Recently I listened to “Facebook for Government, Business, Associations and Non-profits,” an event hosted by PRSA-NCC. The speakers had a lot of great information, so I’m sharing Part 1 of my favorite comments and tips today and Part 2 tomorrow –- stay tuned.
- Read Holman, new media strategist, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- A Facebook page is not the same as a Facebook presence. What’s more important than your actual Facebook page is increasing the ability of people to share information (with Share buttons) from your website and blog. The easier you make it, the greater your social media presence.
- Images on every website and blog post are key. Once people paste a link to Facebook, a description and image from that page automatically populates. If you don’t have an image associated with each page of your website and every blog post, that dramatically decreases sharability.
- John Wolf, senior director, public relations, Marriott International
- Always ask, “What are my business objectives?” Because Facebook (and social media as a whole) is resource intensive, you need to be able to identify how your social media strategy is going to help you meet those objectives.
- What else do your fans care about? When trying to think of ways to engage with fans, research what your fans are fans of. Marriot fans tend to like football, so Marriot posts about football.
- Laura Hubbard, International CES, Consumer Electronics Association
- Deal with incorrect comments. Instead of deleting non-factual comments, see them as ideas for your next post; something to correct.
- Check yourself. Worried you’re posting too much? Check Facebook Insights to see if people are hiding your feed.
- Steve Wymer, president, Senate Press Secretaries Association, communications director to Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.):
- Know your brand. When you’re a public figure, especially when you’re in the political realm, you have to strike a balance between being authentic and personal brand reputation – in other words, between intimacy and getting in trouble. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) have had success making their pages more personal, but you should always beware of the risks.
Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow.
· Read Holman, new media strategist, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
o A Facebook page ¹ Facebook presence. What’s more important than your actual Facebook page is increasing the ability of people to share information (with Share buttons) from your website and blog. The easier you make it, the greater your social media presence.
o Images on every website and blog post are key. Once people paste a link to Facebook, a description and image from that page automatically populates. If you don’t have an image associated with each page of your website and every blog post, that dramatically decreases sharability.
· Laura Hubbard, International CES, Consumer Electronics Association
o Deal with incorrect comments. Instead of deleting non-factual comments, see them as ideas for your next post; something to correct.
o Check yourself. Worried you’re posting too much? Check Facebook Insights to see if people are hiding your feed.
· Steve Wymer, president, Senate Press Secretaries Association, communications director to Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.):
o Know your brand. When you’re a public figure, especially when you’re in the political realm, you have to strike a balance between being authentic and personal brand reputation – in other words, between intimacy and getting in trouble. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) have had success making their pages more personal, but it’s not recommended for everyone because of the risks.
· John Wolf, senior director, public relations, Marriott International
o Always ask, “What are my business objectives?” Because Facebook (and social media as a whole) is resource intensive, you need to be able to identify how your social media strategy is going to help you meet those objectives.
o What else do your fans care about? When trying to think of ways to engage with fans, research what your fans are fans of. Marriot fans tend to like football, so Marriot posts about football.
