What’s the best way to celebrate Social Media Day? With data, of course! Happy #SMDay to all of the curious community and data-loving folks. For Social Media Day, we’re sharing a few of our favorite social media statistics from our main accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Nextdoor between July 1, 2018-June 26, 2019.
But first: Why is a local government using social media?
When it comes to sharing information, connecting with residents and engaging with the community, Gilbert meets its residents where they are – online.
The median age in Gilbert is 33.6 years old and, in 2019, 82% of U.S. adults in this age range use at least one social media site. Also, in Gilbert, 97.5% of households have a computer and 94.1% have broadband internet subscription!
Gilbert wants to help residents connect with their community in an easy and accessible way while also providing around the clock customer service. The variety of social media accounts allows Gilbert to reach residents on whichever platform they use most often. That said, let’s take a look at the most popular social media sites among residents and dive into our favorite social media statistics over the past year.
Impressions
Impressions are the number of times our content is displayed, clicked or not.
Facebook had the most impressions this past year with over 10 million displays. Top posts include #3 Most Livable City in the U.S., Gilbert is Getting its First Water Park and Infant at Work Program.
Engagement
Engagement is the number of interactions with our content, including likes, comments, shares and clicks.
Instagram had the most engagement this past year with over 180,000 interactions with our content. Top posts include Battalion Chief James Nelson’s Daughter Escort, GHS Basketball Team Wins State 5A Champion Game, and What Made You Choose to Call Gilbert Home.
Videos
Facebook averaged 186% more video views than YouTube. Top videos include National Public Works Week: Fire Hydrants and The Strand @ Gilbert. The top video on YouTube was Discover Gilbert: 15-second.
Nextdoor
In Gilbert, we love to gather feedback from our over 55,000-member list on Nextdoor, an especially valuable social media platform because it verifies that the people Gilbert reaches are verified residents, whereas anyone can like a Facebook page or watch a Snapchat story. That means we can send customized messages to residents by neighborhood, zone or radius. For example, after we posted our Transportation Survey on Nextdoor, we received over 2,500 responses. Here are the neighborhoods in Gilbert that have the most members on Nextdoor:
What does social media mean to you? For Gilbert, it means actively engaging the community through the use of video, interactive social posts and Nextdoor. We also love seeing Gilbert in the lens of the community. If you haven’t already, connect with Gilbert on social media today.
Want to learn more about our social media strategy? Listen to some of our podcast episodes below from Government Gone Digital.
Want to make your own connections? View the data set here!
Growth and Development