Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1511668
December 2023/January 2024 isea.org • ISEA Communiqué 8 SOCIAL MEDIA Where you should start Review your assets - What social media accounts does your local already have? What do you need/want? - Who can run them? Have one person and a backup in charge of all your social media for consistency. The president should not have this job. Find your audience - Facebook remains the most popular social media network across most age, gender and education demographics. The exception is the 18-29 cohort which uses Instagram (71 percent) more than Facebook (70 percent). - No other platforms break 30 percent usage - yet. - Facebook pages are better for engaging members AND the public. Create a private Facebook page if you want to keep it to just your local. Private pages don't guarantee someone won't share what you post publicly. Some conversations are best held in person. Build a network - Now that your profile is live, follow people and businesses in your community, pages of other local affiliates and the ISEA. - Share/retweet/like content on your followers' posts that show up in your feed. Keep comments positive and supportive. Respond when they reach out to you. - Advertise your social media accounts in emails, on your website, in newsletters, etc. Case files Background: The law specifically prohibits express advocacy if dues money is used in any way with the general public. Full compliance with campaign finance law is mandatory for any ISEA local using a social media platform. In practice option 1: If your union uses dues dollars to support a website/social media platform - including paying for a web administrator - you may NOT engage in express advocacy for public viewing/readership. This means you must NOT include statements such as "Vote for Jones" or "Defeat Jones" nor urge people to go to the Jones campaign website. If your website has a secure section for dues paying members only, express advocacy is permitted there. In practice option 2: If your union does NOT use dues dollars to support a website/social media platform you may post items that contain express advocacy for both members and the public. This means there are no costs, and the administrator is a volunteer. Social Media Basics for Local Unions Scan this QR Code to go to the "Know Your Rights" members' only section of www.isea.org for more information on navigating social media, divisive concepts and more guidance from ISEA attorneys. More online