1. A (Brief) Guide to Social Media Platforms and Working With a Small Staff
Jamie Tatsuno, Communications Manager
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA)

2. Social Media Platforms
How do we do it all with small staff and limited time?

3. Don’t Try To Do It All
Nothing will be done well if you try to do it all.
Evaluate top social media sites and the staff you have to dedicate time.
Pick and choose!

4. Choose Your Social Networks

5. What’s Your Social Media Perfect Fit?
How will this serve our riders?
What will this really do for our agency?

6. Twitter Quick and short messages - real time updates
Consider linking to Twitter to your agencies website homepage to act as a real-time service alert tool
Great for connecting with local media and sharing positive news stories
Ideal post frequency is however often you have something to push out

7. Facebook Most widely spread and diversified social network
Try using Facebook’s advertising tool to reach specific groups of people
Ideal post frequency is once or twice a day with posts on Thursdays and Fridays being proven the mostly actively engaged
Keep text short and provide interesting visuals

8. Instagram Focused on visual content Use hashtags!
Hashtags are a great way to find content to share and for people to find your agency
Works with Facebook’s advertising/boosting tool
Ideal post frequency is once a day - photos, images or short 15- second videos

9. Google+ YouTube More than 400 million active monthly users
Compatibility with other Google products
Growing rapidly
YouTube
Only interesting and short videos will be watched in entirety
Videos should be short, no more than 1.5 minutes

10. LinkedIn Great place to find employees, including bus drivers!
Informative materials related to industry niches, trades and professions
Ideal post frequency is 2-4 times per week

11. RFTA’s Social Media Management and Stats
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
Channels are checked first thing in the morning, and monitored throughout the day
Inbox displayed on desktop throughout the day
Checked periodically by mobile when not at desk
Facebook – 2,337 followers
Instagram – 1,323 followers
Twitter – 1,447 followers
Daily postings Mon. – Fri.
Postings increase if news/alerts warrant (detours, accident/weather delay, rider alerts)
Holiday/Weekend/Event posts pre-scheduled
INSTAGRAM

12. What About Content?
Glamour Shots - Get out and take pictures, or recruit employees out in the field to take pictures
Search Hashtags – Use local hashtags to attract and find local audiences to follow your page
Caption Contests/Photo contests - Engage participation in your posts
Memes - relate to your audience and keep it lighthearted
Special Events/Holiday Posts - make a presence
Throw Back Thursdays - Fan Favorites
Infographics - make information rider friendly!
Look local for cross-promotion opportunities.
Riders Alerts - Have a graphic ready for editing and posting on demand
April Fools, Halloween posts - Have fun with your audience!

13. Find Your Voice and Tone
If your agency was a person, what kind of personality would it have?
If your agency was a person, what’s their relationship like to the riders?
Describe in adjectives what your agency personality it NOT.
Are there any companies that have similar personality to yours? (If so, steal their content ideas!!)
How do you want your riders to think about your agency?
How would your company sound at a backyard barbecue?
There’s your voice.

14. Tools to Help Create Content
Canva
Slideshare
PowToon
Piktochart piktochart.com
Visme

15. Tools to Help Schedule Posts
Hootsuite
Buffer buffer.com
Tweetdeck tweetdeck.twitter.com
SproutSocial
IFTTT ifttt.com

16. Social Media Advice – take it or leave it
Images are key.
Use free tools and free social media platforms to your advantage.
Take on what you can handle – and nothing more.
Be a customer resource to your riders on social media.
Entertaining and useful content is better than promotional content.
Be patient and persistent!
Take your cues from the successes of others.
Consider a posting plan and content calendar, to start.