Contents

1. Introduction
2. Strategy: Getting Started
3. How to Master Social Media Content
4. Basic Social Media Management
5. Engaging on Social Media
6. Anatomy of Social Media Posts
7. Terminology
Introduction
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The Air University Social Media Playbook is a reference guide to help people and organizations
determine how to plan, develop and implement effective social media approaches and
techniques.
Our focus at Air University is to develop educational insights and best practices with appropriate
strategic alignment, while communicating purpose, structure and valued military education to
achieve a significant return in our time invested.

Social Media is now a core phase of our “institutional” messaging, and is a large part of how
organizations, institutions and large companies communicate, market and gain insights. We
must help AU build a narrative that suggests that we are a high-value destination for careers, an
asset families and a crucial part of our delivery of diverse leaders for the Air Force. This guide
will help you focus on how AU will use social media, who AU will engage with and how AU can use
it for creating a career value proposition.
The social media platforms used by Air University are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn,
and YouTube. This playbook will help you determine the best methods and platforms,
techniques and approaches to use, however you and your leadership must make a significant
effort in crafting well aligned, audience focused messaging over social media.
……………………………………
Why? AU needs to build a strong and loyal social media presence that allows us to:
• Encourage professional conversations that add to the value of the AU narrative
• Monitor and assess the discussions about Air University that help us develop better
insights into audience expectations and needs
• Brand the people-story side of campus life and community programs

Objectives
The objectives of this playbook are:
1, Having the reader understand how to create a social media post on behalf of AU.
2. Having the reader understand how the best intentions can go bad on Social Media.
3. Social Media manager informing leadership on effective use of SM at AU.
4. Understand how to communicate activities of the organization's mission using SM.
5. Help improve AU Brand through Social Media presence.

AU Priorities are an integral part of this process. Download them here.

Role of the Leader In Social Media

Senior leadership play a crucial role in the creation and implementation of all communications
inside and outside the organization. In today's fast-paced, uber connected world, leaders must
not only talk the talk but walk the walk. Because savvy, experienced employees, followers, and
influencers can see right through a leader’s narrative if its not connected properly. Its especially
important over social media, even though the most senior leader doesn't actually use twitter like
President trump, their staffs must be able to walk for them and even help them walk sometimes.
Communicating as the embodiment of the organization that is aligned with their organization’s
priorities, project authenticity, and are a mark of an engaged and committed leader.
Many leaders have depth in their purview but lack breadth across supporting higher and lower
level functions. This is most revealed during up tempo and even in crisis situations. As we all
know a crisis situation will most likely limit our focus to what directly impacts us and our people.
So for a leader to have a full breadth of understanding of the entire organization, in this case Air
University (possibly areas of AETC) can eliminate undefined narratives or and align a clear
identity to the organization it serves. Each leader has a particular style and personal
preferences in communicating, and it’s no secret that some even let their people (in some cases
the experts) do the communicating on their behalf. Internally it embodies the trust you have in
your people, but externally if the leader's communications are solidly connected and aligned that
narrative goes along way.

In General Stanley McChrystal's (USA Retired) latest leader playbook: Operating in Crisis: A
Leader's Guide he states some of the drawbacks of leaders operating in a crisis mode are:

Moving too quickly, being rash and overly directive, overly consensus-driven, slow and inefficient,
abdicating responsibility, and worse, indecisive, paralyzed by analysis and giving little direction.

He share a counter to these crisis-induced behaviors as leaders that must be inclusive, decisive,
fast, empathetic, calm and use data to drive decisions. These behaviors will go a long way in
aligning AU's communications to the priorities we mentioned.

Centers and Schools Guidance:

We encourage our individual schools, courses and organizations to:

1. Demonstrate through communications how your organization, school or department is
supporting priorities of AU and reimagining what you do.
2. Demonstrate how you challenge conventional perceptions about the Value and the
contribution of AU to the Air Force, DoD and greater communities.
3. Be bold but professional.
4. Consider all of the above-mentioned priorities to best connect to your audiences.
5. Support all of your messaging with facts rather than leading with facts.
6. First understand our audiences and the motivations behind their behaviors. Be diverse: The
Air Force has one largest cultural tool boxes in the world! Use it!

Our university has a powerful opportunity to create lasting value for everyone we serve. Each
year our courses and schools work in three stages:

1. Potential students, before a class, school or course (just a critical as current students)
2. During the courses, schools and classes
3. After leaving AU

Simply inundating or increasing the amount of messaging over social media is not enough for
audiences to get the message, let alone trust you. Messaging must be targeted, purposeful and
valuable. Leaders must develop targeted communications that align with their audiences. The
new normal is concentrating on the relationship we build with our customers will be more
important than the products and services we offer to them.

