Three common mistakes in institutional communication (and how to avoid them)
The most common failures are not strategic, they are of daily execution. Here you will see three common mistakes made by many city councils and how to correct them with focus, clear language, and minimally viable coordination, to move from visibility to connection with the citizens.
Published October 9, 2025 · Institutional Communication · Institutions
1. Why are the same mistakes repeated?
Urgent matters, tight schedules, and small teams, and sometimes apathy and complacency, lead to publishing "as usual." Without a clear purpose or review, errors are reinforced. offline visibility, activity spikes without learning and messages that don't translate into real life.
Talking more is not the same as communicating better. Communicating better means that citizens understand, feel, and act.
2. Error 1 — Communicating without focus
Starting with the format (article, video, post) rather than the purpose leads to descriptive messages: “we have done, we have inaugurated.” The citizen receives information, not utility.
“We inaugurated a 4,000 m² civic center”
The work speaks for itself, not the benefit to the person.
“From May 15th: free activities, shade and accessibility”
It makes clear what changes in your daily life and when.
How to avoid it (operational steps)
- Define a sole objective per piece (inform, invite, register, refer).
- Write the first CTA and writes the rest at your service.
- Associate a simple metric: registrations, inquiries, assistance or use of the service.
Framing objectives and metrics is aligned with the approach of OECD Open GovernmentMessages connected with citizen outcomes have greater adoption than those focused on internal achievements.
3. Error 2 — Confusing visibility with connection
Measuring success by the number of publications or impacts leads to saturation. Connecting isn't about talking more, it's speak outPlain language, useful context, and a human tone.
Symptoms of disconnection
- Low response despite daily posting.
- Comments requesting basic clarifications.
- Media outlets that replicate information without public participation.
Real connection signals
- Short and actionable messages (what, when, how).
- Specific stories of impact in the neighborhood.
- Improved service assistance/usage after communication.
How to avoid it (daily practice)
- Evaluate real interaction (responses, shares, assistance) above reach.
- Apply plain language; translates figures to everyday benefits.
- Listen before you publish: conduct a short poll or review recent comments.
The FEMP It promotes clear language in administration. MIT GOV/Lab It documents that understanding improves when the message is brief, actionable, and consistent with the citizen's experience.
4. Error 3 — Fragmenting the message between areas
When each department publishes on its own, they appear different styles and stories. Citizens perceive isolated actions, not a city project. Coordination is not centralization: it is align key messages and reinforce a single narrative thread.
Minimum viable coordination
- Common manual of tone, narrative, and design (headlines, structure, labels, palette, typography).
- Rapid validation channel (drive/group) to review messages in advance.
- Monthly communication meeting for prioritize and avoid overlaps.
- If there are cross-cutting projects (e.g., IViB Strategy), frames each action within the overall narrative.
Warning: without a owner of the process and a shared calendar, consistency breaks down in weeks.
5. Summary table: symptoms, correction and metrics
| Mistake | Symptoms | How to fix | Useful metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without focus | Descriptive messages, diffuse CTA | Write the CTA first, 1 objective per piece | CTR to the procedure, registrations/1,000 tax. |
| Visibility ≠ connection | Great reach, poor response | Clear language, useful context, prior listening | Response rate and shares, attendance |
| Fragmentation | Different styles by area | Common manual, quick validation, calendar | Approval time, % aligned parts |
6. Typical cases and lessons learned
Case A — Municipal Recycling
Three areas communicate with different slogans. Reframing with a common message (“Recycle more and better in your neighborhood”) and a joint calendar: participation increases by 181% in three months.
Case B — Park Renovation
The statement mentions square footage and budget; zero interaction. A short video explaining the issue is included. How to improve shade and accessibility: interactions triple and visits to the project's FAQ increase.
Case C — Program for entrepreneurs
Dissemination only through institutional channels. By adding businesses and associations such as dissemination allies, Registrations and qualitative inquiries are growing. Communication is no longer a monologue but a network.
Best practices on collaboration and open data: The GovLab.
7. Quick Checklist
- Does each piece have a clear purpose and an associated metric?
- Do you check interactions and not just the volume of publications?
- Is there a common document of narrative, tone, and design?
- There is quick validation before publishing and a shared calendar?
- Do you listen to your target audience (brief surveys, feedback) before making big announcements?
- Can someone unfamiliar with the project understand your CTA in 10 seconds?
8. Our conclusions
Communicating better in the public sphere is not about doing more, but to do with purpose. Focus, clear language, and minimal viable coordination transform activity into impact. When every message answers a question and addresses a metric, confidence grows and the public understands how it affects them.
Start today: first draft the CTA, ask another department to validate it in 10 seconds, and measure the response. Document what works and repeat it.
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