May 14, 2014
Know Your Comrades
At this past GOVTalks, I talked about the importance of having a content strategy for your social media. I listed a variety of
“knows”
that you should be aware of. One of which was to “Know your Comrades.”
I am a big believer in being a team player. In sports, you rely on your teammates to get the ball up the court, hit a hard grounder to advance the runners, or serve it in the court to get a rally going. In the workforce, knowing how to dribble a basketball, throw a softball, or serve a volleyball won’t help you advance much in your career (unless you become the ringer in your corporate basketball/softball/volleyball league — then everyone will love you). However, just like in the workforce, being a team player can really help you advance.
Luckily, I’m on a great team here at Digital Services Georgia. I can bounce ideas around, get advice, or ask for help. And vice versa — people can come to me for a variety of reasons too.
It’s also important to look outside of one’s own team, agency, or even state.
In the social media world, I’m constantly looking at other agency’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, seeing how I can help promote their hard work or engage with them. For example, on Facebook every Wednesday we share a “Workforce Wednesday” post from the Georgia Office of Workforce Development. On Twitter, at least once a day, we have an “Agency Spotlight” where we highlight something great a particular agency is doing. I also work closely with other social media enthusiasts from a variety of agencies. I can go to them to bounce around ideas, get advice, or ask for help. They are an invaluable part of my job.
On the broader scale, I’m also looking at my counterparts in other states. Texas, Missouri, Maryland, and Kansas have accounts very similar to ours at Digital Services Georgia. It helps to see what they’re doing — how they’re succeeding or where they’re struggling. Occasionally, we’ll interact with each other via email, Twitter, or Facebook. Again, they are an invaluable part of my job.
Having comrades in the state and in the country allows you to build a community of like-minded individuals. Especially in times of crisis, such as two snow storms back to back, having that support group and pool of resources at your fingertips can be vital.
Knowing your comrades not only makes your job easier, but it also ensures that you’re providing the best information you can to your audience, and that is the ultimate goal of any agency, whether on social media or not.
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