ASTM InternationalB E S T P R A C T I C E S F O R E N G A G E M E N T

Sociology and Psychology TechnologyYou can understand impressions, engagement, etc.,

but unless you know your audience, no amount of

analytics will make your social media strategy

better. Technology should support your content.

Not dictate it.

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Foundations of Social Media Engagement

" [It’s] about sociology and psychology more than technology.”— Brian Solis

Know your audience. Understand who they are,

where they come from, what expectations they have,

and what channels they use. Social media is about

community. Pursuing the CTA. Think of those

organizations you follow. What do they post?

L I N K S F O R M O R E I N F O

Where possible, use links to your website.Consider using URL shorteners to mobile-friendly pages.

U P L O A D P I C T U R E S

A post with a photo will perform much better than one without.Stock. Professional shots. Pics from your own camera.Photos boost engagement!

A S T M I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Think ”Mobile First.” Meet Followers “Where they Live”Recent studies show that social media followers worldwide use mobile devices more than desktop computers.

Mobile device users react within 2 seconds to a post. Give them a Call to Action and some eye candy to encourage engagement.

A S T M I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Content is Key to EngagementTimeliness. Consistency. Community. Promotion. Pride.

Types of Content Writing Engaging Posts / Managing Posts

For most organizations, content can come out of:

• News

• Events (conferences, workshops, anniversaries)

• Visits / tours local and abroad

• Reaction to mentions or “world” news

• Awards, given and received

• Contests / giveaways

• Links to website content (yours and others’)

When writing the post, keep in mind:

• Clarity and brevity

• Photography

• Good captions

• Tagging (using @)

• Linking (again, consider URL shorteners)

Finally, consider using content management tools

• e.g., Hootsuite or Buffer

20,474 followers

A S T M I N T E R N AT I O N A L

The right content for the right channelDon’t spread yourself too thin. Know where your audience spends their time, and why. At ASTM International…

A community of individuals with common interests

10,700 followersMixed audience wanting

information quickly

15,260 followersBy professionals For professionals

Organic Impressions Dropping Social media fatigue. Too much noise.

You have approx. 2 seconds to have your post seen.

Best practice: run posts again and again at different

times of day /week. You have to post regularly to

maintain your channel, anyway. But how do you

avoid follower fatigue? Study what works

(analytics) and adjust (vary the copy, etc.).

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Challenges to Digital Engagement

The future of organic impressions. Follower Fatigue. Noise.

Facebook has changed their algorithm for delivery of

posts from “followed” organizations. Twitter is about

to do the same. How do we offset the inevitable

decline in impressions? How do we encourage peer-

to-peer engagement. Investigate other options?

Groups? Different types of CTAs?

A S T M I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Posts are Not EnoughThink outside of organic impressions. Engage your audience across all channels — both digital and traditional print media.

Beyond Your Org’s Organic Impressions Building the Brand Across All Channels

Branch out beyond everyday content:

• Consider advertising, especially on Facebook

• Campaigns for website content, events, etc.

• Campaigns for increased followers

• Start a social media group (if you can manage it)

List your social channels on supporting materials:

• Business Cards

• Posters

• Newsletters

• Email signatures

www.astm.org

Christopher DavisDigital Engagement Managercdavis@astm.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christophermichaeldavis