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Up next: Strategy: Getting Started

Strategy – Getting Started
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Friday, March 27, 2020
9:34 AM

Social media strategy

GETTING STARTED
If you want to get a social media account for your organization it must be approved by Air University
Public Affairs. The policy (AFI 35-107, Pubic Web Communications, 20 March 2017) paragraph 4. Roles
and Responsibilities states "Units below wing-level should demonstrate a need to the wing Public Affairs
office to have official social media presences since wing-level presence is sufficient to meet most units’
public communication needs. In the event a unit elects to establish a social media presence without the
local public affairs office consent, it will be the unit commander’s responsibility to ensure that the unit’s
page is compliant with the guidelines outlined in this AFI." Air University is the wing-level approval
authority for this policy.

At a stage of maturity, determined by AU/PA, your organization can be authorized its own separate
organizational account. Factors considered, content popularity, and mission alignment, frequency and
relevance to Air Force Issues. You can get the policy here.

What's Your Strategy?

Four basic principles to any good social media strategy:

1. Who are you talking to? 3. How are you targeting

Know your audience: where they content? Know your voice: relay it
are online and what do they talk consistently and frequently to keep
about (social listening)? your audiences engaged.

2. Where can you find them?
Know your channels: align your
social media platform to your
audiences and the content you
produce for each channel.
4. What are you targeting them
with? Know your content: have a
clear content strategy in place that
reflects audience needs, your strategic
considerations and your channel
strategy.

Everyone in Air University can ask these questions and come up with a response that best
fits your organization.
Take a look at the demographics data to determine best to approach content posts.
The Social Media Demographics for 2019.

1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: Social listening

Social listening is the backbone of any good social media
strategy and should be considered step one when starting a new
channel, account or Campaign.
It allows companies to hear what stakeholders are discussing
online by using keywords and search terms that track
conversations. It can provide insights that inform what content
we produce, what channels or platforms we place it on, and
measure how effective it is. If you are not listening you can't
make informed decisions about how to improve your image and
your offerings.

2. KNOW YOUR CHANNELS: Aligning your message with

the right channel
Content differs across channels; what might work well for
Twitter may not work on
Facebook. This is because your audiences and their actions vary
by channel.
A channel is a social media platform. AU uses FaceBook,
Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. More and more
channels are emerging every day. Staying on top of the changes
can be a job in itself but knowing the basics is a good first step.
See next section for “Channel by channel: what they are good
for”

3. KEEPING OUR VOICE CONSISTENT

Everything we do online should consistently reflect Volvo
Construction Equipment’s promises and values, and Volvo
brand guidelines.
“When crafting social media efforts, always keep Air University's
brand values in mind.” AU's tone of voice springs from our
professional education and research missions, our priorities and
our way of
thinking. It is an expression of ourselves – the Airmen behind
the brand.
Channels and What they are Good For
EX: Who: Captain 0-3, SrA-SSgt, E-4/5, Civilian Ages 18-29
Where: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn
How: Empowering, engaging
What: Building the future of the Air Force, Leadership, Officership

If you are unsure about the requirements for each channel's visual and other
content.

Channel by channel detailed requirement's.

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Up Next: How to Master Social Media

Back to Main TOC

How to Master

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

Aligning Strategy and Organization’s Priorities
Content is the fuel for any social media effort. Without it, your social media channels will be very quiet
and empty. It is important to ensure that your content supports your wider business objectives and
communications plans for Air University.
Why is content so important?
Ensure cohesiveness in our messaging, so that everything we put out is consistent. The more consistent
content is branded as AU, the more brand trust increases and search engine algorithms will rank your
content higher in search results as trusted sources.
Social Media allows AU to establish our brand and express who we are what we do and show our value.
Always associate your LinkedIn account to Air University. Always state in your other channels that you
are a member of Air University, School/Center/Org. Doing this ensures your content is consumed and
shared are more organizations.
Increases visibility and thought leadership in networks we might not physically operate in. Helps us
package our experience, expertise and perspectives on topics and issues relevant to the Air Force.
Analyzes trends in our audience interests as well as geographic patterns
Maximizes our return on intellectual investments with low cost, high effects to wide spectrum of
audiences.

Air University vision, mission and priorities.

Current Vision: “The intellectual and leadership-development center of the Air and Space Forces.”
Current Mission: “Educate and develop Air, Space and Cyberspace warrior leaders ISO the National
Defense Strategy.”

Priorities:
Production: Produce Air and Space Force leaders needed to meet Department of the Air Force
Requirements.
Faculty: Recruit high quality faculty, develop them during their time at AU, and advance them
professionally upon departure
Curriculum/Scholarship: Develop and maintain curriculum and produce thought content that is
relevant, responsive and accessible to National Defense and Department of the Air Force stakeholders.
Students: Attract an intellectually and functionally diverse student body, develop them during their
time at AU, and deliberately outplace them to advance professionally.
Quality of Life: Make AU a preferred destination for permanent party, students and families.

What are you wanting to do?

• Generate Awareness?
• Share Expertise?
• Position AU as a Thought Leader?
 • Engage in customer conversations?
• Develop a network?

Today’s challenge is making sure our content stands out and gets noticed, especially since AU is a
military organization. Sticky content is content that is both memorable and shareable (“it sticks”). It
therefore drives increased engagement ensuring the widest distribution of our message. The next two
pages look at how to create sticky content and offer an overview of the types of content formats that
are available.

The 3 I’s to Sticky Content

Content is King! The entire internet is content, and whether it’s a tweet, Facebook post, blog post or
video we are competing with the globe. It must be memorable, and sharable to help drive increased
engagement and ensure the widest distribution possible. Your content must jump out and over all the
other noise on the internet. That is called “sticky content”.
It’s extremely hard for your content to represent all things to all people. Using the three I’s can make it
easy for everyone to follow.
be Interesting: It’s difficult for your content to be interesting to everyone, which is where our primary
audiences come into play. Understanding who will be interested is the critical link to sticky content. It
helps if your content is interesting to other audiences as well, and that happens when its likeble and
most of all, sharable. The more sharable the more “sticky” it becomes. Keep track of interest topics to
see how people react to each one.
be Informative: Being informative is another means to add to the stickiness of your content. Air
University is in the education business, we educate…that’s what we do. Informing our audiences and
asking for their views will put them in the content actually keeps them engaged and develops a
connection. Being informative also builds trust in your content as an authentic source people will come
back to.
be Inspiring: perfection is over-rated, so don’t try to be perfect, that is not very inspiring. Using
empathy and aligning comments to primary audiences will get them on your side to share and engage
on the content. Inspiring groups of people will help the trust factor in that the content appears genuine
as well as inspiring. When groups get inspired they share the content and it continues in cycles.

Content Types
We will need to produce content in two ways: milestone
content and always-on, sustained content.

1. Milestone content: content that is produced and published around a specific milestone, therefore
time sensitive, includes content such as an announcement of new senior leader, a new aircraft coming
on line, workshop, product launch, campaign or conference.
2. Always-on Content: content that is not time sensitive
that allows you to regularly (and consistently) publish
based on your content strategy. Includes content such as
Air University thought leadership, updates, and
perspectives on issues or trends. During our 10 months
schools consistent updates about course changes, or
course updates and local environment announcements.
Content formats
Social media is constantly evolving, providing us with new and exciting ways to communicate our
messages. Below is an overview of the types of content formats - both visual and written:

WRITTEN CONTENT
• WHAT: every tweet, post or update are forms of written content and
will vary by channel depending on requirements. Twitter has a limit
of 240 characters, however a blog provides a platform for long form
content and can help put more detailed information across (note this
should always be paired with visual content as mentioned above).
• WHY: written content offers more detail and explicitly outlines a Volvo
Construction Equipment story.
• HOW: these can and should be written frequently and can come in
multiple formats such as “on-the-road” style blog posts, interviews,
thought leadership articles, opinion pieces, story modules of a multipart
series and business features (including news, business updates
or events).
• WHERE: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blog / Website

VISUAL CONTENT
• WHAT: Photos, visuals and imagery from Air University. These can be
designed elements or photographs from our media library or local imagery
banks.
• WHY: Using visuals makes a post more aesthetically pleasing and
improves its visibility, listing and shareability.
• HOW: Use Air University media libraries and DVIDS content to make sure
you are using owned content, or share from external sources (but be sure
to credit). Always ensure the equipment and people in your images follow
brand and safety guidelines.
• WHERE: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blog / Website, Instagram
Infographics
• WHAT: Visual (or “graphic”) representations of information. Infographics
can come in many formats; they can be long-form infographics that tell a
story (for example a timeline) or one-off stats and facts (for example, the
number of Air University Airmen worldwide).
• WHY: Presents information in a concise, eye-catching, engaging and
digestible manner, catering to an audience with a short attention span and
lack of patience.
• HOW: There are free tools available to help you create infographics
however; it is highly recommended that you work with the
Communications & Outreach office to produce these. Using graphics
artists or individuals that are trained imagery professionals that can help.
• WHERE: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

(Animated) GIFs:
• WHAT: A basic Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is a static or animated
image that is an incredibly useful social media tool.
• WHY: Often informal (and humorous) they are a dynamic and
lighthearted way to illustrate a message on social media.
• HOW: GIFs can be produced through online generators, although when
using Volvo content please always pass through a designer instead due to
copyright rules. Often pre-existing GIFs are taken from well-known cultural
references.
• WHERE: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

VIDEO CONTENT
• WHAT: Moving images or media that can tell a story and transmit a
message directly to the consumer. Videos should have a Call to Action that
invites the users to a blog or website. What does the video mean to the
viewer, and why should they watch it. What results do you want from the
viewer. 60-90 Seconds long max.
• WHY: Easy to view and digest (passive watching versus active reading).
• HOW: Videos should be designed to be “shareable.” They do not always
have to be professionally done; nowadays videos shot on iPhones or other
devices can be of very high quality.
• WHERE: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn (If you choose to post a
video on Facebook, load it natively to Facebook, and do not use links to
videos)
“Air University’s YouTube channel is a great medium for posting “how-to”
content videos, about us, and a day in the life videos. YouTube videos are
easily integrated into other blogs, platforms and sites versus Facebook or
twitter videos.
(for example, YouTube can show a student the value of our university and
be used as a brand awareness tool)”

