Project description
The BLUEPRINT Project Instagram account was created to try and encourage residents to adopt more circular behaviours. Content was focused on all the steps of the waste hierarchy.
Aim
To engage at least 50,000 residents on the circular economy.
Target audience
The main target audience were members of the public with an interest in the environment or sustainability. Based on Instagram’s demographic, our followers were predominantly 18-35 year old women. Although the posts were applicable to everyone, our content focused on residents who live in Essex, Brighton, Peterborough and Kent.
Specific goals
To reach and engage with 50,000 people.
Timeline
April 2021 to April 2022 – 1 year pilot project.
Platform
Who was involved in this project?
Lead organisation: Essex County Council was the lead for this project, but initial set-up work was also done by PECT. All project partners contributed to content for the account.
Organisation contact
Responsibilities
- Setting up the account.
- Writing content.
- Sourcing images.
- Monitoring.
Other stakeholders involved
Other local authority partners contributing to content.
Where was the project piloted and why?
The account was managed from Essex, UK and written in English but could be viewed from anywhere with internet access. This was to maximise reach and engagement.
Why was the project created?
Why we did the project
We wanted to run a pilot that allowed us to test and validate different types of content and help us to determine the best ways to engage with residents. We wanted to speak directly to a young audience, in an informal way, and suggest adopting circular economy behaviours as lifestyles. The new BLUEPRINT account was not directly linked to existing local authorities’ accounts, therefore not carrying any bias.
Expected value to the circular economy
If local authorities want to transition to a circular economy, resident buy-in will be essential. Introducing the circular economy to the public via social media is a great way to embed waste reduction into everyday life. Although it’s hard to measure the results of this pilot, the engagement suggests that people are interested in the circular economy and how it relates to them on a personal level.
How was the project implemented?
Key actions were included, such as:
- research
- defining processes
- identifying monitoring systems
- sourcing equipment and materials
Cost and staff resource
No cost associated with running the account, but it did require staff to write content, post on the account and engage with followers.
Compliance
As this pilot involved creating a new Instagram account, we had this signed off by our internal social media team.
Monitoring
Every month we looked at impressions, reach, engagement and engagement rate on the account. We gathered these statistics for each individual post, so we were also able to see which types of content performed well.
Results
- Followers: 685.
- Impressions: 107,174.
- Reach: 102,076.
- Engagement: 10,578.
- Engagement rate: 10.4%.
Lessons learnt
- Use French hashtags to reach more residents in France.
- Use reels from the outset to boost engagement.
- Use Instagram Lives for real time engagement.
- Post less frequently to free up officer time – initially we were posting every day but eventually had to reduce this as the pilot became too resource intensive.
- All photos were original and taken by members of the wider team. Having a bank of images to fall back on was useful.
- Create a communications plan to align with organisational strategy.
- Account takeovers from other partners can boost reach and engagement.
- More personal content showing the faces behind the project is more relatable.
- Use paid promotion of content to boost reach.
Risks
What are the risks to consider for future implementation?
The Instagram account was a low-risk activity. However, staff writing content and communicating directly with residents could be considered a risk. To ensure all communication was in line with brand guidelines and company reputation, all content was reviewed and approved by other staff within the team.