Making Your Project/Center Social Media Ready
The meteoric rise of social media presents a double-edged sword
for ATE
projects and centers attempting to keep up. In today's technology
climate, there are more options than ever to make a brand more
interactive and present to audiences that have never been accessed
before. However, with a plethora of sites, networks, and platforms
to select from, it can become challenging to maintain relevancy in
an arena that switches trends in what seems like mere
milliseconds.
Ask yourself before you proceed: Who is most interested in the
work you do? How have you already publicized the work of your
project or center through other avenues? How does social media fit
into your project or center's Outreach Plan? With a few simple
steps, a project/center can enter the realm of social media and
become adaptable to the changes when they come.
The two most popular social networks at the moment are
Facebook and
Twitter. In this day and
age, it is easy to maintain a page on both of these sites. This
allows you to take advantage of the different functions the sites
provide (hashtags, analytics, pages, etc.) while reaching a
broader audience through platforms they already use.
Here are a few rules to remember when using these platforms or any
other mediums of social media:
Rule 1: Quality First
Quality is the first priority. Always make sure you are posting
informative and interesting material that is relevant to the goals
of your project/center. Have enough variance to appeal to the
youngest and oldest members of your audience base, and do not be
afraid to mix a little entertainment (like fun facts or quizzes)
in with your information.
Rule 2: Quantity Second
Quantity is the second priority. Updating on a daily or weekly
basis should be enough to satisfy your audience base. However,
this comes with a caveat: neither flood information nor share too
little of it. Either can cause interested parties to unsubscribe:
too much information can overwhelm readers, while too little can
make your project or center appear inactive.
Rule 3: Say Hi
Social networks are designed to make your project/center open and
available to the public, so welcome followers with an open mind
and a helpful mentality. Respond to wall posts and tweets, and
follow your supporters back! Keep the dialogue and discussion open
and flowing about updates, comments, and concerns. Also, be
cautious when dealing with these networks. It is easy to encounter
spamming as well as harmful or otherwise irrelevant content. Learn
to filter out the important from the unnecessary, and pick your
responses wisely when communicating.
Rule 4: Be a Page Professional
Your pages reflect your project or center. Thus, the profiles
maintained by your project or center should provide a breadth of
information on what you do as well as information that your
audience may be intrigued by.
Taking advantage of these social utilities can provide new
opportunities for your project or center to flourish. With a few
minutes a day and some focused attention, your project or center
can become more accessible and visible to the scientific community
at large.