Live video
• WHAT: Live video formats are live feeds filmed and streamed in real-
time.
They are becoming increasingly popular for covering events or
conferences.
• WHY: “Going live” gives consumers immediate access to an
event or organization– it could give our customers an inside look at
Air University and how we work – overall a strong
promotional way of discussing Air University online.
• HOW: You can include a live video by simply ensuring you have a
camera and device connected to appropriate channels

• Where: Facebook, Instagram or YouTube

AIR UNIVERSITY'S VOICE ONLINE
A consistent voice is important for building a relationship with your audience.

When you cultivate a voice that the audience can relate to, they more than likely share Air
University's messages and put their own words to them.

The AU brand social media voice:

• Character: professional, confident, inspiring
• Tone: Engaging, empowering, personal
• Language: simple, concise, informative, reasoning

AU’s voice IS AU's voice CAN BE AU’s voice TALKS IN ORDER

• competent not arrogant • challenging but never aggressive TO
• intelligent not intellectual • witty but never ironic or sarcastic • explain but not lecture
• sympathetic not flattering • powerful but never grand • reveal but not just describe
• prove but never just claim

For further information on AU's voice online please refer to: Air University's Social Media Voice and
Tone.

Sharing great content (that isn’t yours)

Social sharing is the practice of taking content from elsewhere (another person or
organization’s channel) and re-posting it or sharing it through your own. This can be a post,
image, video, or article, for example. But remember! When sharing others’ content, you
need to cite the authors and may need certain permissions depending on the channel. It is
also important to respect regional copyright laws when posting or sharing photos and other
Imagery that is not yours. A good practice is to coordinate any sharing of others content with
Public Affairs.

• On Instagram: you need to cite the original source by mentioning where the original
picture came from and tagging the original source (if it cannot be tagged, type their name
in the post). Especially corporate or trademarked information.

• On Facebook: simply make sure to cite your original source if you feed their content into
your own post.
• On Twitter: “retweeting” does not require any permission. When using the integrated
retweet button the letters “RT” will automatically be placed before the users name at the
beginning of the tweet you are sharing (if not don’t forget to add this in yourself!). Best
practice is to add a comment or line of encouragement when retweeting to demonstrate
active engagement as opposed to passive sharing.

PLANNING CONTENT: EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Editorial calendars help to plan where and when your content will be published. This calendar will also
act as a simple overview of your social media activities. Setting up your calendar: there are many
content publishing tools available but the simplest form is to use an Excel spreadsheet to develop your
calendar. This should include the following fields:

Date the piece of content will be published
2. Topic or Headline
3. Content (the detail and wording of your post)
4. Keywords that inform hashtag use (based on
the topic and issues being discussed)
5. Author of the content
6. Owner of the content (i.e. who is in charge of
making sure the content makes it from ideation
to publication and promotion)
7. Channel (where it will be posted)
8. Time of post (so posts are evenly spread and
targeted to maximize engagement – more on
how to find out optimal posting times below)
9. Additional fields: character count (especially
for Twitter); authors or internal people to be
referenced and their information (Twitter handle
or LinkedIn link)
The best way to figure out what works best
for your audience, and therefore leads to the
most
engagement, is to test your content at
different times on your different channels.
Look at past
interactions on your profile, as well as similar
profiles, such as those of competitors in the
same
time zone, and analyze what receives the
most engagement. This will vary by market,
channel
and season so this should be an ongoing part
of social listening analysis.

There are two elements to consider when it comes to

posting on social media:
The best way to figure out what works best for your
audience, and leads to more
engagement, is to test your content at different times on
different channels. Look at past
interactions on your profile, as well as similar profiles,
such as those of competitors in the same
time zone, and analyze what receives the most
engagement. This will vary by market, channel
and season so this should be an ongoing part of social
listening analysis.
 1. Peak Time: post when 2. Off-Peak Time: post
most when less
people are online. This people are online. With
increases fewer
the chance of your posts to compete with
audience your posts
seeing your posts on may receive more
their exposure as a
newsfeed or timeline result.

Optimal Frequency for channels:

• Twitter: x3 posts per day

• Facebook: x2 posts per day
• LinkedIn: x1 post per day
• Instagram: x1 post per day
 If you’re providing good information to your audience
base and posting consistently, you are keeping your
organization in front of your audience members several
times a day. Many people constantly check their social
media accounts, if you know the right way to add value to
your audience’s life and online experience through posts,
your brand’s name will be fresh in their mind.

