowned attorney who understands the nuances of local government and public safety communications and offers practical advice to put you on solid ground when challenges arise. 

Knowing how the First Amendment applies to your social media feeds can protect you from lawsuits, legal fees, and damages. This won’t be dry legal humdrum – instead, expect funny, real-life examples that will make your social media feeds better and smarter. 

Learn about: 

  • Whether your social media is a “public forum”
  • What social media content is protected as free speech 
  • How to write a social media policy that withstands a legal challenge
  • When you can delete comments 
  • When you can block users 
  • Best practices to avoid successful legal challenges 

Webinar Handouts

7/13/2022 - The Good, The Bad, and The Neutral – Everything You Want to Know About Sentiment Analysis

In recent years, sentiment analysis has become common practice across sectors for market research, specifically in local government communication. What does “sentiment analysis” actually mean? What capabilities does it have? How can you put it to use day-to-day when communicating with residents and evaluating the reach and impact of your work?

In this session, we will hear about national trends in resident feedback through the sentiment lens and highlight the power of Artificial Intelligence in this context in balance with the abilities and needs of a human touch. We will also hear from a local government communicator in California and the co-owner of an external affairs firm on how they use sentiment analysis to inform communication decisions and internal processes. You’ll leave with a stronger understanding of sentiment analysis and how it can benefit you and your organization.

6/7/2022 & 6/14/2022 - Let’s Hope Your Crisis Waits Until After This Training

This two-part webinar training is designed to help you prepare for and implement an effective crisis response for any situation (especially when it comes to social media). It also will include strategies to build trust and empathy to position your organization as the best-trusted source during a crisis. The presenter, Bronlea Mishler, teaches social media and crisis communications and helps develop the curriculum for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, Argonne National Laboratories, and FEMA's Emergency Management Institute.

Session 1, June 7: Planning Today for a Crisis Tomorrow

It's not IF but WHEN a crisis will happen. Managing that crisis successfully (especially on social media) takes preparation and planning. And let's be honest: Trying to make a plan in the midst of an emergency isn't ideal. In this webinar, we'll talk about ways to set yourself and your communications team up for social media success right now.  You'll walk away with ideas for what to include - or change - in your social media crisis communications plan, ideas for integrating social media into existing training, checklists of what to do in the first hours of a crisis, and a cheat sheet of first-hour social media holding statements.

Session 2, June 14:  Trust, Empathy & Effective Engagement In A Crisis

Managing social media engagement during a crisis is both an art and a science - and there's no guarantee of success. So what's the secret? Equal parts trust and empathy with a dash of take-a-deep breath-before-you-post-that. In this webinar, we'll discuss ways to position your agency as a trusted source, the importance of credible information-sharing (and how to verify that information), and ways to engage effectively by reading between the lines and applying tried-and-true risk communication strategies.

5/4/2022 - RETHINK - New Perspectives on Old Problems

Join renowned author and urbanist Peter Kageyama for this special deep dive session into the recurring problems every city/county faces. Peter, a keynote speaker for 3CMA’s upcoming Annual Conference in Portland this September, will offer new and interesting perspectives on issues such as parking, community engagement, public input, security, and even public art.  Learn how to change the narrative around these troublesome issues, further your community’s brand and engagement, and help your elected officials become better advocates and storytellers for your community. You’ll leave inspired and with proven strategies to address community issues effectively.

4/20/2022 - Creating Compelling Content With Your Smart Phone

Want to build your expertise and confidence when shooting video with your smartphone?  In this live webinar, Kerry Shearer, "The Livestream Expert," will show you the secrets to getting usable shots every time so you can quickly create compelling videos for your agency!

Kerry's a former PIO, so he knows all about the time pressure and multiple tasks you're juggling. He'll show you his tips, tricks, apps, and tech so you can do a better job quickly creating videos you're proud of!

Kerry will connect up multi-camera video studio to Zoom so you can experience live demos, video playback, and have an engaging, interactive experience!

You'll learn how to get great b-roll shots every time, how to shoot an interview, and what smartphone accessories you need for professional results. He'll show you the keys to doing a great live stream and the three things most PIOs miss when doing a direct-to-camera Facebook Live update during a crisis.

Whether you're looking for Smartphone 101 tips or have been producing smartphone videos for some time, Kerry will have ideas to share for all levels of communicators/producers.

3/23/2021 - Changing the Way You Listen

Are you listening to voices from throughout your community, or do the “usual customers” that appear at your government meetings seem to be the only voices heard? Your ability to truly listen links directly to your brand management because a brand lives in the minds of the organization's stakeholders rather than on the pages of a branding guide.

In this webinar with the renowned and ever-popular leaders of the TCU Certified Public Communicators program, you will hear insights on how your city or county can improve its engagement and brand management with all audiences, especially with people who may be underrepresented in decision-making spaces. In this interactive session, you will learn how to inventory your organization’s listening architecture and create new pathways for communication through old channels and new ones. You will also be challenged to build listening ambassadors inside your city or county, welcoming new ideas and change along the way as you begin to hear more about your stakeholders' needs. This session will keep your branding efforts alive and well, using a strategy of listening excellence.

2/24/2022 - Conquering (or at least understanding) the Polar Divide in Your Community

If you sense that your residents are more polarized on every issue than ever before – you’re right! This 3CMA webinar will dive deep into the data to help attendees understand what has changed and how it impacts how people look at others who think differently than them. Political Communication Scholar Dr. Myiah Hutchens has researched how thinking has changed over time and what seems to move the needle towards people being more open to different opinions and ideas. The result will likely surprise you, and it will have direct application to the work you do every day in resident engagement. She will share her findings on the causes and consequences of exposure to information a person disagrees with and strategies to make those conversations more productive.

