your pictures easily searchable and accessible as well by adding keyword tags, and be sure to add photos from the same event into one album to make it easier to share. Aside from the Social Media Director, the rest of the members in your chapter can also help spread your group’s message and activities through their own profiles. Activating your membership to share your content in their personal networks is a good way to increase your impact. Encourage them to invite others to your events, share YouTube videos, and “like” your Facebook page. Announce these action items and concrete social media goals at your chapter meetings, and then follow through online with messages and invitations to groups and events. Finally, here are some Do’s and Don’t’s for executing your strategy effectively:
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DON’T: • • • •
DO: • • •
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• Use social networks to reinforce what you do offline, including activism, recruitment, and major events. Keep conversations civil and encourage people who have complaints or questions to contact your group via email. Integrate your social media sites (encourage people on Twitter to join your Facebook group, encourage people on Facebook to subscribe to your YouTube channel, etc.). Shorten links on Twitter using bit.ly or ow.ly. You should create an account with one of these sites so that you can track how many people click on your links. Have someone in your group create a graphic for your profiles that has the YAL logo and your university’s name.
If you have a good graphic designer in your group, have them create a background graphic for your YouTube and Twitter pages. Use correct grammar and punctuation at all times.
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Ever spend more than 5 minutes debating with someone on Facebook. Make your group “closed.” People won’t want to join your group if they have to be “approved” in order to do so. “Protect” your tweets. Again, people won’t follow you if they need approval to do so. “Connect” your Facebook page to your Twitter feed. Twitter posts should be created on the Twitter.com website and not automatically generated. Use the first person unless you also post your name. (Replace “I think this is a good resource” with “This is a good resource”). Make posts in support of or opposing a candidate for office. This is illegal because of YAL’s tax status.
If you have any questions about social media, YAL National is here to help! Simply email contact@yaliberty.com with your query, and it will be directed to me or someone else on the team who can assist you. Andrew Sharp is a recent graduate of Indiana University with a BA in Philosophy and Political Science. Formerly the Communications Director for Kokesh for Congress, he is currently YAL’s Social Networking Intern.
28 June 2011