This page is the single source of truth for all administrative tasks, templates, and processes focused on GitLab brand social channels. If your question is "how?", the answer will be here.
Epic Roadmap Issue Board by Milestone Issue Board by Assignee
| Topic/Focus | Examples | Point of Contact |
| All social-first/only campaigns | E.g. "We Belong Here", "Cribs", Features from releases | Kristen Sundberg |
| Backend development, onboarding, strategizing of net-new tools or company-wide initiatives | E.g. Advocacy program with Bambu, formalizing the content to social team pipeline | Wil Spillane |
| Brand campaigns | E.g. "Seeing is Believing", "open DevOps", Commit, OSS, priority platform partners, All Remote, DIB, CSR | Wil Spillane |
| Corporate Events (non-Commit) | E.g. Satellite events, Connect, KubeCon, etc. | Kristen Sundberg |
| Incident Management | [Check out the incident management handbook page](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/marketing/corporate-marketing/incident-communications-plan/) | Wil Spillane |
| Frontend management and execution of existing tools and programs | E.g. working with content team on pipeline, working with curators and reporting on returns for the advocacy program, etc. Includes fulfilling blog scheduling requests. | Kristen Sundberg |
| GTMs (V1) | E.g. helping to fulfill organic social requests | Kristen Sundberg |
| Instagram as a channel | E.g. community management, responding to users, story strategies, etc. | Kristen Sundberg |
| Press coverage | E.g. fulfilling coverage requests, working with agencies/partners on press-focused campaigns | Wil Spillane |
| Company Maturation Process | - | Wil Spillane |
| Talent/Employer brand campaigns on social | E.g. "We Belong Here" | Kristen Sundberg |
Handbook updates; community management for Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; other campaigns or activations not tied into one of the above categories; or when the team has decided on a unique setup for greater efficiency
In order to take advantage of GitLab's All Remote and Asynchronous 3.0 initiatives, the social team will schedule "Async Weeks" where we will reschedule or decline work-related meetings for a full calendar week. Because these weeks are planned to be asynchronous in advance, the social team will organize workloads and projects to take advantage of this.
The following weeks have already been scheduled as async weeks:
More weeks will be scheduled in the future
Previous async weeks:
Many requests for social media coverage could sound like one ask, but ultimately have different end-user objectives or where we'll need to promote different assets or links. Please keep the following in mind to help us better manage requests.
If you are requesting coverage for something that is:
This will allow us all to better understand due dates, milestones, and to close issues promptly when the specific request is fulfilled.
If you're not sure if you need an epic or just an issue, feel free to ask in the #social_media_action Slack channel.
Once you've opened the epic (if the ask is a part of the list above)
#social_media_action Slack Channel.As a part of the FY22 Go-To-Market motions, GitLab brand social channels support each campaign with content appropriate for awareness and engagement marketing stages.
The social team does not create or own the core messaging for GTMs. We'll take campaign manager approved messaging, apply the GitLab tone of voice, and include social practices.
For FY22, organic social will maintain child-epics for each campaign along with related issues created per asset to promote.
We use the following workflow to make sure teams are aligned and able to organize effectively.
<!-- Name this epic (FY2x)(Q/H)(1-4): Organic Social GTM Motion-(x), add the start date and end date of the epic to coordinate with the period we're determining here -->
`All items in code are to be filled out.`
### FY2`1H1`: Organic Social GTM Motion-`x`
##### Points of Contact
| Team | Contact |
| ------ | ------ |
| Social Lead | `insert handle` |
| Content Lead| `insert handle` |
| Brand Design Lead | `insert handle` |
| Campaign Manager | `insert handle` |
##### [GTM Motion Organic Social Calendar](null.com)
_(Pending creation by the social team. Available to select team members on this campaign only.)_
#### đź‘Ą Intended Audience + Details
<!-- helps the team write unique copy, but audiences are not targetable on organic channels -->
`Insert intended audience here. Add ancillary details that may help us to understand the target further.`
#### đź‘Ł What is the utm_campaign?
`add utm_campaign URL here`
##### Issues attached to this child-epic include specific promotional requests for individual pieces of content. See below for details.
