Why use social media?
We believe social media is an effective way for us to:
raise awareness of our services to potential beneficiaries
raise our profile with the wider public
recruit new volunteers
increase engagement with supporters, beneficiaries and other stakeholders (partners or other branches).
We can do this through:
raising awareness of branch activities, showcasing how we help and who we help. This will attract potential beneficiaries as well as potential supporters and new volunteers.
sharing stories about the people we help and the people who help us.
building relationships with stakeholders; publicly communicating, sharing and 'liking content'.
Social media guidelines
Social media guidelines: what you can expect
A full guide to Facebook: the basics (writing posts), community management (responding to comments, messages etc), engagement (accounts to follow).
A full guide to X (formerly Twitter): how X should be used and tips on how to manage a page.
General social media tips: how to find content, creating a content schedule and how to write effective social media content.
Some things to consider before we get started (the boring stuff):
Speaking with one voice: we already have some excellent online ambassadors among our volunteers, supporters, and employees, and we want more people to get involved to make a bigger impact. These guidelines are designed to help us to work together better and make sure that we are all getting the most from our online communications.
Be honest about who you are (personal accounts): honesty counts for a lot when using social media, so you should identify yourself and make your connection to SSAFA clear. One way to do that is to use your profile to explain what you do, though be careful not to give detailed personal information.
Make it clear that you are expressing your own opinions (personal pages): we want to hear your individual perspective about our work with the Armed Forces family. However, as a volunteer or employee what you say online could be seen as representing SSAFA’s views. When posting about your work you must state that your views are your own and are not representative of the wider organisation.
Maintain regular contact with Digital: nominate a social media contact (do consider a Digital Marketing Volunteer if you don't already have one) to keep in regular touch with the Digital, and make sure that our team is updated if the contact details change.
Provide access to profiles: you must ensure that the Digital has access to your profiles by adding as a page administrator to your Facebook account and forwarding the login details for your X account.
Follow the brand guidelines: follow visual guidelines including correct use of up to date logo and imagery. Make sure that you reflect our values as a committed, practical, and understanding organisation. If you require additional imagery, please get in touch.
Post appropriate content: create posts that are relevant to SSAFA’s work. Ensure that updates are non-political, non-religious, and do not compromise SSAFA’s reputation or public image. Content should cover the breadth of our work and be relevant to both beneficiaries and supporters. Ensure that profiles are updated regularly: preferably daily or every other day but certainly at least once a week. If you want to post something but are unsure whether it is appropriate, please get in touch with the digital team.
Social media content themes: Ideas of different types of content themes to use when finding, posting, and sharing content to your page. This will include an example of a social media content calendar for a weekly/monthly period (with suggested content themes). This will be useful for Facebook and X.
Social media training
BFBS provide social media training.
Your RMM may also be able to provide you with advice on available training.
What our branches have to say
Wiltshire: “Why is social media important? I would turn this around when seeking to persuade someone in the Year 2020 and ask them why they think it's not important! Why are we at the end of a phone or an email? So that people can contact us. It makes no sense to ignore the world's most used communication media. Although some older beneficiaries and supporters might not use computers or smartphones, on average, 71% of UK adults are said to be reachable with ads on social media, with Facebook by far the most prevalent, having a 78% reach."
Bristol and South Gloucestershire: “Social media is a very useful free tool to engage the general public about our work and who we help. I avoid anything political, religious, or indeed anything that could be deemed to be offensive to another person/organisation/group. It is also important to remember that the social media account is linked to SSAFA the organisation, it is not a personal page”.