TWBF Spreads Its Wings on Social Media

By Scott Pursner

In today's world, almost everything happens on the internet, buying clothes, reading the news, even dating. But what about information on wildlife and conservation-related topics? In today's ever-connected world it is critical to be able to share information and raise awareness about your brand, especially online. Wildlife conservation is no different. That's why the TWBF has been working hard to maintain a strong presence on various social media platforms.

Originally, the TWBF's social media presence focused solely on Facebook, as the platform is a necessity for any business or group in Taiwan. It has one of the highest Facebook penetration rates in the world, with around 89% of Taiwanese using the platform as of 2018. The TWBF Facebook page has over 15,000 followers and the primary language used is Chinese. The account is a hub of sorts where the organization can share information about recent happenings as well as events and activities of its 21 partner organizations. It also uses it to make calls to action for its domestic audience.

Beginning in 2018, the TWBF began to expand its online presence to Instagram and Twitter. Both of these platforms focus on providing information in English to wider international audiences. The Instagram account currently has nearly 500 followers and in the past focused on creating post series about various topics such as Taiwan’s endemics and important wetlands. It has also been used for outreach related to the seabird bycatch mitigation collaboration between the TWBF and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds via the RSPB's Albatross Stories campaign. Started in 2019, Albatross Stories follows four different species of albatross in the South Atlantic's Bird Island. It is meant to help people better understand these birds which are not seen by most yet heavily impacted by humans due to overlap between their foraging areas and international fishing grounds. The TWBF actively shares information and photos developed for the campaign to increase awareness of the issues faced by these seabirds.

A TWBF Instagram Post

Some of TWBF's members groups also have Instagram accounts. This includes the Wild Bird Society of Tainan and the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society. Budai Wetlands which is managed by TWBF partner the Wild Bird Society of Chiayi and Aogu Wetland Park which is managed by the Wild Bird Society of Taipei also have accounts.

Twitter is not one of the most popular social media platforms in Taiwan. Yet the TWBF has created an account which allows it to share news about its partners, conservation issues, and interesting bird-related posts with audiences outside of Taiwan. The platform is also able to more widely share articles from their website and interact more actively. The TWBF Twitter has nearly 1,200 followers. During major campaigns, Twitter users have widely shared posts by the TWBF. Many will look to the TWBF Twitter now to better understand what is going on in local bird societies around Taiwan. Two other major Twitter accounts touching on bird-related topics in Taiwan are bird guide Richard Foster's Taiwan Birds and bird guide/bird surveyor Kuan-Chieh Hung's Taiwan Bird Guide.

A TWBF Twitter post

The TWBF hopes to increase its followership on all platforms. They are also interested in helping like-minded organizations share information related to conservation goals with their followers on all platforms. This is critical as we are all interconnected online and in life.

TWBF Social Media and Mentioned Accounts:

Facebook:
TWBF Facebook

Instagram:
TWBF
WBS Tainan
Kaohsiung WBS
Budai Salt Pan Wetlands
Aogu Wetlands and Forest Park

Twitter:
TWBF
Taiwan Birding
Taiwan Bird Guide