With all the restrictions on in-person gathering imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations of all kinds—businesses, non-profits, professional associations, schools and colleges—recognize how critical it is to make sure they have a compelling and engaging presence on social media to supplement what would have been in-person networking or fundraising events.
All too often, however, “doing more social media” is a phrase everyone across an organization believes in conceptually, but rarely do enough people step up to own the responsibility personally.
One of the best practices Denterlein has seen as a solution to this challenge is the designation of Social Media Ambassadors inside businesses: Staff members who are recruited, or volunteer, to make sure good intentions around social media get translated into a steady string of tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn posts and videos, Instagram images, and more.
Often Social Media Ambassadors come from the communications or marketing departments, but strong and effective ambassadors can come from any part of your organization if they have the talent and the commitment. If you have people in accounting or operations who have a great flair for social media photography, or a warm and engaging voice for social media posts, by all means, designate them to serve among your ambassadors.
Social Media Ambassadors add a huge benefit to your organization as the point-person for broadcasting your mission, goals, and activities; reinforcing your brand to external audiences; and fostering a positive company culture. Some key considerations when selecting a Social Media Ambassador:
Identify employees who could serve as ambassadors to generate excitement about new benefits or initiatives, upcoming events, and the overall culture. Be sure to train and vet them carefully.
Know what messages you want your ambassadors to deliver, and how, before you send them forth.
Social Media Ambassadors will juggle many different responsibilities and play a huge role in your organization’s overall communications strategy.
Good social media content that consistently reinforces your brand and mission does not happen on its own, especially when you’re not a big enough organization to have a full-time social media manager or staff. When you pick the right team members to serve as your designated Social Media Ambassadors and train them to feel empowered with the responsibility, organizations can take a giant step towards creating a social media presence that showcases your mission and impact, and connects you with new customers, supporters, and partners.
By Anna Grady