Mastering Social Media: Building Community Effectively
Social media can serve as an exceptional tool for marketing and communications within a community association. It offers a vibrant platform to inform residents, foster connections, and enhance member loyalty. However, a strategic approach is essential for effectively managing your community’s social media footprint.
Some might wonder why a social media strategy is necessary, dismissing it as trivial. However, lacking a strategy can have significant downsides. Without consistent engagement, your sporadic Facebook posts and tweets might not meet desired goals. Consistency is key; otherwise, your posts may fall out of regular newsfeeds, leading to decreased visibility. Additionally, there are potential legal risks involved if residents respond improperly in public discussions or inadvertently infringe on copyrights. To prevent wasted time and other potential risks, explore these guidelines for running an effective social media strategy for your community:
1. Know your goal
Before launching into the world of social media, think about what you hope to achieve. Your objectives might include fostering community spirit, keeping residents informed about new developments, or building a strong community brand. You might aim for all of these! Whatever your goals, ensure that every social media update aligns with them. For example, consider tweeting about an upcoming parking lot resurfacing project, posting on Facebook about the next community meeting, or sharing photos from the latest neighborhood social event to achieve these goals.
2. Establish ownership
Managing a social media presence is a crucial task that should be assigned to a specific individual or a small group of no more than three people. This role involves more than posting updates; it includes monitoring channels for comments, feedback, and responding appropriately. Your social media manager could be from the property management team or a proactive resident or committee member. Having dedicated people ensures that great event photos are shared even if someone is on vacation or busy. Property management companies can provide guidance to define this role effectively.
3. Choose your channels
With numerous social media platforms available, deciding which ones suit your community can be challenging. Options include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest, each catering to different audiences and interests. Generally, Facebook and LinkedIn are well-suited for community associations, but you might find Twitter useful for emergency alerts or Instagram appealing for sharing event photos, particularly with younger residents.
4. Know the law
Understanding legal considerations is crucial. Activities such as copyright infringement, plagiarism, causing emotional distress, or violating privacy through social media can lead to legal repercussions for your association. Remember, once posted, online content is permanent, so scrutinize every piece of content before publishing.
5. Engage your residents
Building an audience of engaged fans and followers is essential to avoid feeling like you're talking to yourself. Promote your social media presence through your website, other communications, and at community events. There are many ways to enhance engagement:
- Polls: Facebook provides tools to collect resident opinions on various topics, potentially shaping event calendars.
- Events: Facebook lets you create events for easy resident RSVPs and promotional reminders. Twitter is great for quick updates.
- Photo albums: Allow event participants to share and view photos.
- Photo updates: Highlight progress on significant community projects.
- Cross-promotion: Feature resident posts in newsletters and communications.
- Recruitment: Use social media for volunteer outreach.
- Contests: Host entertaining photo-captioning contests for fun and engagement.
- Celebrate achievements: Share resident milestones on social media with permission.
- Requests for feedback: Directly asking for feedback can boost engagement and show residents their voices matter.
- Clubs: Use social channels to connect residents with shared interests.
6. Define a policy
A well-defined social media policy shields against liabilities and enhances program effectiveness. This policy should outline who access the sites, posting permissions, restrictions on negative commentary, reassertion of privacy rights, the board’s right to remove inappropriate content, and content screening procedures.
Post policy guidelines on platforms like Facebook, specifying that policy-violating posts will be removed. For Twitter, consider making your account private to control who views tweets. LinkedIn allows limited interaction; however, forming a LinkedIn Group provides more engagement opportunities and the ability to set rules.
7. Consider special groups for committees
Social networking enhances communication and collaboration within committees. Encourage committee chairs to create private groups for discussion, idea-sharing, and event planning.
8. Keep some things offline
Formal board decisions and communications should stay off social media. Social media's primary purpose is community building and sharing public information and events.
9. Board members beware
Board members and community managers should avoid direct social media connections with community members to prevent favoritism and potential pitfalls. Carefully consider who you connect with on social media. Never address irate homeowners publicly. Instead, resolve issues privately via phone calls, emails, or in-person visits, offering a personal touch that can ease delicate situations and simplify conflict resolution.
Social media, like any tool, has both advantages and pitfalls. By following these tips, communities can leverage social media as a powerful positive force while sidestepping its challenges.
