Plain City communications manager reports early social‑media and app gains

Chase Evans, Plain City’s communications manager, gave the council a three‑month report on efforts to centralize and expand the village’s online communications, saying the new position—approved Feb. 25 and filled in late April—has focused on social platforms, an app refresh and a multi‑page strategic communications plan.

Evans said the office now manages about 10–11 social pages, including several village Facebook pages, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and YouTube, and has begun helping manage some Plain City Police social accounts while police continue to post emergency alerts. "We’re really carrying on the momentum that we already have," Evans said, noting staff cooperation across departments.

Why it matters: Evans framed the work as both a resident service and an economic development tool. He described business outreach with the Go Uptown group, event promotion and a plan to produce more business spotlights on LinkedIn. He also outlined plans to refresh the village’s OCV mobile app so content appears natively, update images and create a single place for event calendars and resources.

On metrics, Evans said the village has seen substantial early gains: a dashboard view count he described as about 81,000 for a recent period, nearly 1,000 new Facebook followers, a reported page reach of roughly 452,000 (some posts up 469%), about 67,000 Instagram post views and more than 4,200 app downloads. He added the e‑newsletter audience is about 3,200 with a 57% open rate. "When you look at the numbers, it is impressive," Evans said, while noting the data were pulled a couple weeks before the meeting and may have changed.

Council members asked practical questions about hashtags, tagging and calendar synchronization. Evans recommended collaborator tagging on Instagram and using SocialPilot for coordinated posting. He also proposed a single, segmented app/website calendar so residents see events relevant to them.

The presentation also covered content production: Evans said he is building a photo and video library (including drone footage) to document events and improve visual quality. He said the communications office will prioritize quality over quantity and explore sponsorships for facilities such as the Depot building.

What’s next: Evans said he expects to complete a draft communications plan within his first year and will continue app and calendar improvements. He offered to share analytics details with council members on request.

Attributions: Quotes and details come from Evans’s presentation and the council Q&A during the public portion of the Plain City work session.