- Establish rules and objectives right away. When creating an account that is intended for use within a community, or to represent your Community Association. It’s ideal to memorialize these ideals on your social media page, and this action will lay the groundwork for the way members are allowed to interact within that space, and what they can expect from your community’s social media page.
- Choose a platform that will foster community engagement. This may differ from community to community, based on the social media goals of your community. Your objectives and guidelines should shape this decision, and how and what content is displayed. Don’t forget to consider oversight of your page, and ensuring there are members interested in maintaining your social media page(s).
- Posts on Social Media last forever – even if they were deleted. Remain mindful of the law and respectful to your community members and think before you publish anything. It’s a great idea to appoint a ‘monitor’ who is familiar with the expectations of the site and community, and who will review and approve content before it’s posted to your community’s account.
- It’s a Business! Using social media can be a slippery slope into inappropriate or unprofessional behavior – stick to the facts to avoid any issues, and focus on the positive. Keeping this in mind will help you and other members post appropriately and to avoid opinions or causing any conflict.
- Engagement is key. Focusing on posting relevant and engaging things will improve your positive community activity, tenfold! Posting things like photos of a community event or of an exciting agenda topic can get people more excited and involved.
- Prioritize confidentiality. If you wouldn’t share the information at a Board Meeting, it is probably not appropriate to share on HOA related social media.
Social Media and your HOA
Tips to more effectively leverage social media within your HOA-
Social media is an accessible and ever-present part of our daily lives, and many associations look to this vehicle as a means to communicate and connect with their members. While there are certainly positives with use of Social Media platforms – including accessibility, rapid information availability, and the ability to reach many members, it’s also important to set boundaries, guidelines and expectations for your Community’s social media presence. Here are a few tips to consider when exploring your Community’s social media footprint:
