Beyond the logo: Take a strategic approach to branding your school district
JASY Social Media Action Plan-3
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Social Media Action Plan
Prepared for JASY Camp
This social media action plan has been prepared for JASY Camp as part of the course
requirements in English 361.
Spring
15
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April 29, 2015
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Mr. David McEneany
104 West Beach Drive
Hilton, NY 14468
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Dear Mr. McEneany,
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Within this report you will find the necessary resources to strengthen the JASY Camp
brand and message through social media. Namely, a full content calendar for the month
of May, content suggestions to draw inspiration, competitor analysis, a compiled list for
best use, practices for additional platforms outside of Facebook, as well as a social media
policy for future curators of JASY Camp’s social media.
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As a team, we have dedicated much time to this project. Meeting with you several times
along the way ensured our understanding of the JASY Camp organization.
Frequent communication made it possible to address problems and confusion in a timely
manner and furthered the working knowledge of each party’s reasoning and responsibili-
ties. We feel our best efforts are put forth in this document and the
ensuing information will help re-launch the JASY Camp brand stronger than ever.
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We extend our warmest wishes to you, David, and to all of JASY Camp. Thank you for
allowing us to be part of your amazing work.
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Sincerely,
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Jackie Lombard Jeff Mangiafesto
Katelyn Kingsbury Jesse Donaldson
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3690 East Avenue
Rochester NY 14618
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Enclosure: Action Plan
3. Table of Contents
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Executive Summary 1.......................................................................
Introduction 3...............................................................................
Content Calendar 4.........................................................................
May 2015 Calendar 5.........................................................................................................................
Rhetorical Features and Content Guidelines 9.......................................
Camper/Volunteer Profiles 9...........................................................................................................
Interactive 9....................................................................................................................................
Jamaican Life 10.............................................................................................................................
Sponsor Shout-Outs 10....................................................................................................................
Monday Memories 10......................................................................................................................
Reasons to Get Involved & Call for Fundraising 11.......................................................................
Conclusion 14................................................................................
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Executive Summary
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Overview
The sections that follow are a general outline of work created with the intention of im-
proving the JASY Camp brand through social media. The purpose of the following is to
provide basic concepts and structures to the social media plan; details are
located within full report.
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Introduction
The primary goals of this social media plan are to extend the reach, brand
recognition, and brand message through use of social media, specifically JASY Camp’s
Facebook page. We have set what we believe to be a realistic goal of
increasing followers by 5% within one month of enacting our recommendations.
Additionally, an increase in engagement (likes, comments and shares) and interaction of
JASY Camp’s online social posts with their followers is expected. The main constraints
of the plan are twofold: that one person alone will not be developing content and limited
time and resources are available to devote to maintaining strong social media presence.
At this time, it is our team’s understanding that JASY Camp has no dedicated Social Me-
dia Director. Each year, a new volunteer(s) will be nominated to handle the social media
accounts, making it imperative to have a clear cut understanding of brand, voice, audi-
ence and message. Failure to do so will result in a confused and muddled brand image
which audiences will tune out. Similarly, the plan must be carried out as closely as possi-
ble to make the best use of the
limited time and resources of JASY Camp volunteers.
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Content Calendar
For the month of May, we have created a full schedule of what content to post and when
to post each portion on the JASY Camp’s Facebook page. On the content
calendar, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are clearly marked in black text as the recom-
mended posting days; the calendar states what content specifically is to be posted. There
are a few special occasions and holidays the audience will likely enjoy engaging in; spe-
cial occasions and holidays are in green text on the calendar. For every day marked on the
May calendar, either in green or black, we have created posts for you already. We hope
this will start to feel natural and more manageable as the month progresses. The posts that
we have created for you will also come with an outline of where to find additional inspi-
ration, images, and content.
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Rhetorical Features and Analysis
As stated above, the recommended days for posting throughout the month of May are
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and select holidays or events that may resonate with the
JASY Camp audience. Our team has developed several “content buckets” from which to
draw inspiration when cultivating your own ideas and posts in the
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future. For the month of May, content will follow a precise schedule. Monday’s
content will be reserved for “Monday Memories” which will engage JASY Camp Alum-
ni. Wednesdays are for interactive posts, including inspirational quotes, posing questions
to audiences, or talking about trending topics/current events that are
relatable to JASY Camp in some form. Fridays will be a mixed bag; the posts are
outlined as follows: Jamaican Lifestyle, Camper Profile, Sponsor Shout Out and
Volunteer Profile. Additionally, one weekend a month we have proposed a hard sell tech-
nique for “Reasons to Get Involved”, asking the audience to donate their time or funds to
the organization. The specific holidays/special events we have
incorporated in the calendar are: National Teachers Day, Graduation Day for St. John
Fisher College students, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.
