Using Social Media to Build Community

We know that social media can be an asset within the community association space. In a prior blog “Social Media within Your Community/a> we discussed the value it can provide many homeowners. Now we that we know we should utilize social media, we need to break down how to get these accounts established.

What is your goal?

To begin you’ll need to set some standards, prior to creating and sharing content. You should establish the goal of taking your community online. Some of your goals might be building a sense of community, or keeping homeowners informed. No matter what you’re wanting to accomplish its important to lay out your goal and set expectations for yourself at the beginning.

What is your channel?

The next thing you’ll want to research is what channel you’ll be producing content with. You might ask “what platform is most popular with our homeowners These platforms include;

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Etc.

Engage with homeowners!

You don’t want to be talking to yourself, right? That’s why it’s important to have an audience of homeowners. You can start building by including links to your social media on your website and other communications, and by promoting your social media presence at all events. But there’s even more you can do:

 
• Photo albums: Give participants the chance to upload and view photos from events.
• Photo updates: This is a great way to mark the progress of a big community project.
• Cross-promotion: Feature resident posts in your other communications, like your community newsletters.
• Contests: They’re both fun and functional! Photo-captioning contests and other contests bring people together and invite engagement.
• Star-making: If you have residents who are celebrating achievements or milestones, share it on social media.

 

• Clubs: Your social channels are great tools for bringing together residents with common interests.

Following these tips can make social media a powerful tool in your community. Always remember to exercise caution and double check before posting to avoid pitfalls. Remind yourself that somethings aren’t meant to be posted online, board information should never be published online.