Why Water Managers Should Embrace Social Media

Originally posted on the Pacific Institute Insights blog on August 19, 2013. 

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest. I don’t need to explain what social media is because chances are you’re plugged into one, if not most, of these social media platforms. And individuals aren’t the only ones engaged in social media. Eighty percent of businesses, 89% of NGOs, and 66% of government agencies are also a part of these networks– connecting, sharing, digesting, and discussing information with their followers and fans.

But are water managers effectively using social media? While my research didn’t bring up any hard numbers, my years as a Communications professional in the water and environmental justice sector suggest that a smaller percentage of water managers are using social media compared to the business and non-profit sectors. It’s perhaps more apparent why a B2B/B2C company or a membership-based NGO would join Facebook, Twitter, and the like, but there is still a strong case to be made for why water managers should embrace social media. Here are a few reasons why investing time and resources into social media is worthwhile for water managers:

Water managers can engage more productively with their stakeholders.

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority serves 16 million customers in Washington, D.C. but only reaches 130,000 of them through bills and other traditional communications... Continue reading.