Tips and Guidelines for Groups Leads

Tips and guidelines on this page aim to increase engagement on posts and generate a better ROI.

This page will be frequently updated, as needed. Keep checking it. You will also be notified when this page is updated.

1. Welcome new GROUP members as they join and in that same welcome message point them to an interesting post in your group + invite them to register for an upcoming event + ask them about their expectations/purpose ==> engage with them + show that you care!
2. Send messages to one/all of your group's members to make an announcement + applaud/reward a group member's achievement + share a new post + participate in a poll (let me know, I can help with this one), etc.
3. Send individual messages occasionally to ask for feedback + express interest in what they are doing + ask them for specific contributions, etc.
4. Organize a webinar to discuss and gather their feedback + invite them to engage. 

More...

1. Mix up content ==> add your own podcasts + vlogs + infographics. 
2. Post content in the right format ==>
• For videos post these as a video (if you don't have a videos page in your group let me know). When you do, make sure the title and description are meaningful, as these by default show what comes with the video. The title should highlight a quote or the theme of the video. The description should provide the key ideas discussed in the video and/or some questions.
• Do not post links directly in the post (best practice), create hyperlinks and if the link is about the main piece the post talks about, add a “Read more” link at the end of the post. Keep in mind that in the full list of posts, what shows is what is posted at the top of the post, so that part need to be inviting/intriguing.
3. It is all about the title ==> for all posts, make the title engaging, ask a question in the title, highlight a fact/finding, and use caps only where needed.
4. It is not about the post length, but its tone ==> while it is okay to replicate articles/blogs, we can add our touch ==> a question to answer + a fact/finding to highlight + ask for similar stories + ask for members to share if they succeeded/failed in testing the same approach, etc.
5. When a picture is used to illustrate a story, please make sure it is the right size and quality ==> a distorted, low quality picture will just kill the post.
6. Post files in PDF format only (best practice)
7. Point to documents in Google docs, only when you have a document that you need people to edit directly. When you need to do that, let me know, there are a few ways to do that efficiently.
8. It is not about the number of posts, but their quality and frequency ==> pay close attention to the post relevance in its messaging, as well as to its formatting, per tips above. Also, spread/plan posting throughout the week, rather than posting several posts in one batch.
9. Spread the word, by replicating in the Hub's main forum/blog/videos sections your most interesting posts in the group and pointing the hub members to your group.
10. Spread the word through your Social Media channels and offline.
11. Above all, reply to comments, in a timely manner! 

Guidelines and tips about events:

In addition to the events we organize/co-organize, we do attend/participate in many events/activities. These are golden opportunities that we are already leveraging offline, and that we can use online to drive more interest in our brand. 

Here is an initial list of tasks that can be implemented by the team member, who attends/participates in an event/activity. The list is ordered strating from the least complex and time demanding task. 

• Create an event on the Hub; A short paragraph explaining the context of our participation and how it relates to what we do. 
• The event could also be announced on our websites with a link to the event on the Hub, and inviting people to engage on the Hub.
• Tweet and retweet about the event before/during/after; highlighting key takeaways, quotes, resources, etc. Always point people to the event post on the hub and invite them to engage.
• Spread the word offline, at the event, about the Hub, and invite people to engage; use the Hub to invite people to join, using the emails collected during the event/activity.
• Post discussions around the events takeaways; a short paragraph introducing the discussion topic, and asking one or more questions for people to engage. 
• Take pictures with key people, and share on the Hub and on Twitter.
• Write blog posts and publish them on the Hub; light, engaging, and concise. Share your take on the event’s discussions, topics, resources, etc. 
• Share the event, the discussions, the blog posts from the Hub to social media; add the appropriate hashtags related to the topic, and the handles identifying the organizations/Key people involved. Most importantly add NIC’s and SOCI’s handles @NICnetworks @StewardsChange. 
• Build on the event/activity’s topic, takeaways/outcomes to tell stories and share resources, on the Hub, on our websites, and on social media.

Message Sondes Ben Chagra, if you have any questions, or post your questions/comments below, for all the other group leads to learn from.