SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/40933
every detail of your workday, or hop on Twitter immediately and start checking in on Foursquare everywhere you go. Simply become a content generator that your com- pany and constituencies can rely on for a steady stream of reliable, useful information. Building your personal brand through social media doesn't have to take hours out- side of your job. A common phrase in social media is, "The art of Twitter is in the re- tweet." Passing on relevant tweets is a quick and easy way to stay in front of your audi- ence with relevant info. Another timesaver is using a program like TweetDeck to man- age multiple accounts and post in different places with one click. TweetDeck links your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts all in one, easy-to-use dashboard. However, creating original content is always the best way to keep your audience engaged. Allot a block of time and come up with some short blog posts, tweets or Facebook posts and save them in one place. That way, you have some original content in the can that can be posted when you're short on time. My last point is that there can be a dark side to being the face of an organization's online community. At some point, you will invariably come across a very loud com- plainer about something that you or your organization has done. Always, and I mean ALWAYS, take the high-road when dealing with someone like this. Never get into an argument because everything you post, tweet, or share is recorded for posterity. However, this also presents a unique oppor- tunity for you and your group. If you can, in a timely and effective manner, reduce or eliminate their level of unhappiness, you can create what people in marketing call a "brand evangelist." These are people who, when you and/or your employer are under attack next time, will valiantly come to your defense, without you even asking. They will write letters to the editor about your envi- ronmental practices, help you out by chat- ting with coaches or administrators on your behalf to help get you more resources and always be in your corner if there is a crisis beyond your control. Using social media to build your brand, and by extension the brand of your employer, is an exciting and fun way to create a dia- logue with your user groups, especially when that dialogue might be one of the only ways you have access to those groups when other marketing options are not available to indi- viduals (ads in magazines, radio, TV, etc.). Being timely, relevant and honest with infor- mation allows you to stay ahead of problems, thus becoming an asset to your company and your community. Not only does this provide you with a sense of accomplishment and contribution, but it also gives your employer another positive outlet to their most impor- tant stakeholders- the user groups they rely on for organizational security. ■ Patrick Allen is the Sales and Marketing Manager for STMA. He can be found online by following @rockchalkpa on Facebook and on LinkedIn. His opinions here are his own. www.stma.org SportsTurf 21