Aptify

I remember in the mid nineties when websites started to get popular. Associations hadn’t yet really understood how to use a web site, but everyone wanted one.  I think we’re a bit further along the curve today with Social Media, but the similarities are interesting. 

I have heard time and again from very strategically focused Association leaders: ‘We need to have a Social Media presence.’ Really? Why? What thought has been given to creating a social media presence? Before you haphazardly promote a public persona which could inadvertently suggest your association as dysfunctional, why not take the time to really think about what you wish to achieve by implementing a social media initiative.

Where to begin? Perhaps it is wise to begin with the end in mind. What do you hope to accomplish by using social media? I have heard so often: ‘We want more followers!’ That’s a start, but for what purpose? Do you wish to expand your visibility in the marketplace to improve member acquisition or is this an initiative to expand your influence to your existing member base? Are you looking for bloggers to promote your association beyond your normal reach or is your focus on improving the relations among current members of your association The reasons to deploy a social media strategy need not be limited – but first understand and clearly define your desired outcomes.

Answers to the above will influence one of your initial decisions, i.e. do you wish to develop a public persona via FaceBook, Twitter, Badoo, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. or will you focus your attention on developing a private social media solution? Possibly the right answer for your association is to create and integrate both a public and private social media strategy.

Regardless of the pathway(s) which you deem appropriate, here are some tactical considerations to consider before jumping in with both feet:

• Do you have the necessary resources to implement Social Media? Who is responsible for guiding your overall strategy and what is their previous experience?

• Do you have buy-in from your association leadership?

• If there is no cash there is no mission. Associations may be classified as not-for-profit organizations, but that doesn’t mean they run for free nor will your social media program. Will your Social Media strategy cover its operational costs? Longer-term, will your strategy generate new dollars for your association?

• What technical issues do you need to address? For instance do you plan to integrate with your association management system?

• Data collection & reporting. What good is a social media strategy if you’re not tracking your successes or failures? Are you going to measure ROI (return on investment) or ROE (return on engagement)? 

• What results is your Board expecting from this initiative?

• Have you developed a Social Media calendar? Do you know who is crafting each post?  Are the posts consistent with your overall strategy? What is the frequency of your posts?

• Frequency – the average shelf life of a tweet is 3 ½ hours – be sure your strategy involves regular posts and mix up the time of day when you post.

• Do you have a posting policy which includes monitoring posts and comments? Who will enforce your policies?

• Can you take advantage of a variety of devices including mobile and tablet?

• Attach links to your email signature page, your press releases, and your annual meeting literature. Make your members aware of your social media presence and encourage their participation.

• Interact with your audience. 

• Don’t just inform, entertain – all work and no play makes any communication pretty boring (refer to my previous blog on gamification).

• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different tactics and if one doesn’t work change it.

• Develop a crisis management strategy – better to have a plan in place than to be reactionary if a crisis should arise.

• Consider using automated posting services like HootSuite or Ping.fm to extend the reach of your posts to additional sites, lists and groups.

• Avoid being promotional.

• Building your community takes time and effort. Be patient & reach out to others to help create traction.

These are some of the common issues we see in the association market.  I would love to hear what has worked for you or what your organization is considering.

Next week’s post?  How about we discuss analytics?