The landscape of local government communication is evolving rapidly. Citizens expect instant updates about road closures, emergency alerts, community events, and city services—delivered directly to their phones and on their preferred channels. Meanwhile, communications teams are managing more channels than ever before with the same (or smaller) staff and budgets.

That's why we're excited to announce the Q1 2026 release of GOGov Citizen Notifications, our comprehensive mass notification system designed specifically for local government. This release represents months of collaboration with communications directors, PIOs, and city managers across our network of 600+ municipalities, bringing the most requested features to life.

Whether you're sending emergency weather alerts, routine facility closure notices, or community event updates, this release makes it easier to create professional messages, ensure accuracy before sending, and reach citizens across every communication channel—from mobile apps to SMS to social media.

Let's dive into what's new.

What's New in Our Mass Notification System

The Q1 2026 release introduces powerful new features across four key areas: workflow management, content creation, audience targeting, and resident experience. Here's what your team can do now that wasn't possible before.

Workflow & Publishing Management

One of the biggest concerns we hear from local government communications teams is the fear of sending a message with an error—a typo, incorrect information, or outdated details that could confuse residents or damage trust. The new workflow management features in our citizen notifications platform eliminate this risk while making your team more efficient.

Approval Workflows - Route draft messages to designated publishers for review and approval before sending. Multi-level approval paths ensure accuracy and consistency while maintaining accountability through complete audit trails. Publishers can approve, reject with feedback, or request edits—all tracked with full version history.

Draft Management System - Organize all in-progress messages in a centralized draft section with auto-save functionality and version control. View notifications by status including Drafts, Pending Approval, Scheduled, Sent, and Archived for complete visibility into your communication pipeline.

Smart Scheduling - Schedule messages to send at optimal times and set automatic archive dates to keep public feeds current without manual intervention. Pre-schedule routine communications weeks or months in advance.

Mobile-Ready Authoring - Create, edit, approve, and send notifications directly from mobile devices with a fully responsive interface. The complete notification lifecycle—from drafting to publishing—works seamlessly on phones and tablets.

💡 Want to see approval workflows in action? Schedule a 15-minute demo to see how our local government software streamlines your communication process.

Content Creation Tools

Creating engaging, professional communications shouldn't require a graphic designer or hours of formatting work. Our enhanced content creation tools help local government staff produce high-quality notifications quickly—whether you're announcing a park closure, promoting a job opening, or sharing a city council update.

Template Library - Access pre-built templates for common government communications or create custom templates for your agency's specific needs. Save successful messages as reusable templates to maintain consistency and save time across your mass notification system.

Enhanced Text Editor - Intuitive editing experience with rich formatting options, accessible media embeds, and improved support for screen readers and assistive technologies.

Video Posts - Add videos directly to notifications for more engaging, personal announcements. Videos autoplay in subscriber feeds across mobile and web platforms.

Social Media Auto-Generation - Instantly generate eye-catching social media graphics using your headline, tagline, logo, and imagery. Connect Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram accounts to cross-post with one click.

Subscriber & Audience Management

Effective local government software needs robust tools for managing who receives which messages. Whether you're targeting a specific neighborhood about road construction or sending city-wide emergency alerts, the new subscriber management capabilities give you precise control over your audience while respecting resident preferences.

Enhanced Subscriber Management - New administrative interface provides complete subscriber visibility and control. Perform bulk operations including invitations, opt-outs, group assignments, and data exports. Import/export functionality simplifies migrations and reporting.

Private & Unlisted Groups - Create internal-only communication channels for staff or specialized groups for specific audiences like business owners, HOAs, or community organizations. Control group visibility and access permissions.

Send Groups - Organize departments (Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks & Recreation) so subscribers can identify message sources and adjust their preferences accordingly.

Geo-Targeting - Send messages to specific geographic areas or exclude certain zones for precise, location-based communication. Essential for effective citizen notifications about road closures, construction projects, and neighborhood-specific announcements.

Resident Self-Service Portal - Subscribers manage their own contact methods (email, SMS, push notifications) and subscription preferences through an intuitive portal, reducing administrative burden for staff.

Resident-Facing Enhancements

A citizen notification system is only as effective as resident adoption and engagement. The Q1 2026 release puts more control in residents' hands with a completely redesigned portal experience and self-service tools that reduce administrative burden for your team while improving the citizen experience.

NEW Subscriber Portal - Complete portal redesign enables residents to search all news and events, manage notification preferences, update contact information, and view message history—all without requiring app downloads.

Embeddable Web Widgets - Add subscription forms, news feeds, emergency alert banners, and app download promotions directly to your municipal website. Every widget is customizable and mobile-responsive.

Enhanced Mobile App Experience - Improved layouts, better filtering options, read/unread message states, and refined notification management make it easier for residents to stay informed on their phones.

Two-Way Communication - Residents can reply to notifications to ask questions or request additional information. Replies automatically create service requests in GOGov CRM for tracking and response (requires CRM module).

📱 See the new resident portal and mobile experience yourself. Explore our citizen notifications platform to learn how we help 600+ municipalities engage their communities.

Multi-Channel Communication for Local Government

Modern local government communication requires meeting residents where they are. Some prefer text messages for urgent alerts. Others want detailed emails. Many rely on mobile apps for everything. Our mass notification system continues to support comprehensive multi-channel delivery for all departments, ensuring every resident can receive critical information on their preferred platform:

• SMS Alerts – Fast, reliable text messaging for time-sensitive updates
• Voice Calls – Automated voice delivery for urgent updates and senior populations
• Email Notifications – Rich HTML emails with images, links, and formatting
• Mobile Push Notifications – Instant alerts through branded mobile apps
• Social Media Publishing – One-click posting to Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram
• Embeddable Web Feeds – Syndicate content across websites and partner portals

How This Release Helps Your Team

The Q1 2026 release addresses real challenges we've heard from hundreds of local government communications professionals. Here's how these new features translate into practical benefits for different roles in your organization:

For Communications Directors and PIOs: Approval workflows provide quality control and accountability before messages reach the public. Smart scheduling and templates reduce repetitive work, freeing time for strategic initiatives.

For City Managers and Department Heads: Approval workflows and subscriber management tools provide oversight and accountability. Smart scheduling and templates improve team efficiency and consistency across departments.

For Front-Line Staff: Mobile-ready tools enable field updates and emergency response without returning to the office. Two-way communication reduces repetitive phone calls and improves resident satisfaction.

For Residents: Enhanced portal and self-service capabilities put control in citizens' hands, allowing them to manage their communication preferences and access information on their schedule.

Get Started Today with GOGov Citizen Notifications

Ready to transform how your municipality communicates with residents?

Schedule Your Demo Now →

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