This webinar will empower you with facts, data, and a greater understanding of dramatic shifts in responses from people from all political parties and across generations. Hutchens was recently the top-rated speaker at a symposium for senior communicators and is engaging and thought-provoking. Best of all, she sees reasons for hope that there is some movement back towards tolerance! You won’t want to miss it.

1/27/2022 - Keeping the Trust After Earning the Seat

Start 2022 off right by ensuring this is the year your city/county leaders look to you as a strategic partner whose perspective and guidance are needed on all key issues. We’ve brought a diverse and experienced panel together to help you focus on getting your seat at the decision-making table and keeping the trust once you are there. They will share approaches to leading your decision makers to view communications as essential for overall strategy versus simply providing tactical services. We’ll include candid discussions that focus on building relationships, expanding your sphere of influence, and even what to do when you hit those dead ends or are asked to communicate decisions that have already been made. 

11/16/2021 - Effective Problem Solving - Solutions from the Best of the Best

It’s easy to identify challenges in local government. Finding effective solutions – perhaps, not so easy. Join us for a solution-oriented webinar with the 2021 3CMA Savvy Diamond Award winners and walk away with strategies to help address critical issues in your city or county.

We’ll hear from Heather Bates, in Temple, Texas, where strong research showed some negative perceptions of the city, leading to the development of a Welcome Home Guide that directly addressed incorrect assumptions. They also developed an implementation plan targeted at those who could best influence those perceptions.

In Round Rock, Texas, Sara Bustilloz helped lead an inspiring plan to share the stories of how city employees responded to the community’s needs during Winter Storm Uri. With minimal video footage, they turned to blogs with multimedia elements including audio clips from employees, to enhance credibility and demonstrate great value and heart.

And in Hampton, Virginia, Dacia Walker will highlight a new branding campaign envisioned as a way to build a stronger sense of community and identity. Based upon a branding study showing a lack of awareness about what the city had to offer, the solution was a set of unique, recognizable icons that creatively capture the city’s essence and tell different parts of Hampton’s story.

The stories and case studies from these three winners of 3CMA’s Diamond Awards, honoring founders Dick and Pam Lillquist, will provide approaches and techniques to use in your city/county. It will also give you ideas on how to make your next Savvy Award entry a top winner.

10/28/2021 - It Takes More Than Good Questions: Garnering & Using Community Survey Research

Knowing what your residents think and want from local government is more important than ever for government communicators. The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed our world and made it increasingly difficult for local governments to gather input that is truly representative of their community.

In this 3CMA Webinar, you’ll hear from Chris Tatham, an international authority on survey research and data analytics, who has managed surveys for more than 800 city/county governments. He will share the best practices in community survey research from what you can do on your own to when you might want to consider outside assistance.  You'll see comparative benchmarking data for a wide range of communication-related topics and learn how to transform complex survey data into messages that local elected officials can understand.  Whether you are gauging customer satisfaction, the effectiveness of your communication work, or priorities for investment, you’ll leave this webinar ready to find accurate feedback and actionable results.

8/17/2021 - Politics at Work - Balancing the Risks of Activism by Employees

It’s difficult enough walking the tightrope of political activism by elected officials, but what is a local government communicator to do when employee activism within City Hall begins impacting your reputation in the community? It could be a public safety employee posting inappropriate statements on his/her personal Facebook page. It could be a city employee initiating a local media story about the city allowing workers to wear BLM or MAGA hats, or both! It may be up to HR to set the policy, but you are the one battling the impact on your city or county’s reputation. Jon Goldberg, the founder of Reputation Architects, will speak with 3CMA members and guests about balancing the risk of political and social activism by employees. Topics explored will include:

  • Do employers have a right to take action against employees who engage in controversial speech of activities outside the workplace?
  • Where do employees’ free speech rights begin and end?
  • Must employers police their workers’ political conversations around the water cooler?
  • How do employers strike the correct balance between treating workers lawfully, respecting diversity of thought, and protecting their reputations from harm?

Jon’s presentation will help you learn more about these growing risks and how to keep your local government out of the public spotlight – and out of court – at the same time.

7/14/2021 - Straight From the Top: Building a Presence on Facebook and Instagram

The July 14. 2021, Webinar on Building a Presence on Facebook and Instagram is restricted from being shared. We are pleased to provide the following resources from the outstanding team at Facebook and Instagram. The outstanding staff at Facebook has provided the following resources and information to assist you in your ongoing engagement and use of FB and Instagram. We are also excited to announce the FB team is now confirmed for a presentation at the 3CMA Annual Conference in St. Louis, September 8-10. You can learn more and register to attend at  https://www.3cma.org/64/Annual-Conference.

Accessing Government Policy and Advocacy (GPA) Support 

Visit the GPA Help Portal, and submit your help request directly through the form on the site. If you don’t see the form, join our GPA Facebook Group first, and then you will see the form after you refresh the form page.

Facebook Resources for GPA 

 Instagram Resources for GPA 

 Government, Politics, and Advocacy Specific Resources

6/9/2021 - How Journey Mapping Will Improve Your Website Effectiveness

When a resident or visitor comes to your local government website, you want it to be an easy and informative experience with citizen-centric content and services. Still, how do you gauge the effectiveness and what steps can you take to improve? This 3CMA workshop w

The July 14. 2021, Webinar on Building a Presence on Facebook and Instagram is restricted from being shared. We are pleased to provide the following resources from the outstanding team at Facebook and Instagram. The outstanding staff at Facebook has provided the following resources and information to assist you in your ongoing engagement and use of FB and Instagram. We are also excited to announce the FB team is now confirmed for a presentation at the 3CMA Annual Conference in St. Louis, September 8-10. You can learn more and register to attend at  https://www.3cma.org/64/Annual-Conference.

