Beyond The Clicks: Local Government Marketing

In local government marketing, success isn’t just measured by clicks or page views, it’s about understanding what’s truly being exchanged between the city and its community. Conversion rates in the communication funnel help track how people move from awareness (seeing a Facebook post) to action (attending an event), but the story doesn’t actually end there.

As Anthony Miyazaki explains in his article, “The Distribution Approach to Marketing Exchange vs the 4 P’s / 4 C’s”, every interaction flows through information, innovation, and compensation. For example, when promoting a community event such as a festival, information flows both ways; the city informs residents about the event while listening to feedback on what people want to see and do at that event and similar events. It goes beyond the event itself, encompassing the experience: music, local vendors, and family-friendly activities. And compensation isn’t always ticket sales or record-high attendance numbers; it may be community togetherness, stronger civic pride, or gaining support for future events and city initiatives.

By monitoring funnel conversion rates alongside these deeper, more meaningful exchanges, local governments can see not only where residents drop off in the process, but also what value they’re truly receiving, and returning. This dual approach helps stretch limited budgets and build long-term trust with the community.