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Home My WebLink About10-20-20 CPRLL Committee PacketOTAY WATER DISTRICT CONSERVATION, PUBLIC RELATIONS, LEGAL & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING and SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS BY TELECONFERENCE 2554 SWEETWATER SPRINGS BOULEVARD SPRING VALLEY, CALIFORNIA TUESDAY October 20, 2020 11:30 A.M. This is a District Committee meeting. This meeting is being posted as a special meeting in order to comply with the Brown Act (Government Code Section §54954.2) in the event that a quorum of the Board is present. Items will be deliberated, however, no formal board actions will be taken at this meeting. The committee makes recommendations to the full board for its consideration and formal action. AGENDA 1. ROLL CALL 2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK TO THE COMMITTEE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN THE COMMITTEE'S JURISDICTION BUT NOT AN ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA This meeting is being held via teleconference. Members of the public may submit their comments on agendized and non-agendized items by either of the following two meth- ods: a) No later than a half hour before the start of the meeting, complete the Request to Speak Form and email it to BoardSecretary@otaywater.gov. Your request to speak will be acknowledged during the “Public Participation” portion of the meeting when the committee will hear your public comment. When called to speak, please state your Name and the City in which you reside. You will be provided three minutes to speak. OR b) No later than a half hour before the start of the meeting, email your comment to BoardSecretary@otaywater.gov and it will be read aloud during the “Public Par- ticipation” portion of the meeting. Please provide your Name and the City in which you reside, with your comment. Your comment must not take more than three minutes to read. The District’s meeting is live streamed. Information on how to watch and listen to the District’s meeting can be found at this link: https://otaywater.gov/board-of- directors/agenda-and-minutes/committee-meetings/ 2 DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEB ANALYTICS UPDATE (OTERO) 4. ADJOURNMENT BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING: Mark Robak, Chair Gary Croucher All items appearing on this agenda, whether or not expressly listed for action, may be delib- erated and may be subject to action by the Board. The Agenda, and any attachments containing written information, are available at the Dis- trict’s website at www.otaywater.gov. Written changes to any items to be considered at the open meeting, or to any attachments, will be posted on the District’s website. Copies of the Agenda and all attachments are also available through the District Secretary by contacting her at (619) 670-2280. If you have any disability that would require accommodation in order to enable you to partici- pate in this meeting, please call the District Secretary at 670-2280 at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Certification of Posting I certify that on October 16, 2020 I posted a copy of the foregoing agenda near the regular meeting place of the Board of Directors of Otay Water District, said time being at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting of the Board of Directors (Government Code Section §54954.2). Executed at Spring Valley, California on October 16, 2020. /s/ Susan Cruz, District Secretary 1 STAFF REPORT TYPE MEETING:Regular Board Meeting MEETING DATE: November 4, 2020 SUBMITTED BY:Eileen Salmeron, Communications Assistant PROJECT: Various DIV. NO. All APPROVED BY: Tenille Otero, Communications Officer Jose Martinez, General Manager SUBJECT:Social Media and Website Analytics Update GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: No recommendation. This is an informational item only. COMMITTEE ACTION: See Attachment A. PURPOSE: To provide the Board with an update on the Otay Water District’s social media and website analytics. ANALYSIS: Unlike traditional media, the Otay Water District and the public at large now decide which communications channels they would like to receive their news from. District communications staff provide news to its customers and the public through a variety of online information-sharing services that meet their needs. Two of these services include the District’s adopted social media channels and its website. Social media allows staff to provide customers with timely and up-to-date information. Although social media is not the only form of communications, it does complement traditional communications methods. Social media engagement enhances interaction between public agencies and the public, and it also helps reach demographics or populations that do not regularly consume traditional media. For this AGENDA ITEM 3 2 reason, communications staff manage and monitor the District’s online presence daily and continue to stay current with evolving social media and web trends. Social Media Through the District’s social media presence, audience and stakeholder engagement has increased steadily each year. Therefore, the District will continue to extend its online reach of its programs including, but not limited to water education, conservation, efficiencies, and capital improvement projects. Staff has also increased the number of followers and engagement on social media by creating visual content, using hashtags frequently, partnering with other water agencies and organizations, and more. Staff also posts many of its English posts in Spanish. The District currently uses the following social media platforms: • YouTube – Joined November 2010 • Twitter – Joined February 2011 • Facebook – Joined November 2011 • Nextdoor – Joined July 2016 • LinkedIn – Joined August 2017 • Instagram – Joined November 2018 In September 2019, staff provided the Board with the District’s social media and website analytics for fiscal year 2019. Included in Attachment B are the latest social media and otaywater.gov website analytics for fiscal year 2020. Twitter: The report includes a comparison of the cumulative number of Twitter followers that the District gained in the last three fiscal years. From June 30, 2018 to June 30, 2020, the number of followers increased by 21 percent, from 1,713 to 2,070. From June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020, followers increased by nine percent, from 1,897 to 2,070. Also, compared to other water agencies in the San Diego region, the District continues to be in the top two of most Twitter followers. Facebook: The report also includes a comparison of the cumulative number of Facebook page likes that the District gained in the last three fiscal years. From June 30, 2018 to June 30, 2020, the number of its likes increased by 85 percent, from 241 to 445. From June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020, it increased by 62 percent, from 274 to 445. YouTube: YouTube video views also increased in the last three fiscal years. From June 30, 2018 to June 30, 2020, the number of its YouTube video views increased by 45 percent, from 70,229 to 101,521. From 3 June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020, it increased by 17 percent, from 86,862 to 101,521. Instagram: Staff created its Instagram page in November 2018 and officially launched it in January 2019. Engagement on its page has since grown. From