Accessing Government Policy and Advocacy (GPA) Support 

Visit the GPA Help Portal, and submit your help request directly through the form on the site. If you don’t see the form, join our GPA Facebook Group first, and then you will see the form after you refresh the form page.

The July 14. 2021, Webinar on Building a Presence on Facebook and Instagram is restricted from being shared. We are pleased to provide the following resources from the outstanding team at Facebook and Instagram. The outstanding staff at Facebook has provided the following resources and information to assist you in your ongoing engagement and use of FB and Instagram. We are also excited to announce the FB team is now confirmed for a presentation at the 3CMA Annual Conference in St. Louis, September 8-10. You can learn more and register to attend at  https://www.3cma.org/64/Annual-Conference.

Accessing Government Policy and Advocacy (GPA) Support 

Visit the GPA Help Portal, and submit your help request directly through the form on the site. If you don’t see the form, join our GPA Facebook Group first, and then you will see the form after you refresh the form page.

ill help you understand how to map the customer journey and create inclusive content to help residents engage with your government whether in-person or online. The workshop will highlight key user-centered design principles, and learning skills and techniques for journey mapping, digitizing, testing, and improving web content. 

This 1.5-hour event was highly interactive and held in a Zoom meeting format. Participants were encouraged to have their websites available to perform their own analysis and review. 

Whether you’re directly in charge of the website, provide content, or lead the web team, this Abworkshop will leave you with a bucket full of new ideas and approaches that can lead to improved experiences for your community.

5/18/2021 - Step Up and Lead – Enhancing Your Leadership Skill Step Up and Lead Webinar

Frank Viscuso, Ret., former Deputy Fire Chief for the Town of Kearny, NJ and sought after internationally recognized speaker, presented this hour and a half webinar with the same title as his best-selling book, Step Up and Lead.  The webinar focused on:

  • Critiquing others (how to do it right)
  • Delegating (the who, what, where, when, and why of delegating)
  • Dealing with difficult people (internally and externally)  
  • Leading a team through change and difficult times
  • Building morale (8 tips to increase morale)
  • Mentoring and succession planning
  • The post-incident analysis (what is it and why every team should do it)

A recording is not available.

4/7/2021 - Making Sense of Section 230, The Law Communicators Love to Hate

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act may only be 26 words long, but those words have caused confusion and concern for communicators, web hosts, platforms, and even politicians. If you’re not familiar with it or wonder how it can impact your outreach and communication online, you will definitely want to be a part of this webinar.

On its face, the law is simple – platforms are not legally responsible for the acts of their users, and platforms may take down or edit any posts of their users without legal consequence. Legislators are currently debating whether this gives companies such as Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and Google too much power to manage speech on their platforms, especially as some critics, including the former president, accuse them of being biased against them for political reasons. Further complicating matters is the First Amendment, which gives private businesses such as internet platforms the freedom to decide what speech they wish to host and what speech they do not.

In this webinar, attorney and media law professor Chip Stewart will discuss what Section 230 was intended to do, what it covers and what it doesn’t, what people regularly misunderstand about it, and what all of this means for public communicators.

2/23/2021 - Surviving the Strain of a Global Pandemic and Handling the Challenges of 2021

The year 2020 presented countless challenges resulting in heightened stress and emotion across the globe. 3CMA members have been, and continue to be, on the front lines dealing with the prolonged traumatic impacts from COVID-19 and much more. In this 3CMA webinar, Deborah Beidel, Ph.D., ABPP, shared data on the social and psychological effects of the global pandemic. She also provided strategies to help you and your colleagues cope with the unique stressors presented during this time.

Her presentation includes suggestions on how you can support your friends, family, and coworkers, and even manage the most difficult residents in your community. Dr. Beidel, who directs UCF RESTORES at the University of Central Florida, is a leading expert on anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Members only exclusive content.  Want to become a member?  Click here for membership information.

1/14/2021 - 2021 Is Here! Don't Break the Rules!

2021 — a new year filled with hope and promise. And yes, we are all ready! While 3CMA members may be best known for finding ways to break the rules of government constraints, this webinar will focus on the “Unbreakable Rules of Marketing” with author and speaker Cathey Armillas. Her 90-minute session, tailored to the work of local government communicators, is designed to get people to love you, your city/county, your services, and your causes. Her clear, direct, actionable message will help ensure your marketing is even more successful and that 2021 is your best year yet!

Cathey presented at 3CMA’s Annual Conference in Portland in 2012 and was among the highest-ranked speakers/sessions. She has presented to companies and organizations around the globe and is an award-winning author. She is also widely recognized for creating the “How to ROCK a TED Talk” program. You can learn more and sign up for weekly marketing tips at catheyarmillas.com

Members only exclusive content.  Want to become a member?  Click here for membership information.

11/19/2020 - Using Technology to Save Time and Energy

The pace of life as a local government communicator is not for the weak of heart. Add in the demands of 2020 and we all feel like hamsters on a never-ending treadmill. Join us for this 3CMA webinar where two experienced government communicators, Jay Warren from the City of Arlington, Texas and Marnie Schubert from the City of Queen Creek, Arizona,  share tips on how technology can help take some of the burdens off your plate. They will also share advice on prioritizing work, finding ways to eliminate or shift work demands, and the importance of a reasonable work/life balance.

