We are pleased to have Katie Bircham guest posting today. She serves as the Coordinator of Communication and Social Media for Leader-led Movements, a collection of Jesus followers seeking the gospel transformation of urban centers. You can check out their online community here and follow her @Katie_Bircham
I am excited to share with you 10 key takeaways and tips from the conference for interacting in the ever-changing world of social media.
- When using social media, variety is the spice of life. Talk about those things that are interesting and, in particular, things that YOU care about.
- Keep your posts simple. People aren’t trying to read a novel when they look through their newsfeed but something simple may catch their eye. (Ex. “I’m so glad it’s Friday!”).
- Make them laugh or cry. Have you ever seen pictures on your newsfeed of someone’s cute dog or cat; doesn’t it make you want to post a comment? Well, think of this as the same idea. Check out the “Cute Dog Theory” as Beth Kanter describes in this video.
- Think about your audience. Who are you trying to reach and what are you trying to say to them? This is key to creating a social media strategy geared towards your target audience.
- Be specific; don’t try to be catchy and confusing. Say what you mean and stick to it.
- Ask for feedback. Your followers will want to hear what you have to say. Be interactive and respond to them when they tweet, message or comment to you.
- Keep it short. Don’t overcompensate by creating long posts; be short and be simple. Its social media. You don’t have to be fancy.
- Make your posts easy to share. Remember, sharing your posts is vital to getting interaction but if individuals can’t find a way to share your content it won’t serve its purpose. We live in a socially driven world and people will want to be talking about relevant content like yours.
- Ask a question. Did you know by adding a question mark at the end of your post you can produce 5 times the amount of interaction? So, what are you waiting for? Ask one.
- Identify your online ambassadors. These are individuals that have affinity for your organization and want to share your content with others. These ambassadors care about your message and will want to help you reach your goals. Let them help you!
Lastly, if you still believe that social media is a fad, check out this video on social media revolution
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Let’s practice #6 and #9, what are practical things you do to apply one of these in your social network?
Katie Bircham
Communications Coordinator for Leader-led Movement