Presenter
Like you, social media strategist Sybil Walker Barnes is always exploring how social media can be incorporated into the pharmacy profession. What are the benefits of digital networking? Are there any drawbacks? How can pharmacists use social media to educate their patients and the public on their role in society?
Sybil joined the ASHP Communications team in October 2014. With a background in journalism, she has combined her communications skills with a passion for social networking to explore the myriad of possibilities to answer the above questions. She is currently responsible for strategizing and implementing ASHP’s social engagement program, which includes a presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Prior to her current position, Sybil was director of social engagement at the American Institute of Architects for 5 years. Similar to her current duties, at the AIA she was responsible for strategizing and implementing the AIA’s program, which included a presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.
Sybil has many years of solid experience planning, writing, editing, and overseeing nonprofit organizations’ communications strategies. Through her work with such Sybil Walker Barnes, CAE associations as the AIA and the American Public Human Services Association, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and the American Museum Association, Sybil has developed some insights about the intersections of association programs and services, brands, and technology.
Sybil is a graduate of Howard University and resides in the Washington, D.C., area. She is the proud mom of 2 teenage sons and loves her 3-year-old Shetland Sheepdog. You’ll find Sybil discussing social networking and other topics on Twitter under her name, @SybilWB.
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Type your question here ENGAGE, RECRUIT, GROW Using Social Media to Grow Your Online Community
Sybil Walker Barnes, CAE ASHP Social Media Strategist Undoubtedly, most organizations should have a social media presence.
You want to do it. You need to do it. ?
Ready? Organizations should focus more on how to BE social, and less on how to DO social media. Step 2: Defined Our Metrics
7 Steps to a Rock-Solid Social Media Strategy 1 Listen and Compare
Your members (and competitors) will give you a good guide to where and how you should be active in social media, if you broaden your social listening beyond your brand name. Questions to Ask Yourself:
• How will we be unique while sticking to types of highly shared content in our niche?
• What opportunities have our competitors overlooked?
• What kind of content do influencers in our niche create and share with their networks? 2 Analyze Your Audience
What are the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your current or prospective audience? Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Who are we trying to reach on social media? And why?
• Why will they follow us?
• What are their expectations of us?
3 Choose Your Goals
The best social media strategies are those that focus (at least initially) on a more narrow rationale for social. Questions to Ask Yourself:
What are our main goals for social media?
• How are we going to determine if social media is making a difference in our organization? 4 Determine Your “One Thing”
It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you offer, your newsletter, meetings and other events aren’t enough to create a passion-worthy stir. Questions to Ask Yourself:
• What is our passion?
• How do we convey our passion in a way that sets us apart?
• How do we keep our messaging consistent around our passion? 5 Figure Out How To Be Human
Your organization has to (at least to some degree) act like a person, not an entity. Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Who will post our content?
• How will we achieve a consistent online voice?
• Who will we establish beneficial relationships online with?
• How does our target audience affect our tone online? Caveat: Dealing with Negative Comments 6 Select Your Success Metrics
What key measures will you use to evaluate your social media strategy effectiveness? Questions to Ask Yourself:
• What will success look like for us?
• How will we measure our social media performance?
• Which metrics will matter the most?
• Are we willing to pay for analytical tools? 7 Create a Channel Plan
Only after you know why you’re active in social, and how you’ll measure strategy success, should you turn your attention to the “how” of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and the rest. Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Do the networks we’ve selected have the audience we’re trying to reach?
• Do we have enough content to support the networks we choose?
• How will our approach vary on different networks? While “If you build it, they will come” is a great line from a movie, it doesn’t convey in social media. 7 Tips to Rock Your Social Media Strategy Set the Tone with New Member Integration
Let the idea of community culture permeate your communications. • Encourage all members, including newbies and lurkers, to start conversations and participate in existing discussions.
• Ensure your organization’s profiles are up to date.
Focus on exposing new members to your community culture as quickly as possible. Give Fans What They Want What do your fans/members find interesting? • Post relevant information outside of your own organization’s content.
• When constructing your brand image and voice on social media, follow the Rule of Thirds to make sure you’re covering your bases and remaining dynamic: – 1/3 of your social sharing should be about your organization – 1/3 should be about industry topics and trends – 1/3 should be about you or other interesting and funny news or events
Avoid high number of followers / low engagement rates
Create Engaging Content
If content is king, engagement is queen. • Videos — how-to, behind-the-scenes
• Guides — add value
• Images — most engaging
• Infographics — some of the most socially shared content
Get ahead of the game by planning some of your content in advance, using a social media editorial calendar. Share
Sharing is what social networking is all about. • Sharing creates a spirit of community.
• It’s okay to share the same content on all your social media platforms, but the way you present it should differ.
• Showcase members’ viral content to shape the direction of your future content creation.
Share content from trusted sources. Provide the Right Tools The right tools allow you to stay in touch while effectively managing your content in a scalable way. • Free vs. paid?
Free: Paid: • Facebook Insights • Sprout Social • Twitter Analytics • Hootsuite • Google Analytics • Simply Measured • Hootsuite • Hashtracking • Buffer • Canva for Business • Flipboard • Post Planner • Tweetdeck • Social Bro • Tweet Reach • Schedugram • Paper.li • Sysomos • Social Mention • Radian6 • Canva
Find the right combination of social media management tools to help you manage your strategy and achieve your goals. If You Want to Make Friends, Be Friendly
Interact with your followers • Reply to your followers in a timely manner.
• Retweet them when it’s relevant to your brand and add your own comment in the retweet.
• Use humor. Share funny photos, funny news items, and funny internal photos. People like to know that you are human, engaging, witty, and helpful.
• Find hashtags around your brand and use them.
Follow those who contribute to your knowledge base and are helpful and insightful. Pay Attention to the Numbers Find the stats that matter to you and measure them consistently. • Your most popular content and discussion topics
• Who links to you from other blogs and websites
• Days and months that yield the highest and lowest traffic
• Search terms (potential) members are using to land on your pages
Your social media analytics can help you measure the success of your efforts. Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day Thank You!
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