Skip to main content
Communication, Art + Technology
Co-operative Education

A phone on the home screen where the apps for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can be seen

When promoting events and news on social media on behalf of a club, service, or business, the main goal is to get as many eyes as possible on the content. One of my tasks in my 8-month Co-op position was to post updates on their social media accounts, which includes job postings, upcoming events, and special announcements. Over these months, I was able to find useful strategies and tools to help me manage these profiles effectively and efficiently.

1. Create an attractive graphic

The visuals are most important in a post because they set the mood and determine the first impression from the audience. It can just be a photo that puts the caption to life, or it can be informative and have worded details on the images.

For branding purposes it’s good to follow a consistent theme when designing graphics, which could include using the same logo and colour palette every time. Adobe Creative Suite is great for creating high quality designs from scratch, but it could take a while to learn how to use all the tools. To find inspiration and ready-to-go templates, Canva would be the site to visit. They also have many free elements and fonts to choose from.

2. Focus on the tone of voice in the captions

You want to write with a friendly voice, in a catchy and engaging way, to make people want to read the post fully. Using a cheerful tone makes the announcement seem more exciting. Plus, popping in a relevant emoji here and there can further enrich the appearance of the text.

An easy way to find examples is by using Hootsuite’s caption generator, where you can paste a basic caption into their text box and choose a style of voice, then it will use AI to recreate your sentences to make it more attractive to your audience.

3. Tweak the posts based on what platform you’re using

Your professionalism and high expertise will show on whatever you post, based on the small but necessary edits you make for each one. It’s important to show that you know the tools, styles and trends of every platform.

You can usually get away with using one sized image for all, but it looks better in the feed and profile if you post a square image on Instagram, a wide landscape image on Twitter, a portrait image on stories, and so on. Additionally, when you tag other accounts make sure the username is spelled correctly, because the same organization might have different names on their other platforms. Also, stay up to date with specific features on each platform such as story stickers, Twitter hashtags, and Instagram’s and TikTok’s in-app video editors.

4. Post on certain days and times when people are most active

You can take some time to experiment first by observing the amount of engagement there is on each post, and see what days and times people are usually most active on social media. Many platforms provide users with analytics to find patterns, peak times, and the kind of posts people like the most. Also, whenever you schedule a post on Hootsuite, it will automatically give you recommended times and dates to post.

Find that sweet spot on how frequently to post. It should be often enough so that the audience is reminded of your page and the information circulates consistently, but not too often that it becomes repetitive spam and people become less interested in the content.

5. Share a “Communications Kit” to neighbouring account

If your organization is part of a network of similar groups, then it would be beneficial to repost each other’s content to get more eyes on all the groups’ posts. One strategy that was very common during my Co-op term was to share a word document with all potential content amplifiers, which included the images and captions for each platform, accounts to tag, and sometimes a timeline of when to post. While some people might not find the message relevant enough to post on their page, there’s always the option of retweeting or resharing stories to give a quick mention about it without posting the whole set of details.

Creating a communications plan was a huge help for my personal use. Having dates set up and captions pre-written kept me organized and strategic.

Those are my top five most useful tips for running social media accounts from a business perspective. Although being an online promoter might look easy, it does involve quite a bit of analyzing and research to find the right way to brand your business and attract your audience. My Co-op experience was a great opportunity to try these strategies out, and there are many takeaways from working a communications and marketing position

Co-operative Education

Posts by Author

Co-op students standing outside around a sign that says "SFU"
Blog
Event Planning 101: 3 Tips for Planning an Event even Gen-Z’s will Enjoy

Coming into this Co-op position as an Outreach, Promotion, and Engagement Coordinator for SFU’s School of Communication, I was not expecting to gain any sort of event planning experience. Creating an event for our incoming students for Fall 2023, was a brand-new concept that flourished this semester.

Abu standing next to a screen that says "Limitless"
Blog
Why Pursue a Career in Sales

This article is my take on why somebody would pursue a career in sales. I have never done sales in my life, and I like to take on new challenges. Therefore, it allows me to elaborate on the skills I have learned throughout my journey.

John standing in front of parliament building
Blog
Interview with an MA Economics Co-op Student

Meet John Owusu, an SFU Master of Economics Co-op student. In this quick Q&A, John shares a bit about his co-op experience. Keep on reading as John shares how his mindset helped him at his position, what his schedule was like and how he overcame feeling nervous at the workplace.

You Might Like These... During the Work Term, Professional Development, Workplace Success, Workplace Transition, Communication

Co-op coordinator wth student during site visit
Make the Most of Your Co-op Site Visits

Your Co-op Coordinator, supervisor, and you in the same room -- time for a site visit! Co-op site visits are a time for reflection on your work term including what could be improved and what has been great so far.

person with their head in a book
Responsibility and Success

One of the most memorable parts of my time in co-op was the collection of accidents, errors, mistakes, and mix-ups that happened in the course of working in the laboratory.

 

A woman fast asleep
Sleeping for Success at Work!

The days of pulling all nighters and getting by on 2-3 hours sleep are over! Getting enough sleep is essential to ensure you can keep up with the demands of a fulltime work schedule and put forth your best performance.

You Might Like These... Professional Development

Three women standing in front of a tree.
Dress to Impress: Tips for Creating a Budget Friendly Workplace Wardrobe

The transition from student to working professional isn’t so easy. While this new chapter in your life can be overwhelming, having an impressive wardrobe can do wonders for your confidence and sense of professionalism. 

Lenses
Changing Perspectives: How Co-op Helped Me See the Bigger Picture

Ornela started university with the intention of going to medical school. However, co-op has helped them see that there are so many possibilities in the field of healthcare. In this article, Ornela discusses their co-op experience and the lessons they learned along the way.

Image of Emily
5 Tips on Expanding your Responsibilities and Taking Initiative on Your Work Term

During their second co-op work term, Emily learned many ways to take on a larger workload and add new skills to their resume. Here are five tips to take initiative in the work place in order to better both your own and your employers' experience. Taking on new and different tasks at work can improve your team productivity, increase what you take away from the term, impress your supervisor, and make your days go by more quickly.