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Recommendations
For the social media plan to take effect, consistency is key. Moving forward with this
plan, the way it is presented, will build a cohesive message of JASY Camp’s brand. With
each new volunteer that steps in to continue the brand promotion, the chance of a break in
brand identity grows. We recommend that the individual(s) coming on board spend time
getting to know and understand the JASY Camp voice and follow this plan’s strategic
outline and content suggestions.
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Conclusion
Taking into consideration the unique challenges that JASY Camp faces, the
recommendations in the following documents are essential to success. Our team feels that
we have created a unique and manageable social media plan that makes the most of the
time that can be devoted to the online branding. Additional
supporting information will help to keep the brand image and message clear as
different individuals may be speaking on JASY Camp’s behalf and across different plat-
forms as JASY Camp expands on to new platforms.
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Introduction
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The focus on JASY’s social media plan is to be easily implemented with as little
resource expenditure as possible to carry out for longevity after our departure. We ob-
tained a good understanding of the brand by studying both the JASY organization as well
as similar organization’s in the field. Our purpose is to develop a strong, identifiable, and
consistent brand for the organization. Included is a one-month plan which exemplifies the
target brand’s ideal social media. Following that example,
using the outline of brand identity advice will provide consistency of JASY’s message
within social media. The intent of this plan is to further the growth of JASY’s social
community in order for the organization to spread their message, grow their
reputation, and continue it’s outreach and effect on Kingston, Jamaica.
These objectives are only possible with the continued maintenance of the plan within the
organization. Coming from people who know JASY the best will always be ideal, while
using this brand voice to relay that information in the most appropriate way. The direction
of the message and mission is as important to the community of followers as it is to the
organization. Thus, it is important to have a social media
outlet, which maintains both confidence with JASY’s message as well as calling for con-
tinued activity and interaction with the organization.
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Content Calendar
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The content calendar is displayed in two different ways for the month of May. The first
image is the physical content calendar that shows what type of post is to be put on Face-
book for each week. The following themes are available to choose from for the month of
May: Monday Memories, National Teacher’s Day, Interactive, Jamaican Lifestyle, SJFC
Graduation, Mother’s Day, Camper Profile, Volunteer Profile, Memorial Day, Sponsor
Shout Out, and Reasons to Get Involved. The second section includes a detailed table
that lays out the type of post, the date it is to be posted, and the exact post to be put on
social media.
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THEME DATE POST
Monday
Memories
May 4, 2015
National
Teacher’s Day
May 5, 2015
Interactive May 6, 2015
Jamaican
Lifestyle
May 8, 2015
SJFC Graduation May 9, 2015
Mother’s Day May 10, 2015
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Monday
Memories
May 11, 2015
Interactive May 13, 2015
Camper Profile May 15, 2015
Monday
Memories
May 18, 2015
Interactive May 20, 2015
Sponsor Shout
Out
May 22, 2015
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Rhetorical Features and Content Guidelines
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As shown in the content calendar, most posting on social media will take place on Mon-
days, Wednesdays and Fridays, and select holidays throughout the month of May. There
is a precise schedule of posting setup for the month of May specifically that should facili-
tate maximum engagement. When making posts on social media, there are some very
important guidelines to keep in mind.
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General Rules/Guidelines for Posting
• When posting on social media, it is important to maintain a consistent tone. You don’t
want each post to sound like it was written by a different person, even if they all are.
Make sure to also keep your tone professional throughout all posting.
• Use of hashtags can be helpful, however, do not overuse them. Use one or two per post
when you include them and remember to write them as a single word.
• Be sure to keep most posts brief. Audiences will not want to read a big block of text.
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Camper/Volunteer Profiles
• Frequency: Twice a month, once for a camper, once for a volunteer
• Informative post on a “Camper/Volunteer of the Month”
• Displays their responses to a survey about themselves. This includes the following:
• Name
• Age
• School/Year
• Favorite Part of Camp
• Fun Fact
• Quote from Nominee
• Tone: Quoting directly from the campers/volunteers
• Include picture of the camper, or volunteer with campers
• Use one of these hashtags: #CamperOfTheMonth or #VolunteerOfTheMonth
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Interactive
• Frequency: Three to four posts a month, once a week
• Share a culturally relevant trend for JASY and provide a brief comment on it
relating to JASY. This could include pop culture events or current/world events. Top-
ics like these can be seen in Facebook’s Trending bar at the top right of your News
Feed. If you use a topic from the trending bar, include any hashtags that are used with
the post.