/label ~"Social Media" ~"Corp Comms" ~"Corporate Marketing" ~"mktg-status::plan" ~"usecase-gtm" ~"Stage::Awareness"
When sharing a link on social media, all channels will look for opengraph frontmatter information, allowing the sites to pull a social media sharing card. This includes unique specifics for the page like its title, a description, and a unique image. It's critical that all pages intended to be shared across social media sites have this informaton attached, so that our users are aware of where we're linking them to, as well as, following best practices.
Social Media Sharing tags are set by the post or page frontmatter. Please use the following template and add it to the frontmatter:
title: your page title/cta
description: page description
twitter_image: "/images/opengraph/file-name.png"
twitter_image_alt: "describe the image being used here"
twitter_site: "gitlab"
twitter_creator: "gitlab"
Be sure to update the title, description, twitter_image, twitter_alt_image, and other non-social tags necessary for your page. The twitter_site and twitter_creator tags should remain the static value: "@gitlab"
The description meta tag is important for SEO, but it's also a part of Facebook and Twitter social cards. The description should be a short summary of the page. You can think of this as a subtitle.
The description is not meant to repeat the post or page title, use your creativity to describe the content of the post or page. Try to make your description less than 100 characters, if possible.
Adding an image file to the frontmatter for twitter_image should be added to the [www-gitlab-com] project at /images/opengraph/ and must be named after the page's file name. While listed as an image for Twitter, this code works for all social sharing sites.
It is important to be as inclusive as possible, which is why providing an alternative text for your image is necessary. Image alt's provide a written summary of what is in the image for users who prefer to be read what is in the image vs seeing it, think of users who use screenreaders to read social media. Text included here should not repeat the title or description and it is not another way to add additional SEO properties - you should simply describe the image. Is the picture a group of GitLab Team Members gathering at Contribute New Orleans? Then that is your image alt text.
This frontmatter aides sites like twitter in understanding how to present additional content. When the link is shared on Twitter, a user may see content that Twitter believes is related to the one shared. This is more of an administrative tag that assists on the backend. These values will always be the same and do not require you to update them.
Frontmatter requires a merge, therefore, you'll need to include this as a step in page creation. Once merged, please test your link. Preview the social cards by adding your link to the [Twitter Card Validator], or the [Facebook Debugger].
UTMs are used to track traffic sources & reach of posts/links. All posts that contain GitLab-owned URLs must contain a UTM parameter.
Please see details in the Digital Marketing handbook. In short, it's important to outline UTM campaign, content, and other variables if you're looking to measure more deeply. Campaign section is a requirement, and is likely connected to your ongoing marketing campaign. If you have questions or are unsure how to tag a URL please reach out to the Digital Marketing team &/or the Social Media Manager responsible for the campaign.
LinkTree is bio link tool. The Social Media team uses LinkTree to drive traffic to the GitLab website. Folks will click the link in bio and have a few options to choose from before landing on a webpage. The GitLab brand Linktree is: https://linktr.ee/GitLab
At GitLab we have multiple CTA's and campaign goals. The idea here is that a LinkTree will give our community an exit route and determine themselves- on where they land. Once you click the link in bio you'll have tiles to choose from: Homepage, Handbook, Press, Blog, Get a Free Trial, etc. Tile options are a continuous iteration as they will change to reflect current campaigns.
LinkTree credentials are managed via the Social Media Vault in 1 Password. Links in the LinkTree would need to be approved by the social team, as these links are considered inventory for organic social.
Consider our labels as a way to be transparent about our work at every level of our marketing organization. At any given time and at any given level, a Team Member can recall what volume and mix of work is happening. Not only does this help the social team to better organize, but would allow our Team Members up our organization to better understand their entire team, too.
Every social media-related issue should have the following labels, each of which covers our organization in a broader look further up the chain.
More on optional labels will be available soon.
/source/community/sweepstakes in the www-gitlab-com project. Name the directory the same as the giveaway /source/community/sweepstakes/name-of-giveaway/name-of-giveaway/ folderindex.html.md file.Share your GitLab story! Tell us your favorite thing you made with GitLab tell us a time GitLab helped you out of a tight spot)Tags in Sprout enable social to measure performance outside of general level metrics. If a post needs a tag but did not get one when scheduled, we'll need to tag the posts after they've been published. While this can happen from forgetting to add the tag in Sprout, its most often related to publishing natively on channels. E.g. when we use Twitter Ads/Media Center to publish unique card content or when publishing stories in Instagram.
