How to distribute social media tasks in a small housing authority

With all the fuss over algorithms and privacy breaches, is focusing on social media tasks for your public housing authority worth it?

The answer is a resounding yes. Regardless of the size of your team, social media offers a direct connection to your potential clients. Pew Research reports that:

63% of adults, earning under 30K a year, use at least one social media site.

These users predominantly access social platforms on a smartphone and are more likely to use their mobile devices as their main internet connection. A successful digital strategy uses social media to increase accessibility at a low cost.

For small housing authorities struggling with brand awareness or reputation issues, social media tasks may feel like one more thorn in your side. However, even small departments can extend their reach with concentrated effort.

Start with a concise social media strategy.

Small teams need creative solutions that don’t waste time and deliver results. Keep your strategy brief and actionable.

Prioritize your social platforms. If your clients aren’t on Twitter, then don’t spend 80% of your time developing content for Twitter. That doesn’t mean you should avoid the platform. Instead, when you hit the inevitable time crunch, dig in and pick what matters.

Agree on realistic social goals. For housing authorities, you’ll want to consider your overall reach on social media and where your audience is coming from, then determine which metrics you’ll use as a base.

Once you’ve determined which platforms you’ll tackle, then break down your social strategy into tasks easily divided among team members.

Make your resources accessible.

Although nonprofits experience lower employee turnover, it’s still essential to have a documented process for each strategy and campaign. By implementing a list of social media tasks for others to follow, anyone in your agency should be able to curate content, measure engagement, and access brand documents.

Designate one spot, like Google Drive or Dropbox, to house your fundamental documents.  Create a master list that references each of your content curation and design elements, along with their location. Documents may include:

• Spreadsheets with tabs for authoritative sites, local connections, and hashtags. Use this document to curate social media content.
• Data, like images, for in-house graphics, reports, and content. Clearly label graphics according to their social platform or use folders.
• Editorial calendars, style guides, and account information. Make a note of your fonts, colors, and other approved specifications.

Develop a social media task list that anyone can follow.

With a simple strategy prepared and your documents ready, now it’s time to set realistic deadlines and assign tasks. Here’s an example of how a small housing authority breaks down their social media responsibilities among team members.

SproutSocial recommends spending 45% of your time on research, planning, creating, and curating content. You’ll spend another 20% on collaboration and analytics. The remainder of your time should focus on engagement.

While scheduling social media can’t beat real-time engagement for increasing overall reach, very few housing authorities have spare time to interact in real-time. By developing a digital strategy and designating social media tasks, you’ll stay on top of what’s going on your community without falling behind in everything else.