By: Nathan Ryan
2023-06-21
In this increasingly digital world, it's essential to establish an online presence. To help you navigate these waters, I've compiled a practical list of rules and best practices that I tried to follow when running my section's social media accounts.
1. Start Simple
The goal is to get to the point where you can take advantage of trends, but, when you’re starting out, take advantage of existing dates in the cultural zeitgeist (holidays, popular events, movies, etc.) for your content.2. Sharing and Scheduling the Burden Away
Maintaining active social media accounts requires consistent effort. If you find it challenging to keep up with weekly postings, don't hesitate to enlist the help of other team members. Remember, having active accounts is crucial for staying connected with your audience. Many platforms have the ability to draft or schedule posts, which is another way to reduce your burden.3. Follow the Risk Communication Model
When sharing information, remember the risk communication model: be the first to communicate important news, ensure your content is accurate, and maintain credibility. Maybe you don't have to be first, but prioritize fact-checking and go to the primary source before sharing.
4. Respecting Privacy Boundaries with Minors
Exercise caution when posting content featuring minors. It's crucial to obtain explicit consent from their guardians before sharing anything. I avoid posting content with minors, even with a guardian's consent.5. Neutrality and Legislative Matters
Remember that some may see the content of your accounts as a reflection of all of your members. On non-nuclear-related topics, a level of neutrality can be beneficial.
On nuclear matters, see if ANS National has addressed the topic before putting together content. Your role should primarily focus on informing people about the existence of legislation or encouraging them to exercise their right to vote.
6. Embrace the Power of Community
Remember that the nuclear community is relatively small, so be kind and respectful to everyone you interact with. Building positive relationships within the community will enhance your reputation and create a supportive environment for your student section.7. Capitalize for Accessibility #HashtagEtiquette
Increase the accessibility of your hashtags by capitalizing the first letter of each word; for example, instead of #bluebunny, use #BlueBunny. This adjustment can make a big difference for individuals using assistive technologies. For example, if I use the screen reader on my computer on the above sentences, you can hear the difference:8. Strategic Hashtag Usage
When using hashtags, less is often more. Stick to a limited number of relevant hashtags. If you use a hashtag, make sure that other people are using it too (otherwise, what's the point). You can also check to see what your mutuals are using for related content.9. The Art of Memes
Memes are a fantastic way to engage your audience, but exercise caution. Ensure that memes are appropriate and relatively inoffensive. Remember, you have more freedom than a company, but avoid crossing the line into excessive (pardon this common internet term) "shitposting."
10. Occasionally Review the Accounts You Follow
Periodically check the content shared by the accounts you follow. Ensure that it aligns with your student section's values and objectives. A yearly review can help ensure you're comfortable with the content you may be associated with. I discovered when I first took over the my ANS section's Twitter account years ago that it was following 2 accounts from former members of the community that had since left and had begun posting adult content. I un-followed these accounts to ensure that the feed was appropriate for the section.
11. Organic Growth and Engagement
Refrain from explicitly asking people to like or follow your social media accounts. Focus on creating valuable content that naturally attracts engagement and fosters organic growth. Above all, prioritize authenticity and genuine connections.
Never resort to purchasing followers.
12. Embrace the "We"
In your social media communication, try using first-person plural pronouns like "we" to create a sense of inclusivity and unity. However, using the first-person singular pronoun "I" is occasionally acceptable if you're responding to a comment.
13. Cross-Posting Extends Your Reach
Content can be reformatted to fit multiple platforms. For Instagram and Facebook, you can automatically cross-post and put posts up on respective stories. This is an easy way to reach all of your audiences where they are.
14. Give Credit Where It's Due
Give credit where it's due when sharing someone else's content, and always try to secure permission before doing so. Balance mentioning or tagging the creators in your posts with respecting the privacy and personal boundaries of members and followers.
15. New Features
When new features are announced by platforms they often give increased priority in algorithms. Using them, even if it is not in the "correct" way that develops over time, can advantage your accounts. Don't be afraid to play around with new features and see what works for your student section.
16. The 75/25 Rule
Strike a balance in your content mix. Approximately 75% of your posts should aim to entertain your audience, while the remaining 25% can promote your student section's activities and initiatives.
17. Links Outside a Platform
Try to limit your outside link usage (it generally decreases engagement by platform design), and do not share a link if it cannot be directly opened from the app–-links in an instagram comment are an absolute no (use a link tree in your profile or only post that content on stories). If you're reading this in the future and they have fixed it so that's no longer a proble, ignore this example.
When providing sources, I always try to comment a link or have it easily accessible in a profile.
18. Content, Like Cats, Has Many Lives
Reuse content in as many ways as possible. Videos can become stills, GIFs, and audio. You can play audio over memes or animations; I don't know what uses you'll find, but my point is that it shouldn't end with the first platform you post it on. In this vein, take high-quality wider shots (in video and photo) so you can crop or reformat for different devices and platforms.With all of these tips in mind, you can translate your idea into actual content by identifying a core topic or idea you are trying to impart. Then break this core topic into distinct sub topics (aim for at least two, but you can absolutely do more). For each sub topic, you can now create different themes of content on the sub topic in the form of:
- Common questions.
- Mistakes and pitfalls.
- Myths and misunderstandings.
- Personal stories.
- Steps.
- Tips and tricks.
- Quick tips or fast facts.