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Up Next: Social Media Management
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Social media management:

THE BASICS
The Air University Social Media Manager
DAILY
• Respond to inbound social messages
• Monitor brand mentions
• Respond to brand mentions
• Find new customers or influencers online
• Engage with potential customers
• Create conversations with brand advocates
• Upload the content from your social
editorial calendar
• Post to channels
• Write or create blog post
WEEKLY
• Engage with thought leaders
• Discuss tactics with your team
• Align to business partners (marketing and
communications) to ensure upcoming
events are captured in your editorial
calendar
• Run social media analytics
• Encourage sharing through employee
networks

MONTHLY QUARTERLY
• Analyze performance – what posts worked, • Review and adjust quarterly goals
what didn’t • Assess KPIs
• Augment your strategy • Gauge team capacity and needs
• Attend events and conferences
• Work with other departments to ensure
editorial calendar is up to date
• Report success back to team
• Brainstorm more ideas
Account Management
Managing a social media account is a constant and ongoing process but setting the groundwork at the beginning
can be as important as the day-to-day running:

Starting an account

When starting an account, remember to:

1. Choose your account name or handle carefully, this is the one element you will often not
be able to amend later on. This must include the business entity name or company name
and country.

2. Ensure the email you use will have longevity so as not to lose key account access if personnel
or management change. This should be built into your existing generic inbox.

3. Add design elements: profile photo and header photo. The Volvo iron mark is the primary
brand identifier in all social media.

4. Include details: write biography/description, set location, and insert link to Volvo Construction
Equipment homepage (making sure to link to the page most relevant for your
target audience and market).

5. Assess whether to enable or disable your location (if you tweet whilst travelling do you
want this to be reflected? Can be good to demonstrate that you are ‘on-site’ for an event,
but otherwise may be distracting).
Mind your manners! Social media etiquette
Every channel has its own exclusive ways of working and interacting but any social media manager should
remember to stay true to the AU brand by:

• Not trying to directly force
products online (you’ll quickly
lose credibility).
• Checking out the people who
want to follow and befriend
you (they might not be what
they seem).
• Remembering that if
someone does not follow you
back or want to be your friend…
that is ok.
• Never posting or engaging when
you’re overly tired or jet-lagged (try
to stick to pre-scheduled content on
the calendar).
• Checking your posts for grammar
and spelling before you send them
(use Word).
• Not trying to sell direct online
(you’ll quickly lose credibility).
• Checking out the people who want
to follow and befriend you (they
might not be what they seem).
• Remembering that if someone does
not follow you back or want to be your
friend… that is ok.
• Never posting or engaging when
you’re overly tired or jet-lagged (try to
stick to pre-scheduled content on the
calendar).
• Checking your posts for grammar
and spelling before you send them
(use Word).

PII, Copyright and Sensitive Data

Use of social media tools to copy, publish or transmit any DoD material protected by applicable law is
prohibited.
It is also important to respect local copyright laws when posting or sharing photos and other
imagery. Always make sure to give credit to any third parties that originally authored content
you are sharing. Never share any PII, yours or anyone else's, over social media.

Employees are not to publish posts or release any information that is considered confidential or
not public, avoid topics such as:
• Financial and budget information
• Operational plans
• Personnel Moves
• Political Opinions
• Crisis, pandemic, or disaster information. (See Public Affairs guidance)
• Offensive or inappropriate anything.
• Anything about persons underage including pictures.
• Legal, medical, financial, or acquisition information.
For a more comprehensive look at ethical and appropriate release of information start with our
public affairs office at (334) 953-2014 or if you have questions please visit
https://www.maxwell.af.mil/Contact-Us/. For additional resources please visit
https://dodcio.defense.gov/DoD-Web-Policy/. A good starting place is “The Standards of Conduct as
Applied to Personal Social Media Use” located at
https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/0/16D5B5EB7E5DE11A85257E96005FBF13/$FILE/LA-15-03-
2.pdf.
Key ways to help drive traffic to your
channels
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): By consistently and diligently tagging the content on your blog
or website you can ensure everything that is developed is easily searchable.

2. Amplification/secured reach: Attention is the most precious of all commodities – organic reach
alone is not always enough. Amplification of content can help break through the clutter in a crowded
media landscape. Securing content placement and syndication tactics across a wide variety of digital
platforms can include: social ads and promoted posts, email marketing, search engine optimization,
mobile ads etc. For further support or questions regarding amplification, please do contact regional
support or your regional
marketing contact.

3. Signatures: An action as simple as linking to your social channels and platforms from an email
signature can itself have widespread effect, amongst customers, colleagues and third parties.

