This document provides guidance on using social media effectively as an activist. It encourages activists to educate, entertain and engage their audience on social media. It then provides tips for optimizing Facebook profiles, including keeping it professional, being opinionated but not inflammatory, and updating regularly. Similar guidance is provided for posting on Facebook, including being consistent, clear on the message and intended audience. Instructions are given to update photos and engage with others rather than argue. Twitter profile optimization and effective tweeting are also covered, emphasizing clarity, purpose and being a good online citizen. Readers are prompted to participate in suggested social media activities to share posts and articles on Facebook and Twitter.

1. How to make your
media social
Activist edition
Colleen Flaherty
Annie Wells

2. As an activist, what is the
point of social media?
Educate
Entertain
Engage

3. Know your source

5. Optimize your Facebook
profile
 Even if it’s personal, keep it professional
 Be opinionated, but don’t be inflammatory
 Update regularly, but not too regularly

6. Update!
 Go to this link - bit.ly/mem-photos
 Find your photo!
 Click on your photo, click the three white dots and
download your photo to your Desktop.
 Use that photo for your profile picture (if you’d like).

7. When posting
 Things to keep in mind:
 Be consistent, be clear
 What are you trying to say? Who are you trying to reach?
 Context is key
 Personal narrative is always powerful
 Check your work, grammar matters!
 Engage, don’t argue

13. Your turn!

14. Activity #1
 Find a Facebook page to follow, whether it’s your state
affiliate, Education Votes, organization you support, etc.
 Find a post you want to share with your network. Share
that post on the NEA Member Voices 2014 group as
though you were sharing it with friends, families and/or
colleagues.

15. Activity #2
 Go to your favorite online news website, or the website
of an organization you support.
 Find an interesting article or graphic you’d like to share.
 Share on the NEA Member Voices 2014 Facebook
group.

16. Activity #3
 Why are you voting in November? Why should your
Facebook followers? Share your reasons and direct
them to edvotes.org/register

17. Update Twitter profile
 Take a minute to update your profile picture, about me
and banner photo.

18. Talking points into Tweets
 In 140 characters, be deliberate:
 Be clear and professional
 Just like Facebook, have a purpose with every post
 Check your work!
 Be a good Twitter citizen

24. Your turn!

25. Activity #1
 Refer to your list of possible people to follow on Twitter.
 Chose one, follow and find something to Retweet.
 If necessary, reword the Tweet to provide context or to
target your network.
 Use the hashtag #NEAVoices

26. Activity #2
 Go to your favorite online news website, or the website
of an organization you support.
 Find an interesting article or graphic you’d like to share.
 Write a Tweet and share!
 Use the hashtag #NEAVoices

27. Activity #3

29. Using the hashtag #Questions4Campbell, tweet
@StephenAtHome. Sample tweets –
 Why won’t @campbell_brown disclose her funders?
Afraid Americans might not like what they see?
#questions4campbell @StephenAtHome
 The usual anti-teacher funders: Walton. Koch. Wall St.
Silicon Valley. Who’s funding @campbell_brown?
#questions4campbell @StephenAtHome
 One of your “student plaintiffs” has a parent who’s paid
by StudentsFirstNY. Conflict of interest?
#questions4campbell for @StephenAtHome
 You’re against due process for teachers. Who else
shouldn’t have rights, @campbell_brown?
#questions4campbell on @StephenAtHome

30. Questions?