When Wisconsin started a major Midwestern controversy by portraying itself as the Mitten State (see coverage of their “Mitten Envy” here), a colleague joked that we should market Michigan as The Great Cheese State. Sensing an opportunity to gain some exposure, I had our graphic designer whip up an image for our social media outlets.

The Facebook post was shared more than 70 times, and the organization gained dozens of new followers. Of course, social media management isn’t just about creating viral posts. But your content strategy should take into account that social is about participating in a dialogue with your audience—not just broadcasting your own priorities. Being nimble can help you leverage a cultural moment to increase engagement and attract new audiences.

BEYOND CHEESE
I’ve helped launch, manage, and execute content strategies for dozens of social media accounts, often as part of a team that’s collaborating across organizations and geographies. Here are some of my specialties:

• • Infrastructure: To manage social media effectively, and especially to collaborate with others, I use a set of tools that includes all the usual suspects: Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Storify, and more. In addition, I build capacity by training staff, integrating social into operations, and elevating consistent storytelling within an organization.
  • Content Strategy: Too often, nonprofits lack dedicated resources for social media and as an alternative approach it haphazardly. I help organizations define their audiences, voice, and messaging, and use that to create a content strategy that’s executable and effective.
  • Evaluation: Is your social media driving traffic, engagement, and action? Are your activities worth the time they take? My social media strategies include metrics and benchmarks to measure ROI and guide future tactics.
  • Events: Livetweeting events can provide transparency and detail for a public proceeding, build momentum through retweetable sound bites, and help attract new followers. I livetweet events with a speed and agility that has been called “insane”. Whatever the specific goal, I’m there with my devices, cordless chargers, and two speedy thumbs to bring the event to life on social media. Here’s some feedback from a national reporter after I livetweeted a General Assembly meeting of the Southeast Michigan Regional Council of Governments: