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Tips for Operating Your Little League® Program’s Social Media Accounts

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Social media is a great way to share the fun of Little League® with your fans, followers, and friends. Your presence should reflect the positive, emotional impact of the league, district, or tournament, to its players, parents, and volunteers, and the entire community. Here are some tips and guidelines that can help your social media platforms get off to a strong start.

Basic Do’s and Don’ts for your Local League Social Media Accounts

Dos

  • Think carefully about the type of content you will create – why are you creating it? Who is it intended for? What impact do you want it to have? How often will you post?
  • Learn the nuances of each social media platform you plan to use – some might be a better fit than others. Be creative in your usage of events, galleries, polls, collages, shares, and more
  • Find a volunteer or team of volunteers to assist or lead your social media efforts
  • Follow/Add important influencers and organizations in the community as friends
  • Change account passwords frequently to avoid your accounts being compromised. Keep track of who might have access to your accounts.
  • Use photos and videos in your posts, but make sure you have permission from those involved using a form release and waiver (formerly model release) form.
  • Understand how to properly use Little League’s trademarks.
  • Share posts from Little League’s official social media platforms (@LittleLeague)
  • Be mindful of how your audiences react to your content. Are you delivering on their expectations? Is there something better or different you could share? What’s the most valuable information you can provide to them?

Don’ts

  • Engage in arguments, criticize the opinions of others, or share personal views on sensitive or controversial topics using the league’s account. In the event that someone has an issue that they’re voicing on your social media account, it’s best to contact that person off-line to see if you can positively resolve the issue.
  • Post anything that could be perceived as inappropriate or offensive
  • Share personal data or information about injuries/accidents
  • Create an account if you don’t plan on maintaining it consistently
  • Allow a single person to have access to each account – all accounts should have at least two administrators
  • Use photos or videos without permission of the individuals involved

Promotional Ideas Using Social Media

Creating Facebook Event Pages – Another way to help increase awareness of special events, such as Opening Day, Tournament, or other community events you host, is to create an event page on Facebook. These pages will allow you to provide important information, share photos, and keep the members of your league, district, or other community involved with your event.

Paid Social Media – Advanced users may be able to use paid social media placements to increase awareness, generate registrations, or even recruit volunteers. A small, monetary boost to your posts can help them reach even more people.

Live Streaming Opportunities – Social media can be a great way to help share with your fans what is going on around your league or district, including live streaming games. Before you start though, be sure to understand what is required by Little League International in order to broadcast your games.

Sample Social Media Posts

Registration: “Sign your child up today to play for [Hometown Little League]! Visit [HometownLL.com] and click on registration to start a @LittleLeague experience your family will never forget.”

Opening Day Ceremonies: “Join us at [Hometown Field] on April 1 at 10 a.m. for [Hometown Little League’s] Opening Ceremonies as we kick off the 2018 season! #LLOpeningDay”

Volunteer Recruitment: “Looking to make a difference with the youth in our community? Sign up to be a [Hometown Little League/District] volunteer today at [HometownLL.com]!”

Volunteer Recognition: “A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who help [Hometown Little League/District] continue to grow and provide an amazing @LittleLeague experience to all! #ThankYou”

Annual Meeting: “Come out to [Hometown Field] on Monday night at 7 p.m. for our annual membership meeting to share your thoughts and ideas on how to make 2018 a memorable year for all.”

Tournament: “We’re excited to host the [District/Section/State] @LittleLeague Tournament this year. Follow us on social media or visit our website for the latest schedules, results, and updates from [Host location]!”