NZ Public Sector Digital Marketing & Communications 2025

Our "NZ Public Sector Digital Marketing 2025" course is designed to equip New Zealand public sector marketing and communications professionals with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in the digital age. The course delves into the core principles of digital marketing while addressing the unique challenges and opportunities of the public sector.

Through this course, you will gain a deep understanding of how to leverage digital technologies to achieve government objectives, enhance public engagement, and deliver exceptional citizen experiences. You will learn how to develop and implement effective digital marketing strategies that align with broader government policies and priorities.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is ideal for marketing and communications professionals working in central government, ministries, crown entities and public bodies. It is particularly suited for those who:

• Seek to improve their digital marketing skills and knowledge
• Want to understand the impact of digital technologies on the public sector
• Need to develop effective digital strategies to achieve government goals
• Are responsible for managing government websites and social media channels
• Want to enhance public engagement and build trust

Course Outline

Here's what the course covers:

Module 1: The Transformed Digital Marketing Landscape

This module provides a foundation in understanding the major changes shaping digital marketing and communications in 2025. Participants will explore the historical evolution of digital marketing, focusing on recent trends that signal the industry’s future. Topics include:

Public sector marketing compliance requirements:

• State Services Commission digital guidelines
• Public Service Act 2020 compliance
• National security considerations for digital channels
• Whole-of-government brand management
• AI integration across public sector comms
• Accessibility standards for diverse populations
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi compliance frameworks
• Cross-cultural communication strategies
• National emergency comms protocols
• Setting public sector marketing & comms goals and objectives in the digital age
• Government communication guidelines and standards
• Public service values and ethics
• Understanding public sector vs. commercial audience dynamics
• Crisis communication and reputation management in the public sector
• International best practices in public sector digital marketing & comms
• Navigating privacy regulations (NZ Privacy Act, GDPR, CCPA, etc.)

Also covered in this lesson:

• The evolution of digital marketing and communications
• Consumer migration to digital channels
• Integration of AI across marketing and communications functions
• New consumer behaviour patterns and expectations
• Building trust and fostering transparency

Module 2: AI-Powered Marketing Strategy

AI’s capabilities are revolutionising marketing and communications, making strategy development more efficient and data-driven. This module will cover:

• Mapping complex target audience journeys
• Rapid deployment market research
• Predictive analytics for policy awareness campaigns
• Ethical AI frameworks for government use
• Ministerial communications planning
• Cross-agency budget allocation models
• AI-driven budget allocation and ROI forecasting
• Ethical considerations in using AI for public sector decision-making
• Bias mitigation in AI-powered tools
• Using AI to improve service delivery and citizen experience
• Data privacy and security concerns in the public sector
• Balancing innovation with public sector constraints
• Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating risks related to data breaches, public sector reputation and compliance

Module 3: Next-Generation Content Marketing

Content remains a cornerstone of digital communications and marketing, but its creation, distribution and optimisation are rapidly evolving. This module covers:

• AI content creation and optimisation tools
• Multimodal content strategy (text, voice, video)
• Accessibility standards for digital content, i.e. compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
• Multilingual strategies (Te Reo Māori/NZSL)
• Generative AI for visual content
• Video marketing optimisation
• Podcast and audio content strategy
• Content repurposing
• Creating content for diverse community demographics
• Developing content strategies that align with government priorities
• Using content marketing to promote social change and public awareness campaigns
• Public notices and regulatory communications
  
  

Module 4: Advanced Search Marketing

As search engine algorithms increasingly rely on AI, traditional SEO strategies need an upgrade. This module explores:

• Google’s E-E-A-T principles evolution
• Government website optimisation for optimal reach, effectiveness and searchability
• GOVT.NZ domain strategies
• Semantic search for public services
• Multilingual SEO implementation
• Structured data for official information
• Mobile-first indexing compliance
• National portal optimisation
• The new AI search engines (Google AI Overview, SearchGPT, Perplexity AI)
• AI-first search engine algorithms
• AI-driven keyword research and optimisation
• Voice search optimisation
• Visual search optimisation
• Core Web Vitals mastery
• Semantic Search and Structured Data: Using schema markup and optimising for user intent to improve visibility
• Location-based SEO for government facilities and services
• Local SEO strategies for communication with specific areas
• Making government documents and resources searchable
• Structured data for council events and services
• Optimizing government websites for accessibility and user experience
• Using SEO to improve the discoverability of government information and services
• Leveraging government data to improve search engine rankings

