Strategic Planning

Purpose

What do you want to accomplish by having a social media presence? Clearly identifying your expectations and related goals for social media from the very beginning is critical. How does this purpose align with the UWF Strategic Plan?

Audiences

Who are you trying to reach? It is critical that you define who you are talking to,so that you can properly select the social media channels/types and content/conversations that you need.

Team

Have you identified who will be primarily responsible for managing social media? Someone should be the designated "owner" for the channels. In addition, support personnel should be selected in case the person responsible is on leave or otherwise not available. Team members should not only be capable on a professional level of engaging with your audience(s), but they should also have the time, enthusiasm and creativity.

Content

What type of content do you want to share and how will this content be generated? This is where understanding your audience will help inform your decisions. Don't underestimate the importance of content. Posting primarily news updates, event information or promotional content is not recommended. It's called social media for a reason.

Engagement & Conversations

How will you engage informally with your audience in authentic conversations in this online environment? Social media is about two-way conversation, people want to be talked with, not talked at. Sometimes "small talk" is more valuable than messaging.

Measuring Success

How will you evaluate the success of your social media efforts? If your goal is to drive traffic to your website or increase attendance at an event, then you need to clearly define that going in so you can show the value of the time and other resources spent on social media.