A VISTA SOCIAL MEDIA PRIMER

Our VISTA member serving at United Way of Tanana Valley, Timea (left in the photo, along with UWTV's ED, Amanda Hanson, and this year's giving campaign poster, also designed by Timea!) is our current social media zen master. The following is a quick social media piece she has been kind enough to write for our blog.
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​Whether you’re on social media every day from sunrise to sunset or you just recently learned what a hashtag is, there’s no denying the impact that social media has on our daily lives. Most of us, however, have never been social media managers so where do you start?
 
Audit / Tracking and Planning
The first thing you should look at is your nonprofit’s online history. Take a mental note of all the social media platforms that are utilized. While you’re perusing the platforms, also take note of what kinds of posts received the most and least attention. Insights (usually found in the page settings section) on Instagram and Facebook is a great way to track engagement and see the demographic of those drawn to your content. This information

can also help you tailor your content if you find that you aren’t reaching a specific audience that you’d like to spread your message to. Finding out which content contributes to a brand’s success is often found through a process of trial and error. If you’re lucky enough to have a site that has a rhythm that works for them, stick to it and branch out on occasion. If you’re just starting a social media presence, this will take some time and engagement with other similar organizations and pages.
 
Engagement
Everyone’s heard the saying ‘communication is key’ and that applies to businesses too. Organizations need to be able to communicate their wants and needs clearly so that their target market stays well informed. Similarly, you should also be paying attention to what your community is saying about you. Simply searching the name of your organization in Google or any social media platform should bring up results that will allow you to see the general impression your organization makes in the community. Acknowledgement goes a long way so when there are comments on posts, events, or mentions of your organization be sure to respond. Just as you’d want your content to be shared, building partnerships is a great way to bring more traffic to your social media page. Find local and national organizations that have a similar mission or audience and interact with their content as well. This increases your chances of being seen by new members of a community and can create avenues for collaboration. Consistent posts that result in high engagement can push your growth and be the beginning of a new donor or volunteer relationship, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re creating content that makes users want to reply or share.
 
Get Creative!
Content creation can be approached in many different ways. It can range from weekly stories, daily tips for subjects related to your organization, or a volunteer appreciation series. This is really where you can promote your organization's mission while showcasing the donors, volunteers, and employees that make your nonprofit what it is. Your organization will get out of social media what is put into it. That being said, throughout your service year you may experience a creative block. For some ideas I’d suggest browsing Hootsuite-- a social media management platform that often has articles that help you make the most out of your social media presence!
 
Consider starting out with this piece on 29 Content Ideas to Spark Engagement or 11 Essential Tips for Nonprofits . Good luck and happy posting! ​