Back Your Local
As the COVID-19 lockdown came into place, the team at The Social Dingo/Media Opps/Salty Dingo received a call for help from the Member for Manly, James Griffin MP.
James was pulling together a select group of trusted operators to build a website and social media offering which would support small businesses severely affected by the lockdown in his local electorate. James wanted to help connect the community quickly and easily with all businesses still operating or changing their operations in an effort to keep trading.
Back Your Local was born.
Working closely as a small team with the website designers/builders Grassrootz, in just 12 days the backyourlocal.com.au website and @backyourlocalau social channels were created and launched.
As a small team working on a pro-bono community project, we were intimately involved in the creation and launch of this initiative:
- Approached businesses to register before the site launched
- Developed key messages and communications materials
- Shot video and photos of businesses for use on website and social channels for launch
- Scripted, shot and produced a hero video featuring local business operators and local identities
- Developed social media strategy, content and rollout plan for launch
- Developed media materials and liaised with media for launch
In ongoing operations, The Social Dingo manages social media strategy, planning, operations and community management for @backyourlocalau Instagram and Facebook pages.
Results
The initiative has been a stunning success – bringing together business and community at a time of need.
In just 6 weeks, the social media community we cultivated had grown very quickly and was highly engaged. The stats at mid-May tell the story, with the @backyourlocalau Instagram and Facebook channels combined standing at:
- More than 99,380
- More than 138,780 impressions
- More than 4,050 post engagements
- More 1,315 followers
In just 6 weeks, the @backyourlocalau Instagram feed alone gathered more than 975 followers and led to more than 600 profile visits.
And growing.
Businesses and customers alike regularly tag #backyourlocalau in their posts, use the tag in their InstaStories so Back Your Local can share and spread the word and many businesses tell us the initiative and its social media activity has been key part of their survival during this challenging time.
Back Your Local is a great example of community support, the power of community action and the importance of cultivating an online community.
We’re very proud to be part of Back Your Local.