Week 16A

At this point the social media platform that works best in my opinion is Nextdoor. Its role as a community message board fits in with the types of messages water agencies try and get out. Announcement of classes, changes in local regulations, and possibly things like planned and unplanned maintenance that can affect traffic or access. It is a perfect platform for Ad Hoc messaging. No need to worry about engagement in the same way that you would with other platforms such as Facebook.

I enjoyed learning about how interconnected all of the different platforms can be, so I really didn’t have a favorite. Also, I don’t think it’s wise to pick favorites because of the speed of evolution of online communication. What may work great this year, may not next.

It’s clear to me now; if you are going to have a social media presence you really need a Facebook page, or possibly a twitter account depending on your business. Facebook’s tools allow you to focus and assess your online marketing efforts.

I think for water agencies that the Facebook and Twitter work on a daily basis, more so than something like Nextdoor or Instagram. The only reason I could see water agencies posting on a daily basis is commenting on news or political stories that affect the water industry in some way. In San Diego, the dominate player in the water industry is the San Diego County Water Authority. They are heavily involved in state politics as well as having many different high profile legal issues that they as an agency choose to use social media to keep its constituents informed or defend their actions.