What we learned
Our content is designed to be engaging, to get people talking, and to remind them that we all play a role in keeping NSW healthy and thriving. Here’s what we’ve learned:
1. Pop culture references and memes help the message resonate with different audiences who might have tuned out to regular messaging. Memes are in our top three most engaging posts every month and achieve great organic reach.
2. Puns, humour and rhymes helps people absorb the message. Posts using humour to communicate COVID-safe behaviours generate (on average) an engagement rate of 3.5%, compared to 1.92% for posts which are more factual or demonstrative.
3. Content that isn’t instantly recognisable as public health messaging works for people who are fatigued with regular (but still important) messaging - our ‘gamified’ content (content that looks like an old school video game with levels and challenges, but is all about COVID safe behaviours) generate on average 39% higher reach than posts that appear as more formal instructions.
4. Keeping reminders relevant by tying them back to key dates or events helps.
5. Plain language and simple formats make information easy to understand, and often the simplest of messages have the biggest impact. Our ‘Check in and chill out’ graphic generated 4,603 link clicks, a click through rate of 2.34% and way above the industry average of 0.90%.
6. People love their area! In A/B tests targeted to specific Sydney suburbs where checking in was low, creative that featured something specific to that suburb increased engagement by 73%.
7. People need a break from COVID content too. Entertaining posts like this video about property lost at train stations achieved double the average engagement in March, when average engagement was already strong at around 5%.
Our efforts are also complemented by other NSW Government COVID communications channels. Our team is part of a bigger network of traditional media, digital media and customer support channels which help keep NSW informed and COVID Safe.
Follow the NSW Government on Facebook to stay up to date on COVID-19 information and general information and updates from NSW Government.