#WakeisGreat Instagram Contest

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

It is important for County Government to engage the public and have a two-way channel of communication. One avenue to accomplish this is through social media. Wake County already has a Facebook, Twitter and YouTube account. The County wanted to be part of Instagram as it is actively used by more than 150 million people worldwide each month and reaches different demographics than does Facebook or Twitter. As a part of the launch of Wake County’s Instagram account, employees and the public were asked to upload photos to their accounts of what makes Wake County great by using the hashtag #WakeIsGreat. The intended goals of the Instagram photo contest were to encourage public participation with the County and to educate the public about projects and programs of countywide importance. The County would use the best photographs in the 2013 Accomplishments Report. More than 120 photos were submitted and about a dozen were featured in the Accomplishments Report. More than 160 people signed up to follow the County on Instagram. Many of these users are active and regularly “like” photos the County posts. There was no budget for the project and all work was done by county employees.