Interacting with your social media audience keeps them engaged and serves as a reminder that, while social media isn’t necessarily tangible, there are real-live people behind the screen working toward a real-live goal. That goal is ultimately the betterment of the school, community, and future.

After you’ve worked so hard setting up your online presence, you don’t want to walk away now. Any social media page left unattended has the possibility to go in a direction that doesn’t help your campaign. Have you ever checked your school district’s Facebook page on snow days? You know what they say about opinions. It’s best to stay on top of the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram comments so they don’t get away from you. Additionally, most of the questions people have about your auction will come in through social media.

It may sound like a lot, but keeping in touch doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore.

To keep from being overwhelmed, pledge to only spend 30 minutes a day responding to comments, and split that time up into two sessions. Try stacking this chore with another, such as the morning parent drop-off line or your transit ride to work. Another way to engage in this part of the process is to do it while enjoying something else, like a cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine.

Even if you’ve set aside time to respond to comment sections, it may be tempting to respond to every comment in real time, but that can lead to burnout and bitterness. Give yourself permission to turn off notifications. The average business has a 24-hour response time to social media comments!

Here are a few easy tips to put you on the right path for responding to comments:

  1. Follow up after each post on your page. Look for new comments and respond to them. If someone leaves a comment that says, “Cool!” or another simple response, it is good form to respond with a quick, simple, “Thanks, glad you like it!” Social media users expect their comments to not only be read, but responded to.
  2. Don’t delete negative comments. Negative comments happen, but handled correctly, they ultimately benefit your auction. Respond to negative comments in a helpful, curious way as opposed to a defensive one. If you see that there is no resolution to the comment, it’s okay to let the comment thread die.
  3. Receive suggestions gracefully. Thank the person who commented for the advice even if a suggestion doesn’t make a lot of sense or isn’t appropriate for your auction. There is no need to let the commenter know whether or not you implemented their idea. Simply acknowledging the time it took to offer a hand is enough.

Congratulations! Your social media strategy is complete. As always, SchoolAuction.net is here to help if any additional questions arise.