With social networking expanding into the government and public outreach arenas, the MSRC has joined the social media trend and is now on Facebook. Via Facebook, the MSRC has an opportunity to share and promote current projects and activities - within the organization and with our partners. Now posted on Facebook are MSRC events, photos, project updates, timelines, and meetings that involve our vast variety of projects and programs jumpstarted with Clean Transportation Funding.
In reviewing MSRC-funded agencies that have Facebook accounts, most use Facebook to promote the agency's general purpose. As a result, our project partners are having great success with Facebook as a general communication tool with current and prospective constituents and interested parties. We will be working with our partners to ensure that the implementation of MSRC funded projects such as alternative fuel stations and clean vehicles will be added to their Facebook wall posts in the near future. Here are a few examples of what our partners are doing on Facebook:
The Cities of Burbank, Desert Hot Springs, Garden Grove, Glendale, Redondo Beach, South Pasadena, and Villa Park have Facebook pages and groups with hundreds of fans and users. Information displayed consists of events calendars, live streams of city council meetings, links to agendas and minutes, and current news items. Additionally, the cities post updates about city projects with photos of the progress.
Omnitrans also has a very informative user page that includes events, bus schedule information, schedule changes, meeting minutes, and information for its employees that cover administrative reminders, as well as introductions to new staff members.(Omnitrans)
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has a page with more than 400 fans. OCTA utilizes Facebook to advertise links to its websites which contain all of the information interested users need to access OCTA's services. (goOCTA)
Even the most established and well known companies like Disneyland Resorts, Inc., has its Facebook page with 10,000+ members which provides information for guests about the park's attractions.(Disneyland)
Just added to Facebook is the Inland Empire 511 page, touting the benefits of the newly launched 511 program, of which the outreach and marketing was largely funded by the MSRC. (IE511)
Social networking is all the buzz in today's cyber world because these sites connect people and allow people to re-connect on a personal and/or professional level with many different people and organizations throughout the world. Hundreds of millions of accounts are active, and every day that number grows (see Facts at a Glance). Many assume that the purpose of these sites is to communicate with friends or relatives. But there is a new use for social networking: public outreach and staying in the loop. It can bring together employees as well as interested parties who want to be involved in the work of a particular agency and stay current with what it is doing, thus expanding outreach capabilities and interaction. Although Facebook is a great way to stay in touch, it also serves as a one-stop shopping source for a variety of government and public agency information.
Social networking has an advantage over the traditional website or email approach to connecting with people. Not only are these sites free, but once a user signs up to a social network, information is then "pushed" to the user without having to log on to individual websites. In one location, one can not only hear the latest that is going on with friends and family, but also what the MSRC is doing, the latest CNN news, or up-to-date gossip in the celebrity world. It also shows others the types of places, organizations, and companies that a particular individual or agency supports or follows, which provides an additional opportunity to make other people aware of these organizations and gives them broader exposure.
The MSRC is excited to be a part of this new world of social networking. We anticipate that the MSRC Facebook page will be visited soon by Committee members, TAC members, agency employees, and the general public who can join in and support the MSRC and help us continue to make these programs a success!
We invite you to become one of our fans, by visiting the MSRC Facebook page at: Clean Transportation Funding - MSRC