10/28/2020 - Saying Her Name – The Case Of Atatiana Jefferson and What It Can Teach Us About Community Listening

Black lives matter in our communities. Listening may provide one pathway for action and reconciliation. Using the Atatiana Jefferson tragedy in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 12, 2019, as a starting point, this webinar provided perspectives on how cities listen during critical incidents. Her tragic murder, tied to national discussions about police brutality and power, also led to local protests and conversations about unmet promises of change by the city and its police force.

In the webinar, Drs. Ashley English and Jacque Lambiase reviewed the frameworks for how organizations listen to stakeholders under ideal circumstances, and how organizations can demonstrate the impact of that listening even on the toughest topics. Along with co-researcher Julie O'Neil at TCU, the two speakers are conducting a case study and in-depth interviews focused on this tragic incident. They will trace subsequent developments in the Fort Worth community, as well as offer recommendations for changing the ways that cities listen to residents and other stakeholders.

Members only exclusive content.  Want to become a member?  Click here for membership information.

9/29/2020 & 10/6/2020 The Public Servants' Survival Guide – Ten Keys to Help Reclaim Your Joy in Work and Life

We all can feel close to burnout or are so busy we don't take the time for self-reflection or evaluation. Add to the normal stresses of your demanding job the onslaught of challenges presented in 2020! This two-series webinar is designed to help you head off a breakdown with an opportunity for a breakthrough. 

Author and speaker Brenda Viola will walk you through the ten keys to help reclaim your joy in work and life, as detailed in her book The Public Servants’ Survival Guide, the #1 new release on Amazon for government management in January 2020. The book focuses on unsung heroes, like you, who directly affect the quality of life in a community and impact people, literally, where they live. This is legacy work and while it may energize you, the demands on your time, energy, and attention can drain even the most resilient.

Best of all Brenda knows a bit about what it’s like to be in your shoes. She spent a decade working hand in glove with all aspects of government in her role as an award-winning Public Information Officer. Real-life examples will engage you and tangible takeaways will empower you to see with new eyes areas where you can make changes to renew your enthusiasm for your work - and your life.

A former news anchor and reporter, she shares that the most interest surrounding her resume is from her brief stint as a QVC Show Host! What is the "Why?" behind her current work? "Nothing makes me happier than to see the spark return in the eyes of a dedicated employee. I know the difference encouragement can make.  And I consider it a privilege to serve those who so selflessly serve our communities with excellence." 

For several years, an outlet for this desire to encourage others has been her inspirational blog or her 10,000+ member Facebook community (@BrendaViola722). She is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and resides in Sarasota, FL.

8/19/2020 - Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste: The Fierce Urgency of Now

Uncertainty, upheaval, resentment. COVID-19, protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, impacts of shutdowns on local economies and local government budgets – all in the shadow of a showdown national election. In this crisis, will local government communications specialists be spectators, victims, or leaders? Where do we find the personal resilience to withstand the stress? Can we seize new opportunities in these dark times?

One of America’s most visionary local government practitioners takes on these questions in a provocative 3CMA webinar that addresses strategies for today while taking a look at what we can expect in the years to come.

Rick Cole, former Mayor of Pasadena, City Manager in three other California cities, Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation in Los Angeles and one of Governing Magazine’s “Public Officials of the Year,” will talk about new opportunities to communicate inside our organizations, to communicate with our communities, and to sustain and amplify our passion for public service. Cole, one of the first presidents of 3CMA, will focus on transforming the way we operate to create 21st Century governments -- “to design a government that looks more like the iPhone than the rotary phone.”

7/9/2020 & 7/16/2020 Unconscious Bias Training for Local Government Communicators

In every community across America and beyond, important conversations, events, and protests are taking place on the issue of social justice and equity. 3CMA’s commitment is to go beyond our written statement of support, to also provide needed resources and training to help our members, as leaders and communicators in local governments. 

Presented by LaTonya J. Pegues, known as “The Unconscious Bias Trainer.” LaTonya is the founder and CEO of BOAZ Enterprises, a training, consulting, communications, and marketing firm. She has provided training at the 2019 International City/County Management Association Conference, the Texas City Management Association Conference, as a keynote speaker at South by Southwest, and for clients across the globe. She hosts a weekly Unconscious Bias Trainer blog and frequent podcasts. Follow her on social media @theUBtrainer or visit www.theUBtrainer.com.

How to be More Inclusive in Your Municipalities’ Community Engagement and Public Outreach

With the nation experiencing civil unrest and protests in over 700 cities, this may be a good time to re-evaluate your community engagement strategy.

In this course, we will discuss ways to find the holes in your approach to community engagement, how to prepare to listen to new voices and their public comments, as well as strategies on how to be more inclusive in your public engagement and public outreach efforts.

Members only exclusive content.  Want to become a member?  Click here for membership information.

How to Address Microaggressions and Known Offensive Language in Your Department/Municipality

As more conversations around excessive force, inequities, and various forms of negative bias are happening in communities around the world, the discussions are taking place with more directness and intentionality and sometimes using micro-aggressions and offensive language. In the work environment (virtual or in-person) the use of microaggressions can reduce morale and reduce productivity in the workplace.

Members only exclusive content.  Want to become a member?  Click here for membership information.

6/10/2020 - What and Who Are You Listening To? Using the Right Input for Important Decisions

What are the biggest COVID-19 risks in your community - and for who? Are lockdown protesters the tip of the iceberg or the outliers? What are the needs and concerns that you aren’t hearing about?

You need public input to answer questions like these. But you also need to know which data you need for which decisions, what channels are good for what data, and what makes data unrepresentative or even dangerous. Now you can. 

