The art of engagement for the Australian Bureau of Statistics

How do you make statistics and complex data not just understandable – but engaging?

For the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the answer is simple: meet people where they are – on social media.

From pop culture and sports to quirky factoids, the ABS social media team uses fun, relatable content to build a massive following. How massive? We’re talking hundreds of thousands of followers across multiple platforms.

Once they’ve got your attention, they make sure the important ABS material is right there in the mix – explained clearly and accessibly.

In this episode, we speak with Heather Lansdowne, the leader of the ABS social media team, about how they’re changing the way people connect with statistics.

Our host is Tim Macuga.

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Heather Lansdowne – LinkedIn

ABS Social Media

• Facebook (@ABSstats)
• X (@ABSstats)
• Instagram (@ABSstats)
• YouTube (ABSstatitics)
• LinkedIn (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

News stories on ABS Social Media and Heather Lansdowne

• The government social media team giving statistics a sexy rebrand

• The probability of an Australian Taylor-Travis combo – and other fun stats
• Heather Lansdowne on ABC News Breakfast
• The ABS social media team’s Stat Girl Summer

ABS Social Media team wins the IPAA ACT Spirit of Service Community Engagement Award