INTRODUCTION
In today’s digital world, promoting a public involvement meeting on social media is an easy and cost-effective way to inform citizens, stakeholders and the general public of upcoming projects.
Here are some tips on how to promote a public involvement meeting on social media.
TYPES OF ORGANIC CONTENT TO INCLUDE
If time allows, create a pre-planned calendar of organic (non-paid) posts for all the social media channels you plan on using. These posts can preview the PIM and also give ongoing project updates (e.g., renderings). Another way to extend organic post reach is by tagging the business where the PIM is being held and including project hashtags. Start by doing 1-2 posts a week, and you can increase the frequency if you have enough content.
Creating a Facebook event for the public involvement meeting is another way to promote your PIM. Facebook events allow you to put all the details/updates in one place, plus events on Facebook are searchable.
To create an event for your page, tap “Events” and then click “Create New Event.” Select if your event will be online only or in person. Here is where you will be asked to include all details including event name, date, time, description, etc. To increase the visibility of the event, make sure the setting is set to “Public.” As a general rule, the more details you can include, the better. For example, if your public involvement meeting is taking place in a school, add detailed directions on how participants can find the room from the parking lot.
Another platform to consider using is Nextdoor, as you can market to local neighborhoods that might be affected by the proposed project. Start by creating a professional business account and getting it verified, then tap on the Posts tab and click the green + button to create a post. Include PIM meeting details and post a link to the project page for residents to learn more.
To increase accessibility to people who might not be able to physically attend, consider live streaming the event on Facebook, Instagram and/or YouTube. Additionally, if your project team is sending out postcards to stakeholders or residents, remember to add the social media handles to all marketing materials.
TYPES OF PAID CONTENT TO INCLUDE
If you have a budget, there are numerous ways to promote your PIM. For example, boosting your Facebook event (mentioned above) can help increase awareness and encourage RSVPs. To do this, go to the event you’ve created and select “Boost Event.” Then select the objective (e.g., increase awareness). Next, choose your ad creative, create your audience and set your budget and ad duration. We recommend running the boosted event for at least two weeks leading up to the PIM.
To reach people directly affected by the project, you should geotarget your Facebook boost. To promote your public involvement meeting to area residents, choose the audience status “people living in this location.” Then type in the address of the proposed project or drop a pin if the address isn’t available or relevant. Then select the target radius. While Facebook allows you to set a target radius of 1-50 miles, you should only select a radius that covers the area you’d like to target. If your project spans a great distance (e.g., a highway project), you can drop multiple pins.
You also can advertise on Nextdoor. Start by choosing a goal (e.g. increase website visits) then follow the steps to building your ad. Once your ad is built, choose your audience. Nextdoor lets you target neighbors within 30 miles of your business or project office. Next, set your budget. The platform only spends what your budget allows by choosing a daily budget and the length of time you’d like to run your ad. Similar to Facebook, we recommend running these ads a few weeks in advance of your PIM. Select your payment method and publish.
CONTENT TO INCLUDE POST-PIM
We recommend posting to social media after the PIM is over, too. Sample post ideas include the recorded presentation, photos of the exhibits, links media coverage and teasing future PIMs.