Ask Laura: My son knows more about social media than adults! How can he help our church build its platform?

Editor's note: Social media expert and Durham mom Laura Tierney, founder of The Social Institute, answers your questions about social media and kids in this monthly series. If you have a question for Laura, email her at contact@thesocialinst.com.

Question

My son knows more about social media than any adult in our church! Our family is big into community service, so we talked about him helping our church using social media platforms. Any tips to help him make his assistance a success with our organization?

Answer

Wow! This is a win-win situation. Your son will learn how to use social media for good, and the organization will benefit (however big or small) from his efforts.

Our team at The Social Institute believes social media is a microphone that reaches nearly anyone and everyone. Students can use their microphone for good by using social media in positive and productive ways, personally or on behalf of an organization.

Bonus: While your son might not be thinking about his career right now, most employers admire digital natives who know how to manage social media for a brand. It’s a preferred skill in the 21st century. This is a chance for your son to gain some hands-on experience through your organization.

Here’s the deal: Challenge your son to develop a social media “campaign.” A campaign is a series of steps to follow to affect change. On social media, you might create a campaign to grow your followers, drive attendance at an event or raise donations for a cause. The positive possibilities are endless! And it only requires a series of steps:

Step #1: Define your goal

Plan with the end in mind and define the ultimate “win.” Is it to raise $1,000 within 30 days to help with building maintenance? Is it to drive higher attendance to the organization’s next big event?

Whatever the goal is, keep it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

"I want to [ goal ] by [ date ] for [ organization ] by [ description of campaign ]. We’ll know if the campaign is successful if we reach [ measurable goal ].

Step #2: Choose which platform to use

Figure out which social media platform best supports the goal, plus which platform or platforms the organization is most active on. For example: While Facebook is an excellent platform to promote an event, the organization may only be active on Twitter. Encourage your child to speak up and suggest new social media accounts and how to best manage them, including the frequency of posts and creative content ideas. It’s an excellent leadership opportunity.

Step #3: Use a hashtag

The most successful social media campaigns use a hashtag. Why? Well, they make it much easier for people to find you and learn how they can get involved. Hashtags are easily searchable, even Google-able. Anyone who is interested can follow everything you’re doing by following that hashtag. And then they can use it, too, to help spread the word.

We guarantee that a good hashtag could help your campaign as much as using a bad one can hurt it. So, here’s what makes a good one:

• It must be unique. If lots of people are already using it for Cause A, you shouldn’t begin using it for Cause B. That’s just confusing! So, always search a hashtag you’re considering before using it.
• Encourage action by starting with a verb, like #BringBackOurGirls.
• Use a complete sentence to communicate a stance or idea in full, like #BlackLivesMatter and #LoveWins.
• Avoid using hashtags with just one noun, like #WorldSeries, because they are used for many different purposes and, therefore, less powerful.
• Avoid a hashtag that can be manipulated to mean the opposite. This is called “hashtag hijacking.” Here’s how it works: In 2012, McDonald’s used #McDStories to encourage users to share their favorite stories about the restaurant. Very quickly, people started using #McDStories to talk about finding fingernails in their french fries and vomiting after eating a McFish. #gross

After these steps, the real action starts. Bring the campaign to life!

Consider using social media advertising and regularly reviewing the campaign’s social media analytics to make your impact even stronger.

Thank you for your question! Students are on the front lines social media, and they can be using it for good.

Laura Tierney is founder and president of The Social Institute, a Durham-based company that teaches students nationwide positive ways to handle one of the biggest drivers of their social development: social media. Laura, a digital native who got her first phone at age 13, went on to become a four-time Duke All-American, Duke’s Athlete of the Decade, and a social media strategist for leading brands. She also recently became a mom.