Given all you know about social media posting thus far, can you identify what’s missing from this social post?
It’s important for a police department to post on social media but there are some key things to remember.
When you make an arrest, you want to get that information out to the public and media in a timely and efficient manner by utilizing social media. Great job! But, what’s wrong with the social post above?
The post does not include any CONTEXT! There’s also no link to a press release or any further information. This post leaves the viewer with more questions than answers.
The key is to view the social post from the perspective of a community member or reporter, AKA your social media audience. What questions would they have about this incident? What is important for the public to know about this incident? Why use these particular photos? Does this post brand your department in any way? Does it truly highlight a job well done by the officers involved?
So, with these things in mind, let’s try this again:
In this social media post, the text explains the details of the incident. Who, what, when, and where? It also gives a shoutout to the officers involved.
An additional photo was also added. Your officers seized illegal narcotics from the vehicle, which is a win. Getting drugs off the streets and arresting a suspect is something community members will want to know about. So, let them know about it!
Each photo has also been branded with the police department’s patch. Why is this important? Because anyone who shares this post, including media outlets, will be putting your patch out there for all to see. So even if they don’t read the post or news article, they can see who the arresting department was and people will know that you did your job.
Now that you’ve seen the difference, ask yourself which of these social posts would you put on your social media?
Learn more tips like these in our Social Media Basics for First Responders and Advanced Social Media for First Responders courses.