Social media has lots of uses. (I know, understatement of the year…) The below infographic from Flowtown breaks it down by platform (Facebook, Twitter, etc…) and gives pros and cons of each. Plus, there’s a great guide to the lingo!

Which social networks does your association use?

How can you maximize engagement on your organization’s Facebook page? Although only you and your marketing staff can know what works best for your fans, there are some best practices Facebook recommends for everyone.

Questions to ask as you develop content: What makes an engaging story?

1. Does it align with your organization’s purpose?

2. Is the voice consistent with a unique personality?

3. What value do you provide to your fans?

4. How does the story reinforce your brand’s messaging?

5. Is the story lightweight? Conversational? Does it ask questions, contain a call to action, involve your friends, use the right cadence, use photos/videos/polls?

Page Post: The Basics

1. Be succinct. Posts between 100 and 250 characters see about 60% more likes, comments and shares than posts greater than 250 characters.

2. Post regularly. Post at least five times a week to stay top of mind for fans. Consistency is key. Post event announcements on the same day every week so fans know what to expect and can look forward to hearing from you.

3. Post at the optimal time. Only you know what’s right for your organization, and you can use your Page Insights to figure out what’s working. For example, try posting at different times of day and see when you get the most engagement. User engagement within Facebook Pages is highest from 9-10PM and the 18-24 demographic is the most engaged during this time.

How have you used Facebook Page Insights to increase engagement on your organization’s page?

Happy Friday, everyone! We’re wrapping a fun, busy week here at MemberClicks and we’re ready for some weekend fun! We’ve got a great lineup of a bunch of our fave association-related blog posts from this week, so be sure to check these out!

1. After interviewing a Broadway performer, Jeffrey Cufaude related the performer’s advice about keeping shows engaging to making meetings matter. The advice? Perform (whether it’s a show, your learning session or your entire meeting) for the person who has never been before. Perform for the person who might have gotten dragged along by a friend, who may not really want to be there. Great advice.

2. Are you guilty of extrapolating what may happen rather than actually doing? KiKi L’Italien shares her goals to achieve this year, including “do the work.” However, she also shares how extrapolation may have gotten in the way of doing the work in the past. Fully experience the moment, KiKi writes. We agree!

3. As you may have heard, Facebook rolled out Timeline for brand pages this week. Here, get a great rundown of what your brand needs to do to implement its own Timeline. How will your cover photo represent your association?

4. Education is moving from a one-size-fits-all theme to a more personalized model. Has your association experimented with shaking up its online education? Take a look at some interviews The Chronicle of Higher Education conducted and see how online education is changing.

5. In that same vein, Aaron Wolowiec discusses the changing nature of professional development, and asks what your association is doing with mobile. It’s no secret we’re all attached to our mobile phones, and associations can be empowering members to take control of their learning. How will your association get involved?

Happy Leap Day! Today is special not only because this date only occurs once every four years, but also because Facebook unveiled Timeline for brand pages. A select few were converted early this morning, and after March 30, all brands and pages must be using Timeline.

I’ve explored several brand timelines today and there are several important things to consider. Timeline is much more visual and puts less of an emphasis on tab creation and more of an emphasis on creating engaging stories.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Select a cover photo that is bold, creative and speaks to the Brand. The dimensions are 850×315 pixels. Consider integrating the profile photo with the cover photo. NOTE: The cover image shouldn’t be advertising or blatant marketing material . Facebook has strongly advised against any advertising calls to action in the cover photo area. I have a feeling this will soon become a regulation.
• Build your brand’s identity through creative curation, especially milestones and media content
• Review your tab strategy, including existing tabs and plans for future tabs. Prioritize and consolidate. With Facebook’s shift to Timeline, their focus is on creating engaging story content, not building another website. 
• Be prepared to use Facebook as a customer service tool now more than ever. With direct messaging with consumers now available, this will be an excellent tool moving forward. Consider developing a response protocol to handle customer inquiries if you have not already done so.

When will your association make the switch to Timeline?

Do you want to learn how some of the world’s top brands are using Facebook to market to their fans? The Facebook Marketer’s Conference will be streamed live here from 12-6PM ET on Wednesday, February 29.

Social marketers will be sharing new Facebook solutions, insights from past campaigns and Facebook strategies proven to drive business growth.

It’s true that bigger brands have deeper pockets and more resources, but we think there are always lessons to be learned from the brands who do Facebook right.

For instance:

- Would your users be more engaged with a sweepstakes a user-generated-content contest?
- What types of status updates generate the most engagement?
- How does multimedia content perform on your page?
- If you buy ads, what is the best optimization strategy?
- How often should you be posting on Facebook?
- What days generate the most positive feedback from your fans?

What is your most pressing Facebook question?