Can embracing social media revolutionise our chances of success?
Our industry is already convinced, of course – we view wind power as the panacea to saving the world. Yet in reality, the public support of ‘clean’ energy is not as absolute as the industry may hope for. One of the reasons that may cause this gap between theory and practice is the fact that common knowledge of wind energy production is rather limited.
The majority of the public understands the dangers of environmental pollution and, thus, supports any initiatives to prevent or at least minimise it. The problem is that while most people comprehend what renewable energy means in theory, they know very little about the process involved in its production. They fear it as the ‘unknown’, and that stigma can act as a strong motivation to oppose a wind energy development.
The answer to this problem lies in educating the public. During the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, people were sceptical of many innovations. Yet with time, as they had become familiarised with the new ‘technology’, they began to appreciate the improvements it brought to their lives.
The same thing needs to happen within the wind energy industry. If information about clean energy becomes more accessible, people will probably feel less alarmed around wind farms and biodiesel plants. Luckily, with modern technology and decades of creative advancement in media and public relations, getting the message out is as easy as ever.
When investing in a wind energy project, any developer should launch an informational campaign that will educate the local community and prevent potential damaging misunderstandings. One of the best ways to achieve that is by employing the new technological phenomenon known as social media. Below are some of the reasons why a social media campaign is a crucial step in acquiring public support.
