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Hashtag for a Cause | AGC Uses Twitter Hashtag #DriveBetterRoads to Drive Change

Hashtag for a Cause AGC Uses Twitter Hashtag #DriveBetterRoads to Drive Change

Hashtag for a Cause | AGC Uses Twitter Hashtag #DriveBetterRoads to Drive Change

In case you’re still thinking Twitter is just for digitally chatty teens and celebrities – certainly nothing you would use in the construction or trucking industries – consider the fact that the Associated General Contractors chose Twitter to launch and spread their campaign to push badly needed highway funding.

impactAnyone who drives knows how bad our nation’s roads and bridges have become. And everyone who has been following the deteriorating road situation closely knows that federal funding that pays for highway and transit repairs expires on May 31st. The AGC’s #DriveBetterRoads campaign was created to encourage all types of drivers from commuters in passenger cars to over-the-road truckers as well as suppliers and highway contractors to speak up about the situation to their Congressional representatives and President Obama.

#DriveBetterRoads aims to strongly urge the nation’s leadership to act now, to put new federal transportation funding in place before the current funding package runs out. There’s not much time left, one reason the AGC chose Twitter as their primary means of communication.

Twitter spreads the word instantaneously.

Twitter harnesses the power of social media in its most dramatic way – reaching out to followers all around the country in a matter of seconds and letting the “domino effect” of sharing via retweeting spread the word to millions more.

To draw further attention to their Twitter campaign, the AGC created a series of digital ads to promote #DriveBetterRoads and encourage people to visit the DriveBetterRoads.org website to learn more about how the federal highway program works. The campaign asks people to send letters to their Congressional delegation to push new funding and to tweet photos of deteriorating bridges and road surfaces and of themselves stuck in traffic.

“We all have a stake in making sure Washington figures out a way to continue investing in good roads and safe bridges,” noted AGC member Dale Stubblefield of Austin Bridge & Road in Arlington, TX. “We want everyone who uses roads and bridges to understand they can Drive Better Roads as long as they make their voice heard in Washington.”

Speaking on  behalf of the AGC, Stubblefield points out that continuing to invest in the nation’s highway system benefits private and commercial drivers by reducing damage from potholes and reducing wasted time and fuel caused by traffic congestion. It puts construction crews to work, and it makes roads and bridges safer.

Hashtags make it easy to follow and join the conversation.

Twitter hashtags (any word or short phrase behind a “#”) are simple identifiers — a rallying point that is easy to remember and use wherever people are and whatever kind of device they’re using. Hashtags provide a coordinated way for everyone to respond and participate.

hash-tag-twitterWhat can dealerships learn from the AGC?

Have you ever wanted to spread the word about something important associated with your trucking or construction dealership? Are you looking for another way to connect and converse with customers and prospects? With millions of people now using Twitter, businesses of all types are finding that this social platform can be a marketing plus.

You could be using Twitter to introduce your dealership to a broader audience, participate in vital industry conversations such as #DriveBetterRoads (or create your own conversation thread), build stronger relationships with colleagues and customers and keep an eye on the competition.

Twitter is not for everyone, and like all social media programs it takes sustained effort, but it’s worth considering.

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