EPB is engaging with their customers through social media because that is where people are going for information, Sandra Tilley, senior vice president of brand strategies, and Kimberly Biddy, manager of social digital and traditional media, told the EPB board of directors. That is the means that have increasingly been used for the past three years to reach customers, it was stated.
Social media is used to manage the brand, for customer service, to educate customers and to advertise products offered by EPB.
It makes it possible to target different groups and to monitor and listen to what people are talking about. That helps EPB to develop the content that is posted every day across a lot of platforms. The daily posts must be consistent but adapted appropriately for each channel, said Ms. Tilley. It is also possible to measure the results from the information that is posted, to see what works and how to keep improving the process.
Ms. Biddy told the board that the audiences are huge on social media. The largest platform is Facebook with 228,000,000 active users. Next in size is YouTube where there are 175 videos that have been created by EPB. Most of these are “how-to do things.” Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest and Linkedin are also used. Linkedin is the largest professional or business platform and is used partly because it adds legitimacy. The information given on that site includes community outreach, economic development and the benefits of doing business in Chattanooga with emphasis on the services provided by EPB.
"We want to put on the sites, what the people are searching for, she said, such as how to save on their power bill. But social media is also used to get information out quickly. Listening to what people are saying on social media is a big part of using it. Sometimes it is appropriate to engage in a conversation but if it is not, the information heard can still be used.
"For example when something is going on in a particular area and it is seen on social media, a response can be made. The customer care team is available even in the middle of the night and usually responds in 24 hours or less. Use of social media offers the ability to keep customers updated on situations that are happening such as during or after a storm.
"Listening results in reaching more people, and in knowing how may people are engaged. It also makes it possible to see how the use of social media is increasing and the results."
Over the past three years, the fan base is now at 38,000. There have been 175 videos produced by the utility and they have had 931,227 views. This is an 800 percent increase since the program started. And it has shown that most of the in-bound messages are positive.
Because of what EPB is hearing on social media, changes have been made. One change was to increase the hours that customer care will respond, to match the late-night hours that people use it. It has also shown that many people consider Wi-Fi and the Internet to be synonymous. EPB used this information to know they need to teach people the difference. It is also important to keep an eye on what is next, said Ms. Biddy. For example, she said that the use of TikTok is growing and the age of users is increasing. Over 52 percent of the users are now 30 plus.
Most of the videos that people are watching have to do with how to do something better, the board was told. The ones viewed the most by EPB include how to “cut the cord,” how to pick the right router, how to improve Wi-Fi service and how to improve energy efficiency. Based on questions that are asked, the developers know what other videos are needed. Additionally, EPB started a blog about six months ago.
To help the United Way celebrate the organization’s 100th birthday, EPB will be participating in a two-day event on Sept. 16-17, said J.Ed. Marston, vice president of strategic communications. The plan is to provide kits of LED light bulbs to 1,000 households. This will save each home $225 each year, and the bulbs last for five years. The results will be a $1.2 million total savings for people in the community. Volunteers from EPB will distribute and install them, if needed. The customers receiving the kits are targeted to those who need help, he said. “We hope this really makes a difference to them.”