How To: Facebook Campaign for Oregon Women in Apprenticeship Day

It’s great that you are as excited as we are about National Women in Apprenticeship Day, Thursday November 5, 2015. Thank you for joining us to make the presence of women in apprenticeship known far and wide. We all know that apprenticeship itself is a very misunderstood concept and within that system, women are unseen. In order to bring this issue to the forefront, we have some tips for a Facebook post to contribute to the campaign and a national conversation. The tips below will give you a chance to let your friends and family know what you do, while connecting to other tradeswomen to create a larger impact!

Anatomy of the Facebook Campaign Post:

In order for you post to have the most effect, make sure that you specify for these posts to be ‘public’.

The Photo:

For this campaign, let’s show the world that women in apprenticeship work! Include a photo (or a video if you have it) of yourself on a job site or doing trades work. Here are some samples to inspire you!

The Text:

You should talk about your experience, your life, your apprenticeship. You want to let your networks know what you do and what that means to you! So, we aren’t crafting your post for you. However, here are some tidbits we are trying to highlight:

• Announce National Women in Apprenticeship Day, 11/5/15
• Explain that apprenticeship means you get an education and paid on the job training!
• Talk about getting a life-long career, not just a job
• Share your story, about how apprenticeship changed your life
• Let folks know, that women only comprise 3% of the trades, nationally
• You can support women in apprenticeship with a donation to your local tradeswomen organization, like Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. Donors who give a minimum of $10, today, will be eligible to be chosen to win 4 lower-level tickets to a Trailblazers game PLUS a signed jersey from a starter! Learn more at www.tradeswomen.net/donate.

The ‘Hashtag’ (or the connection to a larger campaign!):

Hashtags are an important and essential part of creating a Facebook campaign. When you tag organizations or include hashtags, the connected flurry of activity means that those posts get seen more frequently. Then more people share your post, and the impact grows! So, don’t forget to include some hashtags.

• Essential Hashtags:
  • @OregonTradeswomenInc (In order to do this, make sure you already like our Facebook Page.)
  • @TradeswomenTaskforce
  • #WomenInApprenticeship
• Hashtags for Extra Lift:
  • #Tradeswomen
  • #NAW2015
  • #GiveGuide
  • #20PercentIn2020
• Hashtags to Bring Your Union/Employer into the Circle:
  • Like your employer or local union and use – @EmployerFacebookAccountName
  • Like your international union and use – @InternationalUnionFacebookAccountName

Take it to the next level!

Add the Twibbon look to your Facebook and/or Twitter Account:

Over the past couple of months, you may have seen people change their profile pictures to have an overlay image. Maybe it was for Planned Parenthood with a pink picture that said “#StandwithPP” or Domestic Violence Awareness with a purple tint and a ribbon. Well, we now have a Twibbon for Women in Apprenticeship! It is a white hardhat that will go over the top of your current profile picture on either Facebook or Twitter.  To use this, go to Twibbon and search “Women in Apprenticeship”. Click on the link and allow it to access your Facebook or Twitter and the website will take care of the rest for you!

Bring the Conversation to Twitter:

For those of you who are active on Twitter already you can craft a short post ( I am a woman in apprenticeship). Here are some rough ideas for extra hashtags that you could use on twitter (in addition to those above!):

Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, Oregon Apprenticeship and Training Division

USDOL, US Women’s Bureau, Labor Secretary Perez

Together, we can use National Women in Apprenticeship Day to really bring tradeswomen to the forefront!