Can social media produce positive results?

Dave AndrewPhD community groups & social mediaUniversity of Northampton

Agenda

• Background to research• What are bottom-up community groups?• What is Social Media and why you should use

it?• Example results from successful social media

community groups• Useful resources

Background to Research

• Determine the extent, impact and possible future scenarios of social media community groups in driving waste reduction/prevention via reuse.

Bottom-up Community Groups• Enables communities to focus on what is

important to them • May not match policy exactly. Does it matter?• Encourages pro-environmental behaviours• Social, community, sustainability, resource efficiency,

waste prevention

• Social media key to their continued success• Internet and social media use is increasing rapidly

Varied aims

Social Media enables:• Provides the platform for the creation of user

generated content • Collaboration• Users sharing with others from your website• Retweets and mentions on Twitter• Likes on Facebook• Sharing links of social bookmarking

Social Media enables:

• Interaction• Via comments on blogs, forums• Yahoo groups etc.

• Collective intelligence• Use social media to:• Promote your projects• Learn from others

Why use Social Media?• Internet usage is an everyday activity• Smart phones are becoming common place• Tablets and netbooks are up and coming

Timeline

Social Media Strategy• Social media strategy based on:• Aims and objectives of group • Include business case• Existing and potential skill sets

• Understand your target audience• Investigate where they are “social” on the web • Facebook, Twitter, YouTube• Blogs• Forums and discussion boards

Freecycle & Freegle• Freecycle aims• Reduce waste to landfill• Promote community involvement

• Freegle aims• Reduce waste to landfill• Develop community networks

Freegle• Freegle was shortlisted in the Computer

Weekly Social Media Awards 2011: best use of social media (not-for-profit).

Freecycle MembersFreecycle members in: 2008 2012 % increase

Corby 7033687 524

Kettering 25965412 208

Northampton North & Central 60589709 160

Northampton East 18497386 399

Northampton South 17155850 341

Northampton West 8914863 546

Wellingborough 27164256 157

Total Members: 16528 41163 249

Freecycle & Freegle Results• Northampton Central & North Freegle and Freecycle group

activity for 1 week February 2012 (Freecycle.com, 2012; Freegle.co.uk, 2012)

• 86 items

• Total waste diverted from landfill 892 kg £731

• Annual Total based on 52 weeks 46384kg £37,991

• Estimated annual cost savings from Northampton Central & North Freegle and Freecycle group activity (WRAP, 2011c)

Freecycle & Freegle ResultsCost of disposal per tonne 2011

(£)2012(£)

2013(£)

2014(£)

Gate Fee (Median for 2011) 20 20 20 20

Landfill Tax 56 64 72 80

Total Charges 76 84 92 100

Figures below based on Annual weight of 46 tonnes

Annual Savings on Cost of disposal 3496 3864 4232 4600

Increase 0 368 736 1104

Landfill Tax Escalator % increase 0 11% 21% 32%

Freecycle & Freegle • Cost saving by Local Authority through

reduction in waste processing costs• No cost to local authority• Have Freecycle and Freegle met their aims?

Feeding5K• Aims

• Relieve food poverty• Reduce food waste

• Evaluation of aims• Highlights the problem of food waste, and the many practical

ways to solve it. • All the food handed out on the day to passers-by will be

made from fresh and nutritious ingredients that otherwise would have been wasted.

• Social media is integrated.

Project Dirt• Project Dirt started in 2008• Social Network created using Ning platform

• Aim:We’re not a website, we’re a community. We’re not exclusive, we’re inclusive. We’re not preaching a message, we’re improving information links. We’re not another forum; we’re a projects based network encouraging activity.

Project Dirt results

Project Dirt results

Is Project Dirt a success?• The Empty Classroom Project• 100 schools signed up, includes a school from China!

• Results from Twitter• Tweets 2641• Following 2507• Followers 2560

• Results from Facebook• Likes 385

• Have Project Dirt met their aim?

Resources• Learn from the professionals• Hubspot.com• Free whitepapers and eBooks

• Learn from each other• Community Group Hub – currently a prototype• http://communitygrouphub.co.uk/

• Remember social media is about interaction and collaboration

Useful Docs/Links• 10 Fundamental Tips for Social Media Commu

nity Managers• Good Blog to follow• Download this• How to use Facebook for business• 25 website must haves ebook

Thank you for listening

Any Questions?