Part Three: Spread the Word

It’s the final countdown! This is the last in our three-part series about social media. In part one, we talked about getting started and good content creation. In part two, you received tips on content management. To finish up, we’ll go over spreading your messages beyond your own networks. You’ll also get a look at upcoming IUAA social media campaigns.

Promote Your Accounts

So you’ve got a great Facebook Group and Twitter account. Let people know about it! Easy ways to do this:

• Add a social media bar to your Constant Contact emails.
• Make an announcement at your group events.
• Include links to your pages on materials and screens at your group events.
• Run a small contest open only to Facebook Group members and/or Twitter followers. For example, ask Facebook Group members to submit a photo from their days at IU. Promote the contest at events and via email, making sure to note that the winner must be a member of the Group. Randomly pick a winner and award a small prize (IU T-shirt, gift card, etc.).

Sharing Your Pics

The IUAA would love to see what your alumni are doing. We especially like to share fun photos (especially game watches!) and news with a wide appeal to the all IU alumni. Please share your best content on the IUAA Facebook page, or tag @IUAA on Twitter. You could see it on our social feeds, website, and beyond!

Because the accounts include alumni from all over the world, the IUAA doesn’t usually share information about upcoming chapter/group events.

Upcoming IUAA Campaigns

Volunteer alumni leaders should be in the know. We want to let you in on a few of our social media initiatives, and ask for your help in promoting them.

• #GivingTuesday. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, IU will participate in #GivingTuesday, a national campaign to make the Tuesday after Thanksgiving the philanthropic equivalent of Black Friday or Cyber Monday. For IU, it’s an opportunity to use social media to rally donors and alumni.
• #IUBB. Our alumni are highly engaged during basketball season, and we love to be a part of the fun! Please share our “Show Your Stripes” social graphics ahead of high-interest games and holidays. We’ve already released a new batch of striped Facebook covers, so have at ’em!
• GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign. In September, the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association launched the nation’s first-ever scholarship campaign devoted to assisting GLBT students and promoting leadership on GLBT concerns.

Ideas?

That concludes our Become a Social Media Superstar series. We couldn’t cover all aspects of social media, of course, but we hope this provided some valuable information you can use on your social channels. If you have more specific questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments or contact us at the IUAA.

Thanks, and GO IU!