Kaitlynn Helm
Chi Theta Chapter
West Texas A&M University
Canyon, TX
The Chi Theta Chapter at West Texas A&M University has adopted social media as our primary means of communication among members. However, we have also begun to utilize our Facebook page in ways that are mutually beneficial to active members and those outside the chapter. Our page facilitates event information, important chapter and international announcements/reminders, and serves as a space to share photos from events, volunteer projects, and socials. We also use the ‘Notes’ function, which allows easy access to the Constitution and other relevant information.
Our page posts English related articles and engaging memes for the enjoyment of members and fellow English lovers alike. My favorite function of our page is the “English Department Forecast for the Week.” This weekly forecast is a hub of information for the entire English Department—times, dates, and locations for all department related events in one place. This function also increases our chapter’s positive image in the English Department and around campus and illustrates our steadfast dedication and support for all things English on campus and in the community.
All Sigma Tau Delta officers are admins (with the President as chief admin) and all are expected to contribute when they can. I absolutely prefer a Facebook Page to a Facebook Group or Profile because of how much more accessible and inclusive it is. Making our page helpful, engaging, and relevant to a wide audience has been a learning process. Increasing our audience to those outside our chapter has also increased our visibility on campus and in the community. For example: When we go out into the community to volunteer we help raise awareness for a cause, simultaneously promoting our own chapter’s dedication to community service.
Some key factors in running a successful page are: posting frequently, sharing the page and inviting others to like the page to increase visibility, and keeping the language lively and semi-formal. Keeping the page active and current can be time consuming, but is a wonderful way to keep members and the community up to date with chapter activities. There are many little things we do to make our page more effective: manage tabs, customize the URL, schedule posts, create photo albums, assign category and subcategory tags, and update general and page information settings. We are still learning what’s effective and what’s not—but Facebook has great tools to calculate that too. The “Insights” tab provides excellent feedback. I highly recommend navigating carefully through this feature to get the most out of your page.
We haven’t looked into any other social media outlets yet, but it’s something to consider down the road… For now, Facebook’s fast, free, and easy to manage medium serves us well, and we hope to continue the momentum our page has gained.
We invite you to check out our Facebook page (or even to message us with some tips of your own). You can find us by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/WTAMUSigmaTauDelta
Related Society Links
- Like Sigma Tau Delta’s Facebook page
- Join Your Sigma Tau Delta Facebook Group
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