4. Events: Promoting the social channels at all Volvo Construction Equipment events is another
driver of traffic.
5. Cross-Channel Promoting. I does create more work but plugging one's products while plugging
ones products exposes viewers to items they might not be otherwise exposed to. You want to be the
first and most effective cross-promoter on social media.
6. #Hashtags. Hashtags are way more effective at figuring out your reach, sentiment and influence
than 3 or 4 years ago. Companies and causes make entire campaigns around hashtags. Its truly
the only way you can find out where your messages go. For example. you can post content and very
easily find how it did in terms of likes, visits, shares, etc. What hashtags do for your content is that it
can go much deeper and far beyond the first level analytics numbers. Hashtags can actually show a
path by which your content was shared by showing you where it showed up. The real trick is finding
relevant hashtags and consistently marketing them in the right places.
Up Next: Engaging on Social Media
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Engaging on:
SOCIAL MEDIA
When thinking about engagement, do not think of it as a singular interaction with a customer or
interested party on social media. Once we choose to engage through an account, the relationship
becomes one of sustained interaction, will a level of expectation from the audience’s side as to our
level of response.
In today's connected world, any online endeavor requires resources, in both employee time and
energy, and engagement will require more time and resources but the payoff in terms of online
response and activity make the investment well worth it. Social Media is no different, more than
requiring resources to develop and maintain a good social media engagement presence, a solid
content strategy must provide the clearest path to engage on social media.

Just blasting hundreds of tweets, grams, posts out across social media is not
enough to get people to listen. Its critically important to understand who you are
blasting to and have a clear understanding of what their motivations are to even
listen to your messages. Its very difficult to get this type of granular data from DoD
Personnel. The way industry does it is to pay for targeted ads that get in front of
specific demographics. Those demographics are obtained by various surveying and
pulsing activities through social media and website traffic. The Air Force is very
restrictive in even asking for information from visitors and interactions over social
media. OPSEC policies ask Airman to adhere to rules when it comes to providing PII
and or sensitive data.

The Dollar Value of Social

The idea behind social media engagement
is to get people into your conversion funnel.
The ultimate value of the funnel, path
through the funnel, and how long person
will stay in there varies from organization to
organization.
While industry uses a funnel to depict sales,
Air University uses the same concept for
that is relevant to social media.
The awareness level is the top of the
funnel. When a member from your
audience, discovers that you have social
media networks set up and begins following
you, they have become aware.
The interest level is when the audience
members keep watching you because they
are interested in what you have to say –
your content has proven useful to them.
Desire is when the audience member wants
what you have to offer.
Action. Signing up for a study or joining a
subscription list are examples of action. A
“like” on Facebook or a retweet on Twitter
are examples of actions as well.
Advocacy. Advocacy is the “sale” stage for
social media. A person may not be on board
right away, but advocacy is when they will
tell a friend about you. This is the kind of
thinking and activity that turns into
conversion and engages in conversations
over social media.

Direct Messaging (DM)

For both Instagram and Twitter, direct messaging is integrated into all accounts. On
Facebook, Page Messaging is a feature that Page Admins can turn on and off, and
once you enable messaging for your Page, people will expect you to respond and you
will receive a badge evaluating your response rate (look after it!).

Questions and comments

Always respond in a timely manner to audience questions and comments and it is
good practice to check back in after conversations to ensure whomever you were
responding to, especially if you were helping them, is satisfied with the interaction.
Across all channels, retweet and share relevant audience comments and photos to
reward engagement and cultivate relationships

Negative with the Positive

Opening up to engagement on social media invariably means opening the door to
criticism and negative comments on some occasions. This is why so often social
media managers are wary of engaging on social media in the first place, but do keep
in mind that not all criticism is bad.
Criticism can be a great opportunity to display Air University’s values, and if you
respond well, can generate positive engagement from the wider community.
Responding within a 12 hour window is good practice across channels, but when in
doubt, you can use our assess and respond guide to help craft an appropriate
response and handle more complex negative crisis as they arise.
Part I

HOW TO ASSESS AND RESPOND TO

COMMENTS OR POSTS
In every response, it is important to remember that staying positive is very critical in online forums.
Social media are public forums and real-time; once information is published it is considered “on the
record” and can be used by the media – and others – as such.
Even mor critical to the success when faced with a complex comment or post is to stay away from
security concerns like Personally Identifiable Information or OPSEC information.
You don't know who is on the other end of that comment or negative post. Its always good to have a
formal comment policy drawn up and reviewed by legal, then have it as part of your response.
Please refer to AFI 35-107, Paragraph 3.3.1.11 for more information.

You can always take it off the current platform and provide a contact us form through the website.
IDENTIFY RESPOND MONITOR

Always contact Air University Public Affairs office if you think the comments and
responses could be or is a crisis. They have trained crisis response personnel on staff.
Part II
AVERT A CRISIS!
As you "monitor" comments from posts if you notice that continuing comments seem to be getting
more negative or spiraling out of control try these measures:
RISK
The U.S. Government is one of the worlds largest social media consumers. With that comes great
thought leadership, commitment to nation and global peace, but lurking in the shadows is an enormous
amount of risk. As we have seen over the last decade how presidential elections are influenced by social
media, we have also seen countries get over taken, as well as using social media to assist the afflicted
and underserved.