June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020, the number of followers increased by 130 percent, from 301 to 691. Likes on its posts increased by 235 percent, from 1,196 to 4,006. Comments increased by 220 percent, from 50 to 160. In addition to posting graphics weekly, staff has increased its use of the “story” feature on Instagram, which allows users to post videos and photos. This helps to harness, leverage, and maintain the Instagram audience that the District already has. There are many benefits to using this feature, which include connecting with the District’s followers by staying top-of-mind and maintaining visibility in their story feeds, using real-time marketing, repurposing content, creating fun and raw content, and more. Staff post to its story feed during events, to announce Board meetings, promote job opportunities, and market other content to help grow its followers and increase engagement. During fall 2019, the District launched its first social media contest on Instagram, which included two campaigns titled, “Thankful for Water” and “Drink Tap December.” Staff promoted the contests on its social media accounts inviting participants to post a photo with a caption on their Instagram page showing why water is important to them during the holiday season. The contest rules also required participants to follow the District’s Instagram page and include the hashtag #Thx4OtayH2O or #DrinkTapDecember. From each contest, staff selected winning photos based on receiving the most “likes” from the public. Staff also selected winners from each contest for “best photo” judged by staff. The contests were held over two months and resulted in 79 new followers for the District. Nextdoor: Participation from residents within the District’s service area has also increased on its Nextdoor page. As a result, the District’s reach has also increased. This platform has allowed staff to geo-target specific neighborhoods within its service area to share messaging and communicate with verified residents. From September 2018 to August 2020, the number of Nextdoor accounts in the District’s service area increased by 73 percent, from 28,084 to 48,463. From August 2019 to August 2020, it increased by 27 percent, from 38,213 to 48,463. LinkedIn: Staff has also boosted its number of weekly posts on the District's LinkedIn page, thus increasing the number of followers. From September 2018 to August 2020, the number increased by 134 4 percent, from 251 to 586. From August 2019 to August 2020, it increased by 79 percent, from 327 to 586. Use of Social Media During COVID-19: Attachment B also includes examples of COVID-19-related posts that staff published to all District social media pages. On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, staff first posted the temporary closure of the District’s lobby and confirmed that the District’s water quality and services would remain unaffected by the virus. During the following months, staff posted daily or weekly as necessary to address questions and concerns regarding the virus and the safety of water supplies. During the outbreak and course of the pandemic, social media has become an essential tool for communicating with the District’s customers. Communications staff will continue to assess its current use of social media platforms and their effectiveness, including paid social media advertising. Website Staff also manages and maintains the District’s website, otaywater.gov. The goal of the website is to better serve customers by enhancing its web presence and user-friendliness, communicating the most current information, and visually conveying that it is using state-of-the-art technologies and is a forward-thinking agency. Attachment B also includes website analytics. During fiscal year 2020, the top 20 most viewed District’s webpages were the following: 1) Home Page 2) Payment Options3) Employment4) About Otay 5) Customer Service6) Billing Information 7) Contact Us8) Start or Terminate Service9) Conservation 10) Update Your Account11) Engineering Bids 12) Start or Terminate Service Form13) Board Agenda and Minutes14) Public Services 15) Otay Employees16) Rebates 17) Water Services18) Bid Opportunities19) Water Agency Search Results20) Board of Directors 5 About 88 percent of its website users were new, and about 12 percent were returning. Attachment B also shows how users arrived at the District’s website and which URLs are considered the top 10 referral sources. Although its webpage views for fiscal year 2020 have increased by two percent since fiscal year 2018. Views decreased by nine percent in fiscal year 2020 compared to fiscal year 2019. Staff found, as shown in the comparison charts in Attachment B, the decline in views began in April 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak. To address Spanish-speaking population and rate payers in the District’s service area, staff continues to work with a consultant to have English content translated into Spanish. The District’s website already features functionality that displays most of the web pages in Spanish. Staff continues to assess and implement ways to improve the District's website as part of its strategic plan. This includes enhancing its functionality and navigational structure, crafting content aligned with key messaging, conveying information searched by visitors in English and Spanish, and publishing content more frequently to keep pages attractive and engaging. Critical to owning, maintaining, and cultivating an integrated communications, outreach, and marketing strategy, staff continue to cross promote the District’s messaging through social media, the website, and other outreach tools. Communications staff will continue to explore best practices of social media and website cross promotion, and to post new content to social media platforms, including videos, photos, updated headers and others as necessary depending on the topic, resources available, and value added to the content. Communications staff will also continue to work closely with IT staff to evaluate best practices regarding websites and continue to monitor social media and website trends to effectively reach the District’s customers. FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. STRATEGIC GOAL: Execute and deliver services that meet or exceed customer expectations, and increase customer engagement in order to improve District Services. LEGAL IMPACT: 6 None. Attachments: A) Committee ActionB) Presentation: Social Media and Website Analytics 7 ATTACHMENT A SUBJECT/PROJECT:Social Media and Website Analytics Update COMMITTEE ACTION: The Conservation, Public Relations, Legal, and Legislative Committee reviewed this item at a committee meeting held on October 20, 2020. The attachment will be updated with notes from the committee’s discussion. Social Media and Website Analytics Conservation, Public Relations, Legal, and Legislative Committee October 20, 2020 Otay Water District Attachment B Twitter Followers Twitter Highlights Twitter Comparison •• • • • •• Facebook Page Likes Facebook Highlights YouTube Video Views YouTube Channel Growth YouTube Highlights Instagram Engagement Instagram Highlights Instagram Photo Contests Nextdoor Members LinkedIn Followers COVID-19 Social Media Posts Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics Website Analytics TOTAL USERS: 158,857 TOTAL USERS: 39,929 Questions? Otay Water District otaywater.gov (619) 670-2222 Email: info@otaywater.gov Social Media