Stuck? Don’t Know What To Post?

I don’t know how many of you have had this issue but I sure have had mental blocks when I am trying to think of something to post for my organization.

I want it to be relevant and interesting but also catchy enough that they will read and come back to my site for more.  So what can I post if I really don’t have anything I can think of to post that day? 

I went searching for ideas and there are many to be found on the web, like this blog on Sagipl.com website called 103 Social Media Post Content Ideas to Increase more Engagement https://bit.ly/3oMLZb0. Stacey McLachlan has a great blog on Hootsuite, 29 Creative Social Media Content Ideas You Should Try https://bit.ly/34zDAkH as well as this blog by Whitney Lemon on Score.org, 40 Ideas for Social Media Content https://bit.ly/3LwR3do. A few of the ideas noted I have used in the past and others I will definitely use as I think they will engage people.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Here are a few of the ideas I found particularly interesting and will be helpful when in need of content:

• AMA – Ask Me Anything – This format will open up the door for two way dialogue and provides the opportunity to educate the public on your mission and organization.  There are also risks involved as you may get asked questions that are controversial or you may not know how to answer but you can also clear up misconceptions with this format too.
• “Fill In The Blank” idea.  It could generate some great responses and will make the public a part of your brand by being involved!  I anticipate putting something like “Fill In The Blank – Today I Want To ___________”. 
• Tips – For me this is where I can offer tips for taxes and donations.  A great helpful post to make people realize donations have more than one benefit – help the organization and can help you at tax time.
• Safety Tips – Reminders for safety which goes hand in hand with keeping people out of the Emergency Department.
• Share information on industry statistics.  Information that is relevant and interesting and provides “food for thought” would be a great idea.
  
  If you are in need of ideas you really don’t have to go far to find them.  There are many sites on the internet dedicated to finding fresh content.  Always be aware that there may be risks involved and to keep in mind what we have learned here in our COMM-0011 course regarding those risks.  With that in mind though I think you can receive some great engagement by trying something different and offering up a new vibe for your social media platform.

Do you have a unique idea for social media content that you would like to share?

Facebook: Do You Get “Stuck” and don’t know what to post? Check out my new blog with ideas for posting. https://bit.ly/3uUNuId

Twitter: Do you need #ideasforposting on your social media platforms? Take a look at my new blog:
https://bit.ly/3uUNuId

Simultaneously Posting on Multiple Social Media Platforms

Do you use multiple social media platforms and have had to post on each and every one of them individually? Have you then thought “I should probably use a tool to post simultaneously on those platforms” but were not sure which one to use?

Crossposting is when you can post the same message to multiple information channels, forums, mailing lists or newsgroups. I am investigating options that are available for simultaneous posting on multiple media platforms. I want to know what sites are popular and why. As well I would like to find the best option for when I begin to post on multiple social media platforms.

After a bit of research I have discovered that there are are many apps that are available and all have various features. The most popular seems to be Hootsuite as it comes up the most when researching and comments regarding navigating the app are positive. After looking at the app it appears quite straight forward to use with easy to manage menus and instructions.

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

A great source for information on crossposting apps is this link https://bit.ly/3JdBPrW which has a list of sites and also this link https://bit.ly/3HMafBD. Both of these links give a great overview of various apps.

I believe from the research I have done that I will use the Hootsuite app as it looks easy for a newcomer to the social media marketing stream to manage. As I am still familiarizing myself with various social media platforms I need to use an app that I can manipulate with ease and it also has support systems in place if I need assistance.

Facebook: What Social Media Posting Platform Do You Use? Check out my blog on simultaneously posting on multiple social media platforms https://bit.ly/3syKcI0

Twitter: Do you use #crossposting app platforms? Take a look at my new blog: https://bit.ly/3syKcI0

Giveaways on Social Media…Is It Worth It?

February 4, 2022 By Robin Schultz

I am investigating offering a giveaway on my organizations Facebook feed but I am not sure whether it will be worth all of the effort needed to have a giveaway. I understand that you can gain many followers by doing a giveaway but I am not sure of the logistics of it and if I do a giveaway what are the pros and cons of having a giveaway.

In researching giveaways I found an interesting blog called Raffle Press Blog https://bit.ly/3J2sgvY How To Create a Viral Giveaway to Get More Social Media Followers. In this blog it states that “Instagram accounts that run follower giveaways or contests grow 70% faster than those that don’t.” That is an impressively high number! This blog gives actual steps to follow and suggestions on how to manage the online giveaway. Of course Raffle Press recommends using their tool!

Photo Courtesy of Don Agnello – Unsplash.com

I also found an interesting article by Stacy Jackson titled 10 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Facebook Contests & Giveaways https://bit.ly/3ooH7sF This article was very interesting as it really makes you aware of the risks and pitfalls of having a giveaway/contest. When it comes to the legalities it makes me nervous to go that route. So much so it makes me lean to not having a contest.

