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Over the course of tax season, our content and marketing teams worked together to help our audience better understand the ins and outs of filing taxes and other important steps in the process. We collaborated on messaging for our various platforms including targeted email and social media. We covered many important tax topics, from finding out if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit to avoiding refund scams.

Email is an easy, time-saving way for us to connect the public with government information and services. We strive to provide clear information about relevant topics to our more than 850,000 subscribers, in hopes that our emails will stand out in inboxes overflowing with news alerts and sales offers.

Almost a year ago, we started broadcasting live on Facebook. In that time, we learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. As a result, we hosted Facebook Live events that were better scripted, tackled more complex topics, and most importantly, were more engaging to our audience.

This event was originally posted on DigitalGov University on January 9, 2018.

When Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, it caused a total collapse of the traditional communication infrastructure. People on the island turned to radio and social media as a lifeline. Family members on the mainland searched for information they could easily share via text.

In government, the word “marketing” often carries a negative connotation. But whether you call it outreach or communications or marketing, government often has a need to get key information to the public.

In 2017, it was nearly impossible to turn on the news or go on social media without hearing stories about hurricanes across Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

The USAGov Outreach team regularly collaborates with government agencies to promote their missions, programs, and services. However, most agencies only learn they can easily work with us by word-of-mouth.

So, you've probably heard: We have a new name.

The USAGov team wants to share our 2017 predictions with you! We asked staff members about their goals for USAGov and all of government digital services and we got plenty of great  ideas. Here are six of our favorites: