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A SOLID SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY CAN BOOST ORGANIZATIONS

By Erin La Row, editor, KSAE magazine

Love it or hate it, social media is changing the way people and businesses communicate. While some organizations thrive in the social media pool, others bob along trying to stay afloat.

But in a world where 55% of consumers learn about brands or companies on social media, according to Sprout Social’s State of Social Media Report,1 the need for organizations to “go social” grows. Additionally, “91% of executives anticipate their company’s social media marketing budget will increase over the next three years.” If your organization isn’t taking full advantage of social media, it may be falling behind.

“The most challenging aspects of social media boil down to committing the time required to manage an account coupled with a limited understanding of the platforms themselves or how to create effective posts,” said Julie Tucker, vice president and CEO at Cogent Ideas Inc., www.cogentideasinc.com. “While a seasoned user of social media can execute posts on the fly, clients also must remember to consider the information they share as part of the organization’s overall promotional strategy.”

Social platforms companies use for marketing purposes

Facebook 84% Pinterest 23% Instagram 64% Snapchat 22%

Twitter 60% Yelp 21%

YouTube 57% TikTok 19%

LinkedIn 42% Reddit 18%

Facebook Manager 36% TripAdvisor 14%

Amazon 36% Twitch 9% Google My Business 31% Other 3% Whatsapp 27%

Credit: “The Future of Social Media: New Data for 2021 & Beyond;” www.sproutsocial.com

strategy. Cogent Ideas Inc. is a full-service marketing resource for agribusiness. The team’s depth of industry knowledge is supported by more than 175 years of collective brand building

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Five Tips for Getting Social Media Right

Julie Tucker, vice president and CEO at Cogent Ideas Inc., shares five tips to help organizations succeed with social media.

1. Be consistent and post regularly. This is often easier said than done, particularly in an off-season.

Remember this is a conversation with your audience and you want to maintain consistent communication.

Posting works to build brand awareness throughout the year. This also applies to comments made on a post. If a response is required, be sure to reply in a timely manner.

2. Share quality photos or videos in your posts which support your message. Don’t include one simply for likes, but ensure it is relevant to the information in your post and provides a helpful visual reference.

3. Quality over quantity. Be sure posts are helpful and relevant to your audience. Simply posting for quantity could result in posts which don’t provide helpful information or are perceived as irrelevant to your audience. Ultimately, your audience may decide to stop following if the posts aren’t of benefit.

4. Post positive content. Nonprofit organizations work extremely hard to build support in the form of donations and volunteers. Kindness and positivity will always attract more of the same both in people and response.

5. Inspire action and share your impact. Social media posts should not only inform, but also encourage involvement and support. Share success stories, help followers know where and how they can get involved as well as what is needed. While doing this, make sure your posts are sharable for followers to share your story as well while expanding your reach. experience. One component of brand management is helping clients build their social media strategy. Tucker oversees the firm’s day-to-day operations and logistic solutions, as well as closely works with clients to blend social media into their overall marketing strategy.

“When advertising and promotional budgets are limited, or nonexistent, social media is key to communicating with an audience,” Tucker said. Social media offers a free solution for sharing event information, deadlines or promotions. For a relatively small fee, social media advertising can extend a post’s reach to a larger demographic.

Even more important for nonprofits and smaller organizations, Tucker said, is social media can be used to share educational information to an audience. While posts are short in nature to capture a viewer’s attention, they can link to more in-depth articles or videos.

“As we evaluate the longer, more extended communications efforts of an organization, social media is merely one tool in the digital toolbox,” Tucker said.

According to Sprout Social’s State of Social Media Report, “Social media is nearly as common as TV/radio ads and (word of mouth) for learning about brands or companies.” So where do you start with your organization?

“The best place to start is to start simple,” Tucker said. “Ask yourself which platform your clients are most likely to use. Start a conversation with them there.”

From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram to TikTok, and the many platforms in between, knowing where to get the most bang for the buck can seem daunting. Tucker said to consider the demographics of your potential audience. Are they teens? Retirees? Parents? Or another group? Use the platforms your audience visits most frequently, Tucker said, and if your audience spans several demographics, using multiple platforms will help reach them. After setting up the account, introduce your organization and be sure to share the social media links on all digital assets, including your organization’s website, email signature, etc.

“Keep in mind your organization’s purpose and social media goals – then begin a conversation with your clients,” she said.

Tucker noted these considerations are important when deciding what to post: • Does this post support our organization’s goals? • Does this promote our company in a positive light? • Is this post relevant to our brand awareness? • Is this post helpful to our customers or members?

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Also, determine what frequency fits best with your goals. For some, twice a day is necessary, while once or twice a week is effective for others.

Tucker said there are plenty of examples of local organizations executing effective social media strategies. Relay For Life Shawnee County (Facebook/@rfltopekaks), she said, is making the most of Facebook with live feeds, links, photos, and question and answer sessions. On Instagram, Topeka Yoga Network (Instagram/@topekayoganetwork) has effectively built a community by sharing tips, class schedules, workshops and inspiration.

What’s next for social media? Expect to see more from TikTok. The popular video platform hit a milestone last summer of 1 billion active monthly global users.2 While it may have a place in your organization’s strategy, Tucker said as it relates to nonprofits, most of the TikTok content is simply for entertainment and not educational in nature.

Nevertheless, “The use of reels and stories continue to increase,” she said. “Shared content helps a nonprofit expand its reach to new audiences when a follower shares a post.” “The best place to start is to start simple. Ask yourself which platform your clients are most likely to use. Start a conversation with them there.”

Live feeds on social media are also increasing. “As it relates to nonprofits, it provides an excellent opportunity for online event engagement, fundraising and community outreach,” Tucker said. “Live videos receive a higher preference by various platforms over produced and natively posted videos.” F

References

1. June 9, 2022, “The Future of Social Media: New Data for 2021 & Beyond, Harris Poll on behalf of Sprout Social,”

June 23, 2001, www.sproutsocial.com/insights/data/harrisinsights-report 2. Wang, Echo, Sept. 27, 2021, “TikTok hits 1 billion monthly active users globally – Company,” www.reuters.com/ technology/tiktok-hits-1-billion-monthly-active-usersglobally-company-2021-09-27.

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