10 Ways to Use Social Media in Your Elections Coverage Today

Here are 10 ideas for using social media on Election Day from newsrooms around the country…

1. Update Your Cover Pic

Using your Timeline as a way to showcase the big story is a great way to extend your brand and promote your other platforms. Many stations are using this today to promote their broadcast, their website and their Election Day hashtag. KKTV used their cover photo to take a trip down memory lane…showcasing a vintage studio shot.

2. Update Your Profile Pic

While relatively few people will visit your Fan Page on Election Day (or any day for that matter)… lots of your Fans will interact with your content through their NewsFeed. And by changing up your Profile Pic, you can draw a little extra attention to your Elections Coverage.

3. Use Calls to Action

You can take advantage of the voter enthusiasm by asking those who voted to share, like or comment on your posts. This is a great way to drive up your engagement numbers quickly.

4. Give your Fans something to Share

Everyone’s posting about when, where and (sometimes) how they voted today. By posting an image for your Fans to share, it gives them a more visual way to do this while also promoting your station.

5. Use an Election Hashtag

By creating, promoting and using a hashtag for your newsroom’s election coverage, you’re able to have more meaningful interactions with Twitter users. But don’t forget to include the more mainstream hashtags too!

6. Share UGC

Let your Fans and Followers be your eyes and ears. Share photos they’ve sent in with the rest of your Fans and Followers by reposting them.

7. Promote Your Elections App

If you’re a SocialNewsDesk client, chances are you’ve been using our Choose Your Candidate App on your Fan Page. Be sure to remind voters its there so they can make those last minute decisions.

8. Try Instagram

There will be a ton of elections content on Instagram today as voters hit the polls. If you’ve never tried before, this would be a great time to put out a few cool images and begin interacting on a brand new platform!

9. Take them Behind the Scenes

Your Fans and Followers love to be treated like VIPs. Showing them what happens behind the scenes is a simple way to give that insider access and showcase all the hard work you’re doing in the newsroom or in the field…

10. Don’t forget the Weather

Election Day weather is serious business. Get your meteorologists involved in posting weather updates for voters heading to the polls.

Got other ideas on how to incorporate social media into Elections Coverage? Share them in the comments!