Credit:
Courtesy of Matt Windsor
The American Chemical Society spring and fall meetings are excellent venues to recruit and engage division members. But with countless sessions and events competing for attention, how do you make sure your division stands out? A preplanned social media campaign using a simple timeline—and amplified by your division’s members—can make all the difference.
Start posting early: 4 to 6 weeks out
Your division should start introducing its national-meeting events well before people start to plan their schedules. This way, your events will more likely be included in an attendee’s first scheduling draft rather than squeezed into an existing schedule if they discover your event later. So, begin 4 to 6 weeks before the meeting with at least one meeting-related post per week.
This is a great time to introduce your division and its mission, spotlight your executive committee, and share recaps of memorable moments from prior meetings. Posts with photos and videos perform especially well, but make sure you have permission from anyone featured in pictures. If any events are returning to the upcoming national meeting, include the date, time, and location. And don’t forget straightforward registration reminders. Consider these examples for the ACS Divisions of Organic Chemistry (ORGN) and Inorganic Chemistry (INOR):
- The ORGN Ice Cream Social at #ACSSpring2025 was so much fun! What should we do for our next social?
- The #ACSSpring2026 INOR Poster Session was amazing. Join us for the #ACSFall2026 session at [location] on [date and time]!
Get excited! One week before
In the week before the meeting, increase your posting frequency to once every day or two. This is the moment to create a sense of anticipation and excitement.
Countdown posts work well here, as do informative posts that highlight a specific session’s details (such as room numbers, times, and featured speakers). You can also provide practical information related to the national meeting—where to register on-site, what the weather looks like, or how to navigate the convention center. Think of your division’s social media feed that week as a helpful concierge for your members. Here are some examples for the ACS Divisions of Biochemical Technology (BIOT) and Chemical Health and Safety (CHAS) and the Women Chemists Committee (WCC):
- We’re only 6 days away from #ACSSpring2025. Join us at the BIOT × WCC session, Comment: ACS divisions, use this social media plan for national meetings on [date, location].
- Setting your schedule for #ACSSpring2026? Check out CHAS’s sessions at [website link].
Stay active on social media during the meeting
Keep your division’s activities in front of meeting attendees’ eyes by posting every 1 to 2 days.
Share the daily agenda for your division’s events, promote individual technical talks with flyers that include all the relevant details, and remind followers about social activities, award ceremonies, and participation in the Sci-Mix poster event. If your division has an information table, let people know where to find it and what swag is available. Short daily video recaps are great for capturing the energy of the meeting and giving remote members a sense of what they’re missing. For example, the Divisions of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) and Polymer Chemistry (POLY) might post,
- Will we see you tonight at the PMSE/POLY Plenary Lecture and Awards Reception? Stop by [location, time] and say hi!
One underused strategy is reposting. When fellow members, cosponsoring divisions, or other ACS components (local sections, divisions, committees, or international chapters) share content related to your events, reposting their content extends your reach with just a few clicks. Encourage your members to repost your division’s content, too!
“Your division should start introducing its national-meeting events well before people start to plan their schedules.”
Don’t stop posting when the meeting ends
It takes a few days after a big meeting to collect and reflect on everything that happened. Use that time to post a recap message or two thanking members for their participation and celebrating highlights from the week. Then look ahead by encouraging everyone to submit abstracts for the next national meeting while enthusiasm is still high.
A social media campaign that drives recruitment
A preplanned social media campaign gives your division time to put together a lot of content with a small team and budget. This plan, a content calendar, and a few volunteers (willing to contribute videos, photos, and repost content) will help your division reach larger audiences—and new division members.
These recommendations are based on a calendar developed by the ACS Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (AGFD). Special thanks to AGFD social media manager Poll Zhang and officers Alyson Mitchell, Michael Appell, and Kathryn Deibler.
The Committee on Communicating Chemistry (COMM; formerly the Committee on Public Relations and Communications) is here to help your ACS component overcome communication challenges. Have a communication challenge you’d like some guidance on? Reach out to COMM at [email protected].
Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.
2026 American Chemical Society
