2016 National 4-H Week Social Media Toolkit This toolkit provides sample messaging to promote National 4-H Week to the following audiences: Alumni, Youth, Volunteers/Professionals Key Hashtags:
Primary: #4HGrown Secondary: #TrueLeaders Platform Focus:
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Tips:
1. Always use the Hashtag, #4HGrown, on all posts. 2. Add images of youth, alumni or volunteers to accompany your posts 3. Add [state/county] name or tag state handles/pages where appropriate.
Alumni Focused: Our history starts with our #4Hgrown alumni! Proud to spotlight you this National 4 -H Week! If you have 4-H to thank for your drive, courage & determination today, you are #4HGrown! Show your pride this National 4-H Week! We want our #4HGrown alum in [state/county] to show your pride this National 4-H Week! Share the impact 4-H has had in your life.
Youth Focused: This National 4-H Week, [state/county] is proud to celebrate the #TrueLeaders we raise to be #4HGrown!
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Growing #TrueLeaders today means having the support of #4HGrown alumni tomorrow. Join us in celebrating 4-H'ers this National 4-H Week! You're never too young to be #4HGrown! 4-H'ers, show your pride this National 4-H Week!
Volunteer/Professional Focused: This National 4-H Week, we honor the adult volunteers who mentor and educate #Tr ueLeaders. Because of your support, you are #4HGrown! When it comes to being #4HGrown, it starts with the support of adult volunteers. This National 4 -H Week, we celebrate you! [State/county] volunteers do the work they do because of who #TrueLeaders will become: #4HGrown!
General: #4HGrowsHere! And together, from youth to alumni to volunteers, we are ALL #4HGrown! If 4-H has made an impact on your life, you are #4HGrown! Show your pride this National 4 -H Week.
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4‐H Social Media Post Tip Sheet Your submission should include: A digital image o 400 x 400 pixels o Maximum file size of 2 MB o .jpg, .gif, or .png file format Brief text (a caption or statement) that can be posted on Facebook along with the image What kind of content is appropriate for your social media post? Appeals to a majority of fans/followers Calls to action (Examples: Join 4‐H! or Become a volunteer today! or Share the impact 4‐H has had in your life.) Success stories of relatable 4‐H programs Community service efforts in Washington County Examples of the life‐long impact of 4‐H participation (life skills learned, relationships built, etc.)
Appealing Images: Posts with photos receive the highest amount of engagement on social media. Use a clear, captivating image that will stand out when people are scrolling through a Facebook feed. Make sure that you have permission to use someone’s image if you are using it in your post. You can add the 4‐H/UW‐Extension co‐branded logo to a picture through www.canva.com.
Provide Valuable Information: People engage more with posts that provide information they find valuable. Use real‐life stories of 4‐H impact, or cite some of the research that demonstrates 4‐H’s long‐term impact, such as the Tufts Study of Positive Youth Development. You could also inform people about 4‐H’s focus on science, citizenship, healthy living, and more.
Keep it Short & Sweet: Choose your words thoughtfully as you write the text that will accompany your post. To shorten a link and conserve the character count, use a website like bit.ly or goo.gl.
Grammar: Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling when creating text or adding words to an image.
Call to Action: Make it clear what you want your followers to do after they read your post. Do you want them to visit our website? Come to an event? Join 4‐H? Link to the Washington County 4‐H website, the How to Join page, or the county events calendar to help the reader know what to do next.
Give Credit: If you plan on using any content from other sources; cite them, link to the source, or reference the contact. You are not only protecting yourself from plagiarism and other legal charges, you are encouraging users to click back and forth from various websites at their leisure – the true essence of social media.
Connect with Others: Use key hashtags, such as #4HGrown or #TrueLeaders, to help people find posts around a similar topic. Find some relevant social media accounts related to 4‐H and tag them in your post. Check to make sure that it is an active account. That account may retweet/repost your information and help spread it to a wider audience! Sources: “How to Create the Perfect Social Media Post” by Neil Patel, 2015 http://www.quicksprout.com/2015/01/09/how‐to‐create‐the‐perfect‐social‐post/?display=wide “4‐H Social Media Guide” from the National 4‐H Council http://www.4‐h.org/uploadedFiles/Get_Involved/Social_Media/dashboard/4‐H%20SocialMediaBestPracticesGuide_FINAL.pdf Compiled by Brianna Stapleton Welch, 4‐H Youth Development Educator, UW‐Extension Washington County, August 2015 Revised by Megan Buehler, 4‐H Youth Development Program and Volunteer Coordinator, August 2016
4‐H Social Media Post Tip Sheet Check out these social media accounts for inspiration as you plan your post. These would also be good accounts to tag in your post submissions.
National 4‐H on Twitter: https://twitter.com/4H National 4‐H on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4‐h National 4‐H on Instagram: https://instagram.com/national4h/ Wisconsin 4‐H on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wisconsin4h UW‐Extension Washington County on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uwexwashco/ Washington County on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/washcowisco Washington County on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WashCoWisco
4‐H Social Media Post Tip Sheet Example 4‐H Social Media Posts
@4H: Read how the loss of a beloved pet resulted in confidence & acceptance: http://shout.lt/734b @Massachusett s4H
Why this post is effective: The image tells us that if we click the link, we will get to read a moving story about a youth finding a place to fit in. This will definitely capture followers’ attention. It cites the source of the quote, and has a call to action for 4‐H parents to share their stories of the impact 4‐H has had on their children. It also connects back to Massachussetts 4‐H, the original source of the story.
@4H: #STEM is for ALL! #4HNYSD Why this post is effective: The photo is a strong action shot with close‐ ups of youth faces. The 4‐H logo is clearly visible on the boy’s shirt. The quote is striking and fits the action shown in the photo. The post creator also made sure to reference who said the quote.
@4H: Reason #3 to join 4‐H: To lead. Check out all 31 reasons here: shout.lt/7SjH
Why this post is effective: It is bright and easy to read, without a lot of text cluttering it up. The quote is attributed to the right person. A link is included so that followers have a call to action to read more reasons why they should get involved with 4‐H.
4‐H Social Media Post Tip Sheet Other Example Social Media Posts
Why this post is effective: The moving image captures attention, and it uses hashtags related to a current event. The US Department of Veterans Affairs logo is used appropriately to give credit to the original source of the post.
Why this post is effective: Hashtags help connect this post to topics that people might be interested in as they search social media. The image captures people’s attention. It also shares important information that people would need to know if they wanted to participate in the Military Day admission special.
Why this post is effective: The post gives the essential information about who can participate in the opportunity. It also includes a shortened link to the site where people can sign up for the program.