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James Madison University Blog

Professionalism on Social Media

Morgan Lewis


As one fifth of the communications team and main manager of our social media page, I know the real importance of maintaining a strong social media presence. As we know for nonprofit organizations, social media can promote the organization, bringing valuable revenue and volunteers to the group. Social media is an innovative way to reach younger people and encourage them to engage in community service. However, being strong on social media does come with many challenges. Running a professional social media is unlike your personal social media presence. As social media grows, so should your organization’s social media presence.

Below I have included some tips that I have learned:


1. Be social!


I know that this seems silly considering that it is social media. However, many social media managers forget to be social on their pages. This means liking posts that you enjoy, commenting on likeminded accounts, and following pages that your business would be interested in. Getting into the habit of being engaged allows for your followers to see your enthusiasm but also your presence. People want to be apart of a mission that is energized and always evolving. People want to donate to missions that are actively doing things.


2. Be sure that grammar is your priority!


For me, the most important thing about being professional is having precise grammar. This rule still applies for social media. Be brief with your posts and captions; however, try to stay away from using slang or euphemisms. The goal here is to make sure that your entire audience can understand your message.


3. Utilize every avenue!


When using social media, be sure that you use every platform available on that social media app. For example, Instagram utilizes the standard feed that included a photo and caption, but they also have recently included Instagram stories, highlights, and now Instagram TV. This may be challenging at first, but just like the first tip, we want to be engaged with our followers as much as possible. Even on one app, you will be surprised how many people do not view their feeds but solely view stories or Instagram TV. We want to be seen no matter the location.


4. Utilize hash tags!


This is an easy one. I think that everyone at this point is familiar with using hash tags. However, do not flood your posts with hundreds of hash tags. Keep your hash tags to about a ten maximum. Also, try to be unique in including hash tags. Your hash tags should be unique to your organization and should be consistently used with each post.


5. Stick with it!


No matter what, stick with it. Your followers may not be large in numbers but your optimism must be enormous. Being apart of a non-profit means that your hard work will be met with little to no return sometimes. Maintain your hard work and post a couple times a week. Your resilience will not go unnoticed in the long run!


I hope that these easy steps will help you along your way to managing a successful social media presence.

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