Social Media Surgeries

I’m a Technolgist at the BBC in Salford and also a part time film maker in my own time. I’m fairly experienced in digital video and use social media quite a bit, both in and outside of work.

I volunteered to take part in a Social Media Surgery recently with BBC Outreach. It’s a relaxed forum where a number of small local charities and voluntary organisation come into the BBC for a couple of hours and we help them to either get started or tackle any problems they are encountering with social media

I was familiar with the social media but also thought I had a few advanced skills and techniques around automation that I could pass on to those users a little bit beyond beginner level. I thought it could be rewarding for all parties without sparing very much effort, only a bit of my time.

It was great to engage with the public and give something back. It was interesting balancing people’s expectations; many people there wanted ‘magic bullet’ answers to their questions. How do I get more followers? How do I get celebrities to endorse my business/charity? People skills and diplomacy are called for in explaining wider context and conveying the message in a positive manner, such as encouraging the telling of stories, as opposed to ‘cold calling’ sales technique equivalents!

I’d really encourage others to volunteer. It doesn’t take very long or much effort to spare some time to talk about things you already know. This social media surgery was a perfect fit for me personally, but there are plenty of opportunities Outreach offer which may fit others, their knowledge and schedule. Simply get involved, or ask!

*BBC Outreach offers staff the opportunity to volunteer and share their skills alongside local audiences. Social Media Surgeries held at Media City are a great example of how a little time can offer so much to those local charities that come along looking for help and support. BBC volunteers provide bespoke one to one support to charities over a cup of tea and quickly help resolve problems.