Module 5: Social Media Evolution

Social media continues to grow, with new platforms and formats emerging every year. This module focuses on staying ahead of trends and adapting to changes in social media. Participants will learn about:

• Ministerial social media guidelines
• Cross-platform policy announcements
• OIA response management
• National crisis comms protocols
• Interagency content coordination
• Choosing the right platforms to reach citizens and stakeholders
• New Platforms and Formats: Keeping up with emerging social channels
• Social media content creation using AI
• Effective, automated content distribution strategies at scale
• Dealing with public inquiries and citizen participation
• AI-powered social listening and trend analysis
• Social media policies for the public sector
• Maintaining political neutrality in communications
• Community engagement best practices
• Managing social media crises and negative feedback
• Public feedback management
• Moderation policies and guidelines
• Handling misinformation
• Community sentiment analysis
• Measuring the impact of social media on government objectives
• Archiving requirements for social media content

Module 6: Video Marketing

Video remains one of the most engaging forms of content in digital marketing. This module explores:

• Creating engaging video content for different platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook)
• Using AI to generate videos, provide voices and even create music
• Best practices for video conversion and distribution, in square, portrait and landscape formats
• Cost-effective video production techniques
• How to get noticed on each platform
• Optimizing videos for search engines
• Measuring video performance and ROI
• Policy explainer video production
• National emergency alerts
• Livestreaming official announcements
• Optimised video coverage of press conferences
•  
• Public consultation video content
• Video accessibility and captioning requirements

Module 7: Paid Advertising & AI

This module provides an in-depth look at paid digital promotion in an AI-driven world. Topics include:

• Complying with public sector advertising guidelines
• Government procurement processes for advertising, marketing & comms services
• Public sector advertising guidelines and restrictions
• Ministerial approval processes
•  
• Targeted communications for specific public sector initiatives
• AI-powered ad targeting and retargeting
• AI ad creation tools
• Mastering Google Ads
• Effective Meta Ads strategies
• The Google and Meta ad libraries and how to use them to best advantage
• Rate spending transparency in advertising
• Public good campaign strategies
• Measuring the impact of public sector advertising campaigns

Module 8: Email Marketing & Automation

Email marketing remains a powerful tool, but advancements in automation have raised the bar for personalisation and relevance. This module covers:

• Effective citizen relationship management
• Email marketing best practices for government agencies
• Compliance with government email regulations
• Emergency alert systems
• Using email to communicate with citizens and stakeholders
• Email security and privacy considerations

Module 9: Measurement & Attribution

• Public-sector-specific KPIs and success metrics
• Citizen engagement metrics
• Tracking sentiment, reach and impact
• Service delivery effectiveness metrics
• Cross-channel attribution modelling
• Public consultation response tracking
• Cost-benefit analysis for citizen value
• First-party data strategies
• Interagency benchmarking
• Privacy-compliant tracking methods
• Measuring the impact of government marketing campaigns on societal outcomes
• Using data analytics to improve government decision-making
• Evaluating the effectiveness of government communication strategies

Module 10: Future-Proofing Your Marketing

To remain competitive, marketers and communications professionals in the public sector need to future-proof their skills and strategies. This final module focuses on:

• Emerging trends in public sector digital marketing
• The future of government communication
• Techniques for developing compelling stories that resonate across platforms and touchpoints
• Emerging tech adoption (VR/AR)
• Blockchain for official records
• Metaverse engagement strategies
• Digital service continuity planning
• Public sector upskilling pathways
• Secure MarTech integration
• Evaluating and selecting AI marketing tools
• Security and compliance considerations
• Continuous learning strategies

TIMING

The next course begins on Monday 3 March.

