Council social media growth reaches top three nationally

Social media is fast becoming the preferred way to follow Far North District Council, with the organisation seeing a 32 per cent growth in followers over the past year – the third highest increase among New Zealand councils.

The result was highlighted during a nationwide engagement catch-up involving councils from across Aotearoa. The growth statistics are significant because social media is becoming an increasingly important way for the council to share information with residents and visitors about the services, projects, events and issues affecting Far North communities.

The growing social media and web audience gives the council more opportunities to put useful information in front of people. To make it even easier for people to find information about services on its website, the council recently launched AI assistant Āwhina. The AI assistant answers common questions using a simple, conversational format based on verified information published on the council website.

Online information is not only relevant to people who live in Te Hiku o te Ika. Local updates can also be useful for visitors to the Far North, helping them find information about what is happening in communities, local events, services, roads and other critical details that may affect their time in the rohe.

Council social media channels are also used to share information quickly when circumstances change, including during severe weather, infrastructure outages and other events affecting the hapori.

“Building an audience takes time, consistency and trust in the process. This result reflects the mahi the Communications and Engagement team has put into consistently providing useful and relevant information to our communities,” says Group Manager Community and Engagement Ruben Garcia.

While the Far North recorded the third-highest percentage growth nationally, there is still room to reach more people. The sector analysis places the council 63rd out of 78 councils when followers are considered as a percentage of population, an improvement from 66th the previous year.

The council will continue to focus on making its online information useful, accessible and relevant to the people and communities it serves. The growth is one sign that more people are choosing to connect with the council digitally, giving the council another channel to share its mahi and keep the community informed.