Can social media produce positive results?

Using examples from existing community groups we analyse if social media can produce results that help groups meet their aims.

Transcript

1. Can social media produce positive results?
2. Agenda • Background to research • What are bottom-up community groups? • What is Social Media and why you should use it? • Example results from successful social media community groups • Useful resources
3. Background to Research • Determine the extent, impact and possible future scenarios of social media community groups in driving waste reduction/prevention via reuse.
4. Bottom-up Community Groups • Enables communities to focus on what is important to them • May not match policy exactly. Does it matter? • Encourages pro-environmental behaviours • Social, community, sustainability, resource efficiency, waste prevention • Social media key to their continued success • Internet and social media use is increasing rapidly
5. Varied aims
6. Social Media enables: • Provides the platform for the creation of user generated content • Collaboration • Users sharing with others from your website • Retweets and mentions on Twitter • Likes on Facebook • Sharing links of social bookmarking
7. Social Media enables: • Interaction • Via comments on blogs, forums • Yahoo groups etc. • Collective intelligence • Use social media to: • Promote your projects • Learn from others
8. Why use Social Media? • Internet usage is an everyday activity • Smart phones are becoming common place • Tablets and netbooks are up and coming
9. Timeline
10. Social Media Strategy • Social media strategy based on: • Aims and objectives of group • Include business case • Existing and potential skill sets • Understand your target audience • Investigate where they are “social” on the web • Facebook, Twitter, YouTube • Blogs • Forums and discussion boards • http://www.creativebrandmarketing.co.uk/social-media- statistics-uk
11. Freecycle & Freegle • Freecycle aims • Reduce waste to landfill • Promote community involvement • Freegle aims • Reduce waste to landfill • Develop community networks
12. Freegle • Freegle was shortlisted in the Computer Weekly Social Media Awards 2011: best use of social media (not-for-profit).
13. Freecycle Members Freecycle members in: 2008 2012 % increase Corby 703 3687 524 Kettering 2596 5412 208 Northampton North & Central 6058 9709 160 Northampton East 1849 7386 399 Northampton South 1715 5850 341 Northampton West 891 4863 546 Wellingborough 2716 4256 157 Total Members: 16528 41163 249
14. Freecycle & Freegle Results • Northampton Central & North Freegle and Freecycle group activity for 1 week February 2012 (Freecycle.com, 2012; Freegle.co.uk, 2012) • 86 items • Total waste diverted from landfill 892 kg £731 • Annual Total based on 52 weeks 46384kg £37,991 • Estimated annual cost savings from Northampton Central & North Freegle and Freecycle group activity (WRAP, 2011c)
15. Freecycle & Freegle Results Cost of disposal per tonne 2011 (£) 2012 (£) 2013 (£) 2014 (£) Gate Fee (Median for 2011) 20 20 20 20 Landfill Tax 56 64 72 80 Total Charges 76 84 92 100 Figures below based on Annual weight of 46 tonnes Annual Savings on Cost of disposal 3496 3864 4232 4600 Increase 0 368 736 1104 Landfill Tax Escalator % increase 0 11% 21% 32%
16. Freecycle & Freegle • Cost saving by Local Authority through reduction in waste processing costs • No cost to local authority • Have Freecycle and Freegle met their aims?
17. Feeding5K • Aims • Relieve food poverty • Reduce food waste • Evaluation of aims • Highlights the problem of food waste, and the many practical ways to solve it. • All the food handed out on the day to passers-by will be made from fresh and nutritious ingredients that otherwise would have been wasted. • Social media is integrated.
23. Project Dirt • Project Dirt started in 2008 • Social Network created using Ning platform • Aim: We’re not a website, we’re a community. We’re not exclusive, we’re inclusive. We’re not preaching a message, we’re improving information links. We’re not another forum; we’re a projects based network encouraging activity.
24. Project Dirt results
25. Project Dirt results
28. Is Project Dirt a success? • The Empty Classroom Project • 100 schools signed up, includes a school from China! • Results from Twitter • Tweets 2641 • Following 2507 • Followers 2560 • Results from Facebook • Likes 385 • Have Project Dirt met their aim?
29. Resources • Learn from the professionals • Hubspot.com • Free whitepapers and eBooks • Learn from each other • Community Group Hub – currently a prototype • http://communitygrouphub.co.uk/ • Remember social media is about interaction and collaboration
30. Useful Docs/Links • 10 Fundamental Tips for Social Media Community Managers • Good Blog to follow • Download this • How to use Facebook for business • 25 website must haves ebook
31. Thank you for listening Any Questions?