Excellent Model for a Social Media Strategy/Policy from the Red Cross

I just came across the social media policy that Wendy Harman at the Red Cross has been hard at work creating, and it is too good of a document to not pass along.  The purpose of the strategy is to encourage Red Cross staff and local chapters to participate in social media and helps them create a strategy for their particular chapter.  The document outlines the goals and objectives that the Red Cross has from a national perspective and provides high level considerations for local chapters interested in creating a social media presence.

Overall, the organization of the content is excellent. The strategy is based on 12 steps:

1. Getting Social Media Savvy – get familiar with social media tools and know how to merge a business and personal online presence.
2. Learn the Our Philosophy – use social media tools to execute the Red Cross mission to create an empowered community of Red Cross supporters.
3. Listen - Pay attention to the conversations that are already occurring and respond to them as appropriate.
4. Engage with National – understand the Red Cross online presence from a national perspective, building credibility and leveraging tools for local chapters by sharing content and photos.
5. Learn from Existing Chapter Social Media – study what’s working / not working for chapters who have an existing online presence.
6. Evaluate Organizational Tools - make sure that the social media tool’s fit within the goals / objectives for the local chapter.
7. Create Your Social Media Strategy – define goals and objectives and make sure they align with the social media strategy.
8. Choose Your Tools – establish an online presence through social media tools such as a blogging, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
9. Let Us Know What You Are Up To – share the local chapter online presence with National for cross-promotional opportunities.
10. Implement Your Plan – socialize the online presence to local supporters.
11. Measure Your Successes and Challenges – create a baseline from previous local chapter activities as well as from what other local chapters have seen. Use that baseline to measure the success of your online presence.
12. Send Your Links and Measurement Data – provide measurement information to the national Red Cross for recognition.

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Tagged as: american red cross, arc, red cross, social media strategy