October 2019 | Goodwin & Company

A huge part of effective homeowners association management is creating numerous opportunities for your neighbors to come together and get informed. Outside of regularly scheduled Association meetings, social media can be an accessible hub for homeowners to stay on top of community activities.

If your association hasn’t already established itself on social media, here is an in-depth look at the specifics involved with running a successful community social media account.

Make Sure Your Social Media is Compliant

Before starting up a social media account, first, establish a person or group of people who will be responsible for scheduled posting or content management. A member of your association management company can take control of this role and ensure your channels follow all association policies.

Having a social media policy in place will protect your association from some of the downfalls of social media that can lead to neighborly-disputes, privacy violations, and above all, legal problems.

Create Channels Based on the Association’s Goal

After reviewing your social media policies, figure out what the whole goal is for even having a social media presence. Getting a goal in place will be the first step towards creating a content calendar and determining the type of content you will provide to your community.

Are your social media channels meant to:

Inform residents about upcoming events?
Show images of the community for prospective buyers?
Celebrate community gatherings?
Declare community emergencies when necessary?

The answers to all these questions will allow your board to decide what types of channels are aligned with your social goals.

For example, Instagram is perfect for displaying vibrant images of your neighborhood and gatherings. While Facebook and Twitter lean more towards the side of quick updates, reviews, and community conversations.

Engage With Your Residents

Even if you’ve selected the perfect channel for your goals, social media is nothing without an audience to engage with. Aside from discussing upcoming events and sharing consensual photos, social media can be engaging by means of:

Community polls
Promotion of your community newsletter
Community contests
A “Neighbor of the Month” update
Recruitment for community events

What Not to Post

While we’ve focused on what your social media needs for success, there are certain posts that could sabotage your efforts and get your board in legal hot water. A shortlist of things to avoid on your accounts includes:

Photos of children or community members posted without consent
Confidential board discussions or plans
Private information of any community individual
Personal political or religious agendas
Public resolution of neighborhood disputes

There are other issues to avoid like defaming remarks as an admin, but your management team will be able to help you further navigate the sometimes muddy waters of social media.

Start Your Social Media Off on the Right Foot With Goodwin & Company

The creation of a social media account for your community can be exciting but needs an expert touch to ensure the whole project goes off without a hitch. Goodwin & Company is prepared to be your guiding hand through the social media space as well as other essential areas of your planned community. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

Remind Homeowners About Decorative Limits

Halloween is a lot like winter holidays. Everyone has an artistic vision with their decorations. This makes now a great time to politely remind homeowners that their Association has decorative clauses for the exteriors of homes.

Emphasize that it’s great to be excited for Halloween but to consider your neighbors when operating lights, sound effects, or subjectively inappropriate decorations. Have your governing documents on-hand for questions about decor limits.

Host a Community Event

Keep in mind, Halloween is a great time to bring the community together beyond trick-or-treats! If it fits your budget, consider hosting an HOA sponsored event like a Trunk Or Treat, neighborhood haunted house, or Halloween-themed block party with a costume contest and all.

Halloween is all about letting imaginations run wild. Your Board or Social Committee can easily come up with some fun ideas that are compliant with community governing documents.

Trick-Or-Treating? Make Safety a Priority

If a community event isn’t in the cards, have your community management team create a notice that helps emphasize general safety precautions that all neighborhoods practice during the season.

Children should be encouraged to trick-or-treat in groups and have parents in attendance for extra safety. In celebration of the holiday, make sure children have a flashlight or glowstick hand to light the way as they walk to their candy-filled destinations.

If you aren’t a trick-or-treater, please make sure your yard is safe and free of debris or equipment that could result in a fall or hazard. Most importantly, if you run out of candy and have to leave the house, make sure to drive with caution. After all, witches and ghosts can be pretty hard to see at night.

Remember to Pack Up!

Pumpkins unfortunately rot, and cobwebs and bats aren’t generally the poster children for Thanksgiving and Christmas. While we aren’t saying your neighbors have to put their decorations away the night of, a friendly reminder that holiday decor should be taken down within the week is a smart idea. Not only does this keep the neighborhood in uniform, but it saves property value and allows for a fresh start during the upcoming holidays!

Need Association Help During the Holidays? Goodwin & Company has Your Back!

Even though we haven’t hit Halloween yet, the largest holidays of the year are creeping up on your planned community. Ensure your board members have the time they need to dedicate themselves to their duties as well as the holiday fun! Let Goodwin & Company help take over some of the more taxing duties of neighborhood management and let your board enjoy the perks of happy homeowners. Get in touch with us today and find out more about our services.