Landcare Online
Raising awareness and buidling connections across Greater Sydney
Reaching Out - LLCI012-003
The issue
Greater Sydney has a large population covering a number of sub-regions and consisting of a diversity of ages and backgrounds.
It is essential for young and developing Networks to Communicate with members, raise awareness about groups and events, attract new memberships in order to provide services to members and to achieve a critical mass of memberships.
Reaching this audience through traditional print and radio mass media or using offline methods such as direct emails and phone calls alone would be challenging and time consuming
The solution
Having an online presence is essential in the current internet-based age. GSLN has established a website, facebook business page and twitter page to communicate with the Greater Sydney community and raise awareness about the Network.
The website, https://www.greatersydneylandcare.org, is regularly updated with network news. There are pages where visitors can sign up for membership, find resources relevant to their group, contact the GSLN LLCs, and view an events calendar and post their own events.
Events run by GSLN member groups are regularly posted on the facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/GreaterSydneyLandcare/). Important events and posts, such as events organised by GSLN, are promoted using boosting to extend their reach and awareness of the network. Events are also promoted through the tweeting (@GreatSydLand), and the network recently live tweeted at the National Landcare Conference using the hashtag ‘#LandcareConf16’ to raise GSLN’s online profile.
LLCs and some committee members, including the Chair, have access to the facebook and twitter pages. This means the committee has oversight of the online communications, however the LLCs take a strong interest and make most of the postings.
The impact
The GSLN facebook page currently has approximately 600 likes and its posts reach approximately 500 - 1000 people per week.
Boosting the event page for the 2016 AGM meant that around 300 more people were made aware of the event.
The GSLN Twitter page currently has around 50 followers and gained new followers through live tweeting at the National Landcare Conference.
Key facts
- Facebook page ~ 600 likes
- Posts reach 500-1000 people per week
- Allows Member events to be shared
- Raised awareness about GSLN across Greater Sydney