LookWest.ie, the Western Development Commission’s (WDC ) online guide to living, working and doing business in Ireland’s western region, has been shortlisted for a social media award. The awards, which celebrate the best of social media, are organised by Damien Mulley, one of Ireland’s leading authorities on social media. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges comprising a combination of industry experts and members of the public who have been selected as judges because of their interest and knowledge in online social networking.
The WDC uses social media to help deliver LookWest.ie as the definitive guide to living, working and doing business in Ireland’s western region. “Social media allows us to connect directly with our audiences both in the western region, throughout Ireland and internationally, especially the Irish diaspora,” said Ian Brannigan (Region Development Manager ) of the WDC. “By using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, we can gather feedback from people, drive engagement with the LookWest.ie campaign and facilitate networking among people who are interested in living, working or doing business in the west,” he added.
Ian Brannigan said that the LookWest.ie community is growing every day and it now has 2,419 Facebook fans, 1,319 followers on Twitter and 550 members in the LookWest.ie LinkedIn group, while videos featuring interviews with people who have relocated to the west or who have set up businesses here are popular on YouTube. As such the WDC are increasingly using social media mediums to engage with regional business and stakeholder groups.
Other finalists in the WDC category include the Defence Forces, Irish Rail, Bord Bia, Tourism Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Environmental Protection Agency. LookWest.ie, first launched in 2004, promotes the west as an attractive and economically-advantageous location for enterprise. The website is aimed both at individuals and businesses in Ireland and overseas and is used by almost 20,000 visitors each month.
