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Social Media Guide

ENGAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social change happens with social media. Read below for tips and tricks to make your voice heard on social media!

KNOW YOUR HASHTAGS

You’ll find us tweeting using popular hashtags like #BansOffOurBodies, #ReproRights, and #GlobalGagRule. Using #hashtags makes sure your Twitter content is seen by more than just your followers. We think of hashtags in three ways:

  • Keyword hashtags
    • People follow these hashtags for content and community building. Using these can help your content reach more people.
    • Examples: #ReproRights #FamilyPlanning
  • Campaign hashtags
    • These are hashtags specific to campaigns, such as #Fight4HER for opposing the Global Gag Rule and supporting the Global HER Act, and #EndHelms for opposing the Helms Amendment. The more they are used, the more visibility they bring to an issue.
    • During local or national events, look out for the event hashtag (e.g. #WomensMarch #BansOffOurBodies) to use in your tweets and Instagram posts.
  • Interactive hashtags
    • These give people a specific prompt and invite them to share their responses on social with a hashtag. Think about personal stories you could share in response to a hashtag like #GlobalGagRule when it’s trending.

KNOW YOUR TARGETS

There are plenty of people we can pressure and direct our social media rage at. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, consider WHO you want to hear your story.

EXPLORE AND ENGAGE

Never stop exploring! The communities and conversations on reproductive rights are always growing online.

THE ART OF AMAZING CONTENT

Killer visuals
  • Whether you’re an iPhone photo pro or a beginner, YOU can take great images and videos with your phone. Strong visuals are key on social.
    • VIDEO – First question: Can you make it live video? If not, make sure it’s short.
    • PHOTO – Do you find the image fascinating? Is the text large enough to be legible on mobile?
​​ Emotions
  • Great content makes us feel something. When people connect with your social media post on an emotional level, they’re more likely to engage with it. Emotions to get you started: excitement, anger, sadness, nostalgia, optimism, indignation.
  • ​​Your perspective: Social media is all about YOU. That’s why we love it, right? It’s your place to express your views and stay in touch with your community. We want to hear YOUR voice on social media. Be yourself.
Your community
  • Being an advocate for reproductive rights on social media means being part of an active online community and adding your own unique perspective to the issue.
  • It is important to engage with others online because people are more inclined to interact with you on social media if you show interest in them.
Tweet, rinse, repeat
  •  Whether it’s a day of action or a yearlong campaign, repetition is key. Let decision-makers hear you! Want to make an impact? Make sure they see a steady stream of social media content taking a stand for reproductive rights. Use your voice!

BEST PRACTICES BY NETWORK

Facebook
  • Ask and you shall receive! Asking your feeds to engage with you is part of being an active online advocate. Directly asking your friends to share an event, or sharing your story and asking folks to comment with theirs, is a great way to get people to engage.
  • Post or share native video (aka uploaded directly to FB and not shared as a link to YouTube, for example) or FB Live video. Currently, Facebook’s algorithm values native video content over all others.
  • We find posting once a day is a good standard. If you do happen to have more than one killer post, make sure to wait at least three hours before sharing your second piece of content.
Twitter
  • Always include #TheAppropriateHashtag. See more above! Keep it to less than three hashtags.
  • @Mention other profiles when it makes sense. Are you quoting someone who has a Twitter account? Can you attribute the article you’re sharing to the author or to the organization that published it?
  • On Twitter, frequency isn’t an issue, and you can post all you like! Because the lifespan of a tweet is about 15 minutes, space them out by at least that long, unless you’re live-tweeting an event or posting a Twitter thread.
Instagram
  • Photos and videos of real people are the way to go here. Pictures and video clips from marches, rallies, and meetings with members of Congress are primo for this platform. When you don’t have this type of media available (Covid things), graphics produced using free design platforms like Canva can be eye-catching and informative.
  • Don’t forget to tag relevant people, politicians, and organizations, and use appropriate hashtags so your post gets viewed by people besides your followers!

LET’S GO MAKE HISTORY

You’ve got all the tools you need (the phone in your pocket and, yep, you!) to be an advocate for reproductive rights. Now, let’s go make it happen!