The acronym-laden and typically dry language on many federal agencies’ social media posts is … understandable, but there are exceptions. One is the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose Facebook presence is so different that multiple media outlets have written stories on its quirky nature.
The eccentric page highlights district activities, its purpose and provides useful information, but through humor, speedy (for the government) responses and Adobe Photoshop. None of this would be as effective without its social media manager, Chris Gaylord.
“The reality is that a lot of what I do with the district’s Facebook page is personality-driven and not necessarily a learned skill,” he said. “But it’s grounded in the pretty basic idea that communication on social media, which is a place most are going largely for entertainment, should resonate with people in some way.”
For perspective, a Nov. 4, 2021 post about safety during king tides reached 252,801 eyes and received 9,164 reactions and 2,785 shares. Those are massive numbers considering the page has only 8,300 followers. Not every post performs that well, but the page still gets recognition for its approach.
In a Nov. 26, 2021 article, Baker City Herald editor Jayson Jacoby wrote:
“Government bureaucrats are known for many things but humor, I submit, wouldn’t make the top 10 on anybody’s list. Indeed I suspect many people would argue that the larger share of bureaucrats, at least while engaged in their frequently dour business, are utterly incapable of anything resembling comedy. (Intentional comedy, anyway; bureaucracies are prone to doing amusing things, unwitting though these may be.)
“Given the relentless banality characteristic of government operations – and in particular the way they communicate with the public – I always get a particular thrill when I run across an exception.”
The District’s page even made Willamette Week’s “Best of Portland 2020” list under the headline, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Facebook Page Is More Entertaining Than You Think … In between innocuous updates on the Bonneville Dam and the proper way to wear a life jacket, the posts get more eccentric.”
So, stop by at facebook.com/PortlandCorps. Or if you’re interested in a more straightforward social media approach, Portland District has that too – on Twitter: twitter.com/PortlandCorps.