Building trust between municipalities and citizens through clear communication
What do municipalities actually want from their citizens? Often, the message doesn’t come across clearly. This undermines citizens’ trust, making them less willing to cooperate.
Municipalities have a wide range of goals, from informing residents to encouraging participation. But in practice, things often go wrong. Why? Because the communication doesn’t align with the reality of people’s daily lives.
National and local governments aim to do a lot, for example:
- Inform residents about their rights and responsibilities
- Encourage the use of public services
- Promote behavioral change (such as saving energy)
- Motivate people to apply for jobs or pursue further education
- Invite participation in neighborhood initiatives
Unfortunately, many residents don’t understand what the municipality expects from them. Often, this is due to complex language, long sentences, unclear instructions, and a distant tone. The result? Letters remain unopened, benefits go unclaimed, and messages lead to frustration instead of action. This increases distrust toward the municipality – which is the exact opposite of what you want to achieve as a public authority.
The gap between municipalities and residents is too wide
A 2022 literature review by the Dutch government shows that public communication fails to reach 2.3 million people in the Netherlands. Government websites and municipal letters are often written at language level C1 or even higher. This may be acceptable for legal or highly specialized texts, but communication aimed at all citizens should be written at B1 level. It’s also important to know that half of all visitors don’t fully read information on government websites. The same goes for other websites that are too unclear or cluttered.
Miscommunication at the municipal level – what can go wrong?
Plain language isn’t just “nice to have” – it’s essential for effective public communication. When people understand what you mean, trust increases and engagement grows.
Trust: Citizens feel respected when they immediately understand your message.
Participation: People are more likely to get involved when expectations are clear.
Efficiency: Fewer questions and misunderstandings lead to fewer phone calls and lower workload.
Inclusion: Even people with limited language skills or a different native language are reached.
Clear language makes the difference between confusion and connection.
How clear communication makes a difference in the municipality
Imagine: your municipality has a diverse population, but little social cohesion. To change that, you create a funding program for community initiatives. A representative committee is formed, a clear website is launched, and inviting flyers are distributed. The result? Ideas come pouring in. At a celebratory event in the local community center, the best proposals are presented—plans that bring neighbors together and strengthen collaboration.
But such success depends on one critical factor: the way you communicate. If the message isn’t clear, you won’t reach the people. And without reach, there’s no impact.
The solution: effective and understandable communication
AI-powered software like Textmetrics helps municipalities communicate better. It’s fast and results-oriented. The software:
- Checks for B1 reading level
- Scans for inclusive language
- Flags passive sentences and difficult words
- Suggests improvements
- Checks your entire website for accessibility
Build trust with Textmetrics
For municipalities, clear communication is not optional – it’s a responsibility. For citizens, clear communication is not a luxury – it’s a right. Thankfully, there’s now technology that truly works.
Contact Textmetrics for a free demo or trial account.