I next sought information from Facebook itself as that is the platform I would be using. I see from their site that that they have specific policies regarding giveaways that must be adhered to. A few items of note include that as the promoter of the giveaway I am responsible for the “lawful operation of that promotion” as well as promotions can not be administered through personal timelines by encouraging people to share to receive an entry. The link for the Facebook rules is here https://bit.ly/331g6UI.

Although I do not plan on using Instagram I have researched their rules in the chance I change my mind. Here is the link for rules for Instagram https://bit.ly/3LcygUu as Instagram has it’s own set of rules for running promotions.

So What Concerns Me?

There are risks involved! As a local community hospital foundation having a following that is close to home is important. I would not necessarily want to have a giveaway only to attract an audience from outside of our catchment area that would not support us throughout the year.

I would also be concerned that I am missing the “fine print” in a giveaway and unknowingly break the law or have someone call the organization out on social media regarding a flaw in the rules or the process.

Conclusion

I think I will look into a giveaway further and research if it is the right approach for my organization. This is where you come in. I could use your advice so please vote a thumbs up or down and give your comments below.

What are your thoughts? Would you consider using a giveaway promotion for a small rural hospital to gain followers? Please vote below.

Facebook:  Giveaways on Social Media…Is It Worth It? https://bit.ly/3urljAl

Twitter Giveaways on Social Media…Is It Worth It? https://bit.ly/3urljAl

#giveaways #entertowin

How a Dachshund Raised Over $100,000 for Cornell University

Let’s Start at the Beginning

So how does someone start following a dog on social media? Or maybe better yet why does someone follow a dog on social media? And how does said dog end up creating a campaign that raises over $100,000 for Cornell University? A lot of questions and I would like to fill you in on the answers.

As a family we have always had large dogs, in particular Labrador Retrievers. Not to say I don’t like small dogs, I just never had one. Even growing up on the farm we had larger dogs. So how did my fascination and love of dachshunds come about? Well, my daughter and boyfriend decided there were getting a mini-dachshund for their home and brought Max into our lives. Talk about love at first sight! This little nugget was so cuddly and sweet that he had my heart from the start.

Max in his early years.

Facebook Magic

But how did this lead to me following a dachshund on social media? Facebook and it’s algorithms and the hocus pocus that it does in the background suddenly started popping up a site named Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund https://celebritydachshund.com/ on my Facebook feed. I clicked and I was hooked and an instant fan!

I discovered I wasn’t the only fan…Crusoe has over 3.1 million fans! How does a dog have such a huge following? Let’s say I was intrigued AND entertained! I followed Crusoe and his adventures on Facebook and discovered that he has videos on You Tube (hilarious I might add) and his own line of merchandise. He has gained world wide recognition and has appeared at many celebrity events and has even had a video featured on the Ellen DeGeneres television show!

Crusoe’s owner and the creative guru behind the success of Crusoe’s marketing is Ryan Beauchesne who has a digital marketing background. Ryan has taken his marketing expertise and his love of his family pet, as well as Crusoe’s brother Oakley, to a whole new level. He has added another dachshund to the family named Daphne and has created a whole new persona about her.

I have been faithfully following the antics of Crusoe for the past 3 years and was sad to learn last year that Crusoe had a health issue with his liver. Ryan searched for answers at the University of Guelph among other veterinary resources and ended up seeking treatment at Cornell University. Fortunately for Crusoe the treatments succeeded and he is back to his normal health.

“The Crusoe Fund”

Ryan took it upon himself to make a Call for Action through his social media platforms to raise funds for the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. He created “The Crusoe Fund” at Cornell University with a goal of raising $10,000. Needless to say he was overwhelmed with the success of the campaign raising over $1000,000 for The Crusoe Fund https://fundrazr.com/crusoefund?ref=ab_0JpSCDrtZXe0JpSCDrtZXe The funds raised from the campaign are designated to clinical research and trials to aid other pets. I attribute the success of this campaign to the fact Crusoe has a loyal following and marketing is on various social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube and Tik Tok.

Ryan has also used the Crusoe Celebrity Dachshund to assist with fund raising in other areas including the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society with National Cupcake Day Fundraiser and the Ontario Veterinary College “The Crusoe Fund”.

Cute Pets + Digital Marketing = Success

To summarize Crusoe has become a personality – a persona that makes people laugh, cry and to be entertained! It seems like more than ever society is seeking to be entertained and short snippets of videos with cute pets is hitting the mark. To have the expertise of digital marketing that Ryan has displayed is amazing. Be sure to check out the link to his website and especially his You Tube channel. Ryan hits the mark by keeping the topics current and relevant (he actually did a COVID-19 lockdown video). Crusoe makes me laugh. No deep meaning of life lesson. Just good old fashioned fun. Enjoy the videos here on this You Tube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HZPpts7jjA and let me know if they make you laugh too!

#crusoethedachshund #itsadaphneday

Sources:
Website: Celebritydachshund.com

Website: Ontario SPCA Blog – Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund is saving animals by doing something sweet!

Website: University of Guelph – http://www.pettrust.uoguelph.ca

Website: fundrazr.com The Crusoe Fund @ Cornell University