Communications Solutions - Marketing for Outdoor Health

Best Practices in Using Social Media

It is important to be mindful that “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” The following outlines considerations that could dictate whether social media tools are a good addition to other health or environment promotional efforts within your organization.

This list of best practices in using social media has been summarized from numerous sources including experience applying social media to health promotion, advice from dozens of social media experts and from the review of case studies discussed in this report.

Start with Strategy, not Tactics

Many organizations will begin their use of social media by deciding which tool to use first (blog, twitter, facebook, etc). This is not recommended. Starting with tactics puts a project in a reactive mode. Instead, take the time to develop a strategy by asking, and answering, these questions;

Does your organization have the capacity and resources to implement and
sustain a social media campaign?
What are you trying to achieve?
Who is your audience?
What do you want to share with them and have them share with you?
What are the most effective communication tools to achieve this? How will you measure your success?

Social media planning should begin with strategy and understanding of the audience first – then choosing the social media tool(s) that will work best.

Commit Resources
In the planning stages it is important to commit to the resources required - making sure to allocate personnel and dedicate enough time for the effort to succeed, not just experiment off the side of the desk. When in the implementation stage, social media activity needs to be monitored and updated on a regular basis. Depending on the channel, anywhere from 15-60 minutes should be dedicated to social media each day - ideally spread out throughout the day.

Listen First
Before diving into using social media, take a step back. Listen. Observe. Be aware. Understand how and why your target audience uses social media. Researching audience demographics will help you understand the rules of engagement and create tailored content.

Provide Value
Social media communities will respond best to authentic, relevant and respectable dialogue. Concentrate on delivering value to the audiences – approach the messaging by considering what they need, rather than what you need. This value can come in the form of encouraging conversation, welcoming feedback, personalizing the content, and paying attention to updates that are both timely and relevant.

Conversation - Participating in the social media “conversation” centers
around giving value before expecting anything in return. Social media
is about engaging the audience in transparent conversation, not simply
broadcasting a message or requesting an action.

Welcome Feedback - As the conversation evolves, encourage participation
and feedback. Look for opportunities to build networks and spread the word
through republishing the message. (retweets, etc.)

Be Relevant - Make sure to use social media channels to provide regular
updates of related content, including facts like “did you know…”

Integrate with Consistency
Social media should not be considered as a separate medium from other efforts to communicate. Make sure that the branding and messages used in social media are integrated with other tactics and tools (brochures, websites, etc.). Thinking about all of these communication channels as one integrated campaign can help to ensure there is consistency in everything that is communicated.

Monitor Regularly
Monitoring the conversations and results of social media efforts can help refine the campaign strategy, use the top messages and highlight the best tactics. Measuring and communicating results can also support the “case” for using social media. Collect statistics, and analyze them with consideration on what they may indicate about your campaign goals. Statistics to watch include website traffic, unique visitors, incoming links, registrations / contribution, referrals/telling others, followers, etc.

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