Jennifer Wilson posted on January 30, 2012 11:38
If you're reading this article, you realize that more and more information consumption is happening online. The public often turns to the Internet first when looking for an answer.
What this means for water systems (and all utilities) is that you need to be where the public is, producing and sharing content that can be consumed. Fortunately, it is easier than ever to be online and actively engage with your customers using social media.
Your Options
The low-cost to getting online means that many of the methods used by larger water supplies are readily scalable to small communities. It also doesn't take a ton of time to be active on the Internet and use social media tools. We've provided some of the most common options and examples of how they are being used.
Website - A website allows potential customers to find you easily, especially if they have a question about a bill, getting connected or an issue with water quality. With WordPress.com, you can set up a website with your own domain name (YOURURL.com) for just $17/year that is easy to maintain.
- The Pioneer Rural Water District in South Carolina maintains a website with service connection forms, their Consumer Confidence Report and important contact information.
Email Newsletter - A regular newsletter delivered by email is one of the most effective ways of keeping in touch with your customers. There are a wide variety of low-cost services for sending your newsletter, including Mail Chimp which is free for the first 2000 emails on your list.
- The City of Stillwater, OK provided regular email updates to customers during a lengthy period of distribution system upgrades serving a local private rural water utility.
Facebook - Facebook is the #1 social network on the Internet. The statistics show that a majority of people who are online are using Facebook. The thing is, most people are using it exclusively for personal/family reasons. By having a presence on Facebook now, with a Facebook Page, you can be there when 'most people' are ready to take the next step to using Facebook is a professional capacity.
- The San Antonio Water System shares photos, inks to community news, information about local water supplies and more on its Facebook page.
Twitter - With just 140 characters per 'tweet', Twitter allows an organization to share valuable information in real-time. The service has been widely embraced by emergency management (editor's note: links to a private sector blog) officials for spreading important news quickly, serving as one important element of an emergency response plan.
Tip from SWSO: We suggest starting with one option at a time, so it is less overwhelming. Facebook is the easiest and we're more than happy to help you get set up.
Why Does it Matter?
All of these tools for online communication are fundamentally about forging stronger relationships between the information producer (you) and the information consumer (your customers). That is exactly why we create blog posts, send our newsletter, share links on Facebook and tweet about important water issues. We want you, our readers (our 'customers') to trust us and come to SmallWaterSupply.org when you need to find a document or event.
Developing and maintaing a positive relationship with your customers will, for example, enable rate increases to be better understood, accepted and supported. Therefore, being online and talking to your customers is an important component of working towards (financial) sustainability.
We're considering putting together a few webinars on this topic - how to get set up and how to use these tools effectively. If you might be interested in this type of online training, please leave a comment or email us (info@smallwatersupply.org).
How to Run your Small Water Supply like a Business is a weekly series at SmallWaterSupply.org, appearing on most Mondays.