You must understand risk and be aware of how it can affect your mission, but the most critical aspect is
knowing how to control it , mitigate it and counter its affects...like an expert. Not even because of
tweets can get out of control, or ISIS using cat Memes on Facebook, its more about the actual
information we release in the wild. While written in 2011 this guide is still extremely relevant today.
The GAO report on protecting information through social media.
[https://www.gao.gov/assets/330/320244.pdf]

Use the information to assess, interpret and craft your own risk plan.

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Up Next: Anatomy of Good Social Media Posts

Facebook Privacy Settings

Twitter Privacy Settings
Instagram Privacy Settings
LinkedIn Privacy Settings
Anatomy of Social Media Posts
Back to Main TOC

ANATOMY OF A
GREAT SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Content that speaks to and engages the right audience is the Key!
Let's look at what you are up against. Like we stated earlier, each platform is a channel,
and people are drawn to channels they enjoy and fits their preference of consuming
information. Here is a look at the channel demographic breakdown.
In this section we will provide some suggested ways that will help you create a great post. We have
included information for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. We will also provide some
appropriate examples of posts so you can see what they look like.

If you need images please use the Defense Visual Information Distribution library first. Its owned and
operated by Defense Media and it’s a great resource of content that is not copyrighted and published
for public release. You must register for an account to download high resolution images and videos.
https://www.dvidshub.net

Please keep in mind the Communications and Outreach directorate does not have pride in authorship,
and we welcome corrections, suggestions and ideas. When using this section please criticize directly
and praise in open channels!
Anatomy of a great Facebook post
Facebook is no longer a family and friends network. Successful organizations and businesses are
using it to brand products and services. Users expect videos and images with engaging content,
however, families still use it to stay in touch. Encourage engagement!
Stay positive. Facebook users tend to share and interact with inspiring, funny, and life-affirming
pieces, like events, memes, quotes and love short video clips.
Pose questions, tell stories, and use language that encourages commenting and interaction with
your page. Images sized to 403 x 403 pixels or higher will look the best in the newsfeed column.
Develop a following by interacting with users often, updating older posts to freshen the content and
making it about them (and You). Check out our Facebook Smart Card.
Post often, but not too often. Use #hashtags to quickly see what resonates with followers. Using
#hashtags not only make your content more searchable it allows you to track your conversations,
and content across the Internet. Facebook is a channel, not just a post, having measured success
requires you to employ every technique available to ensure you can pinpoint any refinements.
Mention your followers. Especially if it involves a parent brand or influencers that you need in the
conversation. Using the @ to mention an account name will pay forward for spreading the word in
their networks and show your credibility by giving them a mention in your post.
Anatomy of a great Instagram post
Pictures are the heart and soul of Instagram, but the trick is to tell a story rather than simply focus
on a product.
Use block colors (“blocks” of bold, bright shades from a palette of two or more colors) to make your
images stand out from the rest.
Develop your brand’s own recognizable visual style. You can start by consistently using one or two
filters that fits with your company image.
#Hashtags are integral to promoting your product, service, or brand on Instagram. Use industry- or
location-specific #hashtags—do some research on which ones are popular.
Start your own #hashtag campaign by getting your friends and followers involved. Track them and be
epic!
Anatomy of a great LinkedIn post
LinkedIn is a business- and career-centric platform, so welcome the opportunity to offer your
expertise on a subject that relates to your audience. Pretend it’s a company dinner party—maintain
your real, but professional, voice and don’t be boring.
Keep it short. Two or three sentences is all you need for an intro before an external link. Give your
audience just enough to know why you shared it and what it means to them.
Stay interested to be more interesting. Reply to those who comment on your posts and like any of
their content that has value for you. Commenting on your own post can open up conversation as
well, which leads to more engagement and increased visibility.
Tagging people or companies that you are connected to adds authority to your posts. Make sure the
posts are related and will be welcomed by those you are tagging.
Don’t forget the power of images on LinkedIn. When you share a link, the main image is what your
audience will see in their feed. A succinct, relevant message with a vibrant image will get more
attention than a simple text-based post.
Anatomy of a great Tweet
Keep Tweets between 200 and 210 characters of the 240 character limit so others can modify or add
short notes before retweeting.
Take the time to write a proper sentence (yes, including grammar and punctuation) that fits within the
character limit.
Encourage conversation and build your audience by posing questions to elicit curiosity, quoting others
(with proper citation), and thanking those who mention you or pass your message along.
Twitter is the birthplace of the hashtag in modern social media usage. Use the hashtag often, and
wisely. (Don’t overdo it with the number of hashtags, though, or your Tweet won’t get as much
traction.) 2-3 #hashtags get the best engagement.
Shorten links to get the most out of your Twitter real estate. Be mindful of each platforms link
shortening platform to find one that fits your needs. Keep in mind that most shortened URLs are
blocked by many U.S. Government organizations including the U.S. Military. Some link shortening
services offer tracking if your analytics service doesn't. We've got you covered with a government link
shortening service called Go USA.gov. Its free and has its own click metrics. Go.USA.gov only shortens
government URLs - that is: .mil, .gov, .fed.us, .si.edu and .state.xx.us URLs. Note: the links are
permanent and cannot be deleted. You must register for an account to use it. Check it out.
Bright, strong images that accompany Tweets increase engagement and retweets.
Maintain your brand personality. You don’t want to sound like a robot!
BONUS

After Google, YouTube is the second most-used search engine on the internet. If your social
media content includes video content (which it should), make sure you follow a few of these
social media best practices to make sure your content shows up in searches:

• Keywords, Keywords, Keywords: In your title, tags, description, and anywhere else you
can fit them, make sure your video uses high-value, relevant keywords.