However, you take this course in accordance with YOUR OWN TIMING – once each lesson is released, it is available for you to access ANYTIME, 24/7. And you have access indefinitely.

————————

INVESTMENT

This ten-part online training course is available for $997+GST per person. However we offer an Introductory Discount of $200 -- pay just $797+GST for bookings received by Monday 24 February.

Bookings are confirmed on receipt of payment, which can be by bank deposit or credit card. We can raise an invoice in advance if you need it.

We can also accept Purchase Orders -- please allow enough time for your Finance team to process the order so that payment is received by the due date in order to receive the introductory $200 discount.

To reserve your place in this course, please pay by debit or credit card through PayPal by clicking here:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5RJ9AXF4ML8W6

If you would prefer to pay by bank deposit or PO, or require an invoice, please send an email to bookings@netmarketingcourses.co.nz with your requirements.

NB Discounts are available for 3 or more bookings from the same organisation – email bookings@netmarketingcourses.co.nz for more information.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

You’ll receive our emailed confirmation of your booking. Then on the first day of the course we’ll follow up with details of your Login and Password, along with Course Notes for the first lesson of the NZ Public Sector Digital Marketing & Communications 2025 online training course.

Each week over ten weeks, a new lesson will be opened up, and we will email you with Course Notes for that lesson. (We release lessons weekly to ensure that they are as up-to-date as possible).

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please email us at bookings@netmarketingcourses.co.nz

FAQ

How does the course work?

Every lesson includes Action Steps so that you can start implementing what you’ve just learned, along with Quick Wins so that you can apply your newfound knowledge immediately.

Is the course live?

No, everything is online, conducted on a web-based e-learning software platform. Once a lesson is released, you can access it whenever you wish, anytime 24/7, in accordance with your own timetable). You proceed at your own pace, accessing materials online.

What's the course format?

This particular online training course provides content in a variety of multimedia forms, including text, images, videos, slideshows, presentations and PDF files. No special software is required to participate, you access it through a web browser (eg Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari).

How often are lessons released?

Course lessons will be provided weekly, over ten weeks. We release content on a weekly schedule because we review (and where necessary update) the contents of each lesson just before release, to ensure that the material is as up-to-date as possible — digital marketing is constantly changing, so we aim to ensure that the lessons reflect the latest developments.

How long will each lesson take?

We typically recommend you allow 1-2 hours per lesson.

What happens if I need help?

 Interaction with the course tutor is enabled via email (with telephone backup if required).

What are people saying about these courses?

Feedback from previous digital marketing training course and workshop participants:

• It is great that we have managed to get an external perspective on marketing in the digital space – your expertise in this area is greatly appreciated. – Hazel T.
• I really enjoyed the [Digital Marketing Workshop] today and got a lot out of it  – Nikki H.
• Thanks for a great [Digital Marketing] session yesterday, really enjoyed it and learnt lots – Izi W
• “this was the best professional development course I have done in many years” – Mark R, senior Agency Exec responsible for social media
• “thought the information within was outstanding” – Ed P, General Manager
• “What I loved was that I started with a fairly rudimentary understanding of social media but have learned a lot – including where to find more information as I need it.” – Fiona W, Marketing Manager
• “I found it relevant, informative, topical, insightful and a bloody good read. It’s never evangelical, too techy, patronising, assumes that you know too much or too little about digital and has a warm sense of humour in the communication throughout which helped faciliate the learning process for me.” — Adrienne B, new media senior executive
• “Thanks for pointing me in the direction of this course! It’s been extremely enlightening” — Shayne P, design agency director
• “Rapt with what I have seen of the course” — Julia R, fashion editor
• “I’m really enjoying the course – learning a lot – and I know the two friends I persuaded to join us are also loving it.” — Lavinia C, designer
• “Am thoroughly enjoying the content!” – Kara B, magazine co-ordinator
• “I was already engaging with social media and have been doing so for about 6 years or so. But, did I know how to use social media in a marketing and business sense? No, I simply did not. This course was a great way to show me how to do that.” — Sheryl K, online marketer

COURSE CREATION AND TUTORING

This course has been created and is tutored by Michael Carney.