To tag a post after its been published:
reports tabcross-network reports categorypost performance reportAdministrative Details on Social Media Design
All members of the social team manage their own login access to Canva Pro. We have shared these logins with the design team as well. For self-service work, we will link to the template URL created by Canva so that team members have quick access to the templates without the risk of logging into the social team accounts or voiding our contract with the vendor.
Must be logged in to a social team Canva Pro account to edit. Viewable links are available publicly.
In some instances, GitLab team members who are not on the social team will have administrative access to a social channel. This makes sense when team members manage paid social advertising, create events, or handle reporting as part of their roles.
All team members, including those on the social team, who have access to an admin console on any social channel will need to prove that their accounts are secured with 2FA, preferably with an app or code generator and not their mobile device. We recommend using 1 Password, which we have access to as team members of GitLab.
When admin access is granted on channels where the available permission settings are above what is necessary for non-social team members to successfully run their tasks, there will be explicit guidelines from the social team on what and where to click and to manage so that non-social team members do not accidentially interfere with social operations.
With the availability to post to a channel, respond to users, or edit company information, comes serious risk in damaging our brand in the eyes of the community, our team, the media, investors, or other stakeholders. It's not about preventing silly mistakes, this is focused on protecting GitLab, our team members, and our community from malicious activity or other damange that could reflect on the company.
The field marketing team is enabled to use the GitLab brand LinkedIn channel to create events, so that GitLab is seen as the event organizer. If you need to connect with who the field marketing LinkedIn events admin is, please message the social team in the #social_media_action Slack channel.
The field marketing events admin can only create, edit, and maintain the events listings on the GitLab LinkedIn page and they are not authorized to write posts, edit the page or its contents, or to respond to users.
Events that are authorized to be promoted as organized by the GitLab brand include demos, webinars, speaker sessions, Connect, Commit, and other virtual and in-person events that the GitLab brand and company can and will fully support.
Events that are not authorized to be promoted as organized by the GitLab brand include: team member celebrations, non-GitLab hosted events, events where a partner is the lead and already have an event page, and promoting events or campaigns that use social good initiatives for lead generation.
LinkedIn events should only be used for events and not for campaigns. Events are defined as a specific moment in time on a calendar in which the expectation is that users will join synchronously. Campaigns are defined as initiatives that run for a longer than a specific moment in time and where users can participate asynchronously.
Please use the following hex colors to represent the channels in reports, in charts, or when calling it out in plain text.
The following code is required when asking for team members or anyone in the wider community to submit elements that the social team intends to create content around. Please include this on rules pages or in Google Forms, or in any location where we'd be asking for content from users.
By submitting this [INSERT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WITH; GOOGLE FORM, ETC] with answers or uploading a video response, you are providing perpetual consent to GitLab Inc., its affiliates, subsidiaries, and agents, to use your image, story, and any other submitted materials (“Content”). You will continue to own your original Content.
You are affirming that
* you have the authority to provide consent herein
* any individuals in the Content other than yourself are over 18, know you are giving GitLab permission to use the Content, and have consented to it being used by GitLab pursuant to this license
You are giving GitLab a non-exclusive license with the right to
* reproduce the Content in any form and to use in any presentation of any and all kind whatsoever
* use your Content without giving credit to you or paying you any fees
* edit your Content prior to use
By agreeing to these terms, you release GitLab, our employees and officers, and any third-party services that we use to promote your Content from any and all claims, actions or proceedings of any kind, and from any and all damages, losses, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses relating to or arising out of the use of your Content as contemplated by this license.
You may revoke this authorization at any time by notifying [legal@gitlab.com](mailto:legal@gitlab.com) in writing (“Revocation”). Revocation will not affect any actions taken prior to receipt of Revocation.
If you don’t agree to these terms, no further action is required and you may [INSERT ACTION TO DENY; EG NOT SUBMIT THE FORM]