This presentation will teach you powerful insights through current events, including eye-opening COVID-19 data and community survey data that you haven’t seen before. You’ll see how:

  • Self-selection ruins COVID testing data… and public input data
  • Data aggregation creates confusion about COVID risks… and about community needs
  • Focusing on the wrong data leads to COVID missteps… and mistaken agency decisions

If you’ve ever wanted your agency to use data the right way, especially public input, this will be the easiest and most entertaining way to learn what you need to know.  You’ll leave with simple tools you can use and share with colleagues. You’ll help everyone avoid bad guesses and big mistakes as you adjust services and budgets going forward. Don’t miss this one!

5/14/2020 - Planning for the Future When No One is Listening!

As a government communicator managing the local response to COVID-19, you’ve barely found time to remember to brush your teeth every day, much less think about what’s next. Plus, some of your residents are restless and ready for a new normal while others want continued stay at home orders.  We want to help by bringing together a panel from across the US – from New York, to Georgia, to California – to help you prepare for what’s to come. These three communication pros will touch on how their communities have responded, and what the future is starting to look like. They will share stories on everything from canceling events and getting negative feedback, to decisions about reopening city/county hall to a new normal, to thinking about what services will continue on line. They will not only leave you with new ideas and inspirations but also share stories of challenges you are certain to relate to.

Experiences they’ll touch on include installing the nation’s first shelter-in-place order, which was promptly ignored by people swarming Pacific beaches, to responding to resident concerns when the Governor of Georgia opened up businesses including gyms, barbershops, tattoo parlors, and bowling alleys, to changing from a New York State coronavirus hotspot to the model of flattening the curve.

4/30/2020 - Being Heard in a World that Keeps Getting Crazier

It was already hard to be heard by an audience with a 2.7-second attention span. Now add in the insanity of the last two months, and how can we possibly expect to be heard, let alone have our information retained by residents and key audiences? The answer might surprise you.

3CMA hosted Peter Shankman to share that answer on a Zoom Webinar.  We posted it on the 3CMA website in case you missed it live.

The New York Times has called Peter Shankman “a rockstar who knows everything about social media and then some.” He is a five-time best selling author, entrepreneur, and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on the customer experience and the new and emerging customer. He’s tailored this presentation directly to local government communicators who working to keep community members informed and engaged. He touchs on dealing with impossible situations and will have you laughing and relating to his real-world ideas and practices.

3/9/2020 - Just in Time - Are You Ready for the 2020 Census Count Starting This Month?

It’s Here! Starting this month, as early as March 12, letters will begin arriving in the mailboxes of your residents asking them to be counted in the 2020 US Census. Whether you’re in charge of an entire communications campaign or just passing along messages from your Complete Count Committee, what happens in the next ten months can have a major impact on funding for your city or county for the next decade. Join us for this just in time webinar to see what two stellar communities in different parts of the country are doing to help ensure they get an accurate count. 

We’ll hear from experts in the cities of Weston, Florida, and Arlington, Texas, on everything from messaging to tools, from special branding to how to reach undercounted communities. They’re using video, social media, events and outreach efforts beyond mainstream media. It’s an opportunity to see if some of their tactics and lessons learned can help make your outreach even more effective in your community.

1/22/2020 - To Pod or Not to Pod, That Is the Question

Podcasts are big. More than 32 percent of Americans over the age of 12 now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. Whether you are a one-person shop or part of a large local government communications team, podcasts can be an effective way to reach audiences on the go. As podcast listenership continues to rise, it’s time to ask if podcasting is right for your city’s communications strategy.  Jay Socol and Shannah Hayley will give you the clarity and tools you need to evaluate the medium, including strategy, resources, and techniques.

11/12/2019 - Best of the Best: Cooks, Critters, and Cybernauts

There is no end to the variety of engagement and campaigns local government communicators undertake. That is perfectly illustrated in the three Diamond Award Winners in 3CMA’s 2019 Savvy competition. From a cookbook that can tell the story of a neighborhood, to a clean water program that channels the humor of everyone’s inner five-year-old, to launching a campaign to determine resident interest a community-owned broadband utility. This webinar will be led by the leaders of all three of these programs as they provide information that allows you to see what it takes to be named the best of the best, and also includes everything from idea inspiration, to detailed engagement plans, to amazing outcomes, and a lot of creativity. You will hear a boatload of information you can apply to your next outreach campaign.

10/23/2019 - Social Media Management Essentials

Social media managers and content creators face many challenges as part of their daily (and nightly) workload. This webinar tackles those challenges through policies, editorial calendaring, and the energy provided through creative strategy. This three-pronged approach ensures that your workload not only is sustainable, but also is fun (at least some of the time). It will be taught by two veteran communication pros from the Certified Public Communicator Program at TCU in Ft. Worth, Texas. Their sessions at 3CMA conferences and previous webinars are among the highest-rated by members and always provide strategies and tools you can implement in your work.

8/20/2019 - Be a Data Storyteller

Your organization has tons of data, in fact, you’re probably drowning in it. And many of you are scrambling to find effective ways to use and share it. One way jurisdictions deal with this is to create open data portals, but unless it’s done in context, the raw data has no intrinsic meaning and puts you at risk for others framing narratives around it.

7/16/2019 - Engaging Residents on "Unengaging" Topics

Finding ways to actively engage your community can always be a challenge. It becomes even more difficult if the topic is sensitive or complex. The city of Olympia, Washington, wanted to engage its residents in tackling the difficult issue of homelessness. And the city of Arvada, Colorado, wanted to enhance its visioning process and garner feedback directly related to affordable housing, short-term rentals, and transportation.

