Imagine you're the mayor of a small town. It’s 7 p.m., dinner is on the stove, and you receive a call informing you of a water main break within town limits. How do you alert your citizens quickly and effectively so you can fulfill your mayoral duties and still have time to enjoy your dinner?

In local government, time is precious. When a critical message needs to be communicated to the community, choosing the right communication method must be done swiftly.

One option is social media. It’s free, convenient, and capable of reaching a large number of residents. According to studies by the Pew Research Center, 68% of American adults are on Facebook, 47% use Instagram, and 32% are active on LinkedIn. On many social media platforms, only a small fraction of your followers will see a post naturally, usually between 2% and 10%, depending on the platform and the type of content. So, if you have 100 followers, only 2 to 10 of them may come across your post in their feed without specifically looking for it. Social media can be an excellent choice if your goal is to reach a smaller percentage of the population.

Social media posts can be tailored to convey various tones, from urgency to familiarity, making them effective for engaging residents in events or programs. However, when delivering an urgent, time-sensitive message—like a water main break—this emotional appeal may not be as helpful.

In many cases, texting proves to be the ideal solution. Cell phones are nearly ubiquitous, with 98% of American adults owning one. In 2021, 270,000 text messages were sent every second across the world. The average college student checks their phone for text messages 15.9 times per hour, or nearly four times a minute. Text messages have an open rate of 98%, which indicates that texting is emerging as the top choice for effective communication in the 21^st century.

While sending thousands of individual text messages from a personal phone is impractical, the right software can make reaching residents incredibly easy with just a few clicks. TextMyGov is one such solution, offering both outbound notification abilities and two-way communication for residents.

About 50% of adults aged 18-24 find text conversations just as meaningful as phone calls. Texting allows you to maintain a personalized touch while sending messages to all residents who opt in. Whether sharing a public health announcement, notifying drivers about a road closure, promoting an event, or issuing an emergency alert, residents appreciate the efficiency and modernity of this communication method.

Beyond alerts, the TextMyGov texting service helps reduce office phone traffic by automating responses to frequently asked questions. Once citizens learn how to text the government, town employees can spend less time on the phone and more time on important projects. All this communication comes from a consistent number that can easily be saved in residents' contacts under your municipality's name.

With so many communication channels available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Social media offers great potential for event promotion, but residents often have to sift through a flood of updates and entertainment to spot your post. While phone calls are direct, they’ve become less effective over time as digital culture shifts away from traditional methods. Texting, however, strikes the perfect balance of convenience, efficiency, and personalization, making it one of the most effective tools for local government communication. Take a look at the data and make your own judgment—just be sure to decide before dinner gets cold!