Marketing & Comms

Social Media

Social media is one of the best communication tools available to clubs. As many as 6 in 10 Australians use Facebook and 1 in 3 Australians use Instagram. It has the power to:

Increase the size of the club’s audience
Increase members’ sense of belonging with the club
Create depth within these relationships
Engage future participants
Support the delivery of club objectives

Timing

The success of a social media post can relate to when the post was uploaded. Unfortunately, there is no magic posting schedule, or one size fits all method. Work out when to post your content by experimenting with different content and times and measure their impact. Use your communication plan to ensure your posts are relevant and engaging.

When posting online, consider:

When does your target audience go on social media?
What social media platform does your target audience use the most?
What information is being posted?
What is the desired outcome of the post?
Do you have the time to reply to comments made on the post once posted?

Tips

Be consistent - algorithm controls the ordering and presentation of posts users see. If you post infrequently, the platform will punish your page by showing your post lower on your followers’ news feed.

No photo, no post (Twitter excluded) - photos or videos makes your post much more eye-catching and engaging. Make sure you have permission to post photos of your members.

Interact with your community - reply to positive comments or questions on your posts but DO NOT engage with negative/troll behaviour.

Get creative - not all posts need to be informative. Get creative with engaging your audience with posts like "caption this photo" or funny interactive polls.

The Risks

Use of social media platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter has many benefits but with that has come inevitable issues.

The Office of eSafety Commissioner has information and resources to help clubs navigate the risks of social media and ensure the safety of all users.

A social media policy can help mitigate the risks. Water Polo Australia has Social Media Guidelines that apply to clubs and their members.

There are also risks involved when taking photos of children. Water Polo Australia requires that individuals and associations, wherever possible, obtain permission from a child’s parent/guardian before taking an image of a child that is not their own. They should also make sure the parent/guardian understands how the image will be used. More information on taking images of children can be found in the National Member Protection Policy.

TEMPLATE Social Media Coordinator

TEMPLATE Social Media Policy

WPA Social Media Guidelines