This document provides guidance and best practices for using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest to engage members and build support for the Ohio Education Association (OEA). It discusses using images, videos, infographics and other visual content to maximize engagement on Facebook posts. Other tips include posting on weekends when reach is higher, using calls to action, being informal but maintaining your organizational message, and responding carefully to negative comments. The goal is to increase awareness of OEA's work, build its reputation, and mobilize members to take action.

1. Dinica Quesada, OEA Communications Specialist, quesadad@ohea.org
Jeremy Baiman, OEA Organizer, baimanj@ohea.org

2. http://www.facebook.com/OhioEducationAssociation

3. www.twitter.com/OhioEA

4. www.youtube.com/OhioEdAssoc

5. www.blog.ohea.org

6. www.flickr.oea

7. 2nd
most visited
site in the
country behind
Google
11th
3rd
56th 15th

8. Building Community Support
 Increase awareness of specific OEA initiatives
 Build / Reinforce OEA’s reputation as proactively working to
improve schools and advocating for the right of every child to a
high quality public education
 Build / Reinforce public perception of OEA as the preeminent
source on education policy and issues
 Enhance understanding of the union’s activities and services
Mobilization & Organizing
 Gain volunteers and activists
 Move activists to take action

9. TWITTER
 Connect with like-minded organizations
 Connect with the media
 Provide real-time updates
BLOGS
 Publicize your expertise
 Advance your issues or educate people
 Tell stories about your day-to-day work
 Promote your website

10. YOUTUBE
 Host videos
 Create content for website and Facebook
 Follow others
PINTEREST
 Drive traffic to your website and blog
 Become the go-to-source for information
 Crowd-source for content

11. FACEBOOK
 Increase feedback and discussion
 Drive traffic to your website and blog
 Spread information
 Attract event attendees
 Get people to take action
 Attract donations
 Build a community – increase members’
connection to your association

13. To reach the most
people you have to
play into Facebook’s
newsfeed algorithm,
and you can do that
two ways:
 Post rich content
like photos,
videos, and links.

14.  Get people to
engage with your
content. The
more often people
interact with your
page, the more
often Facebook
will show your
content to them.

15.  Make a graphic out of
information instead of just
typing it in the status
update. Simply overlay the
info in big, bold text over a
relevant image or a plain
colored background.
 Find cartoons about
education
 Take behind-the-scenes
pictures of your members
and events
Try www.pixlr.com or Picasa.
It bears repeating: Post tons of images!

16.  Create memes — you
can do it quickly on
www.quickmeme.com

17.  Publish infographics. Publish a
chart or graph with data your
members would care about

18.  Publicize events and programs
 Share videos
 Share tools & tips
 Use petitions and other easy calls to action.
 Message discipline! Make sure all posts, even the fun ones,
further your association’s overall message.
 Make posts very short. If your info is long/complicated, link to
more information. (Note: Keep your website current — website
and social media go hand in hand)
 Be positive.
 Be informal and use organizing language. Posts with self-
referential words like ―I‖ and ―we‖ tend to get more likes.

19.  Posts published on Saturdays and Sundays get more likes than
those posted during the week.
 Content posted later in the day get more likes and shares —
likes peak around 8PM EST, while shares peak around 6PM EST.
 Deliberate pacing gets more attention.
 Facebook pages versus groups: no data with groups/no privacy
with pages

20. From Education Minnesota, Adapted from U.S. Air Force

21. From Education
Minnesota, Adapted
from U.S. Air Force

22. Strongsville EA

23.  Pictures are worth…
 Establish Solidarity with
other OEA Members
 Show a concrete action

24.  Too Long
 Link Says the Same Thing
as the Post
 Alternative: Link and
Quote Only

25.  Re-enforce Idea that you
are fighting for the
children
 Establish Value of Teachers
to Children
 Non-traditional Strike
Photo

26.  Know Your Audience
 Use Dinica’s Tips for
Responding to Negative
Posts
 Make Sure There Are
Members and Community
Members Who Will Post
Positive Comments

27.  Avoid Temptation to “Do
the Math”
 Facebook is Not the Place
for Reasoned, Well
Articulated Arguments
 Alternative: Use Issues the
Public Cares About, for
Example: Class Sizes

28.  Picture Instead of Text
 Time, Date, and Location
all Clearly Visible
 One Clear Message

30.  How to Get More Likes, Comments and Shares on Facebook:
http://danzarrella.com/infographic-how-to-get-more-likes-comments-and-
shares-on-facebook.html#
 Facebook for Nonprofits: Your Questions Answered [Speakeasy #18]:
http://blogs.constantcontact.com/product-blogs/social-media-
marketing/facebook-nonprofits-podcast/
 VIDEO: 5.5 Best Practices for Unions using Facebook:
http://youtu.be/EQqGjJVV6-A
 Your burning questions (& our answers) on Facebook metrics and
strategy!:
http://labs.mrss.com/your-burning-questions-our-answers-on-facebook-
metrics-and-strategy/
 Social Media Tips on Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/dinicaq/social-media-tips/