County communications staff outlines parks marketing, new website, translation and accessibility plans

Buncombe County's communications specialist told the parks advisory board how the department markets parks, runs social media and manages the new county website, and outlined accessibility and outreach practices.

Molly Wilson said she manages parks' social media, writes copy, designs assets and maintains the website. "I am the one who creates all the marketing materials for parks," she said, and described a county branding guide and a parks-specific style guide used to keep messaging consistent.

Wilson said the county recently moved to a new .gov content-management system and that the communications team updated the Greenways page as soon as site access was available. She shared engagement data: Instagram has about 4,000 followers, the past 30 days produced roughly 18,000 views, and the parks newsletter has about 8,000 subscribers with a 30–33% open rate. She cautioned that promoted posts and printed signage require budget and noted the FY27 budget has been adjusted to increase signage funding.

On accessibility and outreach, Wilson said translated materials are provided for major initiatives—Spanish versions and sometimes Russian and Ukrainian—and that the county is preparing for new digital ADA compliance requirements effective April 26. She encouraged the advisory board to follow, engage with and share department posts, and offered to plan short videos or photos with board members to raise organic reach.

Why it matters: Clear, consistent communications and compliance with accessibility standards affect public awareness and equitable access to parks. Board participation in sharing and amplifying messages can materially increase reach without additional staff time.

Next steps: Communications staff will continue to update the website, provide translated materials for major outreach, and work with the board on potential video or photo content and other promotional opportunities.