Social Media Campaign

Research on Audience

Food waste in the United States is a massive issue, especially considering that 1 in every 6 households in the country suffers from some lack of food. Americans waste an incredible amount of food every year which can be saved to help feed people without the means to feed themselves. In 2012 the National Resource Defense Council reported that up to 40 % of food in the United States goes uneaten. That's more than 20 pounds of food per person every month which usually ends up in the trash. -NRDC

The average American household of 4 loses anywhere between $1350 to $2275 annually from tossing out food waste. Americans now waste 50 percent more food than they did in the 1970's. That waste accounts for roughly 43 percent of all the food which is wasted nationally. This waste takes up massive amounts of energy and all the food, which is usually left in landfills, produces methane which then adds to the heating of the planet. -NRDC

Campaign Strategy

This Social Media Campaign will focus on the facts of food waste in the United States to inform and inspire Americans to save more food and to help those in need. It will work rather simply by answering questions about the food waste issue in the United States and what the average American can do to effect change on a small level. This will include posts about the statistics of food consumption as well as how they relate to issues of poverty and malnutrition. This will then be followed up by recommendations about how we can save and donate food effectively.The campaign will utilize three primary social media apps to further its cause: Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Goals and Timeline

1. Generate interest on social media by gathering followers, likes, and shares. My goal for the first few months is to gather 500 followers on a Facebook page and then increase that number to 1000 over next months proceeding that.

2. During this process I will also reach out to organizations which seek to promote and educate Americans about the same kind of sustainable living I will be promoting. There are major organizations all across social media which can potentially slingshot my social media campaign to gather even more likes, shares, and followers to reach a larger audience. Foundation for a Green Future, Sierra Club, GreenPeace, are just some examples.

3. I will create a snapchat account which will have videos of people living sustainable lifestyles and doing interesting work, leading interesting lives, or unusual activities which promote my message. This will typically change every week or so with a new focus on someone else. I will contact snapchat about the logistics of seeking people to promote their activity on the platform and relate it back to my campaign using the hashtag #DontWasteitTasteit

4. Instagram will work more the same way that Facebook will work. I will post content daily which seeks to educate and inform my followers. I want to gather 200 followers by the first 2 months, then expand that number to 500 followers over the next few months. I will post images with excerpts detailing the issues and what we can do to change our food waste practices.

Facebook

Facebook will be used as a way to reach out to large communities of people which are interconnected more than Instagram and snapchat. Facebook works best with this type of promotional material since most posts shared via social media are done through Facebook. My strategy for Facebook will also include reaching out to organizations which support my campaign such as NGO's and other non-profits seeking to create more a sustainable America.

Instagram

Instagram will be used to post images which demonstrate ways to live more sustainably and which seek to inform, educate, and demonstrate alternatives of food waste practices.

Snapchat

Snapchat will essentially be used a promotional tool to connect people with the hashtag. By reaching out to users who promote sustainable living, they will ideally promote their lifestyles and gain more followers for my campaign by using the hashtag in their posts.

Example Social Media Posts