Everything You Need to Know About Social Media Strategy, You Learned on the Playground

Are your organization's social media posts not having the effect you wanted? Engagement flat or--worse--losing ground? Think back to the grade-school playground, which offers all the lessons you need to get your social media strategy on track.

What's Your Name?

Watch little kids meet for the first time. "I'm Tommy. What's your name? How old are you? Do you like chocolate?" They gather all the basic information they need in the first minute to see if yours is a friendship worth pursuing. That happens on social media too, as visitors read your company's profile. Don't assume everybody knows who you are just by your presence; fill out your profile on every platform with meaningful information. What's your name (I know, but...)? What's your mission? Where's your website? Why should they follow you? What does your profile image say? You might be surprised how many organizations get this wrong.

Nobody Likes a Show-off.

When you were in grade school, did you voluntarily hang out with the kid who was always spouting off about how great or smart he was, how rich his family was, or all the amazing stuff he had and did? If your social posts serve as an online billboard, your company is that kid. Balance your own news and announcements with other kinds of posts; include general news relevant to your audience (it's easy to set up daily Google news alerts for this), shared posts from your customers or organizations you're allied with (or would like to team up beside), content you find interesting, and every so often, something funny or light, just for fun. For every 10 posts, try making six something other than your own marketing. The more value you offer, the more valuable your feed becomes and the more people want to read it. (P.S.: This is doubly or triply true for direct messages. Responding to a new follow or connection with an immediate sales message or constantly sending out marketing notes via DM is among the fastest ways to lose followers--it's the online equivalent to incessantly poking another kid with a stick. Just don't.)

Stories with Pictures are Better.

Storytime was always better when the teacher picked an illustrated book and showed the pictures as she read. Social media is the same way: Posts with photos or art catch our eye and get more clicks and more engagement than those without. Don't have a huge graphics library? There are plenty of free stock photo and art sites online--just check the rules of use and rights for each piece before you post.

Speak When You're Spoken To.

Did you ever talk to another kid at recess only to have him or her wordlessly stare back at you? Creepy, right? Your followers might not think you're creepy if they get no response to their comments or posts on your timelines, but it's unnerving and off-putting and the fastest way to earn a reputation as a robot site (it also teaches them really quickly that talking to you on social is a waste of time--you obviously don't care). Engaging with your followers makes you human and is among the best ways to grow your social credibility and your audience. Like or respond to their comments and shares, comment on their direct posts to you, and keep a close eye and a responsive hand on direct messages. The more you talk back, the more they'll want to be friends with you--and that translates to good business.

Don't Engage the Bully.

Every class had a bully--that blowhard kid always pushing everybody else around. Today, we call their grown-up versions "trolls," and they spout off from behind the safety of their keyboards rather than confronting us directly. Just like your mom taught you never to scream back at the bully, don't fire back at trolls; the attention only feeds their fire. Reply respectfully and calmly once. If it goes beyond that, reach out to them directly (posting publicly that you're doing that) or explain that their issue needs your personal attention and give them an email address where they can reach you. Listen, let them know they're heard, offer a solution if you can, but never scream back or puff up in-kind on your social platforms. Everybody stops to watch a dumpster fire but almost nobody wants to hang around there later.

Not Everybody Likes the Same Movies.

You might have loved days when school included a movie but I'm willing to bet not everybody felt the same way. The same is true of your social audience. Video is hot but it's not everybody's thing--and the same is true of memes, articles, games, and public conversations. The best way to consistently engage the most people is to shake it up. If you always post videos, try using written posts sometimes (not always, but sometimes). If your posts are all written, shift in some GIFs or MP4s or graphics with short captions now and again. Everybody won't like everything you do, so offer a little something for everyone. You'll engage more followers when you vary your content.

Show up for Practice.

Kids' sports teams practice on a regular schedule. So do chess clubs, debate squads, and almost all organizations. Practice makes perfect and the more you practice, the more you get to know your teammates and solidify that feeling of belonging to something. Your social followers want to belong but that's hard to do if your posts are sporadic. So post regularly--daily or every other day on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, and several times a day on fast-moving platforms like Twitter. It's tough to get to know you if you don't show up, and your post analytics will help you figure out what works and what doesn't. Practice makes perfect.

Read the Mood

Howling with laughter or yelling a joke when a friend said something sad was likely to land you kicking dirt by yourself on the playground back in the day. The same is true on social media. Your posts should reflect the tone of the day, and this is especially worthy of attention if you schedule posts ahead of time. A national disaster or local tragedy--even a challenge in your organization's immediate community--can make business-as-usual posts feel tone-deaf and off-putting to your audience; a sales pitch on a family-oriented holiday is just weird. Listen to what's around you and react accordingly--up to and including pulling scheduled posts--just like you would with friends.

Social media strategy can seem overwhelming but it's really not. Treat your friends like friends, proactively interact, remember that everyone's interests are different, and keep a level head when things get tough, just like you did on the playground. The results will speak for themselves.

Kim Fernandez is a publications and communications director, editor and writer, social media strategist, and proud member of Team Oxford Comma.