Social media tools can help you engage with those interested in tobacco prevention and control and garner new interest in the topic.

A strong social media presence relies on a clear plan of action.

Social Media Plan Components

Coalition/Network Social Media Plan Template

1. Purpose: Describe what you hope to achieve through your social media efforts
2. Audience: Describe who you want to reach with your efforts
3. Post Frequency: Describe how often and during which times of the day you plan to post
4. Relationships: Make a list of pages to follow, including commenting on and sharing posts
5. Goals/Evaluation: How do you plan to measure success? Try to establish specific goals
6. Responsibilities: Define who is responsible for posting, tracking, etc.
7. Comment Policy: Being clear about the comments you will (and won’t) allow
8. Content Plan: Use a content calendar to plot out your content

Download the Coalition/Network Social Media Plan Template for more examples and tips.

Social Media Community Management Tips

Ten best practices to keep in mind.

1. Use highly visual posts. Most social media audiences are drawn to the visual social media platforms.
2. Every editorial calendar should be reviewed by a peer or superior prior to publishing. This second pair of eyes will be helpful in spotting misspelled words and ensuring the right type of post is going on the correct channel. The TPCP Media and Communications Coordinator and Resource Development Coordinator are happy to serve as a second pair of eyes.
3. Keep it short and sweet. Shorter posts are easier to digest, easier to read and easier to pass along.
   1. Twitter: 71-100 characters; no more than 2 hashtags
   2. Facebook: 40 characters
   3. Instagram: Poster’s discretion, but keep the hashtags at 6 or under
4. Post during active hours for your audience.
5. Tailor your post to the social media channel – verbatim language should not be used on every channel.
6. Create posts that encourage conversation, not one-way broadcasting.
7. Sign up for Google Alerts. You can cut your brainstorming time in half if Google is doing the research for you.
8. If you’re creating your editorial calendar two weeks or more in advance, leave a couple of blank slots so you can leave room for current event posts.
9. Reward contributors. Empower your followers to help build your social media channel.
10. Revisit your social strategy once a quarter at minimum. Social media channels evolve over time, so should your approach.