Crash Course for Social Media Managers in Government

“It’s not like you can go get a degree in social media!”

That’s a direct quote from an attendee at our recent GovTech Social Unconference in Denver. Our group was quick to point out that certain universities are, in fact, now offering graduate programs in Social Media Marketing. Nonetheless, the point remains: Social media has created an entirely new set of questions and lessons for which there seems to be no textbook. For instance, on what social network should your agency focus most of its efforts? How should you handle negative comments? What is an effective strategy for communicating in crisis situations? What are the legal requirements related to social media? What is the best way to respond when something goes viral?

To help you tackle these challenges, ArchiveSocial has teamed up with Government Technology to offer a complimentary Social Media Crash Course for Government Communicators. Through five easy-to-digest online lessons, we’ll cover how to get started with social media, tune up your existing pages, protect your agency online and more. Whether you're new to your job or looking to hone your skills, here's your chance to become a #govtechsocial expert.

In the course you’ll learn:

• How a good social media policy can help you address common issues on social networks before they become problems for your agency, as well as why Facebook and Twitter remain the most important social networks for government communicators.
• Why a comment moderation policy is necessary to enjoy the benefits of social media without all the risk. We’ll also introduce you to the top kinds of trolls that you should be on the lookout for, and how (or how not) to respond to these commenters.
• Step-by-step instructions for creating a crisis communication plan that covers what to do on social media before, during and after the crisis. Plus, crisis response tips from a government communicator who handled the aftermath of the deadliest mudslide in U.S. history.
• The three most common risks governments encounter while engaging on social media, along with best practices for how you can legally protect your agency’s social profiles.
• Common mistakes that government agencies make while using social media and how you should respond when "going viral" happens to you.

All of the content has been suggested, tested, created and approved by government communicators and industry experts. You’ll learn from the real-life experience of your public-sector peers who dealt with the same challenges you are facing now or may face in the future.

With the course, you’ll be one step closer to becoming a social media pro. Sign up for free here: http://learn.archivesocial.com/govsocial-crash-course/.