Departmental Social Media

Best PracticesQuic k T ips to He lp You I m prove Your

Depa r tm enta l Soc ia l M ed ia Enga gem ent .

By Josse Alex Garrido, UTRGV Social Media Manager. July 2016

OutlineThe Paradox of Digital Engagement

Humanizing your Social Media Profiles

Be Helpful & Memorable

Putting out Fires

When to Ban or Block Someone?

The Paradox of Digital Engagement

“People do not like to engage with brands, they like to engage with people”

“Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.”

Facebook 2008 Mission Statement

My friends at ….

The paradox of digital engagement is that in order for people to feel connected with a brand, they must perceive the brand as “their friend.”

Humanizing your Social Media Profiles

The very first step to humanizing your organizational social media presence is developing a clear brand voice.

Talk with your team & think outside the box.

Types of Voice•FUNNY: Quirky and not afraid to push the envelope.

•CLEVER: This type of voice is particularly useful for niche audiences.

•PLAYFUL: Actively asking questions and giving shout-outs. Posts that inspire curiosity fall into this category.

•INSPIRATIONAL: Posts that motivate us to go above and beyond. Anything that inspires people to take action.

•HELPFUL: Anything educational or that provides solutions to common problems. This is the voice behind “life-hacks” and “quick tutorials.” Making your audience feel like you “get them” is essential for this type of voice.

Although funny posts tend to go viral faster,

helpful posts build the ost loyalty.

How to be Helpful and Memorable?•Provide resources: Develop your own graphics and posts and share them with your audience. Share the most pressing updates or news about your area in a timely manner. Provide feedback and insight.

•Talk to them directly: Ask questions and use an approachable tone on your updates. Do not be afraid to ask for feedback.

•Respond in a timely manner: Provide a response to as many relevant comments as possible. Think ahead about the kinds of questions your audience might have about an update, and reply to questions in a reasonable amount of time.

Not all complaints are the same

Publicly Shared

•Do not necessarily seek help

•Seeking an audience

•Seeking empathy

Privately Shared

•Want a response fast

•Willing to work with you

Venting and complaining about issues is common on social media. There are two types of complaints:

Dealing with negativity on social media is very similar to dealing with fire

How to Put Out a Fire?•You cannot put out a fire with more fire.

•You do not have to put your hand into the fire.

•People like to take screenshots of the fire.

•You need to contain the fire.

•If you leave the fire unattended, it will most likely grow.

•Flooding the fire with kindness may help.

You cannot put out a fire with more fireIf you reply with a tone that underscores anger or resentment, you will only make things worse. If you come across as defensive or evasive, you are only adding fuel to the fire.

You do not have to put your hand into the fireYou do not have to respond to pure rudeness or disrespect. Report any post that is belligerent, extremely offensive, or could cause harm.

People like to take screenshots of the fireExpect people to take screenshots of your post. Often, people do this to further their rallying cries or to instigate more negative responses. Be mindful of the fact that your response will most likely elicit a screenshot and do not say anything that might compromise your department or the university.

Contain the fireThe best approach is to instruct the person to email your department directly, so that you can further assist.

If you leave the fire unattended, it will most likely growIt all depends on how much fuel the fire has, of course

Flooding the fire with kindness may helpAs much as possible, try to maintain a calm and helpful tone. Your number one goal when dealing with a negative situation should be, “What should I do to help this individual with his/her situation?”. If the person perceives that you are genuinely trying to assist him/her, he/she will calm down.

When to Ban or Block someone?

Reasons to ban/block•Excessive unrelated messaging/posting

•Clear phishing attacks

•Persistent abusive language

•Obvious attempts to spread misinformation