Government communications is at the heart of this episode, as you sit down with Kara Roberson, Strategic Communications Officer for the City of Wentzville, Missouri, to unpack how a fast‑growing community uses smart messaging, data, and creativity to truly connect with residents. From managing 29 different communication channels to doubling down on branding and social media strategy, this conversation gives practical, real‑world insight into what modern government communications looks like when it’s done with intention, humor, and a deep respect for public service.

Episode overview

This episode is divided into two parts, both centered on government communications and persuasion in the public sector.

• In part one, you walk through concepts from three influential books on messaging and influence: “Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive,” “Magic Words,” and “Think Faster, Talk Smarter.” You translate lessons like the “foot‑in‑the‑door” technique, word choice, and mirroring language into everyday government scenarios such as code enforcement, building inspection, and tough resident conversations.
• In part two, Kara takes listeners inside Wentzville’s communications strategy—how her team of three supports a city that has been one of Missouri’s fastest‑growing communities for nearly two decades, while coordinating closely with economic development, police, and parks.

Throughout the episode, you tie both halves together around a central idea: effective government communications is less about “compliance” and more about collaboration, trust, and meeting people where they are—online, in print, and in person.

Inside modern government communications

Kara started in Wentzville as a part‑time communications manager when much of the work was outsourced, and has grown into a strategic leadership role overseeing communications and customer relations. Today she leads a small but highly productive team that manages around 29 different ways the city communicates—from websites and social media to billboards, lobby screens, print newsletters, and e‑news.

She explains how Wentzville’s median age of about 33 shapes their government communications strategy, especially the heavy emphasis on social media. Facebook remains the primary information source for many residents, and the city has grown its following from roughly 1,500 to about 25,000 followers over 11 years by consistently showing up where people already are and delivering content in formats that fit each platform. At the same time, community surveys made it clear that residents still deeply value the city’s print newsletter, so it stayed—a reminder that government communications has to be data‑driven, not trend‑driven.

Kara also shares why Wentzville split core content responsibilities with its police and parks teams, while communications remains tightly integrated with economic development at the administrative level. A dedicated digital content coordinator supports economic development messaging so business recruitment, workforce stability, and quality‑of‑life stories all feel cohesive under the city brand.

Social media strategy that actually works

One of the most practical sections of the episode dives into how Wentzville fine‑tunes government communications for each channel instead of copy‑pasting messages everywhere.

• On Facebook, the team leans into longer, more detailed posts that align with the platform’s algorithm and audience expectations.
• On Instagram, they made a deliberate shift about four to five years ago to use only photos and videos—no text on graphics—after realizing that is what users with a visual mindset want from that platform. That simple change drove a roughly 300 percent increase in engagement.
• Reels have become their top‑performing format across both Facebook and Instagram, generating around 1 million views in just the first six months of 2025 by combining trending audio and formats with clear public‑service purposes like hiring, program awareness, and city services.

Kara talks about using “link in bio” and direct website links to track how social content drives action, as well as monthly reporting that identifies top topics and formats. The team aims for a structured cadence on major initiatives—communicating at two months, one month, two weeks, one week, two days, and one day out—while maintaining a baseline of at least one meaningful Facebook post per day.

A standout story is how the city cautiously embraced humor to humanize government communications. After a successful April Fools’ post photoshopping a water tower into an amusement‑park swing ride based on resident jokes, Wentzville leaned further into self‑aware humor with a reel that playfully poked fun at the city and local online culture. The result: huge engagement and a reminder that residents want to see real people behind government accounts, not just press releases.

Branding a city, not just a logo

The episode also explores how government communications can build a recognizable, trustworthy city brand over time. A 2019 communications audit revealed that many residents didn’t realize certain mailers—like the parks guide—were from the city at all. That became the turning point for a comprehensive brand push: consistent colors, fonts, and styles for everything, anchored by a refreshed city wordmark that originally began as a web design element but ultimately replaced an older oval logo.

Wentzville’s identity as “The Crossroads of the Nation,” located at the intersection of Highways 61 and 70 with access to rail and an international airport, gives their government communications a clear positioning statement for both residents and business prospects. Kara explains how the city intentionally “saturated the market” for about two years so that anytime residents saw a flyer, bill insert, or social post, they immediately recognized it as coming from the city—and therefore as reliable public information.

The brand work doesn’t stop at visuals. Kara describes how the city’s personality shows up in things like the community’s “tag the mayor” culture, themed T‑shirts, and even naming a snowplow “Tag the Mayor,” creating a shared language and inside jokes that deepen civic pride.

From persuasion science to frontline government work

In the first half of the episode, you lay the foundation for all of this by walking through concrete examples of how persuasion science and communication frameworks apply directly to government communications.

• The “foot‑in‑the‑door” technique from “Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive” becomes a practical model for code enforcement: start with a small, manageable ask to build rapport rather than overwhelming residents with a long list of violations.
• Word choice matters: you argue that “compliance” sounds authoritarian, whereas “collaboration” frames the relationship as a shared effort to improve properties and neighborhoods.
• From “Magic Words,” you highlight the power of mirroring language and adapting tone to your audience, illustrated by your own experience shifting from job‑site slang and sketches in the dirt to polished, careful language in meetings with attorneys and senior officials.
• “Think Faster, Talk Smarter” contributes the “What, So What, Now What” structure and the concept of “maximizing mediocrity” when caught off guard—offering a workable, honest response instead of fumbling toward perfection.

These examples drive home a central theme: government communications is not abstract theory. It is how inspectors, planners, communicators, and city leaders speak, write, and show up in everyday interactions—whether they’re handling hoarding cases, tree disputes, or even bizarre complaints like “raining mustard packets.”

Why this episode matters for government communicators

For anyone working in city management, economic development, code enforcement, or public information, this episode is a practical masterclass in government communications. Kara’s experience shows how a small team can amplify a city’s voice, humanize local government, and support long‑term strategic goals through branding, measurement, and smart channel strategy. Paired with your stories from the field and the research‑backed frameworks you share, listeners walk away with ideas they can immediately apply—from rethinking their use of “compliance,” to testing reels, to tightening their brand standards across departments.

If you care about making government communications more empathetic, effective, and engaging, this conversation offers both the “why” and the “how” in one episode.