Understanding what matters: lessons from Adur & Worthing Councils

💬 People engage with what feels relevant to their lives.
📢 Good communication isn’t just about providing information — it’s about building trust and connection.
👥 By listening to what people respond to, we can shape better services and stronger relationships.

Every day, councils put out updates on policies, services, and local issues. But what actually gets people’s attention? What do they care about enough to click, comment, or share?

Adur & Worthing Councils have been analysing trends across their website and social media platforms to understand what topics matter most to residents.

This post shares what’s working, lessons from other places, and how you can use these insights in your own organisation.

1. What people engage with most — and why

Certain topics consistently attract the most attention across Adur & Worthing’s website and social media channels. These include:

✅ Housing and homelessness — updates on new housing developments, services for rough sleepers, and home maintenance advice spark strong interest.
✅ Regeneration and infrastructure — major developments, transport changes, and town centre improvements generate discussion and debate.
✅ Environmental action — topics like coastal protection, climate projects, and tree planting get high engagement, especially when linked to volunteering opportunities.
✅ Cost of living support — information about council tax support, energy-saving schemes, and hardship grants sees high website traffic.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Leeds City Council saw a big spike in engagement when they launched an interactive map of regeneration projects, allowing residents to see how developments would affect their local area. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Identify which services people engage with most and prioritise clearer, more accessible information on them.
• Provide interactive tools — maps, before-and-after images, or live Q&As — to help people understand big changes.
• Make practical support easy to find — if people are searching for cost-of-living help, ensure it’s clearly signposted.

2. Tailoring content to different platforms

People use different social media platforms in different ways. Adur & Worthing Councils have shaped their approach accordingly:

✅ Facebook — used for major announcements, live Q&As, and consultations. Posts about local issues and service updates generate the most discussion.
✅ Instagram — focuses on visual storytelling, sharing community success stories, sustainability projects, and local events.
✅ LinkedIn — mainly for economic development, business engagement, and professional networking.
✅ Website — serves as the main hub for services like bin collection schedules, council tax information, and customer support.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Manchester City Council uses LinkedIn to showcase job opportunities and highlight business investment, while keeping resident-focused updates on Twitter and Facebook. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Adapt content to fit the platform — don’t just post the same message everywhere.
• Use visual storytelling on Instagram and Facebook to bring projects to life.
• Make your website a go-to resource by ensuring high-demand information is easy to find.

3. Answering questions before they become frustrations

One of the most powerful things a council can do is respond quickly and clearly to public concerns. On social media, Adur & Worthing Councils:

✅ Reply to common questions, helping people find the information they need.
✅ Clarify decisions and policies, reducing misinformation.
✅ Acknowledge frustrations and explain what’s being done, rather than ignoring criticism.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Reykjavik City in Iceland uses a public online suggestion box, where residents can propose ideas and the council provides regular updates on what’s happening with them. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Pre-empt common concerns — if people often ask about bin collections, roadworks, or council tax, provide clearer, proactive updates.
• Engage in conversation — don’t just post and disappear. Responding builds trust.
• Be honest about challenges — if there are delays or issues, acknowledge them rather than leaving people guessing.

4. Making complex issues simple and easy to access

The most-visited pages on Adur & Worthing’s website tell us what people most need:

✅ Bin collections — especially during seasonal changes.
✅ Council tax — where to pay, how to get discounts, and what changes mean for residents.
✅ Parking permits and enforcement — information on how to apply and avoid fines.
✅ Cost of living support — how to access council tax reductions, energy grants, and emergency assistance.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) redesigned gov.uk to focus on what people search for most, making key services easier to access. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Simplify website navigation — make it easy for people to find top services in one or two clicks.
• Use plain English — avoid jargon, long sentences, and unnecessary details.
• Put FAQs front and centre — save people from having to hunt for key answers.

5. Turning digital engagement into real-world action

Social media engagement is great — but the real impact comes when it leads to action.

Adur & Worthing Councils have used digital engagement to:

✅ Get residents involved in decision-making — through consultations and online Q&As.
✅ Encourage volunteering and participation — connecting people to environmental clean-ups, community events, and funding opportunities.
✅ Increase use of council services — helping people find and access financial support, recycling schemes, and local grants.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Stockport Council’s “We Love Stockport” campaign used social media to get residents involved in clean-up events, increasing participation by 40%. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Encourage offline action — make it easy for people to move from reading to doing.
• Highlight success stories — show how people are making a difference locally.
• Create clear calls to action — “Sign up,” “Attend,” “Have your say” rather than just “Learn more.”

What happens next?

Great communication isn’t just about broadcasting information — it’s about listening, responding, and making things easier for people.

This means:
✔ Understanding what people actually care about and focusing on those topics.
✔ Tailoring communication to different platforms rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
✔ Making complex issues simple and easy to access so people can find what they need fast.

💡 If you work in communications, digital engagement, or public services, here’s your challenge:

🔹 Look at your most engaged-with content. What are people actually responding to?
🔹 Improve one key webpage or service update. Make it clearer, easier to navigate, or more useful.
🔹 Test a more engaging format. Try a short video, infographic, or live Q&A instead of just a written update.

📢 Seen a great example of council communication that really worked? Share it in the comments or tag someone doing this well.

🚀 Let’s make public service communication more relevant, engaging, and useful.