Why HOA social media? Nowadays, the question is more about – why not? The HOA social media benefits are too good to ignore. From HOA communication to enticing new residents, your homeowners association Facebook page can be a powerful tool. Let’s take a look at important HOA social media best practices on how to responsibly use this medium. Do you have an HOA social media policy in place? If not, now’s a good time to start.
How HOA Social Media Benefits Your Community
Social media is hot right now, and homeowners associations should be utilizing its popularity when looking for new members. It’s also an easy tool you can use to communicate with your current homeowners! That said, an HOA should always exercise the responsible use of social media. It’s not just a medium for posting food pics and selfies. HOA social media has also evolved to become a legitimate tool for instant communication. It’s also become a very convenient way to keep in touch with your community.
1. Easy, Instant Communication
You thought your HOA website is already a quick way to distribute information. Then, HOA social media comes along and gives you an even faster way to reach your residents. HOA social media, or just social media in general, is designed to be instant. So you can instantly compose a short message right on your phone. This information can then be seen, instantly, by the homeowners you’ve connected to. Plus, given the format of social media, this message can be instantly consumed as well.
One of the most powerful features of HOA social media, however, is the way information is shared. Nowadays, it’s extremely easy to pass along a message with the tap of a button. Your homeowners association Facebook page will even do most of the sharing for you.
2. Get Feedback Easily
HOA social media can change the way you get the pulse of your community. Before social media, you will have to gather feedback during meetings. Or, if your time also allows it, a survey. You will be fortunate to have a majority of your residents turning in their survey responses. But that was before. In this age of social media, you can get feedback anytime, anywhere. You also get all manner of feedback, too – from comments and shares to reactions.
3. Make Your HOA More Accessible
Having several HOA social media accounts will not cost your HOA board much, if at all. Starting your homeowners association Facebook page is free of charge. The only thing you spend is the time needed to update it and moderate the comments. It’s an easy way to make your HOA feel more in touch and accessible to your homeowners. It’s also a great way to showcase everything your HOA has to offer.
Combine your HOA social media accounts with your HOA website for even better results. You can use your HOA social media accounts to highlight the features and services you offer online. In that way, your HOA residents can use them instead of doing things the manual way. So your residents are more aware of your services, plus you get feedback on them as well.
HOA Social Media Best Practices
Your association will seem more modern if you’re participating in a variety of social sites that people are using. And the key is to be active and engaged. Here are some tips for using social media effectively and to your community’s advantage:
1. Define Your Goals and Social Media Roles
Board members should consider the following components when planning their social media strategy:
- Decide how much time can be allotted each week for posting content and responding to comments and messages about current content.
- Make sure you have a community management website to which the social media traffic will be driven. It should also be mobile-friendly since most people check social media on their phones or tablets.
- Figure out where your target residents are. What social media sites are they on the most? These are the places you should focus on.
- What goals will you set for each platform, and how will you measure your success on each?
You’ll also want to consider your budget and your time. Will you do it yourself or hire someone else? Does your homeowner association management company provide these types of services, or will you need to hire a coordinator?
2. Choose The Social Media Channels That Fit Your Community
Once you know your plan and your goals, pick a small place to begin. If you’re intimidated by social media, just choose one or two places to start, like Twitter and Facebook. It’s always a good idea to pick the channel that your community uses more.
On Facebook, you can like pages of other HOA communities and share resources that are educational to homeowners and renters. Twitter is great for also following other associations and searching by relevant hashtags.
Once you’re comfortable with that, you can start branching out more, using your own hashtags, and interacting more with your audience.
3. Know the Law, Set Some Guidelines
Irresponsible HOA social media use can lead to problems. Make sure to know the ins and outs of what you can and cannot do online. So you will have to read up on privacy rights and how to protect them online. You will also have to be familiar with the media you can and cannot share. Be especially careful around possible copyright infringement or violation of privacy issues.
As always, carefully review every tweet, Facebook update, or Instagram post before you put it up.
4. Build an Online Community
A great way to show potential residents and renters about your community is through an online group. You can create one on Facebook for free and encourage everyone to get involved. Share community news and be open about your amenities, specials, and any perks of your association.
It can take some time to build a quality online presence and get social media savvy, but it is well worth it for homeowners associations. Work on each of these steps until you get comfortable enough to move on to the next, and don’t try to do everything at once.
Make HOA Social Media Work For You
Like most things, HOA social media can work to benefit your community – or harm it. It’s a great way to communicate with your residents, as long as you use it with care. If you’re in doubt, know that you always have the option of leaving HOA social media to the experts. It’s a good idea to look at a reputable national directory for HOA services for anything you need.
