MANAGING SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS FOR A ROBOTICS TEAM
MAINTAINING CHANNEL INFLUENCE
"Once we have established the direction for our channel, we need methods to maintain its influence. Persistence is a key factor in communications."
Effective social media management is not just about posting regularly; it is also about building a content strategy tailored to each phase of the season. This article provides detailed guidance on posting frequency, content types, and a suitable schedule for your robotics team.
1. GENERAL FREQUENCY OF COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
1.1 DURING BUILD-SEASON Recommended Posting Frequency
- 2–3 times/week: This is the ideal frequency to maintain a presence without overwhelming the team.
- 1 time/week: Still acceptable as long as the content is truly high-quality.
Maintaining Consistency: Post regularly and stick to a reasonable time slot to attract a long-term following. Persistence is a key factor in communications.
1.2 AFTER BUILD-SEASON
Reduce Posting Frequency: You can reduce your posting frequency during the off-season, but you still need to maintain a periodic presence.
Valuable Experience: To maintain stability and communication frequency during the off-season: archive a content bank by creating content during the build-season to post regularly later on.
2. PHASE-BASED CONTENT STRATEGY
"For each phase of the season, we should focus on content appropriate for that phase."
2.1 BUILD-SEASON - Product-Focused
During this phase, teams will primarily focus on information and content regarding products such as the Robot, the field, and field elements.
Robot Progress
- Robot construction process and progress
- Updates on individual subsystems (base, intake, outtake, etc.)
- Challenges and solutions
Robot Demos
- Teams' prototype builds
- Functional demonstration videos
- Real-world testing
Prototyping & CAD
- Robot prototypes
- Detailed CAD drawings
- Design and iteration process
2.2 OFF-SEASON - Spreading the Spirit
During this phase, we should boost communications showcasing the team's growth and spreading the spirit of Robotics locally and within the FIRST community.
Team's Events
- Events organized by the team
- Primarily focused on STEAM and Robotics
- Workshops and seminars
Outreach Events
- Events spreading the FIRST spirit
- Community activities
- Collaborations with schools
Sponsorship Tours
- Tours to seek sponsors
- Meetings with potential partners
- Business networking
'Fun' Posts
- Humorous, lighthearted posts
- Reaching a wider audience
- Showcasing the team's entertaining side
3. SAMPLE POSTING SCHEDULE A posting schedule teams can refer to
MONDAY
Member Introductions & Entertainment
Introduce team members; you can post entertaining content, behind-the-scenes clips, or share members' personal stories.
WEDNESDAY
Robot Progress Updates
Share robot construction progress, challenges, and achievements of the week. Can include photos and videos of the work process.
FRIDAY
Community Activities
Post about Outreach, Events, or community engagement activities. Share the impact and significance of these activities.
Tips to Avoid Running Out of Content Ideas:
Divide post content into 3 main categories so you never run out of ideas:
About Members & the Team
Post about team members, their quotes, or similar things, as viewers generally enjoy following the team's daily life.
- Introducing new members
- Sharing personal stories
- A "day in the life" of a member
- Quick interviews with mentors
Technical Progress
Share prototypes, CAD drawings, Demos, and behind-the-scenes robot assembly. This is the "core" content demonstrating the team's capabilities.
- Assembly time-lapses
- Simple technical explanations
- Challenges and solutions
- Before/after CAD drawings
Community Activities
Events, community exchanges, and the team's contributions to spreading the spirit of FIRST and STEM in the community.
- Outreach event reports
- Collaborations with other schools
- Community workshops
- Volunteering
4. BEST PRACTICES
4.1 Prepare Content in Advance
Create a Backup Content Bank: During the build-season, create 20–30% more content than actually needed. These pieces will be a "lifesaver" during busy weeks or the off-season.
4.2 Use Scheduling Tools
Automate Posting: Use tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Facebook/Instagram's built-in scheduling features to publish posts automatically. This helps maintain consistency even when the team is busy.
4.3 Analyze and Adjust
Track Performance: Use Insights/Analytics to monitor which types of content perform best. Adjust your strategy based on actual data rather than guesswork.
Key Success
Factors Consistency is more important than frequency: A channel posting 1 post/week consistently for a year will be more effective than one posting 3 posts/day for a month and then disappearing.
Quality over quantity: One high-quality, valuable post will have a longer-lasting impact than multiple rushed posts.