TAC Blog

Many people think social media is just for viral trends and quirky videos, but it can prove valuable for county offices and elected officials.

Melissa Maluski, TAC’s Communications and Media Manager, has a wealth of experience in social media. She shared her expertise at the County Technology Conference last spring and explained how government leaders can leverage this free tool to better reach their constituents. These are some of her top social media tips for counties.

Benefits of Social Media for Counties

When used well, social media can be an effective tool for county leaders. Some of the benefits include:

• Faster communication
• Real-time updates during emergencies
• Great way to share public information, including warnings, safety issues and events
• It doesn’t cost anything

Melissa’s Top 3 Social Media Tips for Counties

Match the message to the platform.
Facebook is best for important updates and broad engagement, while Instagram shines with visuals such as courthouse photos or event highlights. LinkedIn is ideal for professional news and blog content, and X (formerly Twitter) works for quick updates.

Vary the content.
Don’t post the same message everywhere — change the format! You can post a video clip for one channel and a photo for another to keep content fresh and engaging.

Pay attention to analytics.
Track what works and what doesn’t. Posts featuring county officials or county employees often perform best because they highlight real people doing real work.

Social Media Best Practices

People use Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn for different things. Here are some ways you can make your content work for each platform.

Facebook
As the third most visited website, Facebook is a powerful tool. The average user spends about 31 minutes a day on the platform, so it’s a great way to directly communicate with your audience. For the best results on Facebook, consider:

• Including links to drive traffic​
• Creating and promoting events​
• Adding engaging images or videos to boost visibility

Instagram
Whether you’re sharing an image or a video, Instagram can educate people about community events and important updates. Here are a few ways you can boost your visibility on the platform:

• Keep the captions short and sweet. One or two sentences will do.
• Consider adding a Linktree to your Instagram bio, so users can access resources.
• Use one or two hashtags to help people find your content.
• Videos, also known as reels, are prioritized in the Instagram algorithm.
• Image carousels boost engagement and are great ways to highlight key moments from events.

X
X is a great way to share real-time updates like breaking news and emergency alerts​. On this platform, you’ll want to:

• Use one or two relevant hashtags to increase visibility
• Include photos or videos to increase engagement in the timeline​

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is more than just a job posting platform. These days, people use it a lot like Facebook. You can connect with colleagues, share opinions and highlight career successes. Some best practices for LinkedIn include:

• Share job openings and behind-the-scenes content.
• Post content that’s native to your job or organization, as it tends to get more reach.
• Videos and image carousels tend to perform best.

Social Media FAQs

How do I make successful short-form video content?
When making short videos to share on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, it’s important to include captions. Most people watch social media videos without sound.

How long should social media videos be?
Instagram reels and other social media videos don’t need to be long. For the best results, keep the video under one minute.

How do I plan social media content?
When planning your social media content, you should first consider which platforms you want to focus on. Next, establish goals for your content and create a planning calendar. Once that’s in place, establish content guidelines.