Student Social-Media Takeover in 2020
The world of social media is the main form of communication for many businesses, organisations, and especially students. UQ has established a multitude of social media channels, and the Sustainability Office is no exception to this: primarily using Facebook and Instagram, the Office connects with students, staff and the eco-minded UQ community to promote environmental news, initiatives and events.
In 2020, online communication and connection became more important than ever. So, the Office decided to try something new: create content for students, by students. By inviting student-staff, who are familiar with the Office’s projects and goals, and giving them the keys to the social-media kingdom, curated student content increases engagement.
This change in social-media curatorship was a complete success. The three student-staff, Sophie, Cassidy and Emily, created and scheduled content to ensure extensive coverage of sustainability topics throughout the week. This included UQ’s green programs, waste, water, biodiversity, energy and relevant UQ news and events, including nationally and globally celebrated events like Earth Hour and NAIDOC week.
This change in social media creatorship had a measurable impact too. As of November 2020, the Sustainability Office page had gained 665 new followers since the beginning of the year, reaching a total of 8,659 followers. Followers are mainly from Australia, but also Malaysia, USA, Indonesia, UK, Brazil and China, providing global outreach for UQ’s sustainability efforts. Posts that had the most engagement in 2020 were of Warwick Solar Farm (announcing UQ would be powered by 100% renewable energy!), the Zero Waste Pledge, and of the Recycling Hub on St Lucia campus (see image).
“Taking over the Office’s social media accounts was an exciting move to ensure content was better curated for students”, Emily said. “As students ourselves, we consume a lot of content and know what a good post looks like: short, sweet, lots of emojis, an attention-grabbing picture, and a call to action at the end. While getting my head around scheduling tools and engagement stats took some time, writing up a post was like second nature.”
Sophie, who also manages the UQ Unwrapped Facebook group, said, “I have deeply enjoyed spreading awareness of waste reduction and education on UQ Sustainability’s huge platform. Using social media to increase the visibility of sustainability at UQ and build a sense of community has been special, especially this year, when I feel we all needed a bit of community”. UQ Unwrapped has also grown this year, now at 972 members who actively live and support the values of the program, aiming to reduce single use plastics across UQ campuses. Earlier in the year, UQ Unwrapped hosted online workshops and gained many new ‘Unwrapped Champions’. UQ retailers continued the switch to compostable packaging, even while many staff and students were away from campus during lockdown. “It’s turned out to be a big year for our social media efforts, and I couldn’t be happier about it”, said Sophie.
The three student-staff weren’t the only students to contribute to the Office’s social media presence. Every month, Lauren (the Environment Council’s SDG Manager for 2020) was a guest-poster on the page, introducing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that would be explored further within the Green Ambassador Program’s Facebook group. This exploration included how the GAP community could better contribute to each goal in their everyday lives.
“It was fascinating to research the goals, but often challenging to communicate their importance and key aspects in an accessible and succinct way”, Lauren said. “Each post contained practical suggestions for how GAP members could contribute... I think encouraging the community to think about practical steps they could take to contribute to sustainability was a great way to start each Monday!"
Social media has been incredibly important to both the creation and development of the Green Ambassador Program throughout 2020. At the beginning of the year, before COVID-19 lockdown, students said an online community would be the first step in establishing the program. When lockdown was implemented, there was no better time to launch the GAP Facebook group. This became the one-stop shop for GAP’s first virtual events and space where the first Environment Council was voted in. GAP’s Social Media Manager position, first filled by Erin, and later in 2020 by Jayana, was integral to maintaining online engagement within the program and provide outreach to gain new members.
While 2020 has provided many challenges, it has also created opportunities to increase connection and communication online..
To support the Office, and GAP program, online, follow our relevant social media below:
Sustainability Office Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UQSustainability and Instagram: @uqsustainability
Green Ambassador Program Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/668453877298892 and Instagram: @uqgreenambassadors
UQ Unwrapped Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/483788782133921