On March 29, MRCDC hosted a Social Media Management Workshop at the Father Ryan Arts Center that attracted 23 community partners who learned social media best practices, strategies and how to use popular tools from industry expert Amanda King.
Realizing the critical role social media plays in connecting community partners and residents, MRCDC invited King, our marketing consultant, to lead the audience through a one-hour interactive class on the ins and outs of social media management.
Taking into account that audience member’s skill levels were across the board, King kicked off the workshop with an overview of the basics of social media and what to do before one even starts posting. She went over the importance of defining a goal for one’s intended social media campaign and which channels are appropriate to use for the audience one is trying to reach.
King then walked the class through blogging best practices and Search Engine Optimization, how to use hashtags when posting on social media channels and how to grow one’s following.
“The Social Media Workshop provided me with tangible ways I could begin to turn my social media “footprint” from distraction to action,” said Leah Marmo, who attended the workshop. “Amanda showed us how to utilize social media spaces like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as vehicles for community engagement, event promotion and information gathering.”
Community partners from Sto Rox School District, Ohio Valley Hospital, Sto Rox Family Health Center, Community Builders, Focus on Renewal, McKees Rocks Historical Society and Greater McKees Rocks Rotary engaged in the workshop.
Tracey Pedersen, who manages the McKees Rocks Historical Society Facebook page attended the event. She said she liked how the presentation was filled with tips and tricks “for us social media gurus who love to get the word out.”
Pedersen added, “The workshop presented loads of knowledge, such as the use of the @ sign to tag people and organizations, how to connect social media accounts in Instagram, the program Canva and scheduling tools like Hootsuite and Buffer. The presentation was outstanding!”
Marmo said she learned many more creative ways to connect with others and how to effectively use digital spaces as tools to further develop programs and ideas.
“I would love to attend more workshops to further develop my social media presence,” she said.
MRCDC will continue to offer Social Media Management Workshops to the community based on interest. If you’re interested in attending a future workshop, contact MRCDC Marketing & Communications Manager, Heather Franz.