The challenge is how to engage people on issues that they don’t see as immediate concerns or ones that are not "in their backyard." For residents focused on their own daily lives, how do you help them see the importance of sharing their ideas on addressing homelessness or a city’s long-term goals and plans?

In this 3CMA webinar, representatives from both cities will walk us through their engagement processes on these challenging issues. They will share how they integrated face-to-face events with online dialogue, share successes and challenges, and highlight how they were able to be inclusive and respectful in bringing more voices into the conversation. They’ll also share their experience in refocusing many disjointed streams of public questions and comments (in social media, email, etc.) into one centralized location.

6/25/2019 - Everything You Want (and Need) to Know on Using Drones in Local Government

You’ve seen the power of using drones in local government for capturing that perfect shot for a communications project or for helping your police and utility departments enhance operations and safety. You’ve also likely received complaints from people using drones in parks and neighborhoods. What is the future for drone use and how can you be sure you’re in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules on the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)?

Sign up today for this webinar to hear from an expert with the Federal Aviation Administration on their definition of a UAS, the requirements for both commercial operators and hobbyists, and best safety practices. Brett Hoben’s presentation on drones was highly rated at a 2018 3CMA Regional Conference and we’re now able to share his insights with all members through this webinar. He’ll review registration requirements and the FAA DroneZone portal, and share how to apply for waivers and airspace authorizations.

Brett will also talk about public use and law enforcement’s use of UAS and highlight how some communities have created Drone Parks for use by their residents. He will give an update on the UAS integration Pilot Program that is working with local governments and others on finding ways to balance local and national interests in using drones and also addressing security and privacy risks. And most importantly, you’ll be able to ask questions of an FAA pro. Whether you love to "geek out" on drone info or just want to make sure you’re doing it right, this webinar is for you!

6/20/2019 - Savvy Judges’ Webinar 2019

This special webinar is for all individuals  who will serve as Savvy Award competition judges for 2019. Whether you’re a veteran Savvy judge or a first timer, we are asking all judges to join the live webinar or watch the recorded version online (available starting June 21 at 3CMA.org/savvyjudgingwebinar). We’ll highlight how the new online system works, including the opportunity to stop at any time and pick up where you left off. We’ll explain the new feature where you provide helpful feedback on each entry, and we’ll review deadlines and process tips. The webinar is expected to last no more than 30 minutes. The system will be able to document your participation via the live or recorded version.

5/30/2019 - Your Role in Ensuring Your Community is Counted in the 2020 Census

It’s T-minus one-year until the 2020 Census, and now’s the time to learn the important role you have as a local government communicator in ensuring your community is ready. Local leaders have a critical relationship with every census, both as users of the invaluable data it produces and as partners in helping to ensure their communities are accurately counted. The census of population and housing, required by the U.S. Constitution, is conducted every 10 years. Data collected from the census are vital to communities and are used to help determine how more than $675 billion in federal funds are spent across the country annually. In addition to the significance of funding, results from the 2020 Census also determine Congressional representation, and states use the results to draw state legislative boundaries.

Join this 3CMA webinar where you’ll hear how this 24th census will be different from every past census. An online response option, innovations in technology and the broad use of social media are some of the innovations that will be in use for 2020. You’ll also learn about the Census’ integrated communications and marketing plan designed to reach the entire nation and how to tap into it to get the best results for your community.

The goal of the Census is to count everyone once, only once and in the right place. It is a huge undertaking requiring a multiplatform integrated communications and marketing plan that will reach the entire Nation.

Sign up now so you’re in the know on where federal preparations stand and to learn what measures you can take today to increase the accuracy of your community’s count next year.

Please note, the slide presentation contains names, email, and phone information for the regional census offices, which will be the primary contact. If you have questions specifically related to communication / outreach, you can email our presenter Maria Olmedo Malagon.

About the Presenter: Maria Olmedo-Malagon is the Program Manager of the 2020 Census Communications Campaign for the U.S. Census Bureau. Maria oversees a $415 million communications campaign that encompasses paid advertising, public relations and events, social media, development of digital platforms and national and local partnerships.

3/6/2019 - Getting Savvy – Meet the New, Easy Online Entry Process & Hear Tips from a Dynamic Duo

Achieving the greatest level of personal and team pride is within your reach as the Savvy Award Competition takes off for 2019. For professional communicators, a Savvy declares you are the best of the best from across the nation. It’s reaching the summit of communications excellence. And now, submitting Savvy entries is easier and more customer focused than ever before as the entire process moves online!

Join us for this webinar where we’ll share an overview of the new system – how it works, and new benefits that eliminate the need for creating notebooks, producing copies and making that last-minute rush to meet the mailing deadline.

Plus, we’ve recruited a dynamic duo of presenters who know the ins and outs of submitting an award-winning Savvy, as witnessed by their frequent return to the winners’ circle. They’ll share insider tips on how to measure those seemingly unmeasurable projects, how humor and creativity can be effectively deployed, and how to strike the right balance between sharing facts and painting the picture of your successful work. They’ll give examples of what has worked, as well as what hasn’t made it to the finals, and lessons learned from both experiences.

Whether you’re entering the Savvy competition for the first time or are a seasoned submitter, you’ll find tips to make your entry even stronger and a few steps closer to the awards summit!

2/19/2019 - Why Social Media Advertising Belongs in Your Toolkit

Communication and marketing professionals across the country use social media advertising every day to not only boost their reach but to target their audiences for specific results. Many local governments have discovered the same value to more effectively engage residents and address the needs of their organization.

