Getting your local started with social media
We need a Facebook page! We need to be on Twitter! We need a YouTube page/blog/LinkedIn profile/Google+ page/[fill in the blank]!
While social media provides new ways to communicate with members and the public, the options can be a little overwhelming.
Do you need to be on Facebook, or Twitter or any of the others? Where do you start? Here’s some food for thought.
New tools for communicating your message
Social media sites are nothing more than tools. They give you another way to reach members and the public – perhaps people you haven’t reached before. They don’t replace other tools like a newsletter, website or email. (Social media actually works well to drive traffic to your website.)
The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide gives an excellent overview of social media. It also evaluates the major sites and suggests when and how to use them. (Note: It's a large PDF.)
Australian union member Alex White’s Social Media for Unions addresses why labor specifically should use social media. His e-newsletter has helpful advice for union communicators. (His latest post is, "Five reasons your union should fix its website before getting onto social media," well worth a read.)
And Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Labour put together some very popular videos for his New Media Bootcamp for Union Activists.
What’s your goal?
Do some strategic planning before you launch into social media. What do you want to accomplish? With whom? Those answers will help you determine which tool would work best (see the links above).
If your intended audience uses social media, you should consider using it.
Facebook rules
Facebook, of course, is the biggie, with more than 800 million users worldwide, more than half of whom log in daily. Facebook users skew younger, but the greatest growth is among women 45 and older – our members.
Want to invite younger members to an event just for them? Facebook is a logical choice, but it should be just part of your strategy. Face-to-face organizing is still important!
And FYI – to create a Facebook page for your local, you need your own Profile, but that’s a good way to learn the software.
It takes time
Starting any social media page (or website) and not maintaining it is worse than not having one at all. Experts recommend spending at least two hours per week for each social media site you use. That means time not only to post your own content, but also to monitor comments and questions.
It also takes time to build up followers. Plan on posting several updates per week to Facebook or per day to Twitter to spark conversations.
Get your feet wet
There’s no time like the present to take the plunge with social media. It’s better to start now and be comfortable with the platform than reach a point where you need to get your message out and have to start from scratch.
Questions about getting started? Contact us or your field representative. We're happy to help! And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
December 05, 2011