• Closed Captioning: Do you ever try to watch a video in public, but skip right over it if it
doesn’t have subtitles or captioning? Don’t be one of those videos. Add closed captioning
to your video content to make it more accessible for viewers and give Google even more
keywords to pull from.

• Use Add Cards and End Screens: Tell viewers what you want them to do next. Cards and
end screens give them opportunities to click through to see more of your content, visit
your website, or check out other channels you support.

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Up Next: Terminology
Terminology
Back to Main TOC

Analytics: Analytics tell you what happened. In general, this involves using technology to
gather data which you can study and interpret, looking for patterns in behavior.
AU: Air University

CC or via: These two abbreviations are used to give credit to another Twitter user or source
for the content tweeted.

Clickbait - Clickbait is a term to describe marketing or advertising material that employs a

sensationalized headline to attract clicks. They rely heavily on the "curiosity gap" by creating
just enough interest to provoke engagement.

Channel: A social media channel is term to describe each platform of social media. The
term "Channel" became very popular in online marketing.

Direct Message: Direct messages - also referred to as “DMs” - are private conversations that
occur on Twitter. Both parties must be following
one another to send a message.

Disqus - Disqus is a comment system and moderation tool for your site. This service lets you
add community management and social web integration to any site on any platform.

Endorsement: An endorsement on LinkedIn refers to another LinkedIn user recognizing you

for one of the skills you have listed on your profile.

Engagement Rate - Engagement rate is a popular social media metric used to describe the
amount of interaction -- likes, shares, comments -- a piece of content receives.

Favorite or Like: To favorite a tweet or Like a post means to mark them as one of your
favorites.

Geotag: A geotag is the directional coordinates that can be attached to a piece of content
online. This can be great to demonstrate your presence at an event, but should be avoided if
you are travelling and don’t want to promote your location.

Handle: Handle is the term used to describe someone’s @username on Twitter. This can
also be used for Instagram and refers to the name of the user, but on both Instagram and
Facebook users are most often referred to as accounts.

Hashtag: A Hashtag is a #symbol in front of keywords. Its commonly used to search for or
track activity on a particular word. Hashtags are like keywords on steroids. The more specific
the hashtag the more granular the insights you can get from the word and the more
meaning you can get from the activity. For more in-depth information on hashtags take a
look at Content Marketing Institutes #hashtagology 101.

Link Shortening: This has become all the rage over the last two or three years, simply
because some URLs are a mile long with symbols, numbers and letters that no one can
remember and obviously does not relate to the content. Popular link shortening services
become so popular the social media platforms themselves automatically shorten links and
allow users to select a service to do that. Shortened links pose a problem for military
organizations because they are blocked over email and web browsers. Understand why you
should shorten, and if done correctly will pay big dividends in the way people consume your
information.

Mention: A mention is like giving a shout out, but more useful. By using the @ symbol in
social medial you can add accounts that are relevant to your post. For example: If you are
happy to share an article with your colleagues you should consider mentioning the Author
with the @theiraccountname. This way they can see where their information is going, and
they may also share your posts and give you a shoutout as well. Its good social media
reciprocity and developed critical trust and respect among influencers.

Page/Group: These are terms used on Facebook to refer to different types of accounts, or
groups of users. A business on Facebook will often create a ‘page’ rather than a user
account to differentiate their activity. Anyone is able to then start a group, to bring users with
similar interests together in a dedicated space.

Retweet: Also can be uses as RT on twitter, is a Twitter action that allows a user to respond
to a tweet through a separate tweet that begins with the other user’s @username. This
differs from a mention, because tweets that start with an @username only appear in the
timelines of users who follow both accounts, unless you insert a period before the handle.
On Facebook, this refers to a comment beneath a comment, you are then “replying” to the
original comment. Retweet (RT): A retweet is someone else’s tweet that you chose to share
with all of your followers. You can use the built-in retweet feature or you can manually
retweet content by copying and pasting it into a new tweet of your own.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving the volume or quality of unpaid
traffic to a website from search engines. There are many aspects to SEO, from terms and
phrases (keywords) that generate traffic to your website to the way other sites link to you on
the web.

Sharing: Social sharing is the practice of taking content from elsewhere (another person or
organization’s channel) and re-posting it or sharing it through your own. This can be a post,
image, video, or article, for example. This is especially used for Facebook as the retweet
function is not available.
Tag: A link to a user’s profile. Users can be “tagged” in photos or status updates.

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