Join us for this engaging session as we kick off 3CMA’s 2019 Webinar Series. We’ll touch on every aspect of social advertising we can possibly fit into a jam-packed hour of information. For those of you just starting out, you’ll learn about the value of social media (and content) in promoting a brand. Our social pro from Moore, Inc., will share which channels are best to get started, based on content type and business type, and she’ll share examples of successful social media campaigns. For those already engaged in social advertising, you’ll hear from two professionals from the city of Las Vegas who are using paid social advertising for everything from economic development, to planning, to filling up parks and rec classes. They’ll share tips on how social fits into their marketing mix and how they built internal support. They’ll also present strong case studies with measurable results that helped lead to an investment of more than $25,000 annually in social media advertising. You’ll also walk away with a boatload of tips on how to launch or enhance your social media advertising.

11/16/2018 - Learning from the Best: Cats, Cars and Community

What does a cat adoption event in Minnesota, traffic challenges in Texas and branding in Florida have in common? They are the top three Diamond Award winners from across the nation in the 2018 3CMA Savvy Awards Competition. And now you have the opportunity to hear how each of these challenges became "best in the nation" examples of strategic communication and marketing that produced results and met the desired outcomes. If you’re looking for ways to make your next project a Vieccess, you’ll walk away from this webinar with new ideas, strategies and approaches drawn from these three recognized winners.

In this webinar, our three local government experts will share their research that led to defining their project objectives, how they overcame any negative resident reactions, and how they came up with creative solutions. One thing all three have in common is the ability to engage residents in different, yet tremendously successful ways. Plus, we promise a few laughs as well. This is one you won’t want to miss!

8/14/2018 - Enhancing Your Community Engagement Strategy: Tools, Targets, Trolls & More

We’re all focused on developing and implementing a strong community engagement strategy. This webinar will help you evaluate your current efforts and identify ways to be even more effective. You’ll hear how to use a blend of in-person and online initiatives to create a scenario for better community reach, interaction and outcomes. It will include case studies of governments that have successfully integrated online tools to effectively engage residents.

Key Takeaways Include:

  1. Appreciation of global trends in the adoption of online engagement tools
  2. Understanding which online tools to use and the role of social media
  3. Setting targets, measuring and understanding what your community is saying
  4. How to deal with trolls, outrage and other risk
  5. Creating an accessible and inclusive space
  6. Bringing your online and face to face engagement together

6/14/2018 - Strategies & Tools for Local Government Awesomeness

If you’re looking for creative new solutions to everyday work challenges, this webinar is for you. Josh Hirsch has a toolbox full of solutions from ways to use Facebook advertising to strategically boost results, to an alternative to Hootsuite for scheduling posts, tracking performance and managing accounts in one place, to the best graphics tool for non-graphics people. He’ll share links to great royalty free photo sites, tell how to take advantage of virtual reality and produce a 360-degree video, and share a hack that allows you to take pre-recorded content and share it on Facebook as though it was live.

This webinar will have you taking intense notes and making sure you download the slides so that you don’t miss any tips. Josh is an acclaimed speaker that has spent his career finding ways to produce outstanding results with little to no funds. We promise you’ll leave this webinar with plenty of ideas to increase your own local government awesomeness without having to ask for an increase in your budget!

4/10/2018 - Everything You Need to Know about Nextdoor as a Tool to Engage and Delight Your Residents

Your citizens are using it to share updates about what’s happening in their neighborhoods including discussions on local government projects, safety, and improvements. It’s Nextdoor, the trusted communications platform for neighborhoods that connects neighbors to what matters most to them locally. Nearly 170,000 US neighborhoods (85 percent) are using Nextdoor.

In the webinar you’ll find out how you can use Nextdoor’s free government interface, Nextdoor for Public Agencies, to reach residents with communications across your municipality or into specific service areas and neighborhoods. You’ll hear the latest update from Nextdoor’s Senior City Strategist and "Professional Neighbor" Joseph Porcelli. He’ll explain the two platforms Nextdoor provides, share examples of where it is working well, give suggestions on ways to use it best and highlight the new polling options that allow you to get direct, immediate feedback from residents. You can check out the government interface prior to the webinar at www.nextdoor.com/agency.

Your Presenter Joseph Porcelli currently serves a Nextdoor’s Northeast Senior City Strategist. In this role, Joseph focuses on bringing city partners onto the Nextdoor platform to improve relationships and communications among neighbors and city agencies. Some of Joseph’s most notable partnerships successes are with the Baltimore City Police Department, NYC Office of Emergency Management, and the White House on the 21st Century Community Policing Data Initiative.

Before joining Nextdoor, Joseph stood up the Community Engagement consulting practice at GovDelivery, served as the nation’s first Community Engagement Strategist for the Department of Homeland Security, and led online operations and partnerships for the ServiceNation campaign which - passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009. Joseph received a BA in marketing, business management at Saint Michael’s College.

3/8/2018 - Five Ways to Boost Digital Engagement with Your Community

Vision Internet recently surveyed more than 350 city and county leaders to better understand what’s next in digital communications for local government.

Be among the first to hear the results from Vision Internet’s Alyssa Trenkamp and learn how your city’s engagement efforts stack up. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to drop in on a candid conversation with two progressive local government communication practitioners as they weigh in on the survey results and share examples of how they are embracing the latest trends in digital communication.

