It is important to keep your campaign page and your organization page engaging and clean. Sometimes we are impulsive and must post something as soon as we see it without understanding the consequences. Avoid these 12 mistakes on social media to maintain positive, clear, and effective communication.
1. Not Proofreading
Be sure and double check before posting or sending a tweet for spelling and grammar errors. If you do not correct it, someone will take a screenshot of your post to use against you.
2. Posting infrequently
The key to social media is that it is interactive. Candidates should post on social media everyday to engage voters with your message and your campaign. Republican Political organizations and clubs should post at least 3-4 times a week to help the Republican Party grow and get involved in your activities.
3. Not verifying sources
Do not post a source that is not verified. Some sources might be inaccurate or satire. It will make your campaign look bad if you don’t do your research.
4. All negative content
All negative content will hurt your campaign, for example, if you post insults about your opponent. It is one thing to share why you may disagree with your opponent on their policy but constant attacks are a negative reflection on your campaign.
5. Too many links
Posting too many links makes your posts less appealing. I suggest using Bitly, a free URL shortener. Just copy and paste the link and it will generate a shorter link for you.
6. Posting the wrong link
Try to avoid posting a link to the wrong source or a link to a website or source that no longer exists.
7. Arguing
Do not waste your time arguing. There will be trolls who will try and distract your campaign. If there is a troll comment, respond wisely without insulting them. Hide negative comments from trolls as well.
8. Too many Hashtags
Hashtags are used to target a specific audience. Using too many hashtags, especially if they do not relate to your campaign or organization, is unappealing and distracts viewers from your post.
9. Tagging the wrong organization page
Make sure you are tagging the correct social media page. Some organizations will have a public Facebook page and a private Facebook group page. Avoid tagging private Facebook group pages. Some county parties in different states have the same name. For example, if you are going to tag Duval County Republican Party, check their page to make sure it is the county party in Texas and not the one in Florida.
10. Tagging the wrong candidate page
If you are overseeing multiple campaigns on social media by reposting their activities on your political organization, avoid tagging the wrong candidate, especially if you are posting multiple Facebook or Instagram stories or sending tweets.
11. Posting on your personal page
Before posting an Instagram or Facebook story, double check to see that you are posting on your campaign or organization page and not your personal page. Also, avoid posting personal posts on your campaign or organization page.
12. Not cleaning up your personal page
Old posts and tweets from your personal page can kill your campaign. Before you become a public figure with your campaign social media, erase unappealing posts. It is critical to have a good reputation.
Mistakes help you learn. If you make a mistake, someone will point it out to you and correct the error or take down the post if it is controversial as soon as possible. Remember that campaign pages and organization pages are public. You don’t want your mistake to be shared on social media!
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