By: Nathan Ryan
2023-06-21
Welcome to social media management for an American Nuclear Society (ANS) student section! In this digital landscape, it's essential to establish an online presence and effectively engage with your audience. To help you navigate these uncharted waters, I've compiled a practical list of rules and best practices.
1. 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 on a majority of your platforms, don't hesitate to enlist the help of your secretary or other team members for assistance. Remember, having active accounts is crucial for staying connected with your audience. The recommended daily maximums are 1 Facebook post, 15 tweets, and 1 Instagram post. Many platforms have the ability to draft or schedule posts, which is another way to reduce your burden.2. Follow the Risk Communication Model: First, Right, and Credible
When sharing information, remember the risk communication model: be the first to communicate important news, ensure your content is accurate and reliable, and maintain credibility. Maybe you don't have to be first, but prioritize fact-checking and verify the source of information before sharing. When you come across news or updates, go to the primary source.
3. 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.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. Semi-political 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. Though you can absolutely advocate for your members on all manner of subjects. On nuclear matters, see if ANS National has addressed the legislation 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: Quality over Quantity
When using hashtags, less is often more. Stick to a limited number of relevant hashtags for each post. According to Buffer: on Twitter, one to three hashtags work best, while on Facebook, hashtags may actually decrease engagement. Using 11 or more hashtags per Instagram post often yields the most post engagement (I've found that a bit excessive). But regularly assess the quality of your hashtags by seeing what your mutuals are using for similar content.9. The Art of Memes: Appropriate and Inoffensive Fun
Memes are a fantastic way to engage your audience, but exercise caution. Ensure that memes are appropriate and relatively unoffensive. Remember, you have more freedom than ANS National or a company, but avoid crossing the line into excessive "shitposting."
10. Regularly 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 semesterly review can help maintain your feed and ensure you're comfortable with the content you may be associated with.
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. Focus on cultivating an engaged audience that shares your passion for nuclear science and fosters meaningful interactions.
12. Embrace the "We" Mentality
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.
13. Extend Your Reach: Cross-Posting Stories
For Instagram or Facebook, ensure that your posts immediately go up on both Instagram and Facebook stories. This cross-posting strategy will maximize your reach and engagement across platforms.
14. Give Credit Where It's Due
When sharing someone else's content, give credit where it's due. Mention and tag the creators in your posts. Be cautious when tagging individuals on your social media accounts, always respect the privacy and personal boundaries of members and followers.
15. New Features, New Opportunities for Engagement
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.
16. The 75/25 Rule: Balancing Engagement and Promotion
Strike a balance in your content mix. Approximately 75% of your posts should aim to engage and 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 or something).
18. Content, Like Cats, Has Many Lives
Reuse content in as many ways as possible, videos can become stills or GIFs. 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 various types of content:
- Common questions
- Mistakes and pitfalls
- Myths and misunderstandings
- Personal stories
- Steps
- Tips and tricks
- Quick tips