• Can also be a quote that relates to anything that will make people feel good, like kind-
ness, generosity, and inspiration. You can look for these on brainyquote.com, on Pin-
terest, or by doing a Google image search.
• Tone: Tone must be positive and uplifting
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• If the quote is already accompanied by an image, include that image in the post. If the
quote doesn’t have an image, find one to use with it. You can search the JASY albums,
or do a Google search.
• For culturally relevant posts, use any hashtags that are related to the topic. For quotes,
use hashtags like #ActsOfKindness or #Inspirational or any hashtags you search to find
the quotes.
• Try to keep these to a few sentences.
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Jamaican Life
• Frequency: One per month.
• Informative posts on the typical lives of the campers. These would emphasize the
necessity of JASY, stressing that without it, the lives of underprivileged children in
Jamaica would be much worse.
• Can focus on volunteers or donors. It can also discuss that donations or volunteers are
needed badly, however, make sure this is indirectly mentioned in most posts.
• Tone: The tone of these posts should not be happy, as you are describing the difficult
lives of the children. Try to sound sad, but optimistic where appropriate.
• Can include pictures or charts to help get points across.
• Use the hashtags #Volunteerism and #JASY in the posts.
• Try to keep these posts around 1-2 sentences long for the most part, and don’t go over
three sentences.
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Sponsor Shout-Outs
• Frequency: one per month.
• This is a general “thank you” to a sponsor that is supporting JASY.
• Depending on the sponsor, you could describe what they have done to help JASY.
• It is also helpful to tag the sponsor in your post and include a link to their website if
they have one.
• Tone: Appreciative, happy, and energized.
• Images are encouraged for these posts; you can include the organization’s logo, or a
picture of one or more employees.
• Make sure to use any hashtags that are applicable to the organization you are thanking
• Keep these around 2-3 sentences.
Monday Memories
• Frequency: Every Monday, except those that a holiday falls on.
• Post a picture of campers and volunteers from a previous year as a way to get alumni to
participate with the page. This will also build credit with current or potential
volunteers and donors.
• Tone: Happy, nostalgic.
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• Should be a group photo of past campers/volunteers. Make sure to tag as many people
as possible in the picture. Try to get them all.
• Use the hashtag #MondayMemories.
• Keep these to around 2-3 sentences.
Reasons to Get Involved & Call for Fundraising
• Frequency: Once or twice a month.
• These posts are considered your “hard sale.” They always have a call to action. You
must make it clear what you want the viewers to do. You can be direct here.
• Tone: Assertive, but not aggressive
• Use images that will resonate with the audience, like donation/volunteer memes
• Can use the hashtag #donate
• These can be a few sentences long, just make sure to say everything you need to say
and get your point across
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Social Media Policy
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Note: The following policy is a very simple and standard social media policy. There are
many options online to create a more substantial policy specifically for JASY Camp. A
social media policy should be reviewed once every six months to a year as changes in
online engagement happen rapidly. It’s important to make sure your policy is
continuously updated to reflect the growing number of social media platforms,
challenges and threats. Here are some additional resources for creating social media
policies:
http://mashable.com/2009/06/02/social-media-policy-musts/
http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/samples/policies/pages/socialmediapolicy.aspx
http://socialmedia.biz/social-media-policies/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2013/02/07/to-do-update-companys-social-
media-policy-asap/
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These guidelines apply to employees, volunteers or contractors who create or
contribute to JASY Camp’s social networks, virtual worlds, or any other kind of
social media. The list includes but is not limited to: Facebook pages/groups,
Instagram, Twitter, Yelp, Tumblr, Google+, Wikipedia, Pinterest, YouTube,
Foursquare, LinkedIn, Wordpress, Vimeo, or comments on online media stories.
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Note: This policy does not apply to an individual’s personal use of social media
platforms outside of JASY Camp where the employee makes no reference to JASY Camp
related topics.
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Social Media Specific Policy for Employees, Volunteers or Contractors
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Take time to understand and follow these simple but important guidelines. Our overall
goal is simple: to enable employees, volunteers and contractors to
participate online in a respectful, relevant way that protects our reputation and
follows the letter and spirit of the law.
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1. Internet/Intranet Usage
a. Acceptable Use - Internet access is to be used primarily for business purposes. Any
personal social media use must not interfere with normal business activities, must not in-
volve solicitations, must not be associated with any for-profit outside business activity,
and must not potentially embarrass the organization, damage the company’s reputation or
tarnish its image.
b. Blocked Content - JASY Camp, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to block
access to any internet site.
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2. Never represent yourself or the organization in a false or misleading way. All state-
ments must be true and not misleading; all claims must be substantiated.
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3. Post meaningful, respectful comments - in other words, please no spam or
remarks that are off-topic or offensive.
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4. Stick to the social media calendar and its content suggestions.
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Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and the organization’s confidential in-
formation. What you publish is widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so
consider the content carefully, Google has a long memory.
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JASY Camp’s Employees, Volunteers or Contractors Must NOT
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1. Comment on any topic related to legal matters, litigation or any parties the
company may be in litigation with.
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2. Participate in Social Media when the topic being discussed may be considered a crisis
situation. Even anonymous comments may be traced back to your or the
organization’s IP address. Refer all social media activity around crisis topics to the com-
munications department.
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3. Create company specific social media profiles on their own. Doing so dilutes the fol-
lower-base and creates situations where the profiles are individually-owned
instead of organizationally-owned.
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Consequences of Violating JASY Camp’s Social Media Policy
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Please know that employee, volunteer and contractor’s engagement in social media will
be monitored. In the event of a social media policy violation:
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1. The organization will report unlawful activity to the authorities.
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2. Inappropriate activity that is in conflict with this document’s guidelines may
result in termination for just cause.
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Please confirm that you have read and understand the guidelines.
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________________________________________________________________________
Employee/Volunteer Name Employee/ Volunteer Signature Date
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Conclusion
As JASY Camp moves forward implementing this social media action plan, a stronger,
more recognizable brand will develop. After one month of use, following the guidelines
set forth, we expect to see a reasonable increase in followers by 5% of the current follow-
ers’ base. At the current time the JASY Camp Facebook page has 303 likes. The projected
growth of page likes is about 15-16 within the first month. The first few weeks of posting
are critical in creating an identity the current
audience can relate to and re-familiarize themselves with the brand. Posting
strategically will help audiences want to “tune in” for more information. After three
months the brand will be significantly stronger, accumulating an additional 5% of the
consecutively growing number of followers. By the end of the third month, we anticipate
growth of nearly 50 new followers; a 15% increase from the original 303 followers. At
six months, continuing the projected growth of 5% increase, we expect to see a substan-
tial jump in numbers, by nearly 33%, putting the total followers at around 404. By this
time, followers will become highly familiar with what type of content to be expecting,
they’ll begin to anticipate posts that are regularly scheduled and look forward to getting
involved. In one year’s time, growth will continue on the upswing with an estimated 78%
growth in followers, totaling around 539 (236 new) followers. These projected numbers
are based on a 5% increase of the previous month’s followers. These numbers are strictly
an estimation based upon current
followers, and the suggestions of the action plan. It does not take into consideration the
advantages of paying for sponsored Facebook advertisement. Though they
certainly do have a wide reach and can be specifically targeted to desired
demographics, we have based our projections on realistic growth, as sponsored
advertisements have been used only periodically.
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We recommend expanding JASY Camp to other social media platforms after about six to
ten months. Our team highly recommends Instagram to be that next platform. Instagram
fits well with what JASY Camp does and will not add too much additional time to the
social media routine, but it will require some pre-planning. Having pictures on hand with
names of individuals in the picture, or information regarding context of the post will be
key. Posting one or two times a week is sufficient on
Instagram, but it must be done with appropriate hashtags, which should be the same or
very similar to those used on Facebook. Posts on Instagram need to be visually appealing,
mostly (if not completely) self-explanatory (a brief description the length of a sentence or
two is acceptable), and should feature different content and images than what is shared on
Facebook. This will give the audience a reason to follow on both platforms. If they see
the same content on both platforms, then there is no
reason to become involved with both.
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With the growth of Facebook followers and expansion to a new platform, it may
become time consuming responding to comments or posts that require additional interac-
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tion. It may become necessary to take on an intern or a volunteer with a solid understand-
ing of both platforms to manage the accounts; at the very least take a few extra minutes to
compose responses to such comments before continuing on with the regular posting
schedule. Appointing JASY Camp volunteers may certainly have benefits, as the younger
generations are often up on social media trends, and have a well-rounded working knowl-
edge of new features of the platforms. This would also add to the amount of time that can
be dedicated to developing posts based upon the guidelines in the content calendar sec-
tion.
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Our team fully believes in the action plan presented and recommendations that have been
outlined. These suggestions will help JASY Camp to promote their message and continue
to grow in followers and awareness. This plan is designed to be a
continuous reference tool for anyone who may become involved in JASY Camp’s
social media accounts for years to come.
