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November 28, 2009

GovLoop – Social Networking for Government Officials

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In a profession where connections mean everything, GovLoop has stepped in to fill a void. A social networking site designed exclusively for employees in the public sector, GovLoop is a place for government officials to network among peers, share ideas, and collaborate on projects with others from around the country. Whether you’re looking to find new opinions, new events, or even a new job, GovLoop offers a wealth of information for those interested in nearly every area of local, state, and federal governments.

Because GovLoop’s membership is limited to public sector employees, new users are required to enter their current title and government agency or organization during the sign up process. That information is then added to your GovLoop profile page, where you can update your current status, upload photos, and add extra text boxes. Like other social networking sites, GovLoop lets you browse members, add friends, and join groups related to common interests or geographic location.

Users who are interested in attending conferences and workshops can find extensive listings of upcoming events on GovLoop, while anyone with wisdom to share can post a blog entry for other members to see. While GovLoop may not be the largest social networking site around, its targeted membership makes it a worthwhile and valuable tool for anyone interesting in working for a government agency.

Practical Uses:

  • Make connections with other politicians in your local area
  • Search through public sector jobs openings
  • Get ideas you can use at work
  • Find out about an upcoming conference or workshop event

Insider Tips:

  • Join a group or create your own
  • Send and receive virtual gifts
  • Upload videos from YouTube, Hulu or Vimeo
  • Get an instant answer to your question by posting in the public forums

What we liked:

  • Easy to search for new members to add as friends
  • Member blog posts can be sorted by popularity, tags, or number of comments
  • Group forums provide information on everything from workplace fashion to upcoming volunteer opportunities
  • Invite friends to join the site individually or by importing contacts from your GMail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, or AOL Mail accounts

What we didn’t like:

  • Events can’t be sorted by location
  • Because the site is targeted at one industry, there are fewer overall users than on larger social networking sites

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: May 2008
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Tampa, Florida
  • Founded by: Steve Ressler
  • Web site: http://www.govloop.com

Costs:

  • Free

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