Social media engagement strategies and best practices vary from industry to industry.
Social media engagement strategies and best practices vary from industry to industry. What and how your favorite fast-food chain posts on Twitter will, and should, look vastly different from your local government’s parks department. In the COVID-19 climate, we’ve relied on local, state and federal government to share information with us whether that’s through traditional media, pandemic-specific landing pages or social media.
But how do you share messages of social distancing and public safety while creating meaningful engagement at the same time? By merging strategic messaging, effective communication and user-friendly content.
In times like these, the public turns to local leaders for guidance and answers to their concerns. According to a study from Television Broadcasts Limited, Americans across rural, suburban and urban communities in 110 states ranked social media as the fourth best source for information and updates on COVID-19. Government entities, and those managing their profiles, are tasked with not only providing information that the public needs, but also creating meaningful engagement at the same time. This type of engagement often relies on social media interactions and can even be the main component of the outreach.
The key is to merge the interactive side of social media with the informative, strategic side. Using hashtags, asking for user participation and creating online dialogues are tactics can create meaningful engagements. These interactions create a relationship between the end-user and the brand no matter the industry. Hootsuite reiterates how social media is crucial for citizen engagement and building the public’s trust. It also suggests more tips on how government entities can successfully use different platforms.
Each opportunity of engagement requires a specific set of messaging. With character restrictions and unique platform features, it’s on us as those responsible for acting as the bridge between the public and our respective organizations to provide effective messaging and a consistent flow of information. Striking a balance between the two is necessary for every brand. Regardless of whether it’s a government entity or a fast-food chain, meaningful engagement should always be at the forefront.
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