You’ve got your chapter’s social media accounts setup and are making updates frequently. Things are going great! But reality sets in. Volunteers have other commitments and, oh yeah, life calls and the folks in charge of posting aren’t available. What happens? Well, if you don’t have a plan for on-going administration, your social media will grind to a halt. Don’t let this happen! In the final post of the series, I’ll help you put a plan in place that can prevent these things from happening. It just takes a little thought . . . and a good checklist. Here are the five things to do to setup your club’s social media for long-term success.
1. Find Volunteers to Post
Identify a few volunteers who have the skills, knowledge and time to post to your social media. These folks should be passionate about the University and club, be familiar with one or more of the social media platforms you use and be able to set aside some time to post.
2. Assign Social Media Roles
Not all your volunteers may want to post content. Have a few roles available for them to select from and then make sure you set them up with the appropriate permissions on your social media sites:
- Social Media Admin – this person will be an admin or editor on your social media site(s). They can post, share and create content.
- Community Manager – this person may just want to get the conversation started and reply to comments and messages. They can be a vital part of making your members feel included and informed.
- Graphics – this can be a great role for a person who has or is building graphic design skills and just wants to flex those muscles. Social media posts require images and having a skilled volunteer that can produce those is a real benefit.
- University Alumni Coordinator – make sure that you make your university’s alumni coordinator an admin on your social media sites. This will allow him or her to share content in a pinch or, in the event of a club leadership change, ensure the admin role is passed to the new leaders.
3. Create Social Media Guidelines
We’ve all seen or heard about those social media gaffes in the news where something inappropriate was shared. Don’t let this happen to you. Have a set of social media guidelines for your club. Review them with the team then make sure your volunteers read through them and – I really recommend this – sign them. The club represents the University so clear guidelines about what’s acceptable on your social media will hopefully save you from any embarrassing posts.
In case you need a starting point, here’s a template you can use.
4. Safeguard Your Social Media IDs and Passwords
Make sure the passwords are protected and stored where they are easily accessible. This can be in a secure document in your Google Drive or Dropbox or, if you have a website, a private page accessible to your club’s leadership. I also always recommend making sure your University’s club coordinator has the IDs and passwords to your social media as well.
5. Update Your Guidelines and Permissions Annually
The key to good social media administration is regular “care and feeding.” Don’t forget to review your guidelines regularly to make sure they reflect the club’s and university’s policies. Update the permissions of your administrators and editors to make sure the right people have access to your sites. Add this task to your club’s event calendar so it’s at least an annual activity.
This series has covered many aspects of alumni club social media management. Do you still have questions? Reach out and let me know what additional topics you’d like to see covered.
The Alumni Club Ambassador 