Customer Stories
Bringing the buzz to social media
Manchester City Council aims to set their hometown apart as a world-class community that stands out on the international stage, harnesses highly skilled and motivated people and has prosperous neighbourhoods where all residents can meet their full potential.
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As the 6th largest city in England by population, Manchester City Council is tasked with serving the needs of a diverse and growing community and instilling a sense of pride in the city. At the heart of everything the council does are its three core values – people, pride and place, underpinning its aims and objectives. The Social Team’s story is one of evolution, innovation and responsive engagement.
The challenge
The Social Media Team was faced with 6 main objectives for their approach to social media. These included;
- Organic social growth to foster a robust and engaged online community
- Increased resident engagement
- Diversity-centric communication recognising Manchester’s rich tapestry of audiences
- Tailored content that respected the distinctive preferences and geographical locations of residents
- Digital lifestyle integration which aligned with residents’ online habits
- Bringing the buzz to social media to instil pride in the city
They embarked on a transformative journey to rejuvenate their digital presence. The goal was clear; to breathe life into their social feeds, enhance resident engagement and reflect the diversity of the city.
The solution
To achieve this, they harnessed the power of the social platforms, held team brainstorming sessions, leveraged trends, and curated creative content that resonated with their audience’s preferences. The team recognised that residents were looking for more than just information – they wanted to be inspired, educated and entertained. They made it their mission to understand what their residents wanted to see from their social feeds.
Utilising the features which the Orlo platform has on offer, they harnessed the power of social listening, actively monitoring conversations, tracking sentiment and responding to resident queries and concerns. This demonstrated that the council wasn’t just broadcasting information but actively engaging in a dialogue with the community, with their responsiveness reinforcing their commitment to their residents.
The results
Manchester City Council’s social media activity has succeeded in achieving a better line of communication with residents, resulting in clear and tangible benefits. The increase in engagement has brought the community closer to the council, fostering a more inclusive and cooperative environment. A deeper understanding of residents’ needs has allowed for more effective decision-making, resource allocation and problem-solving.
The pride in Manchester has been rekindled through compelling storytelling, with priority messaging helping to ensure residents receive critical information promptly. The team have reinvigorated their social channels to become a vibrant, dynamic space where the community can connect, learn and engage, with the inclusion of user-generated content empowering residents and helping to solidify the bond between the council and its community.
Audience
13,644
new followers (Jan – Aug 2023)
Engagement
1.5%
increase in engagement (Jan – Aug 2023)
Audience
379.4K
total followers across all social channels
Engagement-based content is usually what we think of as creative content, and the great thing about it is that it really boosts our corporate core content. The algorithms love it and our audience loves it as well.”
Farid Norat
Communications Officer