Hear from Marcie Graham, Marketing and Communications Supervisor for the City of La Quinta, California, and Mike Ekey, Communications Director for the City of Raymore, Missouri, as they share:

  • How they meet the demands of a diverse population
  • The communication channels they find most effective
  • The importance of their website as a central communications hub
  • How they think about analytics and continuous improvement
  • New communication channels that they are consider
  • Slide Show (PDF)

1/11/2018 - Crafting Your City’s Reputation: Making an Emotional Connection

Finding ways to stand out among the competition is part of every government communicator’s job. The recent push among communities to garner the attention of Amazon is a great case study. Join us for this webinar with a incredible media veteran to learn more how to effectively promote your community and apply that Amazon-type mindset inside your organization.

From building respect and trust, to delivering an understandable message, you’ll hear examples of how making an emotional connection is key. We’ll focus on how people connect with people and ways to help your city leaders become even better communicators who can build relationships with their audience. We’ll take a page from Amazon and other rising stars in business, who sought a better harmony to their own organization that, in turn, helped craft their global image.

Maya Angelou said it best: "People will forget what you said and did, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

11/15/2017 - It’s Time to Get Trendy - The Hottest Web Design and Communication Trends Expected to Impact Local Government in 2018

The ways that local governments are connecting with citizens have changed. From visually dynamic, and personally engaging digital content, to on-demand citizen request management and enterprise mobility, we’ve compiled the latest trends that successful communities are using to keep citizens informed, engaged, and active in their communities. You’ll leave this webinar with actionable tips to help ensure your community is blazing a trail of citizen engagement in 2018.

10/17/2017 - Be Seen on Social Media!

You have eight seconds to grab someone’s attention on social media. How do you stand out against competing messages in a cluttered news feed? We will share real examples and strategies of how you can use effective quick-hitting videos, compelling text, and data to drive your social media strategies. We’ll include tips on how to make videos, even if you’re a one-person shop, and we’ll share ways to measure your success with meaningful analytics.

6/29/2017 - Taming the Beast: Advanced Topics in Social Media

We’ll start off with a promise – This social media webinar will be different than most. We’re going to assume your local government is already "doing" social media. Taking it one step further involves finding out what true engagement on social media means for your city or county, knowing how to grow the platform, and being able to show a serious return on your investment. And who among us has not run into that uncomfortable situation when a resident or advocacy group decides your social media channel is the way for them to attack the government?

This webinar will focus on social media tactics, success and failures and how digital engagement can greatly affect public perception of your government, a project or even a hot-button topic. You’ll hear from an outstanding panel of experts on strategies and tactics to improve engagement, measure the value of your program, and effectively deal with potential problems. They’ll also touch on pushing the limits to find how the community responds to different forms of messaging and personality from the government. You’ll walk away with great ideas that have worked in other communities, approaches that can reduce risk, and answers to your questions.

4/27/2017 - Creating Inspiring Communication Campaigns - The Creative Brief Method to Success

You want any communication campaign implemented for your city or county to be dynamic, simple and inspiring. The question is how do you get to those outcomes? This session will provide a format to help you create effective campaigns whether you want to build awareness for a new library or fire station, inform residents about the impact of a future bond referendum, or build involvement in a new roadway or other government service or activity. Strategic communication gathers practices and theories from three disciplines: public relations, advertising, and marketing. To get new perspectives on building campaigns from the ground up, we’ll pull inspiration from the discipline of advertising to address a public relations issue. Advertising has long used the "creative brief" to jump-start nimble thinking and innovative ideas, as well as to solve problems in new ways. Rather than using the creative brief to build an advertising campaign, we’ll adapt it for use for general information and educational campaigns. This webinar will train you to use creative brief protocols for your own campaign-building including learning tips on how to write short, inspiring and effective copy designed for both digital and traditional platforms. The session will end with Q&A, so that your specific ideas and needs may be addressed.

3/8/2017 - It’s Your Year to Win a Savvy: Tips, Examples, and Feedback to Make Your Entry the Best!

It is one of the greatest honors you can receive as a professional government communicator – being recognized at the national level by winning a 3CMA Savvy award. Perhaps you’ve never entered, thinking the task is too daunting. Or maybe you’ve entered but just not made it to one of the top three award spots. Or maybe you’ve won a Savvy but want to sharpen your skills as you prepare for the 2017 deadline of April 7, 2017, for those really on the ball and May 15, 2017, for those of us who need every last minute to get our entries in.

This webinar is designed to give you insights and strategies to help ensure your Savvy entry is the very best it can be. You’ll learn:

  • The criteria used to judge your Savvy entry
  • Tips on what is needed for each section of your Descriptive Letter
  • Suggestions on how to pick the best category or categories for your entry
  • Why that "creative touch" can set your entry apart from the competition
  • Why focusing on measurable outcomes is key
  • What role the size of your budget plays in winning a Savvy? (hint, small budget projects win all the time!)
  • When to start the Savvy Award entry process
  • The #1, top secret tip on how to best prepare to win a Savvy in the future
  • Ideas on how to leverage a Savvy win to support strong communications in your city or county

6/7/2016 - Introducing the Ethics Project

Many professional organizations create codes of ethics for their members to use in the working world. What would a code of ethics look like for public-sector communicators and what values would we include? What are ethical challenges facing public-sector employees in general, and communicators specifically? We’ll review the content of existing codes of ethics for public relations, advertising and marketing professionals, and we will begin laying the groundwork for developing a code of ethics to be considered for use by 3CMA members.

6/11/2015 - Noise or Signal: Collecting and Curating Your Communication Assets

Does your city, county or agency need a communication audit? This webinar will focus on the communication assets you have, the new outreach you may need, and ways to analyze tactics and strategy for effectiveness and return on engagement. Collecting and curating assets will help your city or county set the foundation for a stronger communication platform.