Social media resources  

So you probably already know about social media. You’re on Facebook. Maybe you’re an inveterate tweeter. You understand why social media sites are great for being, well, social.

When it comes to using social media in an organizational setting, however, things can get a bit slippery. Can you use social media outposts strategically? Should you try to measure your results? Should you still try to be social?

The answers to these questions are yes, yes, and most definitely yes. Read on for more tips and resources for properly using social media.

Best practices

Questions to answer before you launch a new social media account

• What is your goal? (circle one)
  • Build awareness
  • Create community/conversations
  • Provide customer service
  • Build loyalty
  • Generate and circulate news and information
   
• Who is your audience?
• What is your current relationship with your audience? If you don’t have a relationship, how will they find out about you?
• Why would your audience want to connect with you?
• How will you engage with your audience?
• How will you measure success?
• Who will manage it and maintain your account?
• What are your content sources and how often do you intend to update your account? (e.g. 3 times/week)?
• Which social media outlet will help you accomplish your goals and reach your audience?
• Is there an existing social media account at the university where you could distribute your information or establish a partnership in lieu of creating a new account?

More information

Check out our social media user guide for more info.

Facebook

Facebook, which famously trails only China and India in terms of total population, was launched in 2004. It is wildly popular, and often wildly misunderstood by organizations trying to benefit from it. Read on for tips about getting the most out of Facebook in the workplace.

Facebook 101 for Businesses. Lots of good tips – both strategic and tactical – in this post. Scroll to the bottom first and check out the “Recommended Six-Step Approach to Building Your Facebook Page.”

Facebook 101 for Non-profits. Takes a more tactical approach, but still contains some highly relevant content.

Twitter

An instant communication web application that began as an experiment in 2006 and was formally launched in 2007 (both dates, by the way, occurred after the last NAU web redesign), Twitter has grown into an immensely popular social media site.

Though some organizations struggle to understand Twitter’s utility, it can – when used properly – help organizations connect and communicate (i.e. build relationships) in powerful new ways.

Twitter 101 for Businesses. A university is definitely a different kind of business than the usual sort – but many of the dynamics, best practices, and themes (especially as it relates to Twitter) are very similar. Lots of good lessons to be learned here.

Twellow, a Better Twitter Search Engine. Twitter’s search engine is famously bad. So say hello to Twellow.