To Tweet, or Not to Tweet: Picking the Right Social Media Platform for Your Organization
First impressions are important. If you've ever been to a job interview or on a first date, I'm sure you know this. Mothers everywhere have reiterated these values for ages: an improperly tucked shirt could be the difference between getting a callback or not, and a rogue piece of parsley in your teeth could send your date running.
What moms have been trying to communicate all along is this: portraying yourself in a composed and professional manner is important when making a first impression. These values translate to the organizational world through branding. They are particularly important in an organization's developmental stages.
In our content-driven world, it's important to think about branding strategies in advance - rather than generating content willy-nilly - to build solid relationships with your clients via social media.
Social media can be a great tool for establishing your brand and getting your name out there. User-friendly formats and high engagement rates make this medium a great tool for reaching broad audiences with relative ease. However, it's wise to consider your branding, as well as your audience and organizational values, when deciding which social media platform best suits you. Missteps in social media management can leave your audience shaking their heads - like organizational parsley-teeth.
Let's examine what social media platforms are available and which fit your organization the best.
Chances are, you already have a personal account on Facebook. This platform is great for most organizations, offering you a place to display your general information, photos, and updates.
Facebook can be a fantastic resource for community-based organizations, allowing you to connect to constituents and supporters and spark local interest. Giving people ways to get involved, share your content, and supply feedback can be a useful tool in creating connections with your target audience. While Facebook can be a powerful social media tool, there are a few do’s and do not’s that you should be aware of:
DO create a Facebook business page for your organization. DO NOT use a personal page for your organization. Business pages are tailored to businesses (surprise!) and allow you to present your information in an easily accessible way that makes for easy navigation. Business pages have the option of advertising, which can be used to grow your audience or promote an event. They also offer you a chance to see the traffic data you generate.
DO NOT treat your business page as a personal page. Only post content relevant to your organization's mission. Be conscientious of consistent and cohesive posting, and avoid divisive topics to prevent an all-out trollfest.
DO NOT overpost. Followers will become overwhelmed, exhausted, or mad at the spam-posting. Scheduling posts is a good way to avoid this problem if you have a lot of good content you want to share.
With 140-character posts, Twitter allows you to communicate in small, bite-sized messages. Twitter revolves around sharing small blurbs called tweets and connecting to others. It can be a great tool for organizations looking to get their name out and connect with clients, other agencies, government representatives, and constituents. This platform can be especially impactful for promotions and fundraisers, particularly when branded with a popular or unique hashtag. This platform takes lots of planning in advance.
Instagram is a photo-based platform that allows users to share pictures and accompanying captions. Like Twitter, it utilizes a short-form style. This platform can be great for organizations looking to share visuals of their work. Pictures can speak volumes and, when coupled with hashtags, make a huge impact on Instagram.
However, with its visual focus, Instagram is not a good fit for all organizations. Those without a steady stream of good content might reconsider before joining. Forced content can fall flat the hardest on this platform.
So, there you have it - a brief intro to today's most popular social media outlets! Making the most of these will take some advanced planning, but